Shopping Tips Online

Online shopping has always meant using a credit card – until now. Retail Expansion Network, an e-commerce solution provider, has launched PaidByCash, a nationwide network that allows shoppers to pay in “cash” for Internet transactions. It can be used with any online retailer that currently accepts Debit MasterCard®.

The way it works is very simple. Go to the PaidByCash website and enter your zip code. This generates a list of locations in your area where you can go to get your PaidByCash card. The retailer loads a card with the amount you choose, from $10 to $350. The store charges a fee of $4.95 for this service. To activate your card, you go back to the PaidByCash site. Once the card is activated, you simply go shopping online, and you use the card just like a credit card.

For people who either don’t have a credit card, or don’t want to use one for online shopping, this is an excellent alternative. For retailers, it’s a great way to capitalize on a previously untapped market.

Cash Transactions, Debit MasterCard, Online Shopping

Gap, Inc. announced yesterday that they are closing all 19 Forth & Towne stores in 10 markets by the end of June. The closing will affect 550 employees, but the company says they will try to “redeploy” these people to Gap or Old Navy stores. They intend to focus all their efforts on turning around the Gap brand.

They launched Forth & Towne, targeted toward the 35-55 age group, just 18 months ago. The New York Times suggests that Gap Inc. and other companies jumped into the over-30 market because they do spend money on apparel, $42.7 billion last year, compared to their 20-something counterparts who spent only $20 billion. Despite that attractive number, many of these companies are getting out. Janeville, a brand launched by Gymboree Corp. has also closed down.

It appears as if women in the target age range are finding what they want at stores like Ann Taylor, Talbots and Chicos, along with traditional department stores like Macys.

Here’s my take on this.

I am the demographic and I’ll be honest, I’m torn.

I really resent being pigeonholed. I’m “older” but not “old.” I don’t want to look like “mutton dressed as lamb” but I am not about to give up and start dressing like a grandmother. I am never going to be Talbots head-to-toe, no matter what my age is. I can occasionally find something there that I can incorporate with my more youthful pieces, but that’s it.

However, I could see from the Forth & Towne web site (there are no stores in my market), that many of the items were age-appropriate, but not stodgy. That’s right up my alley. So, it makes me a little sad to see that a viable alternative for women like me is now gone by the wayside, in favor of ramping up brands that appeal only to women half my age.

Forth & Towne, Gap Inc.

Saving 10¢ on a can of green beans isn’t worth my driving across town. Or is it?

An article in yesterday’s Chicago Tribune sites experts and studies that suggest that comparison shopping is worth every minute spent, but that most of us buy from the first store we go to.

In a 2003 study, researchers were shocked to learn that cherry-pickers–consumers who shopped multiple supermarkets to capitalize on good grocery deals–weren’t cheapskate fanatics.

Their savings more than made up for their investment of time, according to the study’s authors, Stephen Hoch, a marketing professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, and Edward Fox, a marketing professor at Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University.

The article points out that we consumers tend to overvalue our time, and that a little time spent can lead to big savings. Suggested comparison tactics were to use the Internet, check out retailers price guarantees, and to consider even the small savings to be significant.

Here’s my take on this.

For most everyday items, I don’t bother to compare prices. In my mind, if I spend an extra 10¢ this time, I’ll might save 10¢ next time.

I think it’s a matter of the amount I’m spending compared to the amount I could save. For instance, I know that a bottle of my favorite moisturizer is $19 at one store, but $17 at another. So in my mind, it’s worth the trip to that store to save the two bucks. For big ticket purchases, I always price shop. I definitely use the Internet to research big purchases, and it also gives me a frame of reference for pricing. Furniture and appliances, in particular, I find I can save quite a bit by shopping around, and even negotiating a lower-than-advertised price in some cases.

There is more I could do to save money. And I do LOVE to save money. This article gave me some ideas for things I can do that would be simple to fit into my routine, so I think I will try comparison shopping for even my everyday items and see how much I save. You?

Comparison Shopping, Online Shopping

Ninety-nine percent of the time I have to try clothes on. Tops I can usually guess a size, but skirts and pants are almost definitely going to fit different. The number is apparently meaningless – the same size in two department stores will have totally different fits. I have dreamed of a world wherein I could walk into a store on my lunch hour, grab a new pair of pants and KNOW they would fit.

