Tag Archives: product testing

Back to School by the Numbers, 2014

According to the National Retail Federation’s annual survey

Retailers should get a bigger boost from back-to-school shoppers this year, as a longer list of school supplies and larger demand for electronics are expected to drive spending higher during the second-biggest selling season of the year. CNBC.com

Total spending on BtS for 2014: $75 billion, up 3% from last year

  • Per family (K-12): $669 total, up 5%
  • School supplies: $101 per kid, up 12%
  • Number of items on school supply list: 18, up 30%
  • Spending on electronics: $212, up 7%
  • Per college student: $916, up 10%

I guess the takeaway here is that in every example, BtS spending will go up. Great for the economy, but not so great for your individual wallet!

So what can you do about it? Surf the web for savings tips!

Any savings tips to share? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook Page!

Cloud-y with a Chance of Earnings!

cloudIn the past week, you will have probably received an email or two listing a random selection of studies currently available to you on the MindField Online SurveyCloud™. In addition, you will also find a larger list of available surveys when you log into your MindField Online home page.

BUT, coming soon, you can enjoy all of these opportunities on the new MindField SurveyCloud mobile app! As the notification says:

We realize our panelists are on the go more than ever. Use the (Apple or Android) links below to download the SurveyCloud™ app powered By MindField Online that will allow you on-the-go access to all of your account information, surveys, and much more.

Mind you, this is only a sneak peek of the many features and benefits the SurveyCloud™ will offer you in the future. The entire point is to get you accustomed to seeking out your own opportunities, instead of waiting for an email invitation. So, get proactive, folks – opportunity awaits!

So, what do you think? Will you “go mobile” with MindField? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

Tax-Free Weekend 2014

taxfreeIf there’s one thing that takes the sting out of Back to School shopping, it’s saving money. Fortunately, this is the time of year when many states have tax free weekends for shoppers, typically good for clothes, shoes and school supplies and computers. The Single Parents page at About.com has compiled a list for 2014. The list is smaller this year because several of the Gulf Coast and Atlantic states cancelled their Back to School weekends in favor of Hurricane Preparedness. Also, a few states have outright repealed it, because they want that sweet, sweet tax money!

Here are the Confirmed dates for Tax Free Back to School shopping:

  • Alabama: August 1-3
  • Connecticut: August 17-23
  • Florida: Cancelled in favor of tax-free Hurricane Preparedness  
  • Georgia: August 9-10, 2014.
  • Iowa: August 1-2
  • Louisiana: August 1-2
  • Maryland: August 10-16
  • Mississippi: Whoops! We missed it! July 25-26
  • Missouri: August 1-3
  • New Mexico: August 1-3
  • North Carolina: CANCELLED! Try South Carolina or Tennessee!
  • Oklahoma: August 1-3
  • South Carolina: August 1-3
  • Tennessee: August 1-3
  • Texas: August 8-10. (They also have LAYAWAY!)
  • Virginia: Aug. 1-3

Did we miss any? Anyway, there’s MUCH more detail at the original article! There’s also a nice graphic boildown HERE. Also, you can check with your state Department of Revenue for details.

Have you done the tax holiday for back to school? Have any tales of big savings? Leave a comment at the MindField Online Facebook page. And have a great weekend!

Restaurant Rage

HIPSTER
Your Hipster waiter will take your order now, if he must…

And now, a little Friday fun – or frustration (your mileage may vary.) Consumer Reports has published a fun graphic noting “America’s most common restaurant complaints.” I believe it can be a matter of perspective. I admit that I sometimes go into a place looking for trouble and, if you’re looking for it, you find it. Other times, dissatisfaction is thrust upon you. Once at the Tattooed Moose in Charleston SC, about seven of the things on the following list happened even before our order was taken (so, like, we left!)

Anyway, what are our top beefs? Take a look…

  • 76% Dirty utensils. That piece of spinach baked on the fork isn’t harmful in any way, but still…
  • 73% Dirty restrooms. I’m going to guess that the Men’s room is worse…
  • 72% Impolite or condescending servers. Yeah, see illustration above, from the aforementioned Tattooed Moose
  • 67% Sloppy or dirty-looking wait staff. Same…
  • 66% Hot food cold, cold drinks warm
  • 62% “That’s not what I ordered.”
  • 61% Feeling rushed to leave by the server. You know, the girl who you never saw throughout the meal, but now won’t leave your side as you write out the tip?
  • 51% Slow service. Cousin of No Service. Or, watching the staff fawning over “regulars” while you die of thirst waiting for a drink refill. Or, my favorite, waiting forever for the check (I call it the Hostage Situation.)

