The Shopping Zone

2007-01-30T05:03:00.000-08:00

Make-A-Wish Foundation Treats Boy To Shopping Spree

LAKEWOOD, Calif. -- To observers, the boy in the bright red shirt is just another kid prowling Sunday for games at a Best Buy in Lakewood. That is, until you notice his entourage that includes three generations of family members. The boy is Hayden Merrill, a 10-year-old leukemia patient and the recipient of a shopping spree from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. .

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Shopping groceries in the cyber space

BANGALORE: Hungry Bangalore.com, redbus.in, I-ticket.in, are a few e-services started by IT graduates to cater to the daily needs of the common man. To add to these, ecityindia.com was launched recently, which enables shopping groceries online. Arun Sundaram and Lokesh S, management graduates, launched the ecityindia.com website to make grocery shopping easy. Sundaram said, "Due to late night working, busy schedule, I did not have time to run household errands. Buying groceries for house was a tedious work at the end of the day and most of the time the shops were closed late in the evening." With ecityindia.com one can shop regular daily products ranging from cooking supplements, chocolates, baby products to even spices and powders. This would be of great help to the working population, who can order their groceries online and need not wait till evening to shop after a tiresome day.

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The owner of a popular downtown shopping and nightlife center is ...

LOUISVILLE - The owner of a popular downtown shopping and nightlife center is moving to evict three of its nightclubs for failing to pay $250,000 in back rent. The Cordish Co., owner of 4th Street Live, has filed a suit against the owner of the clubs. The suit names Headliners Entertainment Group of Montclair, N.J., and its three downtown clubs: Red Cheetah, Parrot Beach and the Palm Bar. Headliners began the dispute Jan. 2 when it filed a suit accusing Cordish of engaging in unfair trade practices. Headliners' suit alleges Cordish has favored other businesses at 4th Street and has made unfair demands. Eduardo Rodriquez, a Headliners partner, said the company intends to keep the three nightclubs open as long as it can. Headliners' suit said its businesses face direct competition from at least two other clubs that don't have to charge admission fees or meet the minimum food and beverage prices that Headliners does.

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2007-01-29T04:54:00.000-08:00

Woman slain at shopping center

STOCKTON - A 30-year-old woman was shot and killed at a north Stockton shopping center Sunday afternoon, and police are looking for her husband as the suspect. Jamie Baker of Stockton was driving away from the Bank of America branch in the Park West Place shopping center, Trinity Parkway and Eight Mile Road, when she was shot around 1:30 p.m., according to police. Baker was shot multiple times. She was taken to San Joaquin General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. Baker and her husband, Brian Payne, 38, lived nearby on the 5200 block of Cosumnes Drive, said Officer Pete Smith, a police department spokesman. Sacramento County sheriff's deputies found Payne's white 1991 Ford Tempo abandoned in Walnut Grove late Sunday, Stockton police said. A law enforcement helicopter was searching the area for the suspect using infrared technology.

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Beyond Jeans and Ts - Bridal Gown Shopping Tips

FORT WASHINGTON, Pa., Jan. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Spring is approaching and for many women it is the best reason in the world to go shopping. For some lucky women, a bridal gown is on the shopping list. A wedding gown is a once- in-a-lifetime purchase, and even the most experienced shopper may find herself a bit overwhelmed. (Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070129/NYFNSR01-a "Relax," advises Michael Shettel, head of design for Alfred Angelo, a leading bridal wear manufacturer whose dresses are available in over 1,000 stores nationwide, including 34 of their own stores. "Try on lots of different styles, even if you are convinced you know the look you want. How often do you get to try on all those gorgeous dresses, one after another?" Many brides give themselves a head start by previewing styles on http://www.alfredangelo.com.

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Giggle with your girlfriends at shopping, spa party

If your typical girl's-night-out outfit includes high heels and your favorite dress, ditch those duds and reach for something a little more relaxed. Like your pajamas. That's right. Your PJs. Grab your best gal pals and head to the second annual Girlfriend's Giggle on Thursday (Feb. 1), at the Fluor Corporation in Sugar Land. The grownup pajama party promises shopping for clothes, shoes and home accessories, plus massages, makeup tips, a dinner buffet and drinks. Past parties have featured women wearing boas, tiaras and, of course, their most comfortable clothes. Tickets are $55 and include dinner buffet and a ticket for either an indulgence or a drink. Additional indulgence and drink tickets are $3 each. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Fort Bend Women's Center.

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2007-01-28T04:55:00.000-08:00

Germany's culture of shopping slowly changing

BERLIN - Unlike America, Germany has not yet adopted the shop-till-you-drop lifestyle, but things are starting to change. Even in bustling cities like Berlin and Frankfurt, retailers used to roll up the sidewalks at 6:30 p.m. On weekends, Germans had to scramble to get their shopping done by 2 p.m. on Saturday. Sunday shopping was strictly verboten. But a long battle over longer store hours is slowly being won by retailers who believe that more hours mean more money in the cash register. They are opposed by Germany's powerful trade unions whose leaders say workers' rights must be protected. The gradual loosening of strict rules governing store hours also reflects a larger battle to loosen up a German economy that suffers from sluggish growth and 9.6 percent unemployment.

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WINDOW SHOPPING

In one year, the agenda has changed dramatically for the New Orleans Saints during Senior Bowl week. They held the No. 2 overall pick of the NFL Draft last year, when scouting prospects such as Mario Williams and D'Brickashaw Ferguson were the top priority. Picking No. 27 in this year's draft, the Saints have fewer needs considering their run to this year's NFC Championship Game. The draft position may have changed, but the way Saints vice president of player personnel Rick Mueller will study prospects will remain unchanged. The way the Saints drafted in 2006 is evidence enough that his system worked. "The process is the same obviously we are picking a little bit lower, and that's a good thing," Mueller said. "We'd like to have the 32nd pick. But the process itself doesn't change.

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Top warden has his shopping list

Seniors homes, ambulance services, rural public works and immigration will be key agenda items for counties in the region this year, a newly elected top rural official says. Counties will keep lobbying the provincial and federal governments to address underfunding issues, said Jim Burns, new chair person of the Western Ontario Wardens' Caucus. The caucus takes in members from a broad swath of Southwestern Ontario, including Chatham-Kent and the counties of Elgin, Lambton, Middlesex, Oxford and Perth. Underfunding of emergency services and resident care in municipal homes for the aged will be major concerns in the year ahead, said Burns, the mayor of Enniskillen Township who doubles as warden of Lambton County. Fresh from a board meeting of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, Burns said counties are required to have at least one home for the aged.

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2007-01-27T04:59:00.000-08:00

Plans begin to crystallize for shopping plaza

WHAT: A development group wants to revitalize the downtrodden Regency Plaza shopping center at the intersection of Shannon Road and University Drive.It would be called University Marketplace and would be a mixed-use project with retail shops on ground level and apartment or condominium units stretching four or five floors.WHO: The development group, a Boston firm coupled with a Charlotte real estate company, Hawthorne Capital, plans to put at least $50 million into the project.WHY: The current Regency Plaza is a half-empty strip shopping center that lost its anchor in 2004 when Kroger moved out. It currently has just a smattering of small businesses including an Indian restaurant, an ice cream shop and a tanning salon.SIZE: Plans call for up to 140,000 square feet of commercial space and up to 389 residential units.WANT TO SEE MORE? To see this proposal, as well as another in color, go to the Bull's Eye blog at www.newsobserver.com.

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Car bombs kill 15 in Baghdad shopping area

BAGHDAD, Jan 27 (Reuters) - Two car bombs killed 15 people in a mainly Shi'ite area of Baghdad on Saturday in the latest in a series of attacks by militants on crowded shopping areas in the Iraqi capital. A weeklong string of bombings has further disrupted life in Baghdad, spreading fear among the city's 7 million residents awaiting a planned U.S.-backed offensive to tighten the government's fragile grip over its largely lawless capital. Saturday's attacks struck New Baghdad in the east of the capital, targeting weekend shoppers thronging shops and market stalls selling fruit and exotic birds. A Reuters journalist saw eight bodies being loaded into ambulances and body parts lying in the street in the aftermath of the explosions. Dead birds lay in cages in an area that appeared to have been reserved for a bird market.

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IBM makes it possible for shopping pseudonymously on the net

A new software from IBM allows people to hide or "anonymise" their personal information on the web, protecting against identity theft and other misuse. Developed by researchers at IBM's laboratory in Zurich, the software, Identity Mixer, will let consumers make purchases on the net without disclosing personal information. As consumers hand over personal details when downloading music or subscribing to online newsletters, they leave a data trail, that can be traced back to them, that reveals information about the size, frequency and source of their online purchases. Identity Mixer eliminates the trail by using artificial identity information, known as pseudonyms, to make online transactions anonymous. With the software, a computer user can get an anonymous digital credential, or voucher, from a trusted third party, like a bank or government agency.

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2007-01-26T04:50:00.000-08:00

Who's been collecting clothes in blue bins at shopping centers?

Q. Blue clothing donation bins with no clear ties to a local charity have appeared at three Charlotte shopping centers -- two off South Boulevard and another off Independence Boulevard. The boxes say "Bianca" and include a list of two charities and a church as "our references." Goodwill Industries, which uses blue in its marketing materials and collection trailers, fears the bins could confuse donors. In 2004, more than 100 blue clothing bins from a Canadian charity placed in the Charlotte region were removed after regulators ordered the group register with the state. "People in Charlotte know us," Goodwill spokesman Bo Hussey said. "They don't know that their donations (in those boxes) are not going to help people in the Charlotte area." Mr. Watchdog found the boxes come from Long Island, N.Y.

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Shopping for sports schools targeted

The state's interscholastic sports leagues have been asked to come up with more uniform policies to prevent schools from recruiting top athletes from competitors, as well as keeping student athletes and their parents from "shopping" for the best high school team to play for. The request, by a Board of Education committee, is designed to prevent an overemphasis on athletics and athletic prowess and keep schools focused on academics, say educators. League directors, however, said the interscholastic leagues generally have strong language in their by-laws preventing recruitment of athletes from other schools. "All the league rules have put a damper on this action, otherwise it would be chaos," said Ken Yamase, executive director of the Big Island Interscholastic Federation.

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Plan to help drug addicts with shopping vouchers

DRUG addicts receiving treatment could be given shopping vouchers to help them tackle their problem under a new proposal being suggested by an NHS body. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) says the idea would be cost-effective and there would be a public health benefit because addicts could also be screened for infectious diseases - such as HIV and tuberculosis. Evidence from international trials shows modest financial incentives can cut drug abuse by hardened addicts. .

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2007-01-25T04:51:00.000-08:00

Web Site Offers Comparison Shopping For Surgery Costs

SAN FRANCISCO -- When many people shop for a car, they do their homework and compare prices, but a Bay Area company is offering comparison shopping for something closer to the heart -- surgery. Vimo, a company based in Mountain View, offers comparison shopping. The cost for the same surgery may differ by thousands of dollars depending on the hospital at which it is performed. Now that San Jeev Luthra has had both knees replaced, tackling stairs is no problem. .

