Yesterday, we asked you to tell us how Circuit City’s new CEO should fix his stores. It’s been a troubled few years for Circuit City. Before the former CEO resigned last week, he’d embarked on an expensive and drastic “turn around” plan that, well, let’s be honest — failed.
Retail Services
Morning Deals
By 10.1.08
- Amazon: HD-DVD Sale/Clearance (some of the movies are actually good!)
- Walmart: $2.00 Fruit of the Loom Cotton Stretch Awesome No-Wire Tee-Shirt Bra
- Sams Club: Free Theraflu Severe Cold & Cough Sample
Highlights From Buxr
- Buy.com: Philips 32PFL3403D/27 – 32″ Widescreen 720p LCD HDTV for $499.99 w/ Free shipping
- Buy.com: ViewSonic Q19wb Black 19” 5ms Widescreen LCD Monitor for $139.99 w/ Free shipping (No Rebates!)
- King Size: Trunk Organizers (2) for $3.98 + $5.99 Shipping /w coupon code: ksrafapr
Highlights From Dealhack
- Nike.com: Up to 70% off Clearance Footwear & Apparel + Free Shipping on All Orders with Coupon
- Circuit City: LG 32LG10 32-inch LCD HDTV $630 Shipped
- Office Depot: Gateway M-6827 Core 2 Duo Notebook PC $500 & Free Shipping
Highlights From Dealnews
- drugstore.com: Adult Inflatable Ninja Costume for $27 + free shipping
- 6pm.com: Kenneth Cole Reaction shoes from $10 + $7 s&h
- Southwest Airlines: Southwest Sale: Fares from $39 1-way
Update: USAA Posts Notice On Website Regarding Technical Issues
By 10.1.08
Last week we raised the ire of plenty of USAA fans by posting a story about a woman’s IRA that went missing for nearly a day. We were as surprised as many of you that she’d received such poor customer service from the first CSR she spoke with, considering USAA’s usually stellar reputation. But the next day someone from USAA contacted Travis and his wife to find out what went wrong. Here’s Travis’ update.
March Madness-Style Bracket Makes Bank Mergers Fun
By 9.30.08
TechCrunch has posted this “March Madness” style bracket of the recent financial meltdown. It was reportedly created by a general partner at Sansome Partners named Mark Slavonia, says TC.
By 9.30.08 — Updated: 10.25.12
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Walmart just inked a deal to exclusively sell AC/DC’s new album as well as the new Rock Band video game, “AC/DC Live: Rock Band Track Pack.” Why must you go to Walmart? “If you want to be a physical band, you better make an alliance with a strong physical retailer,” said Steve Barnett, chairman of Columbia Records. “It’s a great way to sell the new album, the catalog, the game, merchandise and DVDs.” [NYT]
Walmart Shuts Down Music Store, Deactivates DRM-Protected Songs
By 9.30.08
Last week, Walmart sent out emails to its online music store customers letting them know that on October 9th, 2008, they will no longer be able to play any DRM-crippled tracks. Unlike Yahoo, which did the right thing by offering free replacement downloads of unprotected songs when they killed their DRM program, Walmart simply brags about its new unlicensed model and tells you to burn your protected tracks to CD if you really want to listen to them in the future. Good job, Walmart, there goes another betrayed consumer into the welcoming arms of digital piracy. And another. And another…
Citi Credit Card Cautions You Against Spending
By 9.30.08
Citi’s been burned enough by its cardholders’ profligate spending, apparently. Check out the message on this activation sticker on a new card. We like the inclusion of a sort of Yin-yang background, as if to remind us that debt and repayment are equal elements of the consumer credit world. A balance must be maintained! Just, you know, not so high a balance that you can’t make your monthly payments.(Thanks to Jerry!)