With a new, universal sizing system, that dream could come true. Called Fitlogic, this system starts with three basic body types – women whose weight is around their middle, women whose weight is in their mid hips, and women (like me) whose weight is below the hips, in their upper thighs. So, using their example, Jennifer Lopez wears a size 4, so her “Fitlogic” size would be a 4.3, because her weight is carried on her hips and thighs.

According to the company’s website, Fitlogic™ is already available in career pants for women over thirty, but will soon be available in pants, tops, jackets and dresses for women of all ages. They partnered with some well-respected companies to develop and test the fit: including Nautica, Garfield Marks, Nordstrom, Jones New York Collection, Macy’s, Jones Elements, and QVC.

If you join their “movement” you are basically casting your vote for fit standardization, a tool Fitlogic could use to encourage more clothing manufacturers to use this system. Also, they are soliciting real women aged 30 to 55 to become “fit models.” You provide some basic information, and they either call you directly or let you know when there is a “mass fitting session” in your area. If you are chosen, they will pay you for your contribution.

I think this is a great concept for women like me who are sick and tired of the endless search for clothes that fit. Take a look.

Fitlogic, Sizing System, Clothing Sizes

JCPenney has announced a new company positioning statement – “Every Day Matters” – which is intended to be a broad overlay of their company’s initiatives from now through 2011.

“The past few years have been increasingly successful for JCPenney and we are once again one of the top retailers in the country. Now is the ideal time to build on what we have achieved and accelerate our growth,” said Myron E. (Mike) Ullman, III, chairman and chief executive officer of JCPenney. “To do this, we are capitalizing on our greatest strength and competitive advantage: the spirit and talent of our 151,000 Associates. Through their daily actions, our Associates will bring ‘Every Day Matters’ to life by assisting customers in celebrating and appreciating the every day moments in their lives.”

They are launching a whole new campaign starting this Sunday during the Academy Awards, including new television spots, one introducing the new positioning, and the other to announce their new lingerie brand, Ambrielle. Then they will also release a new spot targeted toward their Hispanic consumers. All, of course, touting “Every Day Matters.” The company is also investing in improving their store environments, and training for their 151,000 employees.

So what the heck is a positioning statement?
According to MarketingProfs.com, a positioning statement is “the heartbeat of an effective communications plan.” It tells the reader who the company is, what business its in and who it serves, positions the company against its competition, and describes the company’s unique selling proposition. Basically, it differentiates a company from every other company. This statement drives all the company’s communications.

Does JCPenney’s positioning statement do the job?
Undoubtedly, JCPenney spent loads of money on this positioning statement, and probably did lots of consumer research to support it. Does “Every Day Matters” tell me who JCPenney is? Well, it tells me that they are going for the emotions, and trying to create an experience, which may set them apart from their competition. Does it tell me what they do? Yes, “matter” is a noun referring to objects that have mass and occupy space, so JCPenney is in the “matters” business. But, come on. “Every Day Matters” could be the positioning statement for a hospice care service or a beauty salon. It doesn’t tell me that they are a department store.

Does “Every Day Matters” really matter to me as a consumer?
I understand where they are going with this. They want to express a feeling of care and concern for their customers. They want to say what matters to me matters to them. Their CEO says that they are striving to be more relevant to consumers by providing us with better products and a better shopping experience. But, even if that’s true, can JCPenney help me make every day matter more to me? My sarcastic side says no. To me, it means “Every day you shop at JCPenney matters to us.”

I will shop at JCPenney. There are good values, and good products to be found there. But I will probably not shop there MORE because they are now telling me that “Every Day Matters.” I knew that before.

JCPenney, Positioning Statement, Shopping Experience

If you like to just browse through products online, but hate the wrist-numbing clicking, clicking, clicking, you have to check this out. It’s an entirely new shopping interface created by a company called Dotted Pair.

Browse Goods allows you to scan hundreds of products at once, search by feature or category (search by price is coming soon), and you zoom in and out on items of interest. When you find items you like, you can save them for closer inspection or side-by-side comparison. When you click “buy” Browse Goods opens the retailer’s window and you purchase the item as usual.

Browse Goods is not a retailer, rather they bring multiple online retailers together to allow the shopper to easily scan and browse products. This saves time, but it also allows us to browse almost like we would at a brick and mortar department store – just randomly looking around, then zeroing in when something catches our eye. The new shopping interface is in the Beta version right now. It currently only features shoes, watches, toys and sports products from Amazon. I expect other retailers will jump on this bandwagon soon.