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Price shopping can lower health care costs

For most Americans, price-comparison shopping comes naturally. Every day, we determine a product's value based on an analysis of its quality and cost — and make our purchasing decisions accordingly. Would any rational person agree to buy a car if we had no idea of its price, mileage and condition? Of course, not. Getting the most for our money is an American tradition. However, when it comes to the health care system, our nation is failing. A major contributor to the health care crisis in the United States is the fact that we do not provide the level of transparency regarding cost and quality that is expected and demanded in nearly every other American industry. Fortunately, Georgia is leading the way to change this. An executive order recently signed by Gov.

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The laws of duty-free shopping

Traveling abroad this year? Between endless airport security lines and rushing to catch your connecting flight, you may have some time to browse the airport duty-free shop. Whether you buy a bottle of single-malt Scotch or the latest Chanel perfume, you might have some trouble getting your duty-free bottled goods on the plane. The U.S. Transportation Security Agency and the European Commission have consistent rules for carrying liquids onto flights. Anything less than three ounces or 100 ml is allowed on the plane, no questions asked. (Though it'd better be in a transparent plastic bag.) And if you buy a standard liquor bottle in a secure airport area after passing through screening, you're fine, too. But if you leave the secure area to get baggage or go through immigration and customs, you're not going to be able to bring the bottle as a carry-on if you're getting back on a plane for a connecting flight.

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2007-01-24T04:50:00.000-08:00

Shopping for answers: Wig shop is happy to help women with health ...

DEAR SHOPPING: I saw in The Bee a story about wigs and/or hairpieces for cancer survivors and others suffering hair loss. Businesses that specialize in this sort of thing were mentioned. Unfortunately, I didn't remember, before throwing out the paper, that I "inherited" from my mother-in-law and her sister many years ago two beautiful hanks of hair. I simply do not know what to do with them. Can you help? -- Anne, Sacramento DEAR ANNE: Yes. That was a story written last month by The Bee's Cynthia Hubert about a business named Wigs R You. It talked about how as many as "90 percent of the shop's clients are women dealing with major health issues, mostly cancer." The owner of the business is Cindy Jacobs. You can contact Wigs R You at (916) 349-1722 or visit the store at 5910 Auburn Blvd., Suite 5, in Citrus Heights.

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Save Money When Shopping!

If you're the kind of person that loathes shopping centres and would quite happily never set foot in one ever again, no doubt you've embraced Internet shopping with open arms! There are certainly advantages to being able to shop from the comfort of your own home -- not least as you can often save money when compared to the high street! However, did you realise how many ways there are to save? I decided to find out the cheapest way to buy one of the most popular items on the market today, an 8GB Apple iPod nano MP3 player. By checking the Apple website, I found I could buy it for £169, with free delivery -- so my quest is to pay less than that! 1. Price Comparison Well, first things first, I decided to find out if there's a cheaper place to purchase my iPod, online, than Apple.

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Support pours in for officer in shopping cart incident

BRADENTON - Bradenton Police Department Officer Nicholas Evans sat at the department's front desk, answering phones, unable to do the job he loves. He has been taken off road patrol as punishment for pulling a homeless woman's shopping cart next to his patrol car for 12 miles. A grin and a head shake are his only response to questions about the incident, but his surprise and disbelief at the national attention its drawn are clear. He says he wants to talk about it, but has been told not to by supervisors. Evans, 26, carries a handful of letters of support he has received from across the country, praising his compassion in helping Marie. L. Brooks. On Jan. 9, Evans arrested Brooks, 42, on a warrant in the 900 block of Martin Luther King Avenue East.

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2007-01-23T04:49:00.000-08:00

After Tropicana Shopping Center court battle, city is working with ...

Four years after the San Jose Redevelopment Agency failed in its attempt to seize a prominent piece of land in East San Jose, city leaders are working with businesses and property owners to put the finishing touches on a transformation of the once-neglected business district. The redevelopment agency will ask the city council today for approval to spend $180,000 to sharpen the storefronts at 996 S. King Road. The strip of one-story small businesses -- cater-cornered from the Tropicana Shopping Center, over which the city and landowners dueled in court -- is the last piece of property at the intersection of King and Story roads still awaiting new facades. Since the mid-1990s, city leaders have spent more than $50 million to buy property, revamp storefronts and landscape streets at the intersection.

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Shopping centre safety initiative bears fruit

An initiative late last year aiming to help eliminate opportunities for crime in South African shopping centres and to promote greater safety for retailers and their customers, resulted in a decline in violent incidents during the festive season, according to feedback from retailers. Tracey Fowler, general manager of the South African Council of Shopping Centres (SACSC) which heads up the initiative, said it was encouraging that the first round had shown such a measure of success. "And now that the festive season is over, as a body, we will be moving into developing effective processes and procedures to have a greater and more sustainable impact on violent crime at shopping centres," she said. The Shopping Centre Security Initiative (SCSI) resulted from growing urgency for action within the shopping centre industry and other concerned groups, and late last year, Business Against Crime South Africa (BAC) appointed a project manager, Jenni Irish-Qhobosheane, to create and implement security strategies to combat violent crime at shopping centres.

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blinkx Partners with QVC UK Adding Premium Home Shopping ...

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- blinkx, the world's largest video search engine, today announced a partnership with QVC UK, the home shopping channel, which features products for all of your shopping needs -- from jewelry to home electronics. blinkx will index QVC UK's daily shopping video content and make it fully searchable at http://www.blinkx.com/. QVC UK online allows users to take control of their home shopping experience with the QVC Video Centre. The QVC Video Centre allows users to choose and buy products from a variety of specially recorded videos, live TV footage, and product clips. The Video Centre gives users the power to view and buy their favorite QVC products whenever they choose. "When people think of television shopping, they think of QVC," said Simon Leach, Commercial Manager, QVC UK.

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2007-01-22T04:55:00.000-08:00

Sekaar’s Shopping Centre promotion raffle - 22.01.07

The first three lucky customers of the Sekaars Shopping Centre promotion raffle held last December recently received their prizes from Ms Naida Pillay at the supermarkets Les Cannelles branch. Like all the other winners of the raffle, the first three are long standing customers of the supermarket. Ms Mida Volcy of Baie Lazare, the star prize winner of a return ticket to Singapore, has been a customer since 1998. While expressing her joy at being the lucky winner among so many other clients, she says she enjoys doing her shopping at the end of each month at the supermarket because it is spacious to move between the shelves and you get all the things you need in one shopping spree and I also enjoy the free service they provide to take you home afterwards.

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EURO-OFFICE TO ADVISE BULGARIANS ON EU SHOPPING

An euro-office would opened in Bulgaria in mid-2007 to help Bulgarians in the purchase of goods from the EU, head of the Consumer Protection Committee Damyan Lazarov said. A net of such offices existed in almost all EU member states, mediapool.bg said. The offices aimed at informing consumers about their rights on the common European market. Bulgarian National Consumer Association head Bogomil Nikolov said that the euro-offices would be most useful to people living in the border regions near Romania and Greece, who could purchase inexpensive goods in the two countries. EU Commissioner for Consumer Protection Meglena Kouneva said that the euro-offices could inspect goods and services offered for sale by foreign web sites. Kouneva also said that she expected a boom of online trade in Bulgaria and it was extremely important for Bulgarians to know their rights when purchasing indirectly.

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Shopping problems in Bulgaria

Some METRO Cash and Carry customers in Bulgaria are trying to obtain their own personal customer cards, without success. The Association for European Integration and Human Rights (AEIHR), whose offices are in Brussels, Strasbourg and Plovdiv, contacted the Commission for Protection against Discrimination (CPD) after Bulgarian students twice requested their own customer cards to shop in the chain. The two students were refused cards because they didnt have certain professions, like doctors, professors or lawyers, according to AEIHR lawyer Ginka Chernicherska. Refusing services to people on the basis of their employment may be construed as discrimination. METRO usually issues cards to companies, but sometimes gives cards to private persons, including architects, lawyers, translators, tax consultants, agents, according to the companys website.

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2007-01-21T04:57:00.000-08:00

Online Shopping Cuts Into Holiday Retail Hiring

The shift to online commerce appears to be affecting the California job market, as retail employment in December slumped versus a year ago, while hiring for couriers and messengers soared, according to state figures released Friday.Overall, California added 17,200 payroll jobs in December, and the unemployment rate climbed to 4.8 percent from November's 4.6 percent, reflecting an increase in people looking for jobs, the state Employment Development Department reported. That job growth followed a revised gain of 17,300 in November and suggests the state's economy continues to grow steadily, with many sectors participating. Eight of the 11 job categories tracked by the state reported job gains in December, led by education and health services with a boost of 5,200 positions.Retailers also added jobs in the month, but they employed 0.3 percent fewer people than they did the previous December.

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Shopping Around Can Help Shave Rx Drug Costs

It's no secret that prescription drugs can be very expensive. But you're not necessarily stuck paying the high prices. That's important to know, given that more people are paying for large parts of their medical insurance nowadays. But even people with prescription-drug coverage can lower their spending on co-payments for medications. .

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Taxing plastic shopping bags not the answer

Plastic shopping bags must not become the whipping boy for the garbage woes of the City of Toronto. In his drive to divert 70 per cent of Toronto's solid waste from landfill by 2010, the new chair of Toronto's public works and infrastructure committee has declared war on plastic grocery bags. He has stated his intention to tax them out of existence. War it may be, but it's a phony war and the loser will be consumers, retailers, the City of Toronto and even the environment. Why? First, plastic shopping bags are not a problem. They are a minuscule part of Toronto's waste stream. In fact, if every single bag used in Canada ended up in landfill, it would represent less than 1 per cent of residential solid waste. So it's hard to see how attacking bags will help when you have a 70 per cent diversion goal.

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2007-01-20T04:52:00.000-08:00

NWsource shopping columnist

Jan. 15-31 is the shopping dead zone. Shelves are picked clean, racks are sparsely filled. Retailers are focused on taking inventory and waiting on spring arrivals. Sure, there are plenty of sales out there, but if you're looking for something new, fresh and spring-y, where do you go? I went to Nordstrom, my standby shopping perk-me-up. In every department I saw spots: shoes, purses, tops and lingerie all covered with polka dots. It was such a cheery sight I forgot all about the ice outside and my New Year's resolution to go one month without buying something new. A popular pattern in the '40s, polka dots are back with a vengeance this spring, especially white dots on black, red or navy backgrounds. .

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Molecule walks in a straight line and carries a tiny shopping bag ...

"This is an unprecedented step forward towards the realization of molecular-scale machinery," said Bartels, associate professor of chemistry and a member of UCR's Center for Nanoscale Science and Engineering. "Our experiments show a means to transport molecules reliably. This will become as important to the molecular machinery of the future as trucks and conveyor belts are for factories of today." .

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Developer's request to keep horse show company from site shopping ...

A judge denied a developer's request to keep producers of the National Horse Show and Winter Equestrian Festival from shopping around for a new site. Palm Beach Circuit Court Judge David Crow also ordered developer Mark Bellissimo and horse show producer Eugene Mische into mediation within 30 days. .

