Tag Archives: consumer preferences

Walmart Sneezes

“When GM sneezes, America catches a cold.” This is something people used to say back when General Motors was something more than a pension fund that made cars. Basically it means that when an economic engine like GM is having troubles, it’s a sign of bigger problems.

This came to mind earlier this week, when Bloomberg noted that “Walmart Executives are Sweating Slow February Start”…

“In case you haven’t seen a sales report these days, February Month-to-Date sales are a total disaster,” Jerry Murray, Walmart’s vice president of finance and logistics, said in a Feb. 12 e-mail to other executives, referring to month-to-date sales. “The worst start to a month I have seen in my 7 years with the company.” Bloomberg.com

Worse, this crappy February comes after a crappy January, which had a different Walmart executive asking, “Where are all the customers? And where’s their money?”

So, what’s the deal? Well, the payroll tax went up, tax forms were late going out, and tax returns will also be late going out. Gas prices in my neighborhood have gone up about 35 cents since the New Year. They are still arguing over the Fiscal Cliff in Washington. So, it’s a crisis in confidence, paired with an actual pinch in spending money.

So, looking at the old example, you can certainly see how these negative economic factors would cause people to put off buying an $18,000 car from GM. But Walmart? Where a can of corn is 48 cents and my last pair of shoes was ten bucks? Yikes!

So, what do you think? Are you seeing smaller crowds at Wally’s? Are you tightening your belt? What things are you cutting back on or delaying? Let us know and, despite it all, have a great weekend!

So Long, Saturday Mail!

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saturday mail

So, the Post Office has announced that it will no longer deliver on Saturdays. Will you miss it? How will affect you? We will get to that. But first, the sarcasm.

First of all, I don’t hate the USPS. I can only report on what I experience day to day. I actually like my carrier a lot. She’s super-nice, and we even exchange Christmas gifts. No, it’s my local branch that I wish they would demolish and turn into a shabby little mini mart that sells cigarettes, scratch offs and night crawlers – basically, ANY other kind of establishment that would treat me like a customer and not a sworn enemy.

The service at my branch has driven me into the arms of the UPS store, where I pay more for actual service. Or, to the tax preparation place that is an authorized USPS dealer, where the people are super dumb but super friendly. Anything to avoid that den of slack called The Post Office.

So anyway, how does this affect you (and by YOU I mean ME)?  That is spelled out in this USNews.com article that outlines some of the changes we can expect. For example:

  • Medicines by mail: Are considered Priority Mail, and will still arrive on Saturday.
  • Social Security/Welfare/Veterans/etc.: Today, most benefits come by direct deposit to your bank account, or EBT. If yours DON’T, you have until March 1 to make that happen! (visit godirect.org)
  • Bill-payers: You may have some cause for concern. Generally, the credit card companies give you 21 days before you are late. You might lose some days because of this. You might want to switch to electronic pay!
  • PO Box holders: No change. You see, while the carriers lose a day of pay, the hard(ly) working folks that work in (my) branch will still be cramming your PO Box with bills and junk mail. So…yay?

These changes are expected to save the USPS $2 billion each year. Ironically, the solution for some of the inconveniences seems to be “going electronic,” which is likely going to cost them even more business. I suspect this isn’t the last time we will be addressing this issue.

So, read the original article, and have a great weekend! Tomorrow, give your Saturday mail a hug, and appreciate the time you have left together!

Tough Love for Shopaholics

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5464704-yes-i-did-it-bought-what-i-wanted-shopaholic-woman-it-is-extremely-happy-and-laughing-and-the-guy-sm
(credit: 123rf.com)

It used to be that we just “spent too much, ” or that we couldn’t “stick to a budget.” Today, in a world where the list of  “-oholisms” seems to get longer every day, we are told that compulsive spending can be a sign of larger emotional issues.

Between 2 and 5 percent of Americans have some form of shopping addiction, which means they struggle to control their purchases. It can lead to debt, damaged relationships, and might even be related to depression.  US News Money

The bright side (I guess) of turning everything into a disease is that it draws attention to the problem. The eggheads study it, identify symptoms and suggest ways to deal with it. And it tells those affected that they aren’t alone. So here is a brief list of behaviors that might point to a compulsive shopping problem:

  • You lie about your purchases.
  • You don’t talk openly about your shopping habits.
  • Your shopping habits are hurting your relationships.
  • You usually shop alone.
  • You think of shopping as a hobby.
  • You shop to feel better about yourself.
  • You feel a rush of euphoria when making purchases.
  • Your shopping habits are interfering with your life.
  • You use credit cards to finance your purchases.
  • You don’t know where your money is going.

I guess, like anything else, one or two of these behaviors might not be a problem. Five or six may be a different story.

And don’t get me wrong – this can be serious. I may not agree with turning everything into a disease, but wrecking relationships and going bankrupt are real things – things that you, like, want to AVOID. So, check out the original article for more details, and see if you notice these behaviors in yourself or others. And have a great weekend!

