Are you going to buy that?

My Web Deals Website

2008-08-27T07:13:00.000-07:00

I've just started a new website featuring deals of all shapes and sizes. Check it out if that sort of topic interests you:

My Web Deals

Dopp Kits

2007-12-26T11:25:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to follow up on my post about razors with a mention of my dopp kit. These little carry bags are a great place to store your travel razors - and I need to add some travel shaving cream or jel in mine, because when I went away for the holidays this season, I forgot the shaving cream.

I tried using soap, but ended up with a bad case of razor burn. Ouch! I even used a brand new razor but it didn't help.

Gillette versus Schick Razors

2007-12-04T19:17:00.000-08:00

I've always been a Gillette man, ever since they sent me a razor when I turned 18. Recently, however, I've tried a couple of Schick razors, and I have to say that they are a lot nicer that I expected.

My loyalty to Gilette has been wavering for two reasons:
1. They are no longer a Boston based company.
2. The newest razor, the Gilette Fusion, blades wear out faster than the old Mach III blades. In fact I like the Mach III much better than the Fusion. (Read my review of the Gillette Fusion here.)

I got two Schick Razor's for free as samples, and I'm very pleased. I might even switch to them permanently. Which do you like better?

Target

2007-11-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

There's a new Target getting built nearby my office in Stoughton, MA. It should be a good location, they are redoing a lot of the streets nearby and are planning a "village shops" type of retail area.

Target Coming to Stoughton, MA

Digital Cameras

2007-11-01T07:38:00.000-07:00

My cousin Max asked me about digital cameras, so I figured I'd write up a quick review on my experience with them here at "Are you going to buy that?"

Canon Elph / PowerShot

I've owned two digital Canon Elph cameras, and I loved them both. Combine that with the fact that if the camera breaks after the warranty expires, you can "trade up" and get a discount on a newer model. Its not an amazing deal, but a good one. My bad - I forgot the Canon digital cameras are now called PowerShot.

Samsung NV7

This is a nice camera with an amazing zoom, but it is larger than the Canon Elph so I might buy another Canon Elph to carry around with me wherever I go. The pictures are nice, but its not so hot in low light situations. The flash is always popping up when I don't want it to, delaying a snapshot I just want to take quickly.

Panasonic Lumix

This is a really nice camera. My model came with a Leica lens, how can you beat that, even for name recognition?

Kodak EasyShare

I bought two of these cameras because they were super cheap, but they price is reflective of the quality. The Elph's aren't too much more expensive so I'll got for them next time. New to Kodak's imagine suite is their line of inkjet printers which I've heard are very very good. I'm interested to see a printout for myself.

I'm going to review the Canon Elph line again and see what they have for the small cameras right now. I bet they have some great options.

Product and Service Reviews

2007-09-24T07:03:00.000-07:00

This blog still gets a lot of visitors, so while I've moved the in-store marketing experience to Informed Retail, we're still going to review products and services here.

Thanks for your continued interest!

Informed Retail Blog

2007-05-15T20:42:00.000-07:00

We're moving to a new blog:

Informed Retail: The Informed Retail Weblog

April Retail Sales Slump

2007-05-11T07:11:00.000-07:00

Check out this report on April retail sales figures:

April retail sales among worst ever

Gas prices do have an effect. I know when gas prices are over $2.25 I make a concerted effort to drive less.

Cardboard Recycling

2007-04-24T19:33:00.000-07:00

I buy a lot of stuff online, and so I end up with a lot of cardboard. I've love to know how to recycle it, especially if someone would pay for it. I'm writing to the King of Cardboard:

Do you know a good place to recycle small amounts of cardboard? Save your truck and figured you might know. Is there anywhere that will pay for cardboard at least to cover the cost of dropping it off?

If anyone knows how the paper recycling business works, I'd like to know more about it.

Free Compact Fluorescent Light bulb at Home Depot

2007-04-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

Home Depot is giving away 1 million free light bulbs today in honor of Earth Day, April 22, 2007.

http://www6.homedepot.com/ecooptions/index.html

West Coast Video

2007-04-08T17:30:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that West Coast Video is still around? I found this one in Hingham, MA. With all the streaming and postal video rentals available to consumers, why would anyone go to the store?

Actually it looks like that store is vacant!

Brick or Click?

2007-04-06T05:57:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading this blog for over 6-months, you'll know that it was originally focused on retail store marketing strategies, specifically for chain stores. Chain stores face a unique challenge of maintaining the consistency of their brand, while servicing the unique needs of each community they serve.

Recently, the "Are you going to buy that?" blog has shifted its focus more to the online realm, including various consumer product evaluations, online store, reviews, and a generally click-oriented focus. We're likely to continue this trend, so there may be more changes in the works.

We just wanted to keep you aware of our plans, and open up the comments for your feedback. As always, thanks for visiting!!

LL Bean Jean Jacket

2007-04-01T09:50:00.000-07:00

I just ordered a jean jacket from LL Bean and they sent me an email confirming my order. I can't figure out if they are able to fulfill the order or not.

We are currently processing your order and will notify you by email as soon as it has shipped.

Stonewashed Large Bean's Denim Jean Jacket Men's Tall

Out of Stock (Please call us)

I'm not going to call them, if they have an issue they can email me so we have documentation of the communication.

Thanks to anonymous's help, I was able to clarify their email (see comments). I visited their website and this proves they can't fulfill the order:

Should Price Fixing Be Legal?

2007-03-31T19:59:00.000-07:00

The Supreme Court is reviewing a case on whether or not price fixing by stores should be legal in certain situations. This is interesting!

Circuit City Cutting Jobs

2007-03-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

Lots of retail jobs getting slashed... now its Circuit City. Will Best Buy be next?