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2007-01-19T04:52:00.000-08:00

Vornado Buys Brooklyn Shopping Center for $165M

Vornado Realty Trust (NYSE: VNO) purchased Bruckner Plaza, at 1967 Turnbull Ave. in the Bronx, for $165 million, or approximately $330 per square foot. The seller was The Kushner Co., according to CoStar information. The sale includes a 386,000-square-foot shopping center anchored by Kmart, Toys "R" Us, and Key Food, and a 114,000-square-foot parcel, which is ground leased to an unknown party. The 42-year-old shopping center was renovated in 1989. Buyer and seller representation was not disclosed. Please see CoStar COMP #1207156 for further details. .

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With no Fifth Avenue, students head to the web

Tom Stebbins knew something was changing when he noticed a steady increase in the quantity of plasma televisions, car engines and designer clothing that started popping up more and more. An employee of the mail room for 26 years, Stebbins has concluded that Dartmouth students have upped their online purchasing.While Dartmouth students shop online for a number of reasons, their primary motivation is that the internet, not surprisingly, offers a wider variety of products than the stores in the Upper Valley."I definitely have more options online than I do in Hanover," online shopping enthusiast Rufaro Makanda '10 said. "When I am at home, however, I rarely shop online because I have the option of shopping at several malls in the area."Unlike Dartmouth students, Jacqueline Dow, a freshman at Barnard College in New York City, rarely shops online because of the plenitude of retailers in the local area.

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Rounding up restless shopping carts

Despite alert store personnel, sophisticated anti-theft systems and other precautions, shopping carts seem to have lives of their own, disappearing like magic from Valley retailers. Enter Tom Martinet, whose company, Arizona Cart Retrieval, operates every day of the year except Christmas to locate and return the carts to area businesses. "I knew there was a cart problem," Martinet said, "but I didn't realize the extent of it until we started this service." .

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2007-01-18T05:00:00.000-08:00

Brookfield Asset Management to buy shopping mall Mills Corp.

NEW YORK: Canada's Brookfield Asset Management Inc. is buying the troubled U.S. shopping mall firm Mills Corp. for $7.5 billion. The Toronto-based asset management company said it is paying $21 per share in cash, which will be of a value of $1.35 billion, while it will assume debt and preferred stock, which will bring the total value of the deal to $7.5 billion. Chevy Chase, Maryland-based Mills had lost nearly half of its market value and had been on the block for nearly a year even as a U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission investigation was on into the company's accounting methods. The company had also planned to seek bankruptcy protection as it faced a 31 March deadline to repay some $1.1 billion to Goldman Sachs. .

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Tame your cravings while shopping

You may go to the store with every intention of taking home only fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, whole grains and lean meats. But you can't get a baby sitter for your cravings and leave them at home, so they hitch a ride in your cart. And at every turn, they beg, plead and bargain for all kinds of things that aren't on your list. Don't cave in just yet. Here are some tips that can help keep those cravings in line: Take the edge off. Chew some sugarless mint gum when you go grocery shopping. It distracts your cravings and soothes your sweet tooth. Find some healthier favorites. Make sure you put some healthy foods in your cart that your taste buds really love. That way, when your cravings won't stop whining about the chips and cookies they saw two aisles ago, you can remind them about the favorite fruit or popcorn that you're taking home instead.

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Shopping can be good for (public) health

Maybe you don't have a clue. Either way, this column is for you. I'm not going to describe which courses are good for your health — although excessive stress certainly doesn't help — but I am going to explore how the public health perspective can and should guide a Yale education. So far, I've been sharing simple ways that we can improve the health of our community, but so far it has been easy to avoid responsibility. This semester, however, I have a new challenge: Take advantage of your Yale education and become a public health leader. It's no secret that you will be a future leader of the world. But before you pat yourself on the back, recognize that this is a scary thought. You may use your power to fight for the good of others, but many will use their privilege merely to perpetuate the status quo and tacitly promote inequality and injustice.

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2007-01-17T05:04:00.000-08:00

Shopping mall proposal for ‘crystal city’

The mall is expected to display and also sell global quality crystal ware to foreign and domestic tourists arriving from all parts of the country, especially Agra, which is about 50 kms from Firozabad's glass manufacturing cluster. The Department of Tourism, Uttar Pradesh had been directed by the Tourism Ministry to prepare a "Detailed Project Report" (DPR) for the establishment of the shopping mall at what is now more popularly called as "crystal city" in Uttar Pradesh. Consequent to receiving a directive from the Tourism Ministry, a global tender was recently floated by the Department of Tourism, Uttar Pradesh for inviting proposals from consultants to carry out "regional economic feasibility study" besides preparation of a master plan for setting up a mall at Firozabad.

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Building a Drag-and-Drop Shopping Cart with AJAX

We'll add AJAX functionality, allowing us to update our shopping cart without redrawing the entire screen. To save the trouble of setting up a product database, we'll use Amazon Web Services to search for DVDs and use those to shop from. Start with a blank index.cfm in your root directory. You'll need to visit http://script.aculo.us/downloads to download the latest distribution (they're nearing a final release for version 1.5 as of this writing). Copy the "lib" and "src" directories into your empty directory. You'll need all of the .js files so just copy over the entire directory in each case. Next, type the following lines into the section of your page: We'll need a search box to submit our query to Amazon: The page will look for a form.search variable and run an Amazon search when it is defined.

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NOT JUST SHOPPING

"This is not just shopping; this is an area where people can come, relax and enjoy," Alexis Khazzam said. "We really want Junction City to be a place where people can congregate." The next step in the development plan is a free-standing Oberweis Ice Cream and Dairy store on the northeast portion of the property and to renovate a nearby 30,000-square-foot warehouse into a retail facility, said Chuck Hollis, project manager at Junction Ventures LLC who is overseeing the development. Developers currently are signing leases and can't release the names of potential tenants yet, but the warehouse could include a new lounge and restaurant as well as other businesses, said Elizabeth Khazzam. Illinois Valley Glass, which currently is located in the warehouse, will stay and be joined by the other businesses in the future.

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2007-01-16T04:49:00.000-08:00

Tourist carjacked Agana Shopping Center

The Guam Police are investigating a carjacking incident that happened at a restaurant in the Agana Shopping Center on Monday night. Spokesperson Officer Allan Guzman says a tourist couple were approaching their car last night when they approached by a man who demanded they exit the vehicle. The culprit stole the rental vehicle, described as being a silver Hyundai Elantra, license plate MNG-7198.The man is described as having a dark complexion, mustache, possibly in his twenties, weighing approximately 160-170 pounds wearing a gray t-shirt with blue jean shorts. Anyone with information should call Guam Crimestoppers at 477-HELP (4357). .

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Turn food shopping into a healthy lesson

*At home, have your child help you make a shopping list, adding his favorite healthy foods. At the store, he can help pick them out. *While searching the aisles, use terms he'll understand, like "colorful" fruits and veggies, the "greenest" lettuce and bread that's "brown on the inside." * The cereal aisle, which is a sugar-filled hot spot, provides a great opportunity to show your child what not to eat. If he can read, give him a healthy mission, such as finding cereals that have three or more grams of fiber per serving. William Sears / Parenting Magazine .

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i2 Solutions Enable Retailers to Deliver a Multi-Channel Shopping ...

NRF Annual Convention 2007 NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today's consumers demand the ability to start their shopping process in one channel, and finish it in another. Retailers that need to offer a seamless multi-channel shopping experience can turn to i2 Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq:ITWO) to help orchestrate orders through different sales channels and provide consumers with their products exactly when and where they want them. Today, at the National Retail Federation's Big Show, i2 announced that it is further developing its proven and successful i2 New-Generation Customer Order Management solution to address the unique needs of retailers. The solution, i2 Customer Order Management for Retail, is being designed to deliver the tools retailers need to better manage the multi-channel experience for retailers and provide a superior customer shopping experience.

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2007-01-15T04:49:00.000-08:00

Shopping for college textbooks? Better bring your checkbook

When sophomore Curtis Maynard emerged from the Champlain College bookstore the other day, he had about half of the books he expected to buy for the spring semester. His tab for four books was $275. His projected textbook bill for the term: $500. Such costs are not unusual, as students at the University of Vermont, St. Michael's, and other colleges realize as they browse for their "required" readings in various courses. A 2006 study of college pricing by the College Board found that students at four-year colleges spent an average of about $940 a year on books and supplies. New college textbooks -- most notably the hardbound, encyclopedic tomes commonly used in survey courses -- commonly cost more than $100 in a college bookstore. Many new texts come "bundled" -- shrink-wrapped with CD-ROMS, study guides or Web access cards.

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Monroeville shopping for more diverse economy

Even if Westinghouse Electric Co. should decide to build a new nuclear engineering facility in Butler County rather than expand its headquarters in Monroeville, the onetime stagecoach stop east of Pittsburgh is making strides to diversify its retail-heavy economy. Long known for its shopping mall -- said to be the nation's biggest when it opened more than 35 years ago -- Monroeville is fighting hard to hang onto its 1,800 high-paying Westinghouse jobs and grab at least 1,000 more the firm says it intends to add in the next decade. Westinghouse is mulling over whether to expand on Northern Pike in Monroeville or to build a facility on Route 228 in Cranberry, Butler County, to keep up with growing domestic and international demand for nuclear power plants. Company spokesman Vaughn Gilbert said a decision will come no later than March 15, and perhaps before the end of January.

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Avoid costly motor insurance by shopping around, expert advises

An expert is advising drivers to ensure they get the best deals when renewing their motor insurance policies to avoid price rises.The suggestion follows predicted rises in motor insurance during 2007 by some providers, as forecast by Deloitte last year.Increases could be implemented after a two per cent drop in premiums for new business was recorded in 2006, the company stated."In response to this we have been speaking to a number of insurance companies about their plans for this year and a number of those that we have spoken to have said that they intend to keep their prices as they are," said Richard Mason, managing director of the insurance channel at moneysupermarket.com.Drivers whose motor insurance providers are expecting to lift their prices should shop around before renewing their policies, Mr Mason stated.

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2007-01-14T04:57:00.000-08:00

Growth in north inevitable

I am mindful of the impacts of the proposed Wal-Mart to be built in north Chico. Having said that, one has to consider the inevitability of continued population growth in north Chico. The North Chico Specific Plan, a huge area outside the city sphere, is growing rapidly. The area in the vicinity of Eaton and Hicks within the city sphere is slated to have several thousand dwelling units built. This growth will place pressure on the existing infrastructure of our city, and most importantly, on the freeway. These facts lead me to the inevitable conclusion that north Chico needs additional infrastructure and shopping now. We should not wait until it is a problem, we should plan for this growth that is coming. This writer respectfully disagrees with every anti-Wal-Mart person who believes additional shopping in the north Chico area is not needed.

