Consumerist

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Recession Watch: Walmart Up, Target Down

Walmart is winning the big box retail war it seems. They reported same-store October sales were up 2.4 percent versus October 2007. Target, however, lagged behind, with same store sales dropping 4.8%.

sony

TVs Will Be Cheap, But Will Anyone Buy Them?

By Meg Marco 11.3.08

Everyone seems to agree– this year will be the year of the cheap big-screen tv. The only question remains… will anyone buy them?

rental

Ask The Consumerists: Should I Rent A House That Is In Foreclosure?

By Meg Marco 10.24.08

Reader Kelly wants to know if she should risk renting a vacation house that is in foreclosure.

economy

POLL: Did $4 Gas Make You Drive Less On Memorial Day Weekend?

By Meg Marco 5.27.08

AAA is claiming that Americans drove 4.3% fewer miles on public roads in March — the first year-over-year decline since 1979, and that for the first time since 2002, Americans said they planned to drive less this Memorial Day weekend. So, with the national average at $3.936 per gallon, did you actually drive less?

retail

Is Retail Renting Ethical?

By Meg Marco 2.21.08

The Boston Globe has an interesting article in which they attempt to explain the phenomenon of “retail renting” or “wardrobing”–where consumers buy items with the intention of returning them when they’re done with the prom or the meeting or whatever. The article blames a mix of influences, including the economy and celebrities who obviously borrow many of their fancy gowns and jewelry.

banking

Goldman Sachs: By 2009 You May Owe More Than Your Home Is Worth

By Meg Marco 2.14.08

Home prices experienced the steepest drop on record for a single quarter says the National Association of Realtors:

The national median price drop of 5.8%, to $206,200 from $219,300, was the steepest ever recorded by the National Association of Realtors (NAR), which has been compiling the report since 1979.

banking

Are ATMs Obsolete?

By consumeristcarey 7.1.07

ATMs are celebrating their 40th birthday with a midlife crisis, wondering if their usefulness to society is at an end as people increasingly rely on credit cards for everyday transactions, and debit cards for cash back.

The numbers are pretty startling: The total number of machines in the U.S. dropped by 1,000 from 2005 to 2006 (although still at a hefty 395,000). The total number of U.S. ATM transactions dropped in 2006 for the second consecutive year, to 10.1 billion. Monthly transactions per U.S. ATM, at 2,131 in 2006, are barely a third of the level in 1996.

ATMs are expensive for banks, costing up to $50,000 per machine plus annual maintenance costs of at least $12,000. The Seattle Post-Intelligencer thinks the tea leaves spell the obsolescence of ATMs. We are not sold. What do you think? Vote in our poll, after the jump…

gas prices

Have Gas Prices Changed Your Buying Habits?

By Meg Marco 5.23.07

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