Home Depot

2007-03-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

There's also a Home Depot nearby, but a little further away than the IKEA. We go to Home Depot for hardware, light bulbs, and even dirt for the office plants! However, we bought the plants at IKEA - they have some really nice ones there.

IKEA

2007-03-27T07:41:00.000-07:00

There is an IKEA right near by my office - which makes things much easier when setting up our desks and storage furniture. If you haven't been to IKEA for office furniture, I highly recommend going!

Out of Stock

2007-03-27T07:31:00.000-07:00

After getting an "e-coupon" from CVS for $10 off $50 with free shipping, I filled my e-basket and then tried to checkout. Upon "Continue checkout", they informed me that two items were out of stock and so my order did not qualify for free shipping. So it took me another 5 minutes to find other products I needed. Grrr. That's not up to CVS's level of service. Why does their commerce software allow you to place items in your cart that are not in stock?

CompUSA Shipping Rates

2007-03-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

To follow up on a recent post about CompUSA - the reason why they are offering free shipping on orders over $23 is that they are now celebrating their 23rd anniversary. Seems like an odd year to celebrate an anniversary, but I guess any anniversary is worth celebrating!

Tweeter Closing 49 Stores

2007-03-21T20:08:00.000-07:00

Following on the heels of CompUSA, Tweeter announced today it is going to close 49 stores, almost a quarter of their fleet. I had a good impression of Tweeter back in the day when I was working on my 1976 Mustang Cobra stereo. I ended up switching to Circuit City, and never looked back.

CompUSA.com

2007-03-19T09:19:00.001-07:00

Just a thought: the news that CompUSA is closing 125 stores might simply represent a shift in their strategy, as opposed to a downturn in their performance. Do you think that they are changing to an e-commerce shop instead of a retail store?

I suggest this because they recently reduced their minimum "free shipping" requirement from $150 to $23.

Amazon.com Appliance Sale

2007-03-12T22:20:00.000-07:00

Amazon.com is having a sale promotion on small appliances, so I just bought a couple. Couldn't resist the price and need more stuff like this for the office. Thanks FatWallet!

Choose 4 Small Appliances from Amazon for $29.97 Shipped

Modell's Canvas Duffle Bag

2007-03-10T08:38:00.000-08:00

I spent almost an hour searching around the internet for a quality and inexpensive canvas duffle bag. I finally found some at Modell's:

Canvas Duffle Bags

They range from $6.99 and up to $35. I bought one for $20, two for $15, and one for $7. Shipping was very affordable at $5 for economy shipping.

This was my first time shopping at Modells.com, and it was fine. I've never been into one of their stores before but now I'm curious. There's one not too far from my office so I'll check it out soon. It looks like they are only located in the northeast, interesting.

Sandusky Deluxe Storage Cabinet

2007-03-07T13:06:00.000-08:00

Am I going to buy this Sandusky Deluxe Storage Cabinet? I don't know! For the life of me I can't find a review! Staples is offering them for $219, but Sears has the Ultimate Garage 36 in. 2-Door Tall Storage Cabinet for $229. Frankly, I trust Sears tool quality better than Staples, but that's just my opinion. I did get a Hon file cabinet from Staples awhile back that is top notch, but Hon is a reputable company. I'm not familiar with Sandusky.

I also happen to have two coupons for Staples that might come in handy. I think I'll get the Sandusky and see what happens. I can always try to return it! :-)

OK, I just ordered it, and while I was at it, I noticed that Staples.com still does not support Camino. ARGH! I had to use Safari instead, making it much less than "Easy".

Update
The Sandusky Deluxe Storage Cabinet arrived the day after I ordered it and it actually looks pretty good. I'm glad I got the "premium", as anything less would be too flimsy. BUT, the one that arrived was pretty banged up in shipping so I requested a replacement. Its coming on Monday so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that its in better shape.

CVS Coupon

2007-03-06T16:31:00.000-08:00

CVS has a $4 coupon off an in-store purchase of $20 or more:

CVS $20 off coupon

CompUSA Store Closings

2007-03-03T02:56:00.000-08:00

Here is a list of the CompUSA stores that are closing within the next 60-90 days:

List of CompUSA Stores Closings

Super Stop and Shop

2007-02-19T14:18:00.000-08:00

Shop at Super Stop & Shop? Use your credit or debit card to make purchases there? Live in Rhode Island? If you answered yes to all those questions - keep an eye on your credit card activity!

Security Breach at Super Stop & Shop

CVS Triple Play Promo

2007-02-12T18:42:00.000-08:00

CVS is having a triple cash back promo where you get 6% back intead of the usual 2% back on everyday purchases. This works online or in-store, and you get the higher percentage now through March, so its definitely worth it.

When I went into my local CVS to get some Valentine's Day goodies for my wife, the store was mobbed with V-Day shoppers. I can only imagine what it will be like tomorrow!

Deals

2007-02-10T10:03:00.000-08:00

I love the new way I shop - scoping deals online! Its actually really fun, a great way to get ideas, and get a good deal at the same time. Due to the nature of the internet and the publishers with websites, many of the deal websites are focused on technology products. I have one that doesn't track ALL the good tech deals, but the ones I especially like. You can check mine out here:

My Tech Deals

And a new one I just found:

All Tech Deals

CompUSA buy online, in-store pickup

2007-02-10T07:32:00.000-08:00

For the first time I completed a "buy online, in-store pickup" transaction at CompUSA. I was pleased with the online side of the equation, but was disappointed when I arrived at the store over 24 hours later and my order was still not ready. The customer service representative, who spent half of our interaction yawning, had to go fetch it and had trouble finding it. All in all, the process took about 15 minutes which wasn't bad, but I expected better.

