Spooked by the (apparently mythological) low numbers of shoppers this season, several retail chains are pulling out the stops in an attempt to lure consumers in over the next 72 hours, reports Reuters. Seven New York-area Macy’s stores are now open non-stop until 6pm Monday. Kmart is holding a “64-hour sale” that begins tomorrow morning and lasts until 10pm Monday (we’re not sure if the stores are staying open around the clock, however). JC Penney is advertising special sales tonight and tomorrow morning.
shopping
Bloomingdales Employee Charged In Bogus Gift Card Scam
By 12.21.07
The Manhattan District Attorney’s office is prosecuting a Bloomingdale’s salesperson for running a month-long bogus gift card scam that netted $34,515 from the store, says the NY Sun.
It says Bloomingdale’s sales receipts were the key element of Ms. Ng’s alleged scheme.
Idea: Find Your Way Through The Mall Via GPS
By 12.21.07
Now that we’ve got such advanced cell phone technology, Russel Shaw with ZDNet thinks we should start putting it to use to make shopping in the real world easier. His idea, free for the taking if you’re feeling entrepreneurial: shopping mall geolocation services.
8 Sensible Gift Ideas For Outdoor Enthusiasts
By 12.21.07
Here are some practical gift ideas that your family can use the next time they go looking for a Christmas tree and get trapped in the snow for three days. Unlike too many of the “gift lists” the media spits out each December, these are fairly affordable items—most of them are priced between $20-$40. Or if you’re really on a budget, you can go for the $4 gift and give your loved one a Spork XM, made from a “durable polycarbonate that brings its weight down to a half-ounce.”
CNN Wants You To Be Very Afraid Of Parking Lots
By 12.21.07
CNN has a hilarious article about shopping safety that you should certainly read before you hit the mall this weekend for last-minute gifts. We’re all for safety, but according to this article, letting your senior citizen wander off from the rest of the family is like like tying a fawn to a skateboard and pushing it into a den of lions: “He has to be at least 75 or 80 years old. Now, he’s a potential victim.”
Take Your Brand And Shove It
By 12.20.07
Muji is a Japanese store that is, um, all the rage in NYC right now, apparently.
Milk Prices Up 23.2% In 2007
By 12.20.07
John Norris’ family is drinking a lot less milk these days. He said he considers the higher prices and has cut back on his kids’ milk consumption. But between work and family obligations, he still drives almost as much as he used to.
Gift Idea: Buy Someone A Magnum
By 12.19.07
Tyler Colman, Ph.D., also known as Dr. Vino, suggests giving magnums this year because those huge bottles have a smaller carbon footprint due to the more favorable wine-to-glass ratio.
Morning Deals
By 12.19.07
By 12.18.07
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24% of consumers say they won’t finish shopping until December 23rd. [Consumer Reports]
By 12.18.07
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And now we pause for a bit of shopping schedenfraude: Kate Moss’ collection is now “heavily discounted” at Barney’s. Can one sustain a coke habit at 50% off? [Barney’s via Racked]
Macy's Website Asks You To "Wait Here A Few Moments While Other Shoppers Finish Up"
By 12.18.07
Mike
We like the “wait in line” style of the message. It’s a good way to remind people who shop online to avoid crowds that they’ve managed to fail in that regard.
"Injected Pork Water" Is Completely Out Of Control At Kroger
By 12.18.07
“At our local supermarket chain (Kroger), it is now impossible to buy any fresh pork product (except sausage and bacon, but what’s in them is a whole other story) that has not been “enhanced” by the injection of “up to 15%” of some kind of saltwater solution. Pork chops, pork loin, everything. And now chicken is getting this way, too – it is getting harder and harder to find any fresh chicken that has not been injected with “up to 15% chicken broth.” Even bone-in legs and thighs, now. When did this happen?“
Morning Deals
By 12.18.07
Dollar Parity Results In Piles Of Clothes Discarded By Canadian Shoppers
By 12.17.07
Canadians are heading to the U.S. to do their shopping—and are leaving their old clothes behind in order to avoid paying a duty when they cross back into Canada.
NPR Tests A Toy Safety Text Message Service
By 12.17.07
NPR went to a local Walmart to test a new toy safety search that works via text message, and while the shoppers there were definitely interested in being able to retrieve chemical test results right there in the store—the service didn’t work very well in practice.
