Reader Tim says that the picture he sent was taken on September 27, and “shows a TV in the DVD section playing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, trying to sell a boxed set of Christmas specials.”
christmas
Christmas This Year Will Be Less Tacky
By 10.7.09
Because retailers plan their Christmas offerings so far in advance, most were too far along with trendy or ostentatious Christmas merchandise to change course last year, reports the Associated Press. This year they’re prepared to pursue the fiscally conservative consumer, which means everyone is selling the holiday decor equivalent of comfort food.
Hobby Lobby Worships The Great Pumpkin With Halloween Tree
By 10.7.09
Hobby Lobby, with its devout Christian ownership, isn’t the first store we’d think of to honor the Great Pumpkin. Yet reader James spotted this festive tree back in mid-September.
Help Us! Tell Us What You Hate About The Holiday Shopping Season
By 10.5.09
Attention Shoppers: We’re interested in your opinions about the upcoming holiday shopping season. What drives you up the chimney? Is it the music? Black Friday? Rebates? Christmas Creep? Let us know!
Arizona Target Store Really, Really Can't Wait For Christmas
By 10.1.09
On September 27, 2009, there were 89 days until Christmas. But not at the Target in Peoria, Arizona. Reader Chris noticed that the twin phenomena of Christmas Creep and Target’s creeping insanity converged on one glorious, confusing, Santa-filled point where there were suddenly only 53 days until Christmas.
Start Your Christmas Shopping In August At This Colorado Pawn Shop
By 8.26.09
This sign spotted outside of a pawn shop in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, raises all kinds of questions. Such as: now what for Christmas? Now hiring for Christmas? Now buying artificial conifers for Christmas? Now cleaning out our warehouses for Christmas? We need more clarification, EZ Pawn.
Hobby Lobby Starts Off The Christmas Creep Season In July This Year
By 7.15.09
Last year we had to wait until August before Hobby Lobby busted out the Christmas cheer. Not this year! They’ve got things rolling in July, baby. And no, this isn’t a “Christmas in July” sale.
Kmart Launches Christmas Site In July
By 7.7.09
You know “Christmas in July?” Kmart does. They sent a mailing out to customers today about their new site, Christmas Lane. It promises “the best deals for Christmas, 5 months early.” To us, that’s more of a threat than a promise.
Panasonic Solves Gadget Problem Sent Through Generic Email Address!
By 1.28.09
Emailing a company about a product problem via their front-facing email address usually has about as much effect as wishing your way out of debt (just don’t tell the producers of The Secret). But Steve emailed Panasonic and instead of getting nothing or a generic response back, he actually ended up sending a series of emails back and forth with a product engineer who solved his consumer conundrum. Amazing! Here’s his story.
By 1.21.09
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EBay today announced that their net earnings fell 31% last quarter. You’d think in this economy, shoppers would be drawn to the potentially lower prices of eBay—after all, Amazon apparently did just fine. Are the headaches of dealing with eBay/PayPal outweighing the potential savings? [WSJ]
UPS Coughs Up $50 But Still Hasn't Delivered Your Daughter's Christmas Present
By 1.11.09
Reader Michael wants to know why it’s taking UPS almost a month to ship his daughter’s Christmas gift from Los Angeles to Seattle. Michael thinks his package might have been eaten by the snowstorm that broke Seattle a few weeks back, but UPS swears that they have the gift and that this is all a simple matter of “the driver forgot to put it on the truck.” Worried that it that it might have been faster for a messenger to walk between Los Angeles and Seattle with his daughter’s present, Michael decided to launch an Executive Email Carpet Bomb at UPS executives.
Circuit City's "Free Shipping Day" Promise Turns Out To Be Worthless
By 1.7.09
Circuit City promised that if you ordered from them on December 18th, you’d get free shipping and a guarantee that your order would arrive before Christmas. It turns out that promise was worthless, at least for Brandon—or rather, it’s worth exactly $5 in company scrip from Circuit City. (We love apologies that force you to shop at the company that screwed up.) Circuit City’s CSR even says that the December 18th offer doesn’t exist, despite the fact that their logo is still up on the freeshippingday.com website as of today.
Don't Even Think Of Ordering A Pizza Stone From Amazon
By 12.31.08
We’d like to share a personal story: it involves Amazon, Christmas presents, and three broken pizza stones.
By 12.31.08
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Here are some tips for recycling your Christmas tree.
CVS Raises The Creep Bar: Easter Treats In December!
By 12.31.08
Reader Bob sent in this picture from a CVS in Indianapolis. Those are reduced price Christmas decorations in the background, and in the center: delicious Easter treats!
By 12.30.08
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According to Bloomberg, retailers expect to close 73,000 stores in the first half of 2009, because no one bought enough Christmas presents. Thanks, Marc!
Amazon Replaces And Expedites Order That USPS Lost
By 12.28.08
Our reader ordered some gifts from Amazon in early December, only to have the post office lose them right before Christmas. Amazon saved his Christmas by overnighting a new package at no charge.