When I arrived at the store, this is what I saw. Obviously CompUSA needs to fix the sign. While they are at it, they should install some of those bird-be-gone products to keep the pidgeons away.

No More Staples at FatWallet

2007-02-09T02:42:00.000-08:00

I'm unhappy that Staples has ended their cash-back relationship with FatWallet. It was a great way for consumers to save a few bucks when shopping for office supplies online.

So last night I went to the retail Staples store and bought a few items:
* Folders
* Rug cover for a rolling chair

I couldn't believe that the rug cover cost $50, but I'd rather get a good one than one that will only last a year or two.

PC Connection Online Store

2007-02-08T04:32:00.000-08:00

Have you shopped at PCConnection.com? Their store is very good: easy to browse, fast, and all with good pricing. They might not be as cheap as newegg.com, but they also have an amazing selection, including phones and telecom accessories.

However, they have a bizzare achilles heel. When checking out today, I entered some information into the shipping notes text area and unknowingly exceeded the 60 character minimum. This prevented my order from processing, and if I hadn't double checked, I would have closed my browser window without knowing and my order would not have processed.

A better method would be a fixed limit on the number of characters in the text area, with a javascript alert if the user exceeded 55 characters.

E-commerce retailers, or e-tailers as they're sometimes called need to be careful about anything that could stop the order from processing.

H&R Block Branches

2007-02-06T16:24:00.000-08:00

I just found out recently that H&R Block has a bank under their umbrella - and I'm now wondering if they are using their tax offices as bank branches. Seems like a logical possibility, right?

Anyone been to an H&B Block office? I've seen them from the outside but I've never actually been inside one. I feel like they must be feeling pressure from software companies like Intuit and their tax preparation package TurboTax.

The New Blogger!

2007-01-25T03:29:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to report that the switch to the new blogger was successful! Thanks Google!

eMinimalls

2007-01-24T16:05:00.000-08:00

I'm trying out a new affiliate marketing service called eMinimalls. I
still have to make sure that using both eMinimalls and Google Adsense
is OK, but I did set it up just to see how it looked. Let me know
what you think! Thanks...

Dry Cleaning POS Software

2007-01-23T16:03:00.000-08:00

I just visited a cool site that offered dry cleaner POS software, seems like a good idea. I wonder if this is a competitive marketplace. Also, I wonder if dry cleaning software is much different than other types of retail software. The software I was looking at is called CleanMax - anyone had any experience with it?

We here at "Are you going to buy that?" do consider dry cleaning to be within the umbrella of retail. We even posted an analysis of the difference between Dependable Cleaners and Zoots awhile back.

Gap CEO Steps Down

2007-01-22T15:02:00.000-08:00

Seems like a lot of C-level changes are happening these days - from Home Depot's CEO stepping down to Citibank's CFO switching roles.

This time its the CEO of the GAP, Paul Pressler, stepping down. Robert Fisher will be the replacement CEO for the time being until they find a new one.

Car vacuums

2007-01-22T10:55:00.000-08:00

I love car accessories - I bought a few off Amazon awhile back and even posted to Slickdeals.net about what I had purchased: a tire pump, and an auto power extension cord.

A couple of new items I'm looking to pick up:
* Car vacuum
* Car battery charger

Speaking of which, I'm proud to announce that "Are you going to buy that?" is now an affiliate of Dirt Devil. Feel free to shop their site through this link:

Dirt Devil

Thanks!

I don't like Guitar Center

2007-01-21T09:54:00.000-08:00

For what its worth, I don't like Guitar Center. Several years ago I purchased a few items from them, and they have continued to abuse the personal information I shared with them. They gave that information out to third parties without my consent, and have refused to remove my information from their databases after several requests.

For these reasons, I refuse to do business with them ever again. If you are considering doing business with them, please consider my experience when you make your decision.

Stop and Shop is selling gasoline!

2007-01-20T12:02:00.000-08:00

When I went food shopping today, I got a coupon on the receipt for gasoline. After a double take, I realized that Stop and Shop is now selling gasoline! Did a quick search to confirm, and yes, they are indeed selling gasoline.

Stop & Shop Now Offers Gasoline At Over 40 Locations

Think you'll buy from them? Like most people, I make my gasoline purchases solely on price.

CVS Execs Charged with Fraud

2007-01-19T21:47:00.000-08:00

Ouch, tough luck for CVS. Have ot say I am actually surprised that some CVS executives would actually try something like this. They allegedly attempted to bribe a government official. Tsk tsk tsk.

What were they thinking?

The End of Retail

2007-01-19T17:34:00.000-08:00

One of the cooler Christmas presents I received was a book called "Future Shop". Although I haven't started reading it yet, the gears have started turning.

A couple of thoughts:

1. The physical distance between the manufacturer and the consumer is getting wider. Most consumers live in America, and most products are built in China.

2. The conceptual distance between the manufacturer and the consumer is getting much smaller. A product can go from plant to shelf in one step.

I expect that within a very short period of time, the product will be able to go from the manufacturing plant directly to the customer, with no middle man.

Chances are, the hardest part of this evolution will be the disruption to the financial part of the supply chain. It seems like so much of our economy is built upon the structure of the supply chain, it would not be able to withstand such a disruption.

iPod vending machine

2007-01-13T15:31:00.000-08:00

With the new iPhone coming out, they'll have more to put into these iPod vending machines!

Want to see the Roomba in action?

2007-01-12T09:05:00.000-08:00

Check it out here:

Roomba in action video

Don't want to hype it up, its only a short clip from my cell phone.

Tax Season!