I tried Browse Goods myself and I really enjoyed the experience. It took me a minute or two to get oriented, but then I was happily zooming and saving and, well, browsing, to my heart’s content. It was a new, fun and functional way for me to see hundreds of pairs of shoes (or watches) without having to click my way from one end of the Internet to the other.

Experts say that online shopping is due to level out, so retailers are looking for the next big thing to keep us online and shopping. This could be it. I encourage you to try this out and let me know what you think!

Browse Goods, Online Shopping, New Shopping Interface, Amazon

You either love them or hate them. Crocs. The (very) bright plastic clog-like shoes that became popular a few years ago. Their claim to fame is the comfort and light weight of the shoes, made of their proprietary resin called Croslite. They’re also soft, odor-resistant, and non-marking. I do not own a pair of Crocs, but I have been more drawn to them lately, since they have expanded their style offerings to include all-terrain type boots, thongs and even ballerina styles.

The company is doing well. Very well. They recently partnered with Disney to design and manufacture a line of kids shoes. Now, word on the street that Crocs, to avoid falling by the wayside when the desire for plastic shoes wanes (remember jelly sandals from the 80s?), is planning some surprising strategies to stay current. I’ll be interested to see what those are. My gut feel is that companies that extend much beyond their core business are taking a big risk. But I’ll keep tabs on it and keep you updated!

Crocs

Earlier this month we heard about a University of Arizona study that showed that shopping carts have more saliva, bacteria and even…ahem…fecal matter…than public telephones, escalators and public restrooms.

Now a company named Nice Pak has announced a
“no rinse” shopping cart wipe. These wipes are available for groceries to place near the shopping carts on a stand.

This didn’t sound particularly revolutionary to me, after all, my grocery provides wipes by the carts and the door already. So I went to the corporate site to check it out. Nice Pak manufactures all sorts of wipes for consumers and businesses. The No Rinse Sani-Surface™ Shopping Cart Sanitizing Wipes, marketed toward retailers, is one of several similar products they offer.

So what makes it different? Apparently, the previous generation, called SaniCart Wipes, intended for hard surfaces, had a longer drying time (5 minutes), and required surface rinsing and hand washing after use. The new No Rinse wipes are apparently meant for both hands and hard surfaces. They dry in only 1 minute, and you don’t have to rinse the surface or wash your hands. Both wipes kill bacteria and E.Coli, but the new wipes kill E.Coli in 60 seconds, while the old wipes take 5 minutes. The new No Rinse wipes are not proven to kill the common flu virus, but the SaniCart wipes are. Visit the commercial area of the Nice Pak website to download sell sheets on both products.

Here’s my take on this.

The temptation, of course, is to say that we have all grown up around grocery carts and lived to tell the tale. On the other hand it’s probably not wise to ignore the problem and hope it will go away. Shopping carts are filthy dirty and probably do pose a health risk.

But the whole thing is pretty confusing. I have occasionally availed myself of the free hand wipes at the door on my way out, but if they were the “must rinse” kind, I had no idea. A “disinfectant” wipe is different than a “sanitizing” wipe; some wipes kill some things and some don’t. How should I know?

Because I am a several-times-a-week shopper, I usually grab a hand-held shopping basket for the few things I’m picking up. These are probably germ-ridden, too, but at least there hasn’t been a kid with a messy diaper sitting in it. I always use the plastic baggies provided in the meat section to prevent leaking meat packages from contaminating my other food. I think those are a couple of things I’m doing to prevent the spread of bacteria. Short of wearing a pair of disposable gloves while shopping, my plan will be to use the wipes where they’re offered and wash my hands or use a wet wipe after shopping.

Shopping Cart Germs, Hand Wipes

If you’ve never heard of Rachael Ray, you probably need to crawl out from under the rock you’ve been living under. She now has two shows on the Food Network, she hosts a daytime network TV show, and she also publishes a magazine, “Every Day with Rachael Ray.” . Our favorite gal next door also has a line of licensed cookware and kitchen products, and you can even get a tee printed with her catchphrase, “Yum-O!”