Love, Debt and Gender

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love-my-debt
(photo credit: creditcards.com)

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, a reminder that tying the knot with someone means taking on his or her debts. And, according to a survey by CreditCards.com, how we feel about that seems to be a gender-specific thing.

About 70% of women would break it off if they found out their partner had lied about their ability to pay routine bills. That’s the same percentage of women who would stop seeing someone with a criminal history. 66% of women find secret credit card debt a relationship deal-killer, and 55% would cut it off if they found out a partner was heavily in debt.

For whatever reason, guys seem more…forgiving? Those same numbers for men are 50% (vs. 70), 50% (vs. 66) and 37% (vs. 55).

Other fun statistics?

  • 57% of women, and 48% of men, say that a partner with debt is a turnoff.
  • 57% of women, and 47% of men, think it’s OK to ask for their partner’s credit score before taking the plunge.  (ooh, sexy!)
  • 68% say that sharing money attitudes is important, BUT…
  • 73% say that money causes the most arguments.

Why the gender differences in attitude? Totally unscientific but, with the wage gap, I imagine women are more worried about their future security, and that of their kids. There’s also the depressing notion (and everybody knows someone who has said this) that “we can never begin OUR lives because half of his paycheck goes to the Ex!”

SO… girls, guys –what do you think? Do these things matter to you? Have you ever jumped in blindly and later regretted it? Or did you work through it? What did you learn? Read the article, and let us know!

Super Bowl Economics!

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BTW, I love it when companies who haven't paid millions of $$ to the NFL have to call it "The Big Game" in their commercials!
BTW, I love it when companies who haven’t paid millions of dollars to the NFL have to call it “The Big Game” in their commercials!

Quick quiz! Who are the two teams competing in the Super Bowl this Sunday? The answer is “Who cares?” This annual tradition is bigger than San Francisco. It’s bigger than Baltimore. It’s bigger than ALL of us!

In bars, basements, living rooms and even churches (like mine – complete with chili contest and a 102” screen!) we will gather. And whether we are interested in X’s and O’s, team rivalries, funny commercials or simply drinking a buttload of beer, we are all a part of something – the biggest night of consumerism in the U S of A!

  • 180 million of us will watch the game
  • We will spend $12 Billion on snacks
  • We will eat 79 million pounds of guacamole!

To put it in graphic terms, 79 million pounds of avocados is enough to cover a football field – end zone to end zone – 30 feet deep. The San Diego Source (to quote 30 Rock’s Liz Lemon: “I want to go to there!”)

  • We will eat 1.23 billion chicken wings
  • Papa John’s drivers will travel 300,000 miles
  • Domino’s will deliver roughly double the number of pizzas for a typical Sunday

As to whom I am rooting for (as you’re DYING to know,) I am torn. San Fran beat my Cincinnati Bengals in 2 Super Bowls. Baltimore is both a constant thorn in Cincy’s side and the remnant of the old, pre-expansion Cleveland Browns. As they said during the Iran-Iraq War, it’s a shame they can’t BOTH lose!

Also, what terrible TV show will debut right after the game?  That weird, modern Sherlock Holmes thing with Lucy Liu! “Elementary, my dear Watson – the British version is better!”

Either way, let’s celebrate, friends. I can’t think of a more American event than Super Bowl Sunday. Whichever team you support, have a blast!

(photo credit: employmentandthelaw.com)

Free Stuff for Free!

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free2

Do you want stuff but don’t want to pay for it? Well, there’s a lot of that going around. There’s a fun article at MoneyTalksNews.com that gives you the lowdown on a wide variety of goods and services that can be had for free or durn near.

1. Free cars

2. Free lodging

3. Free audio books

4. Free birthday presents

5. Free food for kids

6. Free samples

7. Free TV

8. Free software

9. Free anti-virus

10. Free Speech

11. Free foreign language lessons

12. Free everything

That last one is pretty intriguing! Admittedly, most of these require a little imagination and a bit of patience – for instance, “Free TV” means not paying for cable, but you still have to buy an HDTV set. “Free Speech” means starting a blog (yuck!)

Check out the article for explanations, examples and websites where you can learn more. So stop paying for stuff like a sucker, and start living the free life!

CES Show Part 2!

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Hey nerd..."life" is already 3D!
Hey nerd…”life” is already 3D!

Back in the day, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) was the 2nd biggest show in Las Vegas. But we professional video gadget freaks always assumed they got a leg up (so to speak) by holding their show at the same time as the Adult Video convention.

In the 1990s, I always attended the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention in Las Vegas. Back then it was Sin City’s biggest show of the year, where TV and video production people (like me) went to look at the newest cameras and special effects gear. The CES was just NAB’s annoying little brother – but times have changed!

The CES is now the biggest show of the year. This year 3,500 vendors exhibited their wares to 150,000 attendees. We talked last time about the many smartphone-related advancements on display, but there’s more to discuss!

Such as…

Wrist devices that stream content from your smartphone. They tell you when you have an important call, email or text message. Also streams weather, sports scores, stock tickers, and on and on. And the wrist devices are all digital, so you can create your own custom watch face, just like you would make a wallpaper for your PC.