2007-01-12T06:35:00.000-08:00

It's tax season, but what does that have to do with retail? Actually, a lot. H&R Block and Jackson Hewitt could be victims of the technology revolution....

Favorite Stores

2007-01-11T05:51:00.000-08:00

I was just thinking about what your favorite store might be. I would have to say mine is Target at this point in time, it used to be Staples, or CVS. And I guess is might be surprising to some that my first trip to Target was in the last six months!

My guess is that people are big fans of IKEA and the Apple stores.

iPhone strategy

2007-01-09T12:42:00.000-08:00

Cell phones are sold en mass via retail outlets and kiosks, though that channel is very expensive.

Apple's new cellphone, the iPhone has the benefit of being sold via Cingular stores, Apple stores, and Apple's website.

These channels all get tons of traffic, and I expect that to have a dramatic impact on the success of this new phone. Way to go Apple!

Apple iPhone at Telecom Rebirth

Toys R' Us Immagration Issues

2007-01-08T04:17:00.000-08:00

Toys R' Us, or more precisely Babies R' Us, "dodged a bullet" recently by tripling their payout for a "first baby of 2007" contest. They awarded three babies $25,000 savings bonds each, instead of giving just one.

They chose to do this instead of only awarding the prize to the child of an illegal immigrant, or consider them disqualified for their citizenship status.

Smart move on the management team IMHO.

Lackluster Future?

2007-01-06T08:13:00.000-08:00

What do you think the future holds for Blockbuster? My magic eight ball is saying the outlook isn't so good.

Blockbuster has new commercials about their Netflix-esque service. You can order DVDs via the mail, and then return them to the store. Have you seen the new Blockbuster commercials?

How to Successfully Manage Retail Marketing and In-Store Advertising

2007-01-06T02:51:00.000-08:00

If you are involved with retail merchandising to any degree, be sure to read this whitepaper:

How to Successfully Manage Retail Merchandising and In-Store Advertising. (PDF)

Bob Nardelli resigns from Home Depot

2007-01-03T11:02:00.000-08:00

The CEO of Home Depot, Bob Nardelli, is leaving Home Depot. This news comes as a surprise to shareholders, who were not pleased with his high pay.

This might bode well for competitor Lowes. What do you think?

Post Holiday Sales

2007-01-02T05:00:00.000-08:00

I got thinking - what's the reasoning behind post-holiday sales?

A few possibilities come to mind:

Clear out inventory

Bring shoppers back into the stores

Try to get shoppers who are already back in the stores returning gifts to buy something else

All of those are legitimate strategies. I came up with another reason that made me feel uncomfortable. I returned an item to J. Crew without a receipt, and since the item was then on sale, I had to get a gift card for the lower amount.

My gut tells me that the profit margins for those items which are returned without receipts are some of the most profitable transactions that retailers experience these days. No wait, I take that back. Gifts cards. Gift cards must be the most profitable. Its like free money!

Roomba Review

2006-12-30T10:21:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year, Santa brought our family an iRobot Roomba vacuum cleaner. It's small, red, and we named him "Rusty".

Roomba Review Summary
We charged him up and set him on the task - vacuum our small but dusty apartment. It took about an hour to make it through about 1000 square feet, and I have to say it did pretty good job for such a small machine, that only cost about $150.

Roomba Review Problems
The Roomba isn't perfect. Mine got stuck in two spots and was unable to recover, eventually shutting itself off and issuing a distress call (think unhappy robot sound). One spot was admittedly challenging - half on the rug, half off, under a table, with a power cord to get tangled in. The other spot has to be more common, simply under the couch sofa, where is got stuck by the flap.

Another issue is the Roomba's ability to figure out its way from a "trap". In my case, the trap was a dining room table chair, where the Roomba found itself unable to find its way out for approximately two minutes. I was so impressed when the Roomba finally made its way out from under the chair, only to be disappointed when less than 15 seconds later it went right back in. Again it took over two minutes to find its way out again. It repeated this process one more time before I intervened and set it on an entirely new course.

This really surprised me, as I expected that the design team, working with a limited supply of battery power would pull out all the stops to prevent wasted energy, like in the case of the "chair trap".

Roomba Review Benefits
I recommend the Roomba. It is inexpensive, small, lightweight, and automated. Therefore, the convenience factor is high, and the storage requirement is low. Any consumer product that has a positive return on investment (ROI), is gets a positive review in my opinion.

Do you own a Roomba? If so, I'd love to hear about your experiences with it.

Staples Coupon a bit late

2006-12-26T10:37:00.000-08:00

I got my Staples business card statement in the mail today, and it includeed a coupon expiring on December 23, 2006. Seeing how today is the 26th, the coupon has already been expired for 3 days. Way to go Staples! It is extra funny seeing how the coupon is for shipping!

CompUSA's Future

2006-12-25T12:17:00.000-08:00

What do you think about the future for CompUSA? With tough competition from online tech retailers like Newegg, and brick and mortars like BestBuy, its difficult for me to expect a bright future for the computer retailer. We reported on CompUSA closing 15 stores months ago, but since then I haven't heard much.

Last Minute Shopping

2006-12-25T11:48:00.000-08:00

This holiday season has a perfect setup for an increase in last minute shopping sales. With Christmas falling on a Monday, shoppers had an entire weekend to hit the malls in search of the perfect gifts.

Thankfully I had my shopping done early, but in a last second purchase I bought "Glengary Glenross" on DVD from Amazon.

For more information on this holiday season's sales figures, check out this article from the International Herald Tribune.

Last Minute Shoppers

2006-12-22T14:20:00.000-08:00

Besides a minivan driving into a mall, a car crashing into a party store, and a few Xmas robberies (some break and entries, some smash and grabs), this Christmas shopping season has been fairly problem free. With just a few days left before the big day, what are you scrambling to get?