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Ireland: Liffey Valley to be supersized

THE property tycoon Owen OCallaghan is in talks with South Dublin county council to double the size of Dublins Liffey Valley shopping centre. It brings the total of new shopping centre space planned for the greater Dublin area to 4m sq ft. OCallaghan hopes to receive planning permission before the end of the year. The Cork-based developer wants to build a 500m extension to the centre with work to begin on the 180-acre site in 2008. Liffey Valley is already one of the biggest shopping centres in Dublin, with retail floor space of about 320,000 sq ft. OCallaghan said he hopes to add at least the same amount of shopping space again and is working on a masterplan for the site with council officials. .

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Browser, Beware

Spillers Records in Cardiff, Wales, survived when the preferred music format changed from wax cylinders to vinyl and, decades later, from vinyl to CDs. But it might not survive the online age. The world's oldest record store (in business since 1894) recently announced it was unable to afford a rent hike and may be forced to close. .

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2007-01-13T05:03:00.000-08:00

The pleasure and pain of shopping

Why do we buy what we buy when we buy it? And the Holy Grail question, for marketers at least, is, how can we read people's minds to see what they want?Traditional economic theory with regard to consumer purchases states that we decide between the immediate pleasure of making a purchase and the delayed pleasures of future purchases that could be made with the same money. Do I want something now or do I want something else later? It seems to make sense, but until recently there has never been a way to test it.Enter the functional magnetic resonance imager (fMRI). The fMRI allows researchers to see what parts of a brain are working as research subjects are presented with a mental task. In this case, should they purchase various items at varying prices? The researchers found that when the subjects were presented with potential purchases (excitement), the part of the brain associated with the anticipation of pleasure showed activity.

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JAPAN: Aeon To Charge For Plastic Shopping Bags

Aeon Co. has said it plans to start charging for plastic shopping bags at all of its outlets in the near future, in a bid to contribute to environmental protection. It said it will begin by charging 5 yen for each plastic bag at its Jusco Higashiyama Nijo store Kyoto, and at some stores in Sendai, Yokohama and Nagoya later this year before expanding the practice to all outlets in 2010. Aeon said it hopes its decision will encourage shoppers to bring their own shopping bags. While around 20% of customers at all Aeon stores currently use their own shopping bags, the company hopes to raise the figure to 50% by charging for bags. Aeon assumes that it would use 1.67bn plastic bags in 2010 if the current pace of distribution continues. However, if the use of bags is halved, it estimates that it will be able to reduce the emission of C02 by 88,000 tons, nearly 10% of its total CO2 release.

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Flea markets full of great shopping finds

Judging by the Saturday traffic, shopping is a favorite activity for many. I, too, love browsing the racks and coming home with a prized item in tow. The problem for me is the stress I feel about driving across town (since there's not much shopping on the north side) and elbowing other shoppers or getting elbowed as I'm browsing through sales racks. Sometimes just the thought of shopping at the mall or other nearby stores is tiring not to mention actually going. That is why I find flea marketing appealing. It is all the things that the mall is not: peaceful, relaxing, quiet. I'm not dissing the mall there is no substitute for a Charlotte Russe baby-doll top or shoes from a department store. I just think the overall experience of flea marketing requires less effort. If you know you must do your clothes shopping elsewhere, you can see flea marketing and thrift store shopping for what it is: a fun experience in itself.

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2007-01-12T05:21:00.000-08:00

The world’s largest shopping malls

A pair of Chinese malls that rank as the world's two largest - the South China Mall in Dongguan and Golden Resources Mall in Beijing--include features like wind mills and kids' theme parks. Golden Resources Mall is surrounded by newly built apartments and office buildings. Just three years ago, the top 10 list would have included a pair of popular California destinations - South Coast Plaza in Cost Mesa and Del Amo Fashion Center in Los Angeles - along with the famed Mall of America in Bloomington, Minn. But the lone U.S. mall still clinging to the list is the King of Prussia Mall in Pennsylvania, a perch it's not likely to keep much longer if future building in China and India goes forward as expected. "It's almost unimaginable, the boom that has occurred in these Eastern cities," says Emil Pocock, a professor at Eastern Connecticut State University, whose American Studies department has documented the sizes and amenities of the world's largest malls.

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Equity One Pays $48.4M for Concord Shopping Plaza

Equity One Inc. (NYSE: EQY), the Florida-based retail REIT, acquired the Concord Shopping Plaza at 11327 SW 40th St. in Miami Beach, FL. Boston, MA-based TA Associates Realty sold the property for $48.4 million, or approximately $162 per square foot. The Concord Shopping Plaza totals 298,986 square feet and was constructed in 1985 on 27 acres. Home Depot and Winn Dixie anchor the property, which was fully leased at time of sale. Scott Rohrbach of Terranova represented the seller, while Equity One was represented in-house. For further information, please reference CoStar COMP ID #1201658. .

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Share price in Ideal Shopping drops following profits warning

Shares in Peterborough home shopping firm Ideal Shopping Direct have taken a hit following a profits warning issued by the company. The company said that despite growth of 3.2 per cent in like-for-like sales during the last quarter and an increase of full year sales to 7.3 per cent, sales growth was slower than forecast. The news saw the share price to fall 12 per cent, or 32.5p to 237.5p. Ideal Shopping reported that gross margins have been solid, and costs have been controlled. However, with a predominantly fixed cost base, the slower than forecast sales means that the Board now expects profit for the year to be below the current range of market expectations. The announcement of deals with NTL, Telewest and BT to expand the firm's potential customer audience failed to mitigate news of the warning.

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2007-01-11T04:55:00.000-08:00

Online shopping exceeds expectations

During the peak festive shopping season www.bidorbuy.co.za experienced an average growth in sales of 34% resulting in a monthly increase in sales of R1.49 million. "Although much of this success can be attributed to seasonal shopping peak," says Gillian Meier, business manager at bidorbuy.co.za, "a large percentage of our growth is as a direct result of a vigorous advertising campaign that the company embarked on from mid October to mid December." This is the first time in five years that bidorbuy has invested in advertising. The peak shopping season also resulted in an increase of 21% in new registered users and almost 70% more product listings on bidorbuy. [08 Jan 2007 16:29] .

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Jack Prybylski: Window Shopping

In some ways, Buffalo New York is the most unlikely of places to spawn jazz artists and yet over the years there have been some phenomenal musicians who first called Buffalo home. Sherrie Maricle of the Diva Jazz Orchestra and Tom Schuman from Spyro Gyra are two artists who once hailed from this city that sits in the shadow of Niagara Falls. You can now add to that list the name of saxophonist Jack Prybylski. If Window Shopping is any indication, Prybylski is here to stay. Prybylski blows sweet notes on tenor, soprano and alto saxes. If you are a connoisseur of smooth jazz and not the mundane elevator music that sometimes poses on radio station and imposes upon our ears then you will want to dial into Prybylski. The Ken Navarro penned Bright Spot is a lively and cheery song that bears Navarros smooth guitar licks.

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Shopping center magnate steps onto the national stage

On Chaim Katzman's desk sits a Bible, and in the corner of his North Miami Beach office stand full-size American and Israeli flags. It's an unusual combination for a South Florida real estate executive, whose $5.9 billion portfolio spans the globe. The Bible ''comes in handy'' for reading when Katzman needs inspiration. He added the flags after 9/11, when the U.S. truly became home for this Israeli immigrant who holds dual citizenship. ''It's a reminder of where I came from and the opportunity the U.S. presents,'' said Katzman, 57, who serves as chairman of Equity One, a North Miami Beach real estate investment trust, and parent company Gazit-Globe Ltd. of Tel Aviv. ``The U.S. is the land of opportunity; there's no question about it. It takes somebody who has the U.S.

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2007-01-11T04:53:00.000-08:00

Trulia.com Debuts First Monthly Report on Real Estate Shopping ...

SAN FRANCISCO and NEW YORK, Jan. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Trulia.com, America's intuitive residential real estate search engine, today announced the findings of the January 2007 Trulia Trends report. Consumers have traditionally relied on historical sales and pricing information to understand local real estate trends. With the launch of Trulia Trends, Trulia is introducing a new indicator for measuring the direction of the real estate market: consumer search behavior. Developed from the company's proprietary data, the report focuses on real estate pricing trends and consumer search behavior from December 1 - December 31, 2006 for 15 of the largest cities in the United States. Complete report: http://www.trulia.com/resources/Trulia_Trends_Report-January_2007.pdf Among the findings: -- The representative U.S.

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Ramco, RioCan Say $1.5B Center JV is Off

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI-Negotiations between locally based Ramco-Gershenson Properties Trust and Toronto-based RioCan Real Estate Investment Trust came to an abrupt end Jan. 10 with both parties issuing statements that the planned $1.5-billion joint venture was off. RioCan was the first to announce that all negotiations concerning the formation of a JV to buy and develop US shopping centers had been terminated. Announced less than a month ago, the deal was slated to close during the first quarter of 2007. As recently as Jan. 8, Dennis Gershenson, president and chief executive officer of Ramco, seemed optimistic that the planned JV would close on schedule. GlobeSt.com spoke to Gershenson about the pending agreement while speaking with Gershenson about another partnership a $450 million joint venture with an investor advised by Heitman LLC to acquire up to $450 million of community shopping centers.

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Shopping cut short

HIGHER interest rates curbed consumer spending in the run-up to the Christmas shopping spree, and the fear of another rate rise could see retail activity moderate further in coming months. Still, data released yesterday by the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that the consumer has not yet gone completely into a shell, with lower petrol prices easing some of the pain from higher mortgage rates and households benefitting from job security in a strong labour market. Retail trade grew by just a seasonally adjusted 0.2 per cent in November after an upwardly revised 0.9 per cent growth rate in October. Economists had expected retail spending to rise 0.3 per cent. "The current level of interest rates are beginning to bite," Commonwealth Bank chief economist Michael Blythe said.

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2007-01-10T04:51:00.000-08:00

Burglars attack POWA's shopping complex - Consume food and wines

A gang of armed robbers recently spoiled the joy of Christmas festivities for members of Police Wives Association (POWA) in Abia State as the bandits burgled their shopping complex, consumed their food and wines, and made away with undisclosed amount of money. CrimeFile gathered that the hoodlums stormed POWA, situated behind the Central Police Station (CPS), Umuahia, and burgled the shops in a row. The robbery which lasted for about four hours started around 12 mid-night and persisted till 4.am, as it was gathered that the hoodlums, numbering five, had enough time to eat the cooked food in one of the restaurants, drank alcohol and also went away with undisclosed amount of money. CrimeFile also gathered that the thieves entered the shop through the ceilings and therefore did not break any lock to attract the attention of neighbors around the shopping complex, as there was no security men.

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Second try for shopping plaza in the works

WINDHAM - For the second year in a row, residents are mounting an effort to rezone 29 acres off Route 111 for a major shopping plaza. A petition signed by state Reps. Mary Griffin and Kevin Waterhouse and more than 50 other residents calls for rezoning the property to allow a retail establishment there, which could include one or more retail stores and a restaurant.Read this article in full with a Plus Edition account.Click here to learn more .