What’s missing from this list? HIPSTERS! Either ones dining next to me, ones affecting the menu (Pabst Blue Ribbon, anyone?), or ones waiting on me (um, see illustration again.)

It’s a fun list, and there’s lots more at the original piece, so check it out! How about you? What are your top complaints when dining out? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

Logo Logic

logo colorsA little Friday distraction on the psychology of corporate logos, courtesy of those masterminds at DailyInfographic.com. Logos are a serious business. They aim right for your brain, triggering emotional responses with their colors and shapes, making you feel safe, or content, or awesome! And urging you to buy, of course.

First, what’s in the color of a logo?

  • Red: blood and fire. Evokes emotion, passion, intensity
  • Blue: depth and stability. Evokes comfort, faith, confidence, trust
  • Yellow: energy. Evokes joy, freshness, feeling “alive”
  • Green: harmony. Evokes peace, calm, hope
  • Purple: luxury. Evokes glamour, nostalgia, romance
  • Orange: happiness. Evokes enthusiasm, creativity
  • Black: formality and mystery. Evokes seriousness
  • Brown: nurturing. Evokes reliability and dependability
  • Pink: GIRL STUFF! Evokes love, sweetness, warmth

Second, how do they hook you? By hitting you EARLY!

Starting at age 2, we start to “get” that logos represent companies. Mouse Ears and the Golden Arches come to mind. By age 8, kids have 100% comprehension of which logo stands for which product.

Another fun fact is Cost, and more money doesn’t mean a more memorable logo. Some college kid earned $35 for creating the Nike swoosh, while the London Olympics paid $600,000 for a logo that you couldn’t recall with a gun to your head (and which sucked.)

So, can you think of any examples of logos, based on the color code? There are lots of examples at the original piece, so check it out. What are your fave (and least fave) logos? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend

Not-So-Extreme Couponing

I found an old but very useful article at HowStuffWorks.com entitled “10 Extreme Coupon Tips for Normal People.” It was from a time when Extreme Couponing was becoming the big thing (is it still a thing?) and it was fun to point and laugh at the weirdos stockpiling 10,000 rolls of toilet paper.

People making a bizarre consumer religion out of coupons is, well, bizarre. That doesn’t mean that their tactics are useless, however. And that’s the point of the article – to remove the goofiness and pass on some useful tips and tricks. Here are the bullet points (with bonus dumb commentary!

  • Acquire Advanced Couponing Techniques : Newspapers, magazines, online sources of coupons
  • Join in on the Jargon-fest: OYNO? MIR? BOGO? Stackable? Apparently, these words mean something!
  • Turn Couponing into a Cottage Industry : You will need to build a cottage in your backyard to store all of that toilet paper. Just kidding… these are methods of organizing your coupons.
  • Get Familiar with Navigating the Marketplace: Start small by mapping out one store at a time
  • Know Your Rights for Smoother Sailing : Cashiers and managers are sometimes unfriendly to people trying to pay for four carts worth of stuff with 1,000 coupons and six dollars. Imagine!
  • Give Time, Save Money : Couponing requires a big investment of time. Too bad there’s not a coupon for that!
  • Buy in Bulk : And hope that you have the space for it all!
  • Forget Brand Loyalty : Really—what has Captain Crunch ever done for YOU!? I mean, besides defeating Hitler’s navy.
  • Go Where the Sales Are : This will take time and gas money!
  • Buy Items You Use: Or, as the survivalists say, “Hoard what you eat, eat what you hoard.”

For me, the hardest part of all of this is that I really can’t tell you the price of anything. They say people know the prices of 4 things, and I can’t even claim that. I imagine that is a big first step. Anyway, those were the bullet points. MUCH more info at the original piece

How about YOU? Any of these look like worthy tips? Any others you’d like to share? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Wacky Smartphone Habits!

Today, talking pigs do mobile banking. Soon, pig hackers will have your credit card number!
Today, talking pigs do mobile banking. Soon, pig hackers will have your credit card number!

