Yesterday we posted a photo a reader sent in of a toy aisle in his local Walmart that was packed with junk food. We all got commenty on what exactly Walmart was doing—was it a one-off paid promo by Pepsi? A marketing experiment? A power-mad store manager driven crazy by shelving issues? Nah, it’s actually an intentional choice mandated by corporate.
Retail Services
Toys R Us Muscles In On The Games Trading Racket
By 9.10.09
Kotaku reports that Toys R Us has gone nationwide with its video game trade-in initiative today. Now the chain is stepping on GameStop’s turf. The site’s Mike Fahey quotes a Toys R Us bigwig:
Microsoft Teaches Best Buy How To Diss Linux, Macs
By 9.10.09
A recent flurry of reports on the internets claim that Microsoft has been training Best Buy employees to push customers away from Linux and Mac systems to those running Windows. While some posts claim that the Gatesians are teaching Best Buy workers to become “Linux assassins,” most of what’s going on looks like typical retail marketing: a deep-pocketed supplier working with a chain to hawk its products more aggressively. However, Linux pros are up in arms about “inaccuracies” in the Microsoft program that walks customers through the advantages of Windows vs. Linux.
Morning Deals
By 9.10.09
- Skull Candy : [Headphones] 50% Off Entire Purchase w/ Coupon Sku124LL9021
- Newegg: [LCD] LG W2242T-BF 22-inch LCD Monitor $150 Shipped
Best Buy Too Lazy To Find Your Item Unless You Order It Online
By 9.9.09
Reader Michael went to Best Buy to pick up a hard drive that he saw on sale. The website said that the item was in stock, but when he got to the store there were none on the shelf. The employee he questioned said that the item was out of stock but explained that the website was slow to update. So Michael went home, ordered it for in store pick up and… can you guess what happened next?
Walmart Puts Doritos, Pepsi In The Toy Aisle
By 9.9.09
Reader Edd was shopping at his local Walmart when he noticed something annoying. There’s a Pepsi & Dorito display in the middle of the toy aisle. Not at the end of the toy aisle. In the middle of it. Update: Mystery solved.
Abercrombie & Fitch Fined For Discriminating Against Autistic Shopper
By 9.9.09
The PR geniuses at Abercrombie & Fitch are in the news again for refusing to let a 14-year old autistic shopper have help trying on clothes. The Minnesota Department of Human Rights has fined the company $115,264 for discriminating against a person with a disability.
Walmart: No More Paycheck Here's Your Pre-Paid Debit Card
By 9.9.09
Walmart, our nation’s largest employer, has eliminated paper paychecks. Now employees can choose to sign up for direct deposit or have their wages added to a pre-paid debit card. ABCNews says that only about half of Walmart’s employees use direct deposit — the rest either prefer a paper paycheck or, in some cases, don’t have a bank account.
Morning Deals
By 9.9.09
- Jet Blue: [Travel] Jet Blue R&R Sale – Fares from $29 each way
- FTD.com: [Flowers] FTD Good Neighbor Day 2009: Free floral bouquets
- Apple Store: [iPod Touch] Price drops – 8GB Touch $189, 16GB $249, 32GB $279 shipped
Sprint Yanks $100 Credit Offer On Palm Pre, Says Oops
By 9.9.09
Earlier today, Sprint made news by effectively cutting the price of a Palm Pre to $99 for new Sprint customers, after a $100 credit. Now Sprint is saying it was a publishing error and not a valid offer.
Chinese Police Say Walmart Shopper Beaten To Death After Botched Receipt Check
By 9.8.09
Chinese state media says that a woman accused of shoplifting was allegedly beaten to death by 2 employees of a Walmart in eastern China. A police report says that the employees stopped the woman on the street near her home (which is also near the Walmart) and demanded to see her receipt. One report says she refused because she was unsure of the employee’s identities, another says she handed it over, then took it back.
Man Says Best Buy Policies Prevent His TV From Being Fixed
By 9.8.09
Russ used to have a TV, but now all he has are problems. He summarizes his 52-inch Insignia (Best Buy‘s House Brand) HDTV’s decision to check out, then goes into Best Buy’s bumbling attempts to fix it.
Morning Deals
By 9.8.09
- OfficeDepot: [MP3 Player] Memorex 2GB Clip MP3 Player $20 or 2GB Image + FM Radio + MP3 Player $30
- Sephora: [Beauty] Sephora Big Beauty Sale: Up to 75% off + three samples for free
Retail Expert Describes What Men Want Out Of A Shopping Experience
By 9.4.09
Brand specialist Bertrand Pellegrin has published a new book for retailers that says if they want to capture the typical guy’s dollar, they need to create more inviting spaces to shop in. The author “points to electronics stores, strip clubs, sports bars and gyms as spots where men feel comfortable socializing and spending money.” That may all be (kind of) true, but that’s gonna make one hell of a noisy, sleazy, sweaty, drunken place to shop for clothes.
Amazon Offers $30 Credits To Orwell Kindle Swindle Victims
By 9.4.09
A post on Amazon’s Kindle support forum yesterday says the company is sending out emails with offers of $30 to customers who had their George Orwell purchases erased from their devices earlier this summer.
Police Say Walmart Shopper Slapped A Stranger's Kid
By 9.3.09
Holy crap! A random Walmart shopper apparently just went and slapped some other shopper’s toddler because the kid wouldn’t stop crying. A police report says that the man told the toddler’s mother to keep her quiet saying “If you don’t shut that baby up, I will shut her up for you.”