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Online and in Demand, Motorola Offers Unlimited Shopping Options

LAS VEGAS, Jan. 8 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Motorola, Inc. (NYSE: MOT)today announced the launch of its online store -- http://www.store.motorola.com . The site is the source for authentic Motorola products and includes the widest selection available of the hottest Motorola mobile devices and exclusive offers. For consumers who crave the latest 'it' phone, or are looking for a specific Motorola model, http://www.store.motorola.com widens the available choices. The new site provides a choice of phones that are unlocked, unactivated or come with service plans. This lets shoppers buy a new phone and transfer to their existing service (if compatible) or purchase a new handset plus a new service plan from all national carriers and most regional carriers. Complementing an array of new Motorola mobiles, http://www.store.motorola.com also offers digital content such as wallpapers and ringtones, along with in-home solutions such as cordless phones, wireless routers and more.

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2007-01-09T05:10:00.000-08:00

Arnett, Naggo Head bitten by shopping bug

Even as they registered an encouraging 2-0 win over cellar team Naggo Head at the Tony Spaulding Sports Complex on Sunday in the National Premier League, Arnett Gardens are contemplating bringing in more youthful players to marshall their defence. With the transfer window now open, Arnett head coach Glendon 'Admiral' Bailey, says he hopes to go shopping for "young players" to strengthen the team going forward. "We are looking at a couple of young players especially for the backline - rightback and leftback. That is the area that we are looking to see how we can improve it," he said. "We have a couple of players in mind but we do not want to call any names right now until everything is tied up and settled," he added. Sunday's win takes the 'Junglists' to 23 points and joint fifth in the 12-team competition.

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Planning commission to hear shopping center proposals

ANDERSON, SC The Anderson County Planning Commission will hear proposals for a BI-LO shopping center and West Point Village, home to a Food Lion, on S.C. 24 at its meeting tonight. The BI-LO shopping center at S.C. 24 and S.C. 187 is slated to include a 48,700-square-foot grocery store, 10,200 square feet of retail space and a 284-space parking lot. West Point Village at S.C. 24 and Whitehall Road will include a 34,900-square-foot grocery store, 12,900 square feet of retail shops and 240 parking spaces. Five preliminary subdivisions are also on the agenda. The planning commission meets at 6 p.m. in the County Council chambers on the second floor of the historic courthouse at 101 S. Main St. .

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Last minute shopping boosts December sales

LONDON (SHARECAST) - The pace of retail sales growth accelerated in the final week before Christmas as shoppers put off their hunt for presents until the last minute. The British Retail Consortium said like for like sales grew 2.5% on an annual basis in December compared with just 0.5% a month earlier. The three-month annual rate for like-for-like sales remained at 1.9%. Meanwhile total sales, including new floorspace, rose 4.4% in December, well above the 2.5% recorded in November. While some retailers have performed very strongly, the average experience was broadly as we expected - not a bonanza but a long way from the disaster predicted by at least one City luminary, said BRC director-general Kevin Hawkins. Analysts noted that the bullish survey added credence to calls for another interest rate rise early this year.

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

Tips for shopping while on a diet

We've all seen this scene in the grocery store: A parent navigating the cereal aisle in search of Cheerios while simultaneously trying to keep the kids from putting half of the store's supply of sugar in the cart. If you eavesdrop for a minute or two - and who can avoid it? - you hear something like this: "Ooh, ooh, can we get some Froot Loops?" "Mommy, where's the ice cream?" "I WANT SOME CANDY!" Whoever decided to put Candy Land right next to the cereal and peanut butter is an evil marketing genius. I'm telling you, parents deserve hazardous-duty pay for shopping for food with toddlers in tow. But they're not the only ones who face a battle of wills at the grocery store. When someone starts trying to eat healthier, cravings can throw a tantrum that rivals any hungry 3-year-old who missed his nap.

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India : Malabar shopping fest continues to entertain as DSF

The month-long Malabar Shopping Festival (MSF) started on December 22, 2006 and will continue up to January 22, 2007 in Khozikode also known as Calicut. This annual event is as commercial with heavy discounts, entertaining and full of extravaganza as Dubai Shopping Festival. The festival presents a rich variety of jewelry, exquisite handloom and handicraft products along with other products. Kozhikode aims to be the center of trade in Malabar by boosting trade and commerce through the festival. .

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Woman to front court over shopping centre stabbing

A 36-year-old woman is due to face Alice Springs Magistrates Court today over a stabbing at a shopping centre on Saturday night. A man was taken to the Alice Springs Hospital with a punctured lung after the incident at the Yeperenye Shopping Centre about 9:00pm ACST. Police allege the woman used a 20 centimetre steak knife to stab the man once in the chest during an argument. She has been remanded in custody to face court today on charges including assault, causing serious harm and using a weapon. .

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2007-01-07T05:00:00.000-08:00

eBay's Shopping.com Reports on Holiday Season Traffic

During the holiday shopping season, Shopping.com, the leading online comparison shopping site, experienced record-breaking traffic to its merchants. This season, the site also experienced the busiest day in company history on Monday, December 11, with 46 percent growth in traffic to merchants year-over-year. Seasonal increases in traffic began on November 13 and are expected - with stores offering post-holiday sales, as well as shoppers redeeming gift cards - to remain strong throughout January. In fact, though traffic dropped to normal off-season levels from December 22-25, traffic increased to higher than normal levels from December 26-28 during post-holiday shopping. Merchant traffic for the post-holiday period saw a 46 increase year-over-year, compared to the same period in 2005.

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The gift of shopping

Shop for gifts or give a gift of shopping with Shopping Chauffeur. You or your lucky gift recipient will tool Uptown and downtown, Mockingbird Station to Highland Park Village in a Mercedes-Benz or chauffeured limo with a stylist who will help you spend your money at boutiques, galleries, outlet malls and antiques stores. You'll get personal service, advice, private dressing rooms, champagne and hors d'oeuvres and lunch as you go. Before setting out, you'll have met with your stylist so she can get a sense of your style and learn what you seek, for yourself or others. .

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Online Retail: Are We Buying or Shopping?

Jim Sterne and I had our almost monthly lunch last week and he commented that a major problem with on-line retailing is that it is mostly about buying rather than shopping. Interesting ... In the real world when you go out to buy a gift you either know what you want and buy it or you browse, looking for that particular gift that will fit the occasion and the person (unlike a certain group of people I know who bought their grandmother an electric chainsaw for her birthday and demoed it by slicing her kitchens chairs in half ... that is, of course, another story). On-line things are similar when you know what you want. You find a supplier, find the gift you had in mind, add it to your cart, and virtually head for the checkout. It is when you don't know what you want that things aren't so smooth.

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2007-01-06T04:56:00.000-08:00

Modern Puritans survive 12-month shopping boycott

IT STARTED as a pledge over dinner between friends worried about the impact of mass consumerism and today's disposable society. "Let's see if we can give up shopping for a year," they said. At the close of the "12-month flight from the consumer grid", in which the 10 friends were egged on by thousands of supporters inspired by their idea, some have declared the experiment so revelatory and life-changing they plan to continue it. The 10 middle-class professionals living in San Francisco dubbed themselves the "Compact" after the Mayflower Compact, drafted by Puritan pilgrims who reached the New World in 1620. There would be no new clothes, gadgets, computers, car parts, mobile phones, books or music for them for 12 months, they pledged. Only food and essentials such as toothpaste, soap, basic underwear and medicine would be allowed.

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Shopping on a shoestring

Receive up to 80 per cent off on more than 1,000 gowns by well-known designers. Mother's gowns, suits, evening wear and accessories also on sale. Prices range from $99 to $699. Location: Toronto Congress Centre, Leonard Cohen Ballroom, 650 Dixon Rd., Toronto, 905-265-8707, amandalinas.com. Hours: Today 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., tomorrow 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. LANCE LORENT LIMITED End of Season Sale This importer of women's fashions is offering 50 per cent off the wholesale price of Italian sweaters, pants, suits, skirts, custom jewellery and scarves. Sizes range from 4 to 18 in regular cut or petite. Location: 500 Glencairn Ave., Unit 2, Toronto (off Bathurst St., south of Lawrence Ave.

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Merchants generally pleased with holiday shopping season

Retailers surveyed by a New York statewide trade association gave the just-completed holiday shopping season a "B" grade, the third year in a row that mark has been achieved. Sales in the week before Christmas -- nearly 75 percent of merchants said sales during that period were better than or the same as last year -- led to the high grade, according to the Retail Council of New York State. .

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2007-01-05T04:52:00.000-08:00

Gift cards keep the shopping season going

ANDERSON, SC After several weeks of shopping for other people, Clemson resident Judy Twiggs and her daughters hit the mall again this week. This time to shop for themselves. With gift-card sales reaching a new high, January is gaining importance for retailers. The National Retail Federation estimated gift-card sales would rise to nearly $25 billion this holiday season, up 34 percent from 2005. Ms. Twiggs said gift cards accounted for almost half of her holiday gifts this year. She likes to give the girls a mix of presents and gift cards. Gift cards are available for almost everything, and it's easier than figuring out what someone wants, she said. "I think it's a good gift," 13-year-old Jessica Twiggs said. "You can buy what you want. You don't have to guess." Anderson Mall general manager Shane McWhorter said mall traffic is busiest the week after Christmas when stores have post-holiday sales.

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Sunday shopping prompts cuts to mall hours

Attention Halifax shoppers: Sunday store openings have prompted slight changes in retail hours at the Halifax Shopping Centre and Mic Mac Mall. The Halifax Shopping Centre, which is now open from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, is cutting back its Monday to Saturday hours and will open from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. The mall previously stayed open until 9:30 p.m. Monday to Saturday. Mic Mac Mall, which is also open from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, will keep its hours of 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday but will close at 6 p.m. instead of 9:30 p.m. on Saturday. CGI Group attains new level of certification CGI Group Inc. has attained a new level of service maturity in the Maritimes. The global information technology and business process services firm announced Thursday it has attained Level 3 CMMI (capability maturity model integration) certification at its Atlantic global delivery centres in Halifax and Charlottetown.

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BUSINESS: Warm weather makes for hot shopping season in Ridgefield

It was a merry Christmas for most town retailers as the holiday season met or even surpassed most expectations of sales volume. The unusually mild weather in December was also a factor, some Ridgefield merchants said, as they saw an increase in foot traffic. This entire fall season was very exciting, said Suzanne Brennan at ShoeLaLa on Bailey Avenue. The holiday season always brings a peak in gift certificates, but we were up over last year. It was the same story at the Toy Chest on Main Street. Business did very well and I think its due to the good weather, said Philip Harding. We also extended our hours and were open on weekends. We have steady business throughout the year but we clearly do even more during Christmas and Hanukah. Tracey Baines at P.E. Girls on Main Street said her three-month-old store had nothing to compare with when it came to holiday sales.

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2007-01-04T04:59:00.000-08:00

Wild bird found dead with H5 in HK shopping district

HONG KONG, Jan 4 (Reuters) - A wild bird found dead in a shopping district in Hong Kong has tested positive for H5 avian influenza and government experts said on Thursday it might have been infected by migratory birds flocking south. "Preliminary tests show H5 but we will make further tests to confirm ... if it's H5N1," said a government spokesman. The munia was found dead along with five others in Causeway Bay district on New Year's Eve, but the others tested negative. "This is a local bird. It is possible that migratory birds, while stopping here, could have come into contact with our local birds and infected them," said Thomas Sit, assistant director of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. The H5N1 virus made its first known jump to humans in Hong Kong in 1997, killing six people.

