Best Buy is continuing to revamp their rebates process, according to this press release, providing ‘instant savings’ on notebook computers at the register, as well as rolling out a new online rebates tool that they claim shortens the rebate turn-around down to just over a week.
retail
Shophacks: How to Force ‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ at Many Stores
By 1.24.06
This scheme is a bit duplicitous, of course, but we feel no compunction passing on ways to game the same system that so often screws us over. Use these tricks at your own risk.
Victoria’s Secret to Customers: “Your Breasts Are Too Large To Shop Here”
By 1.23.06
This just in. Victoria’s Secret is launching a systematic attack of intimidation, isolation and humiliation… on women with enormous cans.
When Selling at Wal-Mart is Bad for Business
By 1.23.06
What does it take for a company to decide that selling their product through Wal-Mart’s chain might hurt their business? This excerpt of an excerpt from Fast Company might give you a clue, as a vice-president at lawnmower company Snapper explains to Wal-Mart why he can’t continue to offer his product in their stores:
“Now, at the price I’m selling to you today, I’m not making any money on it. And if we do what you want next year, I’ll lose money. I could do that and not go out of business. But we have this independent-dealer channel. And 80% of our business is over here with them. And I can’t put them at a competitive disadvantage. If I do that, I lose everything. So this just isn’t a compatible fit.”
SoHo Fire Ruins Millions in Prada
By 1.23.06
A fire in 575 Broadway occurred over the weekend with no loss of life, but perhaps over $5 million worth of loss to the Prada store, according to Gothamist. Other stores in the building, including American Eagle, also are pretty much smoked, as well as office spaces above, home to the likes of companies like Take 2, of Grand Theft Auto infamy.
Morning Deals Round Up
By 1.23.06
• SlickDeals is reporting that the Sony DSC-S40 4.1-megapixel camera is going for a $100, in store only. Yes, that would be a good deal.
Urban Outfitters Rips Designer’s Panda T-Shirt
By 1.21.06
The Urban Outfitters design theft accusations just don’t stop. Molly Roth writes:
For the past year, I’ve been struggling to get my e-tee shop off the ground. Madapollam.com has 4 original t-shirt designs that I made myself. I’ve been using Myspace.com and Livejournal as avenues to advertise my site.
Why We Gripe: Is Friendly Retail a Lost Cause?
By 1.19.06
Although the comments are full of the self-congratulatory jerking that we bloggers do so well, there are some interesting points raised in response to a post by Mike Sansone about a bad experience at CompUSA. Specifically, “Does complaining about an employee online do anything besides push down cloying training materials from the PR and sales departments of large retail operations?” (Actually, that’s our question.)
Urban Outfitters Rips Designer’s Cupcake T-Shirt
By 1.17.06
Online vendor Johnny Cupcakes sells t-shirts and other clothing for hipsters festooned with cupcakes. (A notion we entirely support, being given to a particular love for the tiny cakes.) Apparently Urban Outfitters asked Johnny Cupcakes for a few samples of his t-shirts to be considered for placement in their stores, something that would have certainly had great financial reward for both companies. Sadly, Urban Outfitters chose not to carry Johnny Cupcake’s products—or he chose not to go with them for some reason; we’re not sure—and never returned his samples.
Disaffected: The Game That Lets You Hate Yourself
By 1.17.06
It’s not often we get to link to videogames, but we’re happy to direct your attention to ‘Disaffected,’ a sort of inverse to the advergame—games that shill products as their primary or secondary purpose—where players experience what it’s like to be a Kinko’s-like employee.
What is the Legality of Retailers’ Post-Sale Spot Checks?
By 1.11.06
try to leave the store. They try to FORCE everyone to stop and have their receipts & carts checked before they leave the store. I cannot tell you how much this bothers me. Once I pay for my merchandise, it is MINE – I own it! If they want to check my cart or my receipt, they need probably cause to detain me – otherwise it is illegal search & seizure. They want me to wait in one line for 30 minutes to check out, and then wait another 5 minutes to have some lackey check my receipt? FORGET IT! I have complained about this repeatedly to the store manager. They claim it is to make sure that I haven’t been “over-charged” for anything. But after some argument, they admit it is used to keep tabs on their employees, and make sure that the checkers are actually scanning all items. Is that my problem? Nope! And I refuse to be have my civil rights violated because they don’t trust their employees.
This sounds like a job for an attorney or someone who has had at least one cup of coffee, but Kaje raises an interesting point. How can stores legally search your bags or cart after you’ve paid for an item? Doesn’t the ownership of the goods transfer once you have been given the receipt or bill of sale? Wouldn’t refusing a search on their property lead to, at worse, an ejection from the premises? (You know, like, ejected all the way out to your car so you can drive home?)
Wal-Mart CEO Responds to Critical Film
By 1.10.06
Here’s how much Robert Greenwald doesn’t like Wal-Mart: A lot. So many lots, in fact, that he made a movie about them and their evil ways.
Ask The Consumerist: Why Do You Hate Wal-Mart?
By 1.2.06
We’re off duty today, but we’ve gotten some great emails over the weekend so we thought we’d pass the goods on before it got stale.
Consumers Speak: Best Buy vs Circuit City
By 12.30.05
Rick B writes:
It may be a bit late for tales of Christmas shopping woe, but what the heck–its slow at work today. [No joke. -Ed.]
The Dark Winter of Our Soles
By 12.29.05
We got this frightening portent in our Gmail accounts today from shoe retailer Zappo’s. The mukluk menace mushes on.
Tip o’ the Beard and Hat to B&H Camera
By 12.29.05
The actual, successful purchase of a camera seems sort of a sad end to The Thomas Hawk Affair, but we suppose we can be happy that he got his camera in the end. Our publisher Nick Denton seems especially happy about it, since he keeps sending us links to stories about people buying cameras from B&H. We guess that means he’d like us to post up this one, as well, by Mr. Joe Wilcox of 101 Typepad Lane.
Customer Avoids Murdering Humpy UPS Employee
By 12.28.05
I already wrote a letter to UPS informing them that while I’ve never had a problem with their company I will happily take my package to the copy shop down the block where I can choose from a host of their competitors.