BJs new commercials RULE!

2006-12-08T19:44:00.000-08:00

Have you seen the new BJs commercials? Like them? I do! They rule. They have some crazy actors and actresses acting zany to "I can't fight this feeling anymore..." by REO Speedwagon. I definitely like this commercial better than the Citi Victor commerials...

Goods for Cash

2006-12-07T10:17:00.000-08:00

Heheh, I just found this old picture I drew years ago. I've always gotten a kick out of it and I hope you do too. I'm pleased this uses the word "wicked", which corresponds with this blog post about Victor the new Citibank spokesperson.

Salem Five's Retail Bank Branch in Boston

2006-12-04T21:38:00.000-08:00

I went into Salem Five's branch in Boston late last week to make a deposit, and while the parking was no fun, the branch itself was quite nice. Its near Post Office Square which is a very nice part of town, so its busy.

Check out Informed Banking's Salem Five Bank page for more information about my experience with the bank.

100th Post

2006-12-04T21:04:00.000-08:00

Here's my 100th post on Are You Going To Buy That Blog!

Bloggers I'm connected with

2006-12-04T20:36:00.000-08:00

Here's a list of blogs and bloggers I'm somehow connected with:

Gary Hedrick
All Eyes On Jenny
Telecom Rebirth
Docunext Blog

What do you think?

Great Gifts Ideas

2006-11-30T08:28:00.000-08:00

Also, if you have any great gift ideas, share them with us! My wife is making lots of cookies as gifts, and I'm getting her a calendar with pictures of us together (and other stuff too!)

Another great gift idea, if you like NASCAR, is a gift certificate for the Buck Baker Racing School. I've been there, and it rocks!

Holiday Shopping Nightmares

2006-11-30T07:43:00.000-08:00

This time of year, shopping is always a little difficult. Like when I went to the mall on Black Friday, and couldn't find a parking spot to save my life.

Please share your holiday shopping nightmares with us! Just click on the comment button below and type away. Remember, no pointless spam!

Cyber Monday, FatWallet, and Charities

2006-11-28T04:42:00.000-08:00

If you shop online, and use FatWallet, you may have noticed the Charity Bucks, like I did. However, it isn't working for me. It says I have $18 to donate, but when I click donate now, it takes me to the request a payment page. Hmmm. anyone else having this problem?

I mention it because "tis the season" to be generous.

Informed Banking's Charity List

Work N Gear

2006-11-28T04:35:00.000-08:00

Work N Gear is a pretty cool company, but rumor has it they are experiencing some hard times. Some advice to them (if they are listening):

* Improve the website, it needs help
* Clarify the brand - its hard to tell who your best customers are

These two items alone would do wonders for them, but easier said than done.

Amazon Trick thanks to Slickdeals.net

2006-11-25T19:08:00.000-08:00

Tired of Weeding Out Items from Third-Party Amazon Merchants? Use This Helpful Trick!

Staples Cyber Monday Deals

2006-11-25T16:24:00.000-08:00

Staples Cyber Monday Deals are already available!

Firestone in Hingham Massachusetts

2006-11-25T08:45:00.000-08:00

On Thanksgiving, while at my best friend's house for our annual Scrabble battle, another friend mantioned that he was bringing his car to the Firestone in Hingham Massachusetts to get the tires rotated. My friend remarked that he's always gotten good service from them so I thought I'd share that information here.

Have you had a good or bad experience with them?

UPDATE June 1, 2007: I've started a new blog just about cars, you can check it out here:

NeoCarz.com

Sale Tricks

2006-11-24T11:07:00.000-08:00

Today at Super Stop and Shop I tried to buy 2 packages of Thomas English Muffins, at the sale price of buy one get one free. Unfortunately, since I chose one pack of plain, and one pack of raisin, which didn't fit the requirements of the sale.

The sale was only for original english muffin, not the raisin. What a pain!

CompUSA breaking the law with Massachusetts Blue Laws?

2006-11-23T21:33:00.000-08:00

I heard on the news tonight that CompUSA broke Massachusetts blue laws which prohibit opening a retail store on a holiday. Can anyone confirm that? Will they be charged or fined?

Black Friday and Cyber Monday

2006-11-21T07:03:00.000-08:00

Have you heard about black friday and cyber monday? Chances are you've heard of black friday. That's the day after Thanksgiving when retailers get into the "black", meaning they become profitable due to sales for Christmas, or whatever gift giving reason one may have. Its a day off for most and prime time to get some shopping done.

Cyber Monday has evolved out of the fact that not everyone enjoys shopping mobs (myself included), and the fact that most people are allowed to shop online while at work. Its pretty incredible actually. I see the reasoning for people thinking that they have better internet access at the office, but shopping online while you work, isn't exactly working. I have to admit, I've done it myself. I guess it's better than blogging at work!!!!

Montillio's Bakery

2006-11-19T09:03:00.000-08:00

I'm watching the Phantom Gourmet on channel 38 right now and they are featuring Montillio's Bakery. I've only had one item from Montillio's, but it was DELICIOUS! Unfortunately, the store that was just down the street just burned down due to an electric fire, so they're staying at the Fruit Basket until the store is repaired.

I was surprised that Montillio's was repped much higher by the Phantom than Konditor Meister.

My step-father, who is from Quincy, always tells me a funny story about Montillio's. I guess there was a drunk driver who claimed he was intoxicated because of a rum cake he had from Montillio's Bakery. Unfortunately for the intoxicated driver, but fortunately for us other drivers, his excuse was not accepted by Quincy's finest.

By the way, Montillios IS open, they have relocated to the Fruit Basket down by the Burgin Parkway.