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1-stop shopping for tying the knot

More than 40 vendors will be on hand at Bridal Faire 2007 from 4 to 7:30 tonight, Jan. 4, at the Holiday Inn in Fond du Lac, 625 W. Rolling Meadows Drive. Guests will have the opportunity to view wedding gowns and tuxedos, interview DJs and photographers, view the past work of hairstylists, manicurists and makeup artists, gather information on top honeymoon spots, receive information on financial planning, browse through the portfolios of top florists and landscape artists and taste-test different wedding cakes. Bridal Faire 2007, co-sponsored by Sunny 97.7 and 96.1 WTCX, is a one-stop shopping event for anyone planning a wedding in 2007. Every couple that registers for any of the offered services will be entered into a drawing to win prizes. The event will culminate with a fashion show at 7 p.m.

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BPG buys Garner shopping center for $25.5M

A Pennsylvania real estate investment firm that already owns a dozens of Triangle properties has purchased a 310,811-square-foot retail center in Garner. Philadelphia-based BPG Properties Ltd. bought the North/South Station shopping center at the intersection of U.S. highways 401 and 70 from Dutch real estate investment group Dim Vasgoed Inc. for $25.5 million, according to Wake County real estate records. BPG announced the sale Wednesday. .

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2007-01-03T05:05:00.000-08:00

Woman claims shopping addiction

LOGAN - A woman who stole nearly a quarter of a million dollars from her former employer was sentenced Tuesday to up to 15 years in prison. Heidi McCarty - who apparently spent the money a little at a time over eight years - claimed she is addicted to shopping. But 1st District Judge Thomas Willmore countered: "Shopping is not an addiction. Deal with it on that level and don't blame it on something in your mind." McCarty, 40, had pleaded guilty in November to second-degree felony theft by deception, admitting she stole more than $241,000 from Elden Dattage Towing and Auto Repair, of Logan. Prior to issuing the sentence, Willmore heard McCarty's tearful apology to her former employers.

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Shopping for answers: Activewear turns sweats into something ...

DEAR SHOPPING: Is there a vendor or source for well-made, structured sweatclothes you could use for street wear? I saw a great jacket with patterned Asian-print sleeves and back sewn onto a beige cardigan, but I didn't catch the label. -- Page, Sacramento DEAR PAGE: There are so many attractive brands of what I call activewear that can be worn pretty much anywhere -- even if you're not an avid exerciser. The yoga trend prompted many activewear companies to get on board with comfortable clothing that women also would feel good about wearing when running errands, etc. .

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GAC brings stunning circus performances to Dubai Shopping Festival

It took 104 TEUs (total equivalent unit of twenty-foot containers) and a fleet of side loader trucks executing a turnaround in only three nights for GAC Logistics to move the entire set of Cirque du Soleils highly anticipated performance in Dubai. Promising a month-long visual and sensory treat for the Middle East audience, Cirque du Soleil will be performing Quidam at the Ibn Battuta mall in conjunction with the Dubai Shopping Festival as one of the most entertaining highlights of the annual event. Sheer volume and critical timescales Describing the 1040 tonnes of equipment moved from the States as massive volume for a live show, Matthew Diggle, Business Manager Freight Services of GAC Dubai, says: The logistics operation demands precision in planning and execution to ensure all the cargo from the infrastructure for the tent, staging, sound systems to costumes and props arrive safely at the venue as scheduled.

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2007-01-02T05:14:00.000-08:00

Food artists try to make shopping more palatable

Whole Foods Markets and Trader Joe's stores especially market themselves as food fun houses in which humor and a passion for all things edible are meant to be part of the shopping adventure. Enhancing the experience is the food art. Each Whole Foods and Trader Joe's employs artists who create signs, murals, chalkboards and graphics to communicate the corporate wit, along with the prices. Katie Lanciano, a 28-year-old graduate of Moore College of Art and Design, is the full-time, in-store artist at the Whole Foods Market on Callowhill Street in Philadelphia. Funny, innovative and energetic, Lanciano does what she says just 25 percent of friends with fine-arts degrees do: work every day as an artist. "I relate Whole Foods to the Medicis," she says, referring to the wealthy Renaissance family that bankrolled great artists.

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Paul McCartney Gets 'Shopping List' for Settlement from Heather

The battle continues as the marriage between Sir Paul McCartney and his estranged wife Heather Mills McCartney steams towards divorce. The battling pair went at it over art over the weekend and now an apparent shopping list has been leaked that shows that Heather has some pretty lofty goals for post split assets. .

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Shopping spree

Tonya Malcolm, of Auburn, piles groceries in her cart during a two-minute shopping spree at Grocery Outlet Friday. "... (When) I got a phone call on Christmas Eve that I had won, I didn't know what to say," Malcolm said. The drawing was set for two minutes, or $300, but Grocery Outlet owners John and Nancy Stevens decided to let Malcolm keep everything she collected, which totaled $457.05. "What the heck, it's New Year's," John Stevens said. Grocery Outlet is sponsoring a program to feed needy families in the Auburn area. If you know someone in need, or would like to donate, write to Grocery Outlet and explain in 50 words or less why the family needs help. Include the name, phone number and address to: 414 Grass Valley Highway, Auburn, CA 95608. Photo by michael kirby/auburn journal .

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2007-01-01T04:53:00.000-08:00

OC, Ville Platte make strong runs in local track

OC also broke Southern Lab's 13-year streak in the 4x200 relay as Maggie Courville and the trio of Verdin sisters clocked a 1:49.13 for second place but moved up when Southern Lab was disqualified in the event. Meghan Curley won the 3200 meters for OC with a school record 12:19.17. She also finished fourth in the 800 meters. Team mate Taylor King was third in the 1600 and fourth in the 3200 meters. Other Class 1-A winners included Westminster's Sarah Milam's 300 meter hurdles first place performance with a 48.88 after finishing second in the 100 meter hurdles (16.53) WCA's Josh Redd won the 200 meter dash with a time of 22.08. In Class 2-A, the Ville Platte Bulldogs scored 56 points to finish second behind Newman's 71 points. Jacobby Gallow won the 200-meter dash in 22.26 seconds and was second in the 100 meters (11.19).

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Gran Plaza shopping centre to remain open

AFTER weeks of speculation following the Andalucian Superior Court of Justices decision to annul the opening licence of the Roquetas de Mar shopping centre, a magistrate has decreed that closure would be impossible from a legal perspective. In a very detailed decree, magistrate Jess Rivera put forward nine separate arguments in support of his contention. While the Junta de Andaluca would only say that they needed to carefully examine the magistrates decree, a spokesperson for the Pro Gran Plaza platform, which lobbied for the centre to remain open, spoke of relief amongst the 4,000 workers and over 100 business owners. However, the effect of the decree is to place the centre in somewhat of a legal limbo in that it will now be operating without a licence. It seems likely that Roquetas Town Council will have to apply for a new opening licence, and this could entail the debate continuing for some time.

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Japanese welcome new year at temples, shopping centers

Japanese flocked to shrines and temples, celebrated with rice wine and scrambled for "lucky bags" at shopping centers as 2007 began Monday. But one person who tired to scale the snowcapped Mount Fuji for a view of the year's first sunrise was missing in strong wind while another two were injured, according to national broadcaster NHK. The 3,776-meter (12,385-foot) mountain typically sees about 150 climbers in the first three days of the New Year. Elsewhere in the country, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines were expected to receive nearly 95 million visitors over those days, as people offer prayers for peace, health and prosperity in one of the few religious rites in which most Japanese regularly partake. New Year's tends to be a family-oriented affair, akin to Christmas in Western countries, when the workaholic country grinds to a halt and scattered family members return to parental homes and feast on special holiday foods, such as buckwheat noodles and rice cake soup.

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2006-12-31T04:56:00.000-08:00

NSW to allow pokies in

The NSW government will allow clubs with poker machines to open in shopping centres, and will not impose a ban on cash advances against credit cards for ATMs in the malls. Gaming Minister Grant McBride has gazetted laws allowing clubs to build adjoining shopping centres without losing their betting licences, paving the way for the development of multi-purpose shopping and gambling sites. Mr McBride said the laws would protect people from irresponsible gambling by requiring the club and shopping complex to have separate entrances, Fairfax reports. Redeveloping clubs would also not be allowed to seek extra pokies licences, and could not have more than 40 shops or move the site of existing premises. However, ATMs in adjoining shopping centres would not have a ban on dispensing cash advances against credit cards, which is presently the policy on club ATMs.

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Shopping complex possible for Ninth

It's not a done deal yet, but a national shopping center developer is pushing ahead with plans to build a 90,000-square-foot retail complex on Northwest Ninth Street. Regency Centers of Jacksonville, Fla., has filed architectural drawings with the city for a development called Corvallis Market Center on the west side of Ninth between Garfield and Hayes avenues, on the site of the Corvallis Inn and the former Laidlaw bus yard.The site plan calls for a line of five large retail stores facing Ninth Street along the back of the 6.5-acre property: a 25,000-square-foot anchor tenant, secondary anchors of 18,300 and 17,500 square feet, and subanchors of 7,700 and 7,150 square feet, with a parking lot in front.Though he said it's too early to identify any of the prospective tenants, a company spokesman said the lineup would include three national clothing retailers."We have commitments for three tenants, and we're in negotiations with several others," said Craig Ramey, who works in the company's Oregon office in Lake Oswego.Corvallis Market Center also is slated to have two outbuildings along the Ninth Street frontage, an 11,600-square-foot structure near Garfield that would house five or six retail, restaurant or service businesses, and a 3,100-square-foot building near Hayes that could house a restaurant, bank or other free-standing business, possibly with a drive-through window.Ramey said the company hopes to begin demolition in the spring and start construction by May or June."The first tenants will open in first quarter 2008," he said.Before it can proceed, however, Regency has two hurdles to clear: It has to buy the land, and it has to get city approval for two land-use requests.The company is still negotiating with the property owners, but Ramey said there is "no question" the deal will go through.Murray Dorsey, owner of the former Laidlaw property, declined to comment on any possible sale, as did Joe Cicchese, general manager of the Corvallis Inn.The Corvallis Inn has been for sale since 2004, when mortgage holder Merrill Lynch Credit Corp.

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Mid Rivers shopping is getting pricier

Those who shop at many of the stores at Westfield Mid Rivers, in St. Peters, will have to pay an extra 1-cent in sales tax starting sometime in 2008.The money will go toward funding an estimated $13.7 million in public improvements - including a $6.5 million parking deck - that are part of a 72,000-square-foot expansion of the mall.Not all the stores in and around the shopping mall will be part of what's called a Community Improvement District. Buildings owned by Westfield are in the district. Those not owned by Westfield are not and therefore are free of the new sales tax.For example, Best Buy is in the district and Circuit City is not.The details of how a Community Improvement District is established are left up to the developer, according to Cathy Pratt, the city's manager of engineering and development services.