According to HFN, the Newsweekly of Home Products Retailing, Rachael has now teamed with gift and tabletop manufacturer, Precidio, to launch a line of melamine and acrylic dishes. Called “The Rachael Ray Collection by Presidio,” the line will include a “GB” which devoted fans know is the “garbage bowl” she keeps on the counter to prevent multiple trips to the garbage can. They are introducing Rachael-ware at the International Home & Housewares Show in March.

So, bust out the EVOO, make a 30 minute meal, and then serve it up on some cute Rach dishes!

Rachael Ray, Precidio, International Home and Housewares Show, Melamine Dishes, Garbage Bowl

The US Mint has introduced the shiny new George Washington dollar coin into circulation. Three hundred million of the gold colored coins were minted in Philadelphia and Denver. One side of the coin features an engraving of George Washington and the other side the Statue of Liberty. Around the edge, you will see an inscription of the year of minting or issuance, the mint mark and the words “E Pluribus Unum,�? and “In God We Trust.”

Collectors can order uncirculated coins directly from the US Mint in either 25-coin rolls or 250-coin bags. Of course you can also buy the bags or rolls and just use the coins like you would a dollar bill. The new coin is larger and thicker than the quarter, to make it easier and quicker to identify it in your purse or pocket.

With the exception of collectors, there is little or no excitement about this new coin. We’ve been there, done that, and pretty much unanimously said “no thanks” to a dollar coin. In 1979 we had the Susan B. Anthony dollar; in 2000, the Sacagawea dollar. In both cases, the much-hailed dollar coins were failures. Why? Most experts agree that while we still have the paper dollar, we’re just not going to make the switch to a coin.

Here are three reasons why the dollar coin won’t work for me.

1. I can’t make an oragami crane with a dollar coin. (I have never made an oragami crane with a dollar bill either, but that’s not the point.)
2. Part of the pleasure of using a vending machine is the way it teases me. I like the victorious feeling when I finally get it to take the bill. Dropping a coin into a slot just seems like giving up.
3.If I ever want to bribe a maître d’ for a good table, it will be a whole lot less subtle with ten clanking coins.

But, looking on the bright side…

The couch cushions could become a savings account.

US Mint, Dollar Coin

Kids love to be involved in grownup excitement about sports, but could that turn into an opportunity for learning? Greg Scheinman, Founder and CEO of Team Baby Entertainment thinks so.

“The goal of Team Baby Entertainment is to allow parents, grandparents, alumni and friends to share their love, loyalty and passion for their favorite teams with their children” says Scheinman. “Our product is an informative, entertaining and educational way to introduce a child to the university and/or team you root for.”

The DVDs are designed to present the sights and sounds of the sport or team in a fun, educational way. They are licensed by the NCAA, NBA, MLB and NASCAR, so you have lots of teams to choose from. Team Baby Entertainment programs have earned the Dove Foundation Seal of Approval and KIDS FIRST Endorsement.

Since NASCAR fans are gearing up for the Daytona 500 this Sunday, Team Baby Entertainment was out promoting “NASCAR Baby” on popular morning news shows today. NASCAR Baby is narrated by Jay Leno, and features licensed footage of your favorite drivers and teams.

If you are a fan, you are passionate about your team. Let your kids participate in that passion, and learn a little something at the same time.

NASCAR, NASCAR Baby, Team Baby Entertainment

Shopping online is easy. Well, relatively easy. Okay, sometimes it’s just downright frustrating. For the most part, though, I am willing to jump through the hoops in order to get the items I want because either they are not available to me locally, the prices are better or it saves me a trip to a brick and mortar.

Shop.org, a trade group for online retailers, performed a study of “real shoppers” and their experiences online. You can read the full article here.

The sites they chose to use in the study included Best Buy, Circuit City, Coach, Finish Line and Overstock.com, among others, meaning these were not your little niche or upstart sites. They are well-known and presumably the most well-designed sites out there. The shoppers were also not newbies. They considered themselves “veteran” online shoppers, and represented an upscale demographic.

Shoppers were asked to talk through their experiences shopping on these sites, while web developers watched them via closed circuit TV. What they found out was that most of the sites had inherent design flaws, or were missing key functionality that would help a shopper make choices or compare products more easily. The research company reported that web developers themselves were just as frustrated when shopping online, finding the same issues with the sites.

