Reader Beth was browsing the markdown rack at Lands’ End, in the space that the retailer now leases from Sears, when she noticed something strange. A sweater she wanted was on markdown, but somehow the price was going up. How did that work? [More]
shopping
Here’s What Happens When A Dead Mall Has A Fake Facebook Account
By 6.12.14
Today, there was a festive groundbreaking ceremony at the Latham Circle Mall near Albany, NY. A dead enclosed mall was demolished and will be replaced with a strip center of big-box stores in Nowheresville, USA: why is that interesting? It gives us an excuse to highlight the mall’s very unofficial Facebook account, a funny local prank that transcends its region. [More]
Here’s What You Should And Shouldn’t Buy In June
By 5.28.14
Every store and every industry has its own cycle of sales, and by timing your purchases just right, you can take advantage of them. There are two different things to keep track of: the ways that sales cycle every year, and also current trends in retail. [More]
Webrooming Is Showrooming In Reverse, Marketers Pretend That It’s A Thing
By 5.14.14
Showrooming, as many people who walk into Best Buy stores know, is when customers check out an item in a local store, then turn around and purchase it online at a lower price. What happens if you do the opposite of showrooming, though? What about when you check out a product online, then buy it locally because they have the best price or you’re impatient? One marketing firm thinks that we should call that “Webrooming.” [More]
9 Bad Consumers Who Make Things Worse For The Rest Of Us
By 5.12.14
Anyone who has worked in just about any job knows that this idea that “The customer is always right” is a bit of an overstatement; more of an ethos than a statement of fact. Most of the time the customer is simply mistaken and it’s a matter of finding the best way to set the record straight. But sometimes the customer is just a bullheaded jerk, or an egotistical ignoramus, or a scammer, and it’s these bad consumers who make it harder for the rest of us to get good service. [More]
7 Items You’ll Find The Best Prices On During May
By 4.30.14
Our price-tracking colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports keep track of when the best discounts appear on a variety of items. As we get ready to flip over the calendar page to celebrate May, what will you be able to find the best deals on in the coming month? [More]
Study: Salesperson’s Rude Attitude Can Put Customers In The Buying Mood
By 4.30.14
Walking into the rarefied air of a fancy boutique might take your breath away if you’re not used to staring at price tags with more zeroes tacked on than you’ve ever held in your hands, but add in a hoity toity salesperson and and you’ve got shopping magic, says a new study looking at snobby sales staff. [More]
Coach Responds To Falling Profits By Offering Pricier Handbags
By 4.29.14 — Updated: 1.31.17
There’s a limited number of women who are interested in spending between $200 and $400 for a purse, and that market is becoming more crowded. What’s a company like Coach to do in the face of falling sales and falling profits? Sell more expensive bags targeted at more affluent customers, of course. [More]
Quit Wasting Money On Internet Impulse Purchases
By 4.28.14
The Internet has brought an amazing array of merchandise into our lives and onto our doorsteps. However, being able to order a crate of hamburger-shaped cookies from Japan or a complete DVD box set of “Friends” episodes at 3 A.M. during a spell of insomnia isn’t always a good thing. Especially when you’re trying to eliminate debt and/or cut down on spending. [More]
Consumers’ Evolving Shopping Habits Mean There Aren’t As Many Jobs In Retail
By 4.15.14
Some days it’s hard to motivate yourself to go to the mall to shop, it’s just easier to shop online. We’ve all had those days, okay, maybe it’s just me, but still, tendencies like that are creating a problem of sorts for retail workers. The more efficient we’re becoming at buying our goods, the fewer retail workers are needed a new report shows. [More]
Amazon Now Using Lockers For Return Shipping
By 4.2.14
Do you know what’s an even worse problem for online retailers than customers who never get their packages? Shipping back the items that customers did receive, but don’t want. Fortunately, Amazon has found a way around this problem: since late last year, they’ve using their lockers designed for deliveries to send products in the other direction. [More]
8 Tips To Get The Best Bargains On Your Next Outlet Shopping Trip
By 3.21.14
Everyone loves scoring a great deal, right? Outlet malls are the perfect place to do just that. With warmer weather on the way, it’s the perfect time for a wardrobe or living room update. But how do you know you’re getting the best bargain possible? [More]
Walmart Fancy Feast Pricing Is Off Because Cats Can’t Do Math
By 3.19.14
Can cats do math? Maybe they can do math, and simply choose not to. Whatever the case, reader LukeBaby noticed some pricing shenanigans in the pet food department at Walmart. [More]
Banana Republic Accidentally Lets Customers Stack Coupon Codes, Notices, Cancels Orders
By 3.18.14
Rules are rules, and getting some special deals requires playing by the rules. If a company’s website lets you use multiple coupon codes together, then that means that the codes can be combined, no matter what the coupon fine print says, right? Well, no. [More]
Price-Matching: The Only Way To Haggle At Chain Retailers
By 3.17.14
Most Americans aren’t very comfortable with haggling, even when they know that it could theoretically benefit them to do so. What you may not realize is that when you visit Walmart with a CVS flyer in hand, asking for a price match, you’re engaging in a form of haggling. [More]
Can’t Find A Coupon Code For Online Stores? Just Ask
By 3.6.14
When you’re shopping online, you probably perform a cursory search online to find out whether the e-retailer you’re about to buy from has any coupons available online. Sites for sharing coupon codes like RetailMeNot are great to check quickly. What should you do if your search comes up empty? Don’t despair. Like brick-and-mortar retailers, online stores might have your back when you don’t bring your own coupons. [More]
10 Things You Should Never Buy At The Dollar Store
By 2.27.14
A few weeks ago, we presented you with a list of 15 things that you should buy at the dollar store. Okay, great, but it’s a big store: there must be something that you should avoid, either because of crappy quality or because paying a dollar isn’t such a good deal. Right? [More]
Accused Peeping Tom Taking Upskirt Photos Of Shopper Gets Beaten Up By Victim’s Boyfriend
By 2.26.14
There are other things a boyfriend can do beyond hold a purse: After a woman’s boyfriend saw another guy allegedly taking photos with his cell phone up her skirt while she was shopping at a Georgia store, he took matters into his own hands. As in, he started a fight with the accused peeper and restrained him until cops arrived. [More]