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2006-12-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

Decking the Virtual Halls

It was another strong holiday season for online retailers. Traffic watcher comScore Networks issued its look at Internet shopping trends yesterday, and the prognosis is pretty sweet. From November through Dec. 26, online spending at non-travel-related sites, excluding auction sites, soared 26% higher to hit $23.1 billion. Hitting a major milestone, online sales for all of 2006 lapped the $100 billion mark for the first time this past Saturday. Kudos to you and your trusting "click here to place your order" clicking finger. Sales growth accelerated in the week leading up to the holiday, further indicating that we're also learning to rely on the Internet as a source for last-minute gift card and overnight shipping deliveries. So, where was everyone shopping this season? Let's take a look at how the retailers stacked up from Nov.

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Attitude key in preparing yourself for the ‘top 10 Christmas crashers’

Suggestion: Leave the stress at the door before going shopping and enjoy giving and hope people like what you have given. They may or may not, but that is beyond your control. 2. Expecting there is snow just like pictured on Christmas cards or, in warmer climates, expecting sunshine, then complain if the day is not in perfect alignment? Suggestion: The weather is out of your control. Celebrate the day, bad weather and all. If there is a blizzard and travel is impossible, make the most of the day and truly enjoy those who are celebrating with you. 3. Wishing everyone you want to be gathered there with you for Christmas will be at the table that day? Suggestion: Accept that your adult children and other family members and/or friends may have other commitments or live far away, and make a special point of remembering them to others present.

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2006-12-29T05:02:00.000-08:00

Pokies allowed in shopping centres

THE NSW Government will allow clubs with poker machines to open in shopping centres and will not impose a ban on cash advances against credit cards for ATMs in the malls. Gaming Minister Grant McBride has gazetted laws allowing clubs to build adjoining shopping centres without losing their betting licences, paving the way for the development of multi-purpose shopping and gambling sites. Mr McBride said the laws would protect people from irresponsible gambling by requiring the club and shopping complex to have separate entrances. Redeveloping clubs would not be allowed to seek extra pokies licences and could not have more than 40 shops or move the site of existing premises. However, ATMs in adjoining shopping centres would not have a ban on dispensing cash advances against credit cards, which is presently the policy on club ATMs.

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Car crashes into wall at shopping center

Two people were taken for medical treatment Thursday after a car careened down an embankment and struck the wall of a department store at the Village Shoppes of Gainesville. The Nissan Altima rolled an estimated 500 feet across the parking lot of the shopping center, at McEver Road and Dawsonville Highway, before hitting the wall of Marshalls. Neither the names nor the conditions of the injured were available late Thursday, though their injuries were not thought to be life-threatening. The Georgia State Patrol is investigating. Steven Jackson, 23, said he was waiting in his car to pull out of the McEver Road exit of the Publix supermarket-anchored shopping center about 5 p.m. when he saw a Nissan Altima collide with a Cadillac Cheville. The Altima spun around before jumping a curb and sliding uncontrolled down the steep, grassy embankment, leaving a trail of tire tracks.

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2006-12-28T04:52:00.000-08:00

Too soon to stop shopping

After a day of rest, the holiday shopping frenzy will continue today as millions of Americans will slap down gift cards and return those ill-fitting or style-challenged presents from old Aunt Sally. The day after Christmas now rivals the day after Thanksgiving in conspicuous consumption. "It's a big day because people have either gift cards or they're exchanging their products," said Tod Strain, senior property manager at the Capitola Mall. "It's also usually a day off from work, so it's another day like Black Friday." And the get-there-early mentality that dominates holiday sales applies today as well. Watsonville's Target, for example, will open its doors at 7 a.m., an hour earlier than normal. "We're expecting a busy day," assistant manager Scott Davies said.

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Combat Shopping with the Iraqi Army in Al Anbar

CPT John Washburn of Hope, N.D., of the 2nd Battalion, 136th Combined Arms Battalion, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 34th Infantry Division's Military Transition Team, provided security during a "combat shopping" mission on Wednesday, Nov. 22, in Rawah, Iraq. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Clinton Wood, 1/34 BCT PAO .

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Shopping Spree Continues

An astounding fourty-nine percent of shoppers nationwide say they'll take advantage of those post-holiday sales. That may help merchants recover from a slower than hoped for shopping season. After weeks of shopping, the day after Christmas many are heading back to the mall. "It's been crazy, it's wall to wall people! It took me 15 minutes to find parking. I got honked at 4 times waiting on a parking place," says Shopper Deede Bowe. Today's circus might be an indication why sales at the oaks mall are actually up year to date. "Typically your nationwide sales are a little bit slower but that's not the case in Gainesville, we've had success," says Oaks Mall Senior Marketing Manager Becky Bumgarner. One credit card company reports that amount of holiday sales was higher than last year, but weren't as high as expected.

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2006-12-27T04:59:00.000-08:00

Shopping For Answers: London Fog brand bought by company

DEAR SHOPPING: A friend of mine is trying to buy a London Fog coat but has had no luck finding a store that sells them. Do you know where we could find them? -- JoAn in Sacramento DEAR JoAn: I figured this would be an easy search. However, I discovered that the London Fog Group Inc. was acquired last summer by a company called Iconix Brand Group in New York. .

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Time to start Christmas shopping for next year?

With so many post-holiday deals cropping up now that Christmas 2006 is over (see the "Top5ive Best Post Holiday Deals,"), does it make good financial sense to start shopping now? Unless you are very organized, I'd say no. I tried advance Christmas shopping two years ago. I bought Santa-themed gifts for 50% off in the weeks after the holidays. Then I put them aside and promptly forgot all about them. This year I finally managed to give away much of that loot. But the deals I had so excitedly snatched up had long since lost their allure. When I gave them to friends and family, I could hardly remember why or where I made the purchases. What good is giving someone a fancy hand-made Christmas tree ornament if their is no story behind it? I also made the mistake that year of buying holiday gifts months in advance.

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Day-after shopping a walk in the mall

With store mailers spread over her kitchen table, the Downers Grove woman said she mapped out the shops she wanted to visit early Tuesday morning. Sure, there were a few Christmas gifts that needed returning. But make no mistake, Michalak said she was on the hunt for deals. This is my first stop, Michalak said, while examining a box of holiday cards, one of several Christmas-related items marked down at the JCPenney store at Yorktown Shopping Center in Lombard. The other targets on her list included a stop at Toys R Us to shop for next years set of Christmas gifts for her four grandchildren and a Carsons store to take advantage of a $10 coupon she found in a store ad. Thousands of DuPage County shoppers spent the morning at area malls looking for post-Christmas deals and getting a head start in returning oversized or unwanted gifts.

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2006-12-26T05:07:00.000-08:00

Shopping stampede on tap today

The day many bargain hunters wait for all year long is finally here and Edmontonians are heading out in droves today in search of the best deals. Millions of shoppers are expected to hit the stores nationwide, some even camping out overnight, laying in wait for the biggest bargains from home electronics and furniture to books, clothing and Christmas decorations for next year. To name a few malls locally, Southgate Centre is open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., West Edmonton Mall from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Kingsway Garden Mall 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Check specific mall locations for Boxing Day shopping hours. .

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Shopping challenge updated

All is well in the Collins household. More or less. You may recall reading about Mike and Paula Collins, the husband-and-wife duo who found themselves in a standoff this year over the issue of Christmas shopping. Mike -- who says shopping has been an increasingly contentious issue during the 10 years of their marriage -- several weeks ago declared that Paula makes too big a deal of shopping. Had he simply stopped there, the result would have been nothing so serious that a dozen roses and a few minutes of groveling couldn't fix.But noooo. Mike had to further announce that he could do the family's Christmas shopping in two hours, tops. And that's without buying gifts online or by phone. Paula, saying it couldn't be done, took him up on the challenge, and the game was on.Update No. 1: Mike and Paula are both still alive.

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Shopping Frenzy To Continue Post-Christmas

(KHNL) -- Get ready for more parking battles and long checkout lines. After a calm day on Christmas, traffic around shopping centers will pick up again Tuesday. The day after Christmas is one of the busier shopping days of the year. There's no doubt about it. Holiday shopping can wipe you out. "I meant to do it that first weekend," Daniel Han, Pearl City resident, said. "But, you know, that never happens. I ended up going back to the mall maybe about eight times." "It was hectic," John Ferreira, Kalihi resident, said. "Traffic. Work. Tired." So you'd think the last thing John Ferreira wants to do is head back to the malls. Guess again. He's cooking up the energy to hit the after-Christmas sales beginning Tuesday. "It'll probably be crowded the same," he said.

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2006-12-25T04:54:00.000-08:00

Last-minute shopping: It's a thrill

You were not alone on Christmas Eve. Thousands flooded the malls, descended on the big-box stores and cha-chinged their way into a holiday frenzy Sunday. Some, such as Kenny Sloan, 19, of Caseyville, really took it down to the wire. He was still clueless about what to buy his girlfriend two hours before he was supposed to meet her and exchange gifts. "This year, I procrastinated way too much," Sloan acknowledged. .

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Fringe benefits- DSF is not all about shopping

If ever there were a study conducted trying to pinpoint the exact time when people decide to move to Dubai and set up home here, our guess would put December and January at the top of that list. The city turns magical in tune with the holiday season each year, thanks to the shopper's extravaganza that is the Dubai Shopping Festival, coupled with a random sampling of out-of-towners, weather that reaches the absolute perfection point and an unbeatable energy pulsating throughout the emirate. And each year brings a fresh round of cultural and entertainment activities and events that put the year before to shame, adding more accolades to Dubai's growing list of must-sees. Continue to the story... .

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What is online shopping?

When you buy a product or a service over the internet, instead of going to a traditional brick-and-mortar store, it is called online shopping. Globally, an increasing number of people are buying over the Internet because it is more convenient. This year, holiday shopping for Christmas and New Year is estimated to be over $20 billion. What can I buy online? You can purchase almost anything online — starting with groceries and greeting cards to cell phones and ringtones for the cell phones, everything can be purchased online. While most people still find it convenient to buy their groceries from the neighbourhood shop, many people are purchasing rail and air tickets over the Internet. In addition, people and corporates as well, are also purchasing a variety of services online — such as a broking service or job search service.

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2006-12-24T04:52:00.000-08:00

Shopping to the finish

The list in Whitesell's pocket-size notebook stretched on for pages. Handwritten names were meticulously marked off, dollar amounts in corresponding rows added up. With two grown children and their spouses and three grandchildren to buy for, she was making sure she spent the exact amount she had allotted for gifts for each person Saturday morning at Jefferson Pointe. "I'm evening up," said Whitesell, from Carmel. Whitesell was joined by her husband, Ron, daughter Dawn Williams and grandson, 11-year-old Nick Williams, of Huntington, but she pretty much had the situation under control on her own. "He goes along to carry the packages," Whitesell said, with a laugh, of her husband. "Nick's in training." Whitesell and her posse weren't alone.