Recently, Bank of America surveyed 1,000 people about their smartphone habits. They were particularly interested in their mobile banking habits – and they got some interesting answers that you can read HERE. But they found even more fun info about mobile habits in general. Check it out:

  • The most important aspect of daily life: Having a car 91% …Having a mobile phone 91% … Using deodorant 91%… Having a TV 76% … Coffee 60%
  • People who “couldn’t last a day” without their phone: 47%
  • People who would “give up alcohol or chocolate” to get their phone back: 79%. As the saying goes, “I’m like a chocoholic, but for booze.”
  • Mobile habits that bug us in others (but are OK when we do it!): While driving 38%, Sharing too much personal information 15%, While eating 7%
  • Thinking about the future of mobile security: Users comfortable with thumbprint security 60%, Voice recognition 33%, Retinal scans 32%, Pigs doing mobile banking 21%. I made that last one up.

More legitimate mobile banking thoughts at the original piece, so take a look. How about you? I know that every time I post a piece about smartphone habits, I get fewer and fewer people proudly huffing, “I would NEVER own a smartphone!” Do any of these habits sound like you? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page!

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to take this call…

July’s Best Buys!

july salesA couple of days ago, we reported “Consumer Confidence Hits Six-year High.” I wasn’t so sure about that at the time – you could say I was kind of neutral on the topic. And then, I got some news that kicked my consumer confidence down a flight of stairs.

Anyway, confident or not, everybody appreciates a bargain. And bargains tend to differ from month to month. Here is a brief list of July Bargains, followed by some links. You know, the usual.

July Bargains:

  • Grills
  • Summer clothing
  • Furniture
  • Fresh fruit
  • Shorts
  • Gym Memberships
  • Book August Travel
  • Laptops (Back-to-school sales are the 2nd-best time to buy, after Black Friday!)

So, those are the bullets! Here are the links!

And hey, how about a little self-improvement?

Do you know of any other great July deals? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

Shopping Psychology 101

"These super deals are bumming me out!"
“These super deals are bumming me out!”

This one’s for the ladies. We begin with a question: do you “Mood shop”? According to a Quidco.com survey of 2,000 women in the UK, you DO! And your emotional state affects your pocketbook. Check it out:

When you shop…

  • After a break-up, you will spend $72 on new clothes, shoes or accessories.
  • On payday, $65
  • Bored, $47
  • After a fight with your honey, $44
  • After a bad day at work, $42

And my favorite…

  • When you just meant to window-shop, $49

You can read the rest here, so do that! If you get sidetracked and shop online, it’s cool.

How about YOU? Do your emotions affect your shopping habits? Explain it over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a great weekend!

Online Shopping Do’s and Don’ts

She found a great deal, and her hair looks fabulous!
She found a great deal, and her hair looks fabulous!

My wife told me about a girl from work that ordered a dress online for an upcoming wedding. It is a rental place and their gimmick is to send you two of the same dress, one in your size and one the size next to it, thereby “guaranteeing” the fit. They only charge you for one dress, and when you’re done, you just send them back.

I don’t know how revolutionary this is, but it’s a good example of the kinds of perks and benefits you can get when shopping online, mainly because there is so much competition for your dollar. At the same time, it’s a little oddball. “You order one and they send you two? What’s the catch?!?”

Every retailer is different, and not all are on the up and up (more on that in a minute.) So, what you do to enjoy a more satisfying online shopping experience? The Sacramento Bee has some ideas. Here are some bullets:

  • A good return policy: Look for at least a 30-day policy.
  • Free Shipping: It’s pretty common, especially at places with actual stores where they ship the item for pickup.
  • Fit: It helps if you are familiar with the store and the label. Some sites have different “Virtual Fit” software but, again, look at the return policy
  • Fit, comma, shoes: Can be difficult online. Maybe buy two pairs, like the girl above, and return the ones that don’t fit?
  • Restocking fees: Can be pretty steep for electronics, media, games, etc.

Lots more info at the original piece, so check it out!

As for things to watch out for, I will simply direct you to something called the Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. A lot of the negative things about online shopping relate to ID and credit card theft. They have a bunch of advice about that.

So, are you among the 25% shopping mainly online? What’s your favorite part? What worried you? Let us know over at the MindField Online Facebook page, and have a GREAT weekend!