Morning Deals
By 9.30.08
Highlights From Buxr
- NewEgg: OCZ RALLY2 8GB High Performance Dual Channel Flash Drive for $11.99 after $12 rebate w/ Free shipping
- Amazon: Pyrex Smart Essentials 4-Quart 3-Piece Healthy Roaster Set for $13.50 + Shipping
- Amazon: Boss Audio BV8.5GA Flip-Down 8.5-Inch Monitor with Built-In DVD Player for $193.49 (discount appears in cart) w/ Free shipping
Highlights From Dealnews
- 6pm.com: adidas shoes from $9 + $7 s&h
- Plaintronics: Plantronics Clearance Sale: Headsets from $5 + $8 s&h
- Sears: Craftsman Engraving Pen for $25 + $6 s&h
Highlights From Dealhack
- Office Depot: AOC Envision 22-inch Widescreen LCD $180 & Free Shipping
- Vann’s: Panasonic Lumix LZ7 7.2MP Camera $120 Shipped
- Amazon: Panasonic VDRD50 DVD Camcorder $287 Shipped
When Things Get Crazy, Rumors Get Even Crazier
By 9.30.08
We received a tip today that Bank of America supposedly plans to close nearly all of its customers’ credit cards on October 1st, but the only source we can find for this rumor is a single post at iReport.com, CNN’s public journalism free-for-all. Everything else online that mentions this is traced back to that one short post. So, until we find out more, we’re going to say this one is bunk—and a great example of how wild rumors can pop up during desperate times. (Thanks to Joseph!)
Food Makers Want To Sell You Cheap Food For Big Profits
By 9.29.08
Gone are the days of pushing “premium” food offerings, says the Wall Street Journal— big food manufacturers like Kraft and Campbell are going to be pushing “cheap” foods like tomato soup and cheese singles — foods which are thought of as “easy on the wallet” but are still hugely profitable for the manufacturers.
Merry September! Christmas Is In Full Swing At Rite Aid!
By 9.29.08
Halloween is about a month away, but it’s too late to start thinking about that now. You’ve got Christmas crap to buy!
Shaw's Wants You To Shop More With Their Wheeled Baskets
By 9.29.08
Shaw’s has wised up to the trick of using a basket instead of a shopping cart to physically limit your grocery purchases, and they’ve come up with a creative workaround: convertible baskets that you can drag behind you on wheels when they become too heavy to carry.
Citigroup Buys Wachovia
By 9.29.08
Part of Wachovia will remain independent — including its massive brokerage business which ballooned after it purchased AG Edwards in 2007, as well as its Evergreen investment management division.
Morning Deals
By 9.29.08
- Adorama: SanDisk sale , Extreme III CF + SDHC. 8GB CF $6.67, 16GB CF $15, 4GB SDHC $13, 8GB SDHC $17
- Amazon: Outback Hammock Chair $35.40 Shipped
- Circuit City: Samsung S860 8.1MP Camera + Epson R280 Printer for $89.98 Shipped After Rebate
Highlights From Dealhack
- Amazon: Seagate FreeAgent 1TB USB 2.0 Drive $145 Shipped
- Office Depot: Envision 26-inch LCD HDTV $400 Shipped
- Music123: Today: Save 15% off Most Instruments & Gear Store-Wide
Highlights From Dealnews
- eCOST.com: Clover 2.4Ghz Wireless Video Camera Security System for $64 + $11 s&h
- Bargain Outfitters: Carhartt Men’s Sandstone Dearborn Jacket for $45 + $8 s&h
- Abt Electronics: Panasonic Expandable DECT 6.0 2-Handset Bluetooth Cordless Phone System for $87 + free shipping
This WaMu Sign Is Incredibly Accurate
By 9.29.08
I’m currently a Chase customer, but my brother is WaMu. As he was walking down the street in Brooklyn the other night, he managed to catch this picture.
Video: Turning Illegally Logged Wood Into A Walmart Toilet Seat
By 9.29.08
It’s hard to think of an object that isn’t made of wood or packaged or encounters wood at some point in its journey through the economy. Any number of household items that you can buy at Walmart, like a toilet seat for instance, may very well be made from Russian wood.
Honey, Was That PotBelly's Sandwich $4.23 Or $858,432?
By 9.28.08
Sorry PotBelly Sandwich Works customers, you can’t order the Chicken Salad Sandwich unless you qualify for a mortgage. Ashley’s husband thought his usual lunchtime meal cost $4.23, but, as his wife discovered when trying to pay their credit card bill, the sandwich actually costs $858,432.06.
Confirmed: Christmas Is Creeping
By 9.28.08
The Chicago Tribune confirms that Christmas is creeping up earlier this year as skittish retailers try to stay ahead of the ever-crescendoing non-recession. Walgreens, Kohls, and Home Depot were all singled out for defying the calendar, but blame also belongs with consumers who fuel seasonal ignorance with their buying choices.