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Shopping shouldn't be war

On my list of least-favorite things to do, shopping rests neatly between my annual prostate exam and a colonoscopy. When shopping with my wife, I actually suffer a form of allergic reaction. As she wanders from store to store with me in tow, looking at things we would never buy, I become bone-weary, my legs feel as if they're concrete blocks, my head pounds and I can't stop yawning. Over the years, we have learned that the success of our marriage depends on our avoidance of shopping together. .

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Mall bustles, people hustle as shopping time dwindles

Figuratively speaking, it was the 10th hour, and 18-year-old Kyle Ratzesberger walked with purpose at Valley West Mall Saturday evening. "We're going to use a gift card I just received," he said of his almost-last-minute Christmas shopping venture at the West Des Moines mall. "I'm using my gift to get someone else a gift. I don't have much of a choice." Ratzesberger and his shopping companion, Jason Tart, 24, expressed surprise that the crowds, for the most part, weren't thicker as shoppers descended on malls across the Des Moines metro area with just more than one shopping day before Christmas. Weary husbands and children dozed on the mall's many couches and chairs waiting for those searching stores for last-minute gifts. Most carried only a bag or two, signaling that the bulk of the shopping was finished.

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2006-12-18T05:02:00.000-08:00

10-Year Old Killed Crossing Highway To Go Christmas Shopping

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- A 10-year-old Huntsville boy was struck and killed crossing busy Memorial Parkway yesterday to go shopping. Police said Avery James Allen, a fifth-grader, was with two friends on a CD-shopping trip to a nearby mall, when he ran into the path of a pickup truck around 9:30 a.m. Sunday. He was hit by a pickup truck and knocked into the concrete wall separating the northbound and southbound lanes of the four-lane highway. He was Huntsville's 34th traffic fatality this year. .

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Shopping days dwindle, but the bags get heavier

Juan Carlos Gonzalez sat on a cushioned chair in the Hamilton Mall on Sunday. His daughter, Denise Nayeli, was on his lap. In her place in a nearby stroller was a shopping bag three times her size. “I was tired. The wife told me to stay here, guard the kid and the bag," he said. “I didn't argue." Usually, Gonzalez believes in what he calls the light shopping method. Things like MP3 players, computer software and video games have three things in common: “It helps get stuff done faster," he said. “Because they're small, they're light, and they're expensive." .

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DGAP-News: Deutsche EuroShop purchases shopping center in Passau ...

Corporate news transmitted by DGAP - a company of EquityStory AG. The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deutsche EuroShop purchases shopping center in Passau (Bavaria) Hamburg, 18 December 2006 - Deutsche EuroShop has acquired a 75% interest in the Stadt-Galerie Passau in Bavaria. The proportional investment volume amounts to around EUR 95 million. Investment partner is the ECE Group, which is also responsible for planning, development, leasing and center management. With this investment Deutsche EuroShop again overachieved its annual growth target. The Stadt-Galerie has been under construction since October 2006 and is scheduled to open in autumn 2008.

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2006-12-17T04:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas shopping in small-town Berks

Small-town shopping districts might not be the place to pick up hot Christmas items such as a PlayStation 3 or TMX Elmo, but they do offer a variety of seasonal gifts, not to mention other advantages. Have an aversion to wall-to-wall crowds? Small borough stores generally don't pack 'em in like fans at Fenway Park, the perpetually sold-out field of the Boston Red Sox. Want to avoid long checkout lines? Sure, even the tiniest downtown retailer can have busy periods, but chances are you're going to be in and out in the time it takes to trudge from the anchor store of that major shopping center out to boondocks parking space 947-Z. Best of all, many of the mini-downtowns that dot Berks and surrounding counties offer the quaint and the quasi-unusual, often custom-made and sometimes at bargain prices.

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Christmas shopping just got easier for kids, soldiers' folks

The kids, mostly lower-income third- through fifth- graders, each got $40 to buy Christmas presents for their families during a shopping event sponsored by Black Men Inc. of Greater Lansing at Value City Department Store on Waverly Road. Daddy's in Iraq A few miles west, in a corner of the Wal-Mart store off West Saginaw Highway, Kortnie Sabin, of Battle Creek, prepared for a shopping spree of her own. .

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Ice storm cooled holiday shopping, but stories see consumers ...

FORSYTH - It's an unusual year when Carolyn Keleher doesn't have her Christmas shopping done by October.But she has two good excuses: her husband's kidney function has worsened, requiring preparations for dialysis, and a tree fell on their house in Illiopolis during the ice storm earlier this month."There wasn't too much damage, but it put me a week further behind," Keleher said Saturday as she waited with her 6-year-old granddaughter Hannah Keleher to see Santa Claus at Hickory Point Mall in Forsyth. "People in the neighborhood helped us, everything went together pretty good, and I finished up my shopping yesterday."Area retailers hope for above-average sales for this and the upcoming weekend after the storm's heavy toll."The storm pretty much took Decatur out of commission the first week of the month," said Jon Albee, store director at Circuit City.

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2006-12-15T05:01:00.000-08:00

AP9 PrivacyMatters Plots a Course for Safe Shopping Offline

Norwalk, CONN (FV Newswire) - Even though the Internet has revolutionized how many of us shop, some people still enjoy the occasional jaunt out to retail land. AP9 Privacy Matters, a leading membership security program offered by Adaptive Marketing LLC, offers its members some helpful hints on how to stay protected, safe and aware while out on an offline-shopping run.In addition to learning offline-shopping practices geared to keeping things safe and secure, members of AP9 Privacy Matters may access their benefits at PrivacyMatters.com, a secure members-only online portal. Hitting the local shopping mall, specialty retail store or supermarket can certainly be fun at times, but it can also be dangerous. AP9 PrivacyMatters offers the following important tips and cautionary notes for when it's time to leave the online shopping environment and hit the stores: -- Just carry the essentials.

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Christmas returns to US shopping malls

Washington, Dec 15 - A glistening and gleaming eight-metre Christmas tree stands resplendent on the ground floor of a three-storey shopping mall in the heart of Washington. But this year the evergreen has a special brilliance: it bears not only colourful ornaments, but also once again the official name Christmas Tree. Calling it that last year was frowned upon, particularly in the US retail industry. The return of the name is a sign that the spirit of Christmas has returned to US stores. A year ago, large US chain department stores such as Wal-Mart, Macy's and Kohl's sought to avoid every religious reference to the Christian holiday in an apparent attempt to show consideration for the non-Christian minority in the US. Now the stores are doing an about face.

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Tightened security for shopping centres

The South African Council of Shopping Centres, the representative body of nearly 90% of the industry in SA, says centres are responding to pressure to maintain high security levels as shopping activity increases. Council GM Tracey Fowler says centre managers and owners throughout SA are being "extra vigilant to protect the safety of customers against the threat of robberies and violence". "In some centres, security has been beefed up to maintain vigilance inside and also to monitor suspicious activity outside the centres," says Fowler. She says while private security is the backbone of the measures, the police are also reported to be on the alert around large centres where "enormous amounts of revenue are being turned over daily". Council executive director George Skinner says increased measures over the festive season have been discussed with the body's members.

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2006-12-14T04:54:00.000-08:00

Online Sales Break Holiday Records

As the holiday shopping season enters its final weeks, more and more people want to avoid the crowds and are shopping from home. Online shopping revenues reached record highs the Monday after thanksgiving, totaling $608 million, according to data collected by comScore Networks. "Online shopping continues to grow as more people become familiar and comfortable with the online experience," said Andrew Lipsman, public relations representative for comScore Networks. Last year, online shoppers nationwide spent $7,643 million Nov. 1 through Nov. 27, while this year, shoppers spent $9,484 million during the same period, according to comScore Networks. The online shopping numbers are expected to only increase as the holiday season progresses. This year, online consumers spent $77.5 billion for the months of January through October.

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Collier: Save headaches during holiday shopping

You have less than two weeks to get all your gift shopping done and may be feeling overwhelmed. For years, that was me. But I am determined not to go into holiday hysteria this year. I thought I'd share some of my strategies with you. 1. Don't feed into the hype. All it takes is for one article, one Web page or one blog to say that a particular toy, gadget or big-screen television is the must-have thing, and we go running into stores like banshees with their hair on fire. Even if it is the toy that little Pookie has her heart set on, it is not worth it to pay seven times its store value to bring it home. It is also not worth it to get into a fist fight over the last one. You don't want to have to explain to the people at your job that you earned your new black eye or knocked-out tooth while trying to score an Elmo doll.

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Busiest online shopping day arrived later this year

As their confidence in online buying grows, consumers are shopping later in the holiday season, pushing back the single busiest buying day on the Web closer to mid-December. According to credit card firm MasterCard, Monday was the top shopping day so far this Christmas season, a week later than last year's busiest day of Dec. 5. Dec. 11 -- two weeks after the Thanksgiving weekend that marks the start of the holiday gift-buying frenzy -- was the busiest ever for comparison site Shopping.com. Growth in traffic to its merchant partners was up by 40 percent from the prior year, making it the busiest online shopping day shopping day in the Brisbane-based company's eight-year history. ``We expect this trend to continue as shoppers become more comfortable shopping online and also become more comfortable waiting until the last minute to purchase gifts,'' said Rob Goldman, general manager of U.S.

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2006-12-13T05:05:00.000-08:00

Online Holiday Shopping in Europe

Focusing on activity at the top UK, French and German retail sites during the holiday season since October 30, comScore Networks found that that French retail sites have experienced the largest gains in the first three weeks of the season (vs. the pre-holiday shopping period from August 28 to October 29), capped by a 79% gain in cyber shopping traffic during the most recent week of the study (ending November 26) vs. the pre-holiday average. German sites experienced a 63% rise during the same period, and retail sites in the UK saw a 65% increase. "While cyber shopping visits rose most quickly in Germany during the first week of the holiday shopping season, online shoppers in France have since become more active," said Bob Ivins of comScore Europe. In France, three retail sites accounted for nearly half of all cyber shopping activity during the week ending November 26, lead by Groupe PPR.

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Combining Shopping with Social Networking

Buddy Shopping Inc. has announced the launch of a free ad-supported social netshopping service that combines online shopping, social networking and community-based item sharing. The site also offers streaming video that can be optimized by brands such as clothing companies. Buddy Shopping is targeting online women 22- to 25-years-old. "Our goal was to reinvent the online shopping experience and bring it in line with how people actually prefer to shop. As more and more consumers exert their purchasing power online, the main challenge is how to convert shoppers into buyers," says Todd Kelly, Buddy Shopping CEO. The company says that advertisers will be able to engage with consumers with rich-media advertising tools to complement traditional paid search.

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2006-12-12T04:50:00.000-08:00

Christmas shopping chaos looms

Call it "last chance Saturday" or just plain hell at the malls, Dec. 23 is shaping up to be a shopping disaster. According to Environics Communications, 2 p.m. on Dec. 23 will be the busiest time of the year for retailers, who are gearing up for the hit now. "It's going to be crazy because everybody will be off work," said Gap sales rep Lisa Wu yesterday, who advised people to get their shopping done before "the