You know what makes you angry? Wii bundles. Here’s the situation. You go to the store to buy a Wii. You ask if they have any in stock. They do. You decide to buy the Wii — only to find out that they won’t sell you the Wii without forcing you to buy a bunch of other stuff. You become very angry. You write to us.
Retail Services
The Return of Layaway
By 12.8.08
Layaway is back this year. What’s that? It’s where you buy an item at a store, but don’t pay for it completely right away. The store puts the purchase item aside for you. You then make regular payments and once they add up to the full price tag, you get your item. Imagine that, saving up and only buying something once you can afford to pay for it in cash. Layaway plans used to be more popular but were overtaken by the ease and instant gratification of credit cards. Unlike credit cards, you don’t pay any interest, although sometimes there is a base fee. Now that credit lines are being cut and thrift is the new black, layaway is making a comeback. Kmart is featuring it in their Christmas ads, and Oprah talked about it on her show recently.
On Heels of Bailout, Citi Raises Rates on Millions of Cardholders
By 12.6.08
We know the credit markets remain seized: late on Black Friday when no one was listening, the Federal Reserve issued a statement that its emergency lending to banks had increased over the prior week. Thus, massive amounts of money continue to flow to large financial institutions in an effort to stimulate economic activity, but by all appearances the money is not flowing into the broader economy. Quite the contrary; as the Fed lowers rates and adds record amounts of loaned cash to bank balance sheets, big banks are actually increasing consumers’ cost of borrowing and reducing their lines of credit. Witness Citibank’s recent adverse actions against cardholders.
BoA To Stop Lending To Mountaintop Bloweruppers
By 12.5.08
After activists took them on a field trip, Bank of America has pledged to phase out lending money to companies that mine coal by exploding off the tops of pretty mountains. Well, they explode ugly mountains too, but you get the point. [Switchboard, from NRDC] (Thanks to John!)
Morning Deals
By 12.5.08
Jdimytai Damour, RIP
By 12.4.08
Artist Jeremy Scheuch made this digital image of Jdimytai Damour, the Walmart worker who was trampled to death by a crowd of Black Friday shoppers after they broke down the front doors and stormed in.
Neighborhoods Propose Printing Their Own Currency To Encourage Local Shopping
By 12.4.08
Two neighborhoods in Milwaukee are considering printing their own currency, which could be bought with U.S. dollars, but would be only accepted at local businesses, in order to encourage people to shop at home instead of Walmart.
Try Consumer Reports' Website For Free And Increase Your Shopping Abilities
By 12.4.08
Consumer Reports has set up some cute mall kiosks in the Boston Area so that shoppers can research products while they are shopping, but if you can’t get to Boston you can still give the website a try.
PrettySinful Pledges To Stop Calling Children's Clothes "Sexy"
By 12.4.08
Yesterday we told you about PrettySinful, a clothing maker on Amazon that was marketing its tween girl tights as being “sexy.” Tipster Jasmine also sent a complaint to PrettySinful. A customer service rep responded and pledged that they’ll be removing the word “sexy” from all their children’s clothes descriptions.
Morning Deals
By 12.4.08
Highlights From Buxr
- Footaction: 30% OFF Friends & Family Event (print+online w/ coupon code: EMFF8CAP)
- BestBuy: Samsung L210 10.2-Megapixel Digital Camera (Black) + Free 2GB Memory Card for $112.49 w/ Free shipping
- PetSmart: Save $10 off your order of $60+ online w/ coupon code: DECPERKS
Highlights From Dealhack
- Shoes.com: Save 20% off Men’s Shoes Orders Store-Wide with Coupon
- Buy.com: Seagate FreeAgent 1.5TB USB 2.0 Drive $160 Shipped
- B&H Photo: Panasonic TH-42PZ80U 42-inch HDTV $895 Shipped
Highlights From Dealnews
Monster Cable Sues Monster MiniGolf For Trademark Infringement
By 12.3.08
Monster Cable has decided to sue Monster MiniGolf for trademark infringement. Monster MiniGolf is a family startup by Patrick & Christina Vitagliano glow-in-the-dark monster-themed minigolf franchise with 23 locations. Monster Cable, which has an illustrious history of suing anything and everything with Monster in its name, makes the expensive cables that Best Buy is always trying to upsell you on that are no better than coat hangers.
Shoppers Suing Police Over Deadly Walmart Stampede
By 12.3.08
Who is to blame when shoppers attack en masse? The store? The individual shoppers? The police? Two shoppers who say they were injured during the deadly Walmart Black Friday stampede in New York are suing the local police — claiming that they didn’t do enough to calm down the crowd minutes before the mob surged through the doors killing one employee.
No Tween Girl Clothes Are "Sexy"
By 12.3.08
I don’t think it’s ever appropriate to market clothes to tween girls using the term “sexy.” Manufacturer “PrettySinful” has a different opinion, as seen in these “sexy” tights sold on Amazon, accompanied by a picture of a prepubescent girl. Perhaps the picture is in error because the rest of the clothier’s offerings are along the lines of crotchless bodystockings and various “do-me” adult party costumes. In any event, it’s gross and should be fixed.
Morning Deals
By 12.3.08
- Woot: Lyon by Washburn Electric Guitar with 5 Watt Amp and Instructional DVD for $89.99
- LineDrive.com: Under Armour up to 50% off at with free shipping
- Amazon: 18 Pack of Horizon 8oz Milk for $14.30
Highlights From Buxr
- Dell Home: Sony PS3 80GB for $322.99 w/ coupon code: CTV2$2HX963145 & TP5NV0VMFJ9BCZ w/ Free shipping
- Lowe’s: Black & Decker 109-Piece Drilling & Screwdriving Set for $9.97 + Shipping
- Hewlett Packard: HP Pavilion dv5t Notebook, Pentium Dual-Core 2.0GHz, 15.4″, 4GB, 320GB Wi-Fi + Printer for $549.99 after coupon code: SV2132 w/ Free shipping
Highlights From Dealhack
- Buy.com: Aerobed Twin Bed in a Minute II Inflatable $40 Shipped
- HobbyTron: Buy 2 Intelli Heli Mini Helicopters Get One Free
- Amazon: Save Extra $10 off Omron Scales & Health Monitors
Highlights From Dealnews
- Buy.com: Uniden FRS / GMRS 2-Way Radio 2-Pack for $29 + free shipping
- Amazon.com: Romancing the Stone with Jewel of the Nile on Blu-ray for $30 + free shipping
Ben Popken On NBC Nightly News This Thursday
By 12.2.08
Watch NBC Nightly News on Thursday, 12/04/08, for a snippet of yours truly, Ben Popken, laying down some tough talk on the good ‘ol Grocery Shrink Ray, THE STORY THAT NEVER DIES!!! MUAHAHA!
"Holistic Margin Management": What General Mills Calls Grocery Shrink Ray
By 12.2.08
Guess what they call the Grocery Shrink Ray at General Mills? “Holistic Margin Management.” I thinks that’s also what they call it in 1984. Another interesting fact from a StarTribune article looking at shrinking packages: customers are more likely to notice a change in the height rather than the width of a box. But does anyone really care?
Walmart: You Cannot Buy This Lamp Anywhere, So Just Give Up
By 12.2.08
We love Walmart’s website. We really do. Here’s a nice lamp that you can’t buy. At all. Deal with it.
Sears Is Rather Generous With The Term "Sale!"
By 12.2.08
I went to a local Sears to return some parts (don’t get me started) and the attached [photo] amused me.