Gesture controls. Sort of a remote without the remote, these allow you to control your TV, etc., with a series of hand gestures. A 3-D camera captures and interprets your hand signals. They think this is going to have a host of uses in the future. Hyndai’s even putting it in cars so you can control various functions like the radio.

Even bigger and sharper digital TVs’. Forget HD- the new buzzword is 4K. Also known as Ultra HD, it supposedly has a picture 4 times sharper than “regular” HD.

Even more intelligent bio-tracking devices. Miles walked, calories burned, all fed into your smartphone, where a fitness app tells you to pick up the pace, fatty!  Related: a Smart Fork that vibrates when you are eating too fast!

3D printers. We have a long way to go before Captain Picard can tell the wall to give him “Tea. Earl Gray. Hot” and it simply appears. But it’s pretty cool to watch a printer make an actual 3D object out of plastic. Heck, one guy built a working gun, which is pretty cool and very disturbing.

Here are some links if you want to read further! And have a great weekend!

(photo: getty-ces-image.jpg)

Restaurant Job #1: a Clean Restroom?

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restroom-sign-21-e1339002457546-300x252

An interesting question…

Of course, you have visited the restroom in Target. Have you ever noticed the paper on the back of the door, charting when the potty was last inspected? It says that “J.B.” cleaned and inspected the facility only 20 minutes ago. (I think they do this at Kohl’s, as well.) Does this inspire confidence, at least somewhat? Not that you don’t douse yourself in Purel anyway! But still…

Well, Some expert is claiming that Clean Bathrooms Are “Most Important Marketing Job” For Restaurants.

“Clean bathrooms might be the most important marketing job in your restaurant,” he writes. “Consumers consistently site dirty bathrooms as the primary reason for not returning to restaurants.” The Consumerist

I admit it: I am a (mid-level) germophobe. Whenever a store offers the wet wipes, I go for it. On my honeymoon cruise, you weren’t even allowed to enter the ship’s dining rooms until you had taken a blast of Purel—and I LIKED that!

Earlier, I worked in this small town with a country club. In the lobby they had a bowl of unwrapped mints on the hostess desk, across from the restrooms. The health department did their thing and, you guessed it, trace amounts of urine in the mints!!

What about you? Are you preoccupied with cleanliness, or do you think it’s silly? Let us know!

Express Lane to Frustration!

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Seriously, don't get your hopes up.
Seriously, don’t get your hopes up.

There’s a study at LifeHacker.com that says using the 10-items-or-less express lane really doesn’t save you any time. I can tell you that, at (my) Walmart, I have found this to be true. Their express limit is 20 items. I once rolled up with 24 items, all apologetic and whatnot. The girl told me that they are not allowed to refuse anyone, even if you rolled up with two carts full like some X-TREEM Coupon weirdo. If you can deal with the hateful stares, loud sighs and epic eye-rolls of the shoppers behind you, then go for it!

The time-sucking culprits are called Line Stoppers…people who bring weird, special circumstances with them. You get them all at Wally’s…the guy trying to cash a payroll check. The college kid using three different gift cards, but only taking certain amounts from each. The woman with 30 items making three separate transactions for herself, mom and grandma.

They left out my favorite, though: Extremely Old Dude! This happened to me a couple of days ago at a Publix Market. I get in the express lane behind an E.O.D. He kept mumbling things that sounded like questions, forcing the cashier to stop and ask him to repeat himself. He did and, though she now understood the English words coming out of his mouth, she was stumped. Call a manager? Call a manager. Time to pay, so he writes a check. That is, once she was finished ringing him up and gave the total, only then did he pull out his checkbook and begin to write. “P…U…B…L…I…X…” Then he wanted $50 cash back. She gave him two 20’s and a ten. No, he really wanted all fives. Transaction finished… but time for one more joke. In all, not an “Express” experience!

Anyway, read the article and tell us, do you think you save time in the express lane?

Last Minute Gift Ideas!

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12.21.09 iStock_000007466237XSmall

Consumer Reports says that 17 million of us will be shopping for Christmas Eve. Ahhh, smell the desperation!! If you are one of those unfortunates, MindField Online thought you might like a few last-minute gift ideas. So, check out these links, and you’re welcome.

Last-minute gifts galore!

Last-minute gifts under $20!

Gifts for your favorite Techie!

More Techie ideas!

Gifts for the College kid in your life!

Give the gift of booze!

Artsy-fartsy gifts!

Gifts for your little Science nerd or nerdette!

Gifts for your favorite Foodie!

More Foodie gifts!

Cold-weather climate gifts!

Gifts for your favorite outdoorsman!

Gifts for the Apple iJunkie in your iLife!

And the best of all…not gift ideas, but “how to last-minute shop” and keep your sanity!

We wish you well in your pursuit, however frustrating it may be. Hopefully, when you are last-minute shopping and you feel the urge to blow up, freak out and be That Girl or That Guy, the person in front of you will blow up first, and you can see how…unattractive that is!

Merry Christmas, friends.