I will admit there are sites I shop that perpetually frustrate me. When an item comes in multiple colors but I can not see a photo of the item in each color, that frustrates me. When I want to continue shopping after adding something to my cart, but I have to back click to return to the section I was browsing, that frustrates me. When I am not allowed to “view all” to make my browsing faster, that frustrates me. When I am not given multiple ways to search or browse, that frustrates me. But, I suffer through the frustrations because most of the time for me, the advantages of online shopping outweigh the disadvantages.

I think in the near future we will see some drastic changes in the design and functionality of online shopping sites. Retailers are beginning to understand that they’re not designing web sites for themselves, so they had better catch up to what online shoppers really want. And, with more and more competition online, those sites that don’t function the way we need them to will lose out to the ones that do.

Online Shopping, Shop.org, Web Development

The colors of Spring 2007 are a mix of soft and fleshy, bright and sherberty or stark contrasts of black and white.

But what are the shapes of Spring?

According to Omiru.com, Spring 2007 continues the big silhouette stories of this Fall/Winter. There is lots of volume, but it’s under control. That seems to be accomplished through the use of floaty fabrics and cinching at the waist. Speaking of the waist, it’s all over the place – either up high or dropped down. Baby doll, bubble trapeze and tulip are more key silhouettes.

How are mainstream retailers interpreting the designs seen on the catwalk? I went to JCPenny to find out.

I found a couple of examples of the Spring trends. This dress by Nicole Miller has both the volume of spring, plus the empire waist, and it’s on sale for $39.99. I also found this cute baby doll top that comes in three prints, on sale for just $9.99. This top would look great with a skinny pair of capris or bermuda shorts, playing with the proportions of full over slim.

So, with the silhouettes in mind, and with a little searching, you can find ways to incorporate the trends without breaking the bank.

JCPenney, Nicole Miller, Spring Trends, Spring Silhouettes

Outside my window right now it looks like the arctic tundra. Blowing and drifting snow, with much more snow on the way. The absence of color is startling – it’s all shades of gray, from the silver of the snow to the gray of the barren trees. It all seems pretty sad.

So, to counteract that view, I decided to check into what colors we’ll be wearing this spring. We know that shades of green will be in for Spring 2007, but what other colors will seem fresh?

I went to the
Spring 2007 Color Trend Report by Pantone, Inc.. Pantone is well known among designers and printers as the leader in color systems and products. They are also on the forefront of color forecasting for a wide variety of industries. They are showing an interesting mix of neutrals in almost cosmetic shades called “Silver Peony” and “Cafe Creme.” They also predicted a few surprising brights, like “Hollyhock” a less cloying purple than I have seen recently and citrus shades like “Golden Apricot. We know white and black combinations are going to be big for spring, but the contrasts work as well with a neutral like “Opal Gray.” Check out their full report, and more colors online.

To see if retailers are following these predictions, I went to Spiegel and L.L.Bean.

Spiegel’s Spring Look Book points to two trends that seem to fall into Pantone’s colorways. “Safari Chic” and “Feminine Neutrals” both pull from the pale neutral shades, sometimes with a glint of metallic, like this tank and jacket. Paired with white, they take on a sophisticated, polished look. L.L. Bean is showing some of the fresh, fruity brights, like this sweater. By contrast, when you pair these colors with white, they seem very perky and preppy.

Combat the gray skies and the blizzard conditions with a little tour around the Internet. You’ll see colors that will perk you up, and could soon be perking up your wardrobe!

Spring 2007, Color Trends, Spiegel, L.L.Bean

Parents: do you long for the time when you actually controlled the stereo and television? Do you miss hearing your favorite music, or watching your favorite programs without annoying purple dinosaurs and singing celery?

Check out The Pokey Pup, the little online retailer that could. They carry the only hippest kids CDs, DVDs and books, as well as gifts, gear and wearables. Founded by Bryan Townsend in 2005, the Pokey Pup has a mission – to provide quality music and videos for kids that parents can actually enjoy listening to. The Pokey Pup is committed to providing quality content for kids, and they don’t carry any of the commercialized crap.

Their selection is categorized by genre, age group and even occasion. The home page directs you to a few of their recommended CDs, DVDs and books. You and the kids can even sport Pokey Pup gear, like the button shown here ($1.50).

While you still might not get the remote control back from the kids, at least you won’t feel like putting a boot through the screen.

Pokey Pup, Kids Music, Kids DVDs