Target's Commercials Rock

2006-11-17T20:05:00.000-08:00

I HATE commercials, I mean it. I can't stand them. However, Target department stores stand out among the rest. Its pretty amazing.

Animation
Target takes the stuff they sell, animate it, and make it dance around. Cool!

Music
The products dance to what? Music of course, but the music is good.

I hate to say it, but marketing works, even TV ads. I've only been to one Target, and its nothing much different than other department stores I've been to.

Rosie's Bakery

2006-11-05T07:43:00.000-08:00

Rosie's Bakery was just featured on the Phantom Gourmet, and it was really great to learn more about that company. They have a retail bakery in Inman Square, Cambridge, on the Somerville line. Its so great to see a self-made company like that succeed. I think one of the reasons that they have succeeded is because of their graphic design, because that helps people identify the store, and bring them in for a try.

Once they are in the store, its all up to the cooking to bring the customer back again. The cooking is more important in the long run, but the graphic design is important to start.

Check out their website and see for yourself:

Rosie's Bakery

Jordan's Furniture

2006-11-03T08:46:00.000-08:00

Awhile back Warren Buffet bought Jordan's Furniture, but word on the street is that Berkshire Hathaway is trying to sell it because its not doing so hot. I can see why, I've personally evaluated their offerings and thought it was very low quiality, especially for the price. What do you think?

If I were to buy furniture, I'd go to Target. I have in the past and I'm happy with it. If I had more money I'd go to Crate & Barrel.

Adobe's online store sucks!

2006-11-03T08:40:00.000-08:00

Whoa, I just went to Adobe's online store for the first time in awhile and my has it gone downhill. I'm just trying to buy Flash 8 and its taken me way too long. I wonder if they are ignoring Macs?

UPDATE: Holy cow their website just isn't working for me. Ugh. It looks like its all in Flash and just not working.

CVS Encrypta and Big Black Friday on the horizon

2006-10-31T10:54:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to mention something about CVS real quick - they have amazing prices. And they are a great company to their employees (so I've heard). Here in Massachusetts, they even have a van that drives around looking for stranded motorists called the CVS/Samaritan van. (Does anyone know if this is affiliated with the "Samaritans"? Just curious.)

Anyway, what I wanted to mention was that I saw one of their trucks on the highway recently, and it had an "Encrypta" seal on the back. That will definitely help items from "falling off the back of the truck"! Encrypta offers reusable time seals, so that you can tell if and when something has been opened. Very cool!

Besides that, the big news is that Black Friday is coming up, where all the retailers shine. So far, everyone is talking about the buy-online, pickup in-store phenomenon. I've used it myself, though I'm not crazy about it. I do expect to see more on-line / in-store integration though.

Electronic Shopping Carts

2006-10-11T18:50:00.000-07:00

Super Stop & Shop has launched a new program for shopping cart guides. Called the "Shopping Buddy" the interactive LCD menu is like bringing the register along with you while you shop. You scan the products in as you go, and when you're finished, all you do is pay at the register.

This is a very cool concept, and will potentially save the store and customers a lot of time.

Update: My wife and I tried out the new shopping buddy at Stop & Shop over the weekend. It was actually very cool. It alerted you to savings, and while it took a little getting used to, I think it will actually save a ton of time while shopping. It would be extra awesome if you could setup your shopping list online, and then use the shopping buddy to help you keep track of it, as well as show you where everything is. It must have a GPS in it.

Linens and Things Review

2006-10-09T07:54:00.000-07:00

My wife and I went to a Linens and Things store yesterday to return one of her birthday presents. It was a NuVue LCD picture frame whose quality was much less than expected. Unfortunately, we had thrown away the receipt, but they took it back anyway for merchandise credit.

Linens N' Things is a direct competitor to Bed, Bath & Beyond, but in my humble opinion, not as good. The product choice is good, but the layout is messier, and the coupons not nearly as ubiquitous.

I will still shop there from time to time, as the store nearby is convenient.

No more Staples coupons for me!

2006-10-04T14:43:00.000-07:00

I went to Staples today to return some ink cartridges today and guess what - they don't take my brands anymore: Epson or Canon.

A9 Update - No more Pi / 2 Discount?

2006-09-29T23:26:00.000-07:00

I just visited a9.com (its my homepage on my laptop) and it is totally different. It really looks better, but I noticed that they state that they've discontinued the A9 Instant Discount Program, aka the pi over 2 discount. I visited Amazon, and it still shows up. Maybe if you already have it, you keep it.

Staples.com unable to process coupons?

2006-09-29T21:40:00.000-07:00

I'm trying to buy a Franklin Covey binder, but the Staples.com store isn't accepting my coupons. Argh. Guess I'll have to try again in the morning...

HBS Note on Behavioral Pricing

2006-09-26T16:56:00.000-07:00

My friend Shawn who's studying for his MBA in South Carolina sent me his thoughts on a paper published by the Harvard Business School press. I couldn't have agreed with him more.

Customers' perceptions of product pricing is a complex and difficult equation. The simple curve of supply and demand just does not fit into the complex factors present in the lives of consumers today as well as it used to.

With the success of the convenient store, shopping as entertainment, and the explosion of the merchandising industry, consumers have begun to appreciate and value the entire experience of a product. This experience can include the extremity of a good "deal" - whereas the purchaser bought something solely because alternate purchases would cost more, or for the amount of time required to purchase the product, among many other possibilities.

As the actual activity of shopping plays a more active role in consumers' minds and buying decisions, retailers, consumer product manufacturers, and service providers will need to revisit their strategies for maintaining competitive advantage, high margins, and customer satisfaction.

As I run my own company, I have many times run into a situation where my role as salesperson had a drastic effect on the customers' satisfaction. Even if the "deal" that the customer received was very good and generally unavailable at that price on the general market, if I delivered it without hesitation, it was perceived as having lower value than it actually did. Perhaps if I was feigned reluctance they would have been more satisfied in the end run. Sales and negotiation tactics really are related!

Comcast versus Google versus Firefox

2006-09-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Uh-oh. Something is going badly with Comcast, Google, and Firefox. Here in the Boston area, a traceroute on the Comcast network to google over the http (port 80) protocol is stopped at above.net. Something fishy is going on.

My guess is that Comcast is trying to do something fishy with internet acceleration, Internet Explorer, and the like. When I was trying to debug the issue, it seemed as though my client was downloading more information that I had actually requested.

Hmmmmm. I called in to Comcast to see if there was a problem and they said no. Apparently there is, I've confirmed this with two other sources - a friend of mine who is also on the Comcast network, and I found a blog with the same type of reports, Bostonist I think.

Yes, here's the link:

Its Not Firefox... Its Comcastic!

Other reports:

Northeast complains of Google...

Google investigating access difficulties...

New Gap Commercial

2006-09-22T06:28:00.000-07:00

The new Gap commercial with AC/DC and Audrey Hepburn is very cool. I'm really impressed with the agency's willingness to do something that isn't "perfect". In fact that commercial is a little off kilter, good for them, and Gap.

I don't like Gap clothes much, but I do like the commercial. Anyone know which agency produced it? Modernista, perhaps?

If you haven't seen it yet, you can see it here:

New Gap Commercial with AC/DC and Audrey Hepburn

Best Buy Magnolia Home Theatre Stores

2006-09-21T16:35:00.000-07:00

My personal experience with Best Buy has been bad. Every time I have visited their store, I was unable to get anyone to answer any of my questions. Of course your experience may have been different than mine.

Now Best Buy has a new home theatre store within a store called Magnolia Home Theatre. You know what I think? It is the same old Best Buy with the special option of paying more money!!

eBay Express Commercial Blitz

2006-09-19T19:09:00.000-07:00

Wow, the new eBay commercials stink. If you've seen them, they feature a dorky guy with his nose growing, or arguing with copies of himself. "It" appears that eBay is trying to leverage its brand to the larger market, but I think they are going to simply confuse people.

What do you think?

Home Depot Self Checkout Meltdown

2006-09-16T12:18:00.000-07:00

I went to Home Depot today to return a faucet adapter, and while I was at it I decided to do some shopping. I actually spent over an hour there, looking for some items, while waiting for some items to find me.

One item I've been looking for is a quality distance measurement tool for quickly measuring room dimensions. They have something like that at Home Depot, but it seemed like low quality, too expensive, and it took a 9-volt battery, which was nonsensical to me.

I did find some screen repair supplies, as well as some glue sticks, two items I was not looking for.

After I was finished shopping, I went to the self checkout and rung up some items. One item, a set of small plastic bins was marked as $5 marked down to $4.18. The self checkout monitor reported needing assistance for entering the price, and when the Home Depot employee ( a very nice and helpful woman, albeit very busy with the problematic self checkout registers ) entered its UPC code, the item rang up for clearance, only $9000. Obviously this was a mistake, so she manually entered the price.

As I continued, an older woman was waiting for her husband to get his turn with the assistant, and so she sat down on what looked like a bench, but is actually a scale that the self checkout registers use to weigh the bagging items. This caused all sorts of problems, and if this post is worth anything, it will send a message to Home Depot to PUT A CHAIR BY THE SELF CHECKOUT REGISTERS!!! This is the second time I've seen this happen so it needs to be resolved.

2006 Fusion Awards

2006-09-14T07:54:00.000-07:00

I just received an email that the 2006 Fusion Awards have been annouced. I'm not surprised at all that Staples was one of the winners.

Home Depot, Staples and 10 Others Receive 2006 Fusion Awards

Sanitation Supplies

2006-09-13T12:41:00.000-07:00

Where do you go when you need sanitation supplies? Hand sanitizer, paper towels, gloves, mops, and the like? If you tend to buy supplies over and over again, and in bulk, you can get some great deals online. They even have a retail store and showroom, where you can learn about their inventory. They also sell facilities maintenance supplies such as ice melt and ice melt spreaders. Check out websites for more information.

First Shop at Lowes

2006-09-12T07:39:00.000-07:00

I went to Lowes for the first time this morning. I've heard many reviews say that it is the more "manicured" home improvement store, compared to Home Depot, and thus more acceptable to women.

The store does have a more organized appearance. There are more colorful signs, and everything seems cleaner. As a reference, it took me about 45 minutes to buy the following:
* One (1) blue tarp
* Two (2) fire extinguishers
* Two (2) pad locks
* One (1) door latch

Which I find an acceptable amount of time. It would have been faster if the locks were not mislabeled - they rang up as $5.49, instead of $4.49, like posted on the shelf. I went back to the shelf and saw that the box of locks was simply in the wrong place on the shelf. This really annoys me, and it caused major problems for me with Office Max. Also, I hadn't planned on buying the fire extinguishers, but when I saw them I remembered that I needed two of them.

Overall, I don't think Lowes is much different than Home Depot. I did notice that the price of an in-line duct fan switch was about $7 higher than Home Depot's price.

Overall, I give Lowes a positive review. In purchasing the items, I used the self checkout. The interface reminded me of the one they have at IKEA, but this one worked much better.

Self Checkout Registers

2006-09-10T10:46:00.000-07:00

Self check out registers are awesome, except when they don't work. So far I have used them at four retailers:

* Home Depot
* Super Stop & Shop
* Shaw's
* IKEA

The first two, Home Depot and Super Stop & Shop, got theirs to work. It is possible that they are using the best of breed vendor. Anyone know who it is? The second two, don't seem to have gotten it right.

Supermarkets have it tough. Most of the time, the stores are overcrowded and chaotic. Noone really wants to be there - neither customer, cashier or clerk, or even bagger. To boot, the products are complex, perishable, fragile, large, and inexpensive, all factors which make the food retail business a competitive one. It is components like a self checkout register that can give a general food retailer that competitive edge.

Here are a few tips to make sure your self checkout register is working properly:
* Make sure it can read coupons
* Make sure there is a staff member on hand to help confused customers or registers
* Fix "out-of-order" registers immediately - even if it stops accepting cash, credit, or debit
* Make one of the registers an express, less than 12 items aisle
* Perhaps even give customers an incentive to use the self checkout
* Make sure the scale system does not overpower basic logic and procedure

That last tip regarding the scale system needs a little more explanation than the others. Most self checkout systems attempt to prevent fraud by weighing the scanned item as they are placed into the bagging area, to make sure that customers don't scan one item and take another. This safety feature is often the cause of a disastrous checkout. What happens is the machine repeatedly states "item removed from bagging area", or "please place your item in the bagging area before scanning more items". Confused customers are ready to give up as they try to place and return their scanned items into the bagging area to their best capabilities. Most often, a store employee will come over and simply override the system. I've seen this happen quite a lot, and its never prevented any fraud.

RFID (radio frequency identification) tags will help solve this problem, but they still won't be available cheap enough to put on every box of cereal for some time now. Until then, I'll only use the self checkout register when I have a clean and simple transaction that I know will go through smoothly and quickly.

Furniture Stores for real

2006-09-07T18:33:00.000-07:00

We're chimed in how much we dislike annoying furniture commercials:

Annoying furniture store commercials!

But what about the furniture stores themselves? What are they like inside? Well, my wife and I went shopping at a few this past weekend and here's what we found:

Jordan's Furniture
Jordan's has an expansive clearance section, but in my humble opinion, the prices are high, and the fixtures are junk. The show room has a much nicer presentation, but again I found the offerings were a more polished set of the same: high prices for low quality fixtures.

IKEA
IKEA has much better prices, but everytime I go there it takes so long to find anything. In this instance, we finally found something we liked, so we went to the self service stocking area, only to find they were out of stock. Doh!

Target
We first shopped Target online, and then my wife went there tonight. We were able to shop online (me) and in-store (she) at the same time. We decided on what we wanted to buy, and she confirmed the quality was up to par, and the pricing was much better than the alternatives. We paid $500 for two 6 drawer dressers, $250 each.

Target: Mission 6-Drawer Dresser is a good deal.

Please note, this item is VERY heavy.

Seattle Coffee Inside Borders Books

2006-09-04T07:45:00.000-07:00

I visited a Borders Books store last night to buy some books for work, and noticed there was a Seattle's Best Coffee cafe there. This is the first of two Seattle's Best sightings I've made on the east coast in recent weeks. Will we see more?

Lost in Home Depot

2006-09-02T00:46:00.000-07:00

I went shopping at Home Depot today and man is that place a maze. I realized after about 15 minutes that it was going to take some time so I patiently wandered around trying to find my shopping list:

* electrical tape
* trash bags
* WD-40
* picture hangers
* in-line power switch thermostat (Ductstat)
* door ventilation grill

I was able to use my $5 off $50 coupon as well as use the new company Home Depot corporate Mastercard.

Online Service Category Killers? I don't think so.

2006-08-29T23:42:00.000-07:00

Google, eBay form advertising alliance

This article mentions the possibility of eBay and Google helping mom and pop shops compete with category killers like Home Depot and Lowes. How the heck would that happen?

It is news though, to see how eBay is teaming up with Yahoo (in the US) and Google (outside the US) to expand beyond its seller base. This news comes alongside the news that Google's CEO Eric Schmidt joined Apple's board of directors.

Grand Hyatt Kauai Hotel Review

2006-08-28T00:48:00.000-07:00

My wife and I stayed a week at the Grand Hyatt Kauai in Hawaii and I wasn't terribly impressed. The building and location is beautiful, but our room wasn't great, and it was very expensive!

Check out the picture of the ceiling, it is in bad need of repair, and looks to have been that way for some time. The problem of a cracking and bubbling ceiling is likely due to a leak in the wall or roof, causing water to get under the plaster. Whatever the cause, it needs to be repaired before it causes more water damage.

Genki Sushi Restaurant Chain

2006-08-26T17:27:00.000-07:00

I tried Genki Sushi for the first time a couple of days ago and was pleasantly surprised. It sort of seems like a fast food sushi restaurant with the conveyor belt and all, but the sushi quality was very good and the staff friendly and attentive.

If you happen by a Genki Sushi, give it a try.

Kauai Coffee Company

2006-08-26T17:21:00.000-07:00

I got to tour the Kauai Coffee Company store yesterday and had a terrific time. They have a bunch of different types of coffee you can try, with some great displays about their plantation and how the grow and process their coffee. The coffee was very good, so I bought a few bags for myself and to bring home to the mainland as gifts.

A little information about Kauai Coffee Company:
* They have the largest coffee plantation in Hawaii - over three thousand acres.
* It used to be a sugar cane plantation.
* They have on average 200 visitors to their retail store daily in the busy season.
* The retail store employs six part-time staff members.
* Their packaging and shipping operation is 24/7 during the harvesting season, and they ship anywhere in the US.

They compete with other island growers like Kona Coffee.

For more information, check out their website:

Kauai Coffee Company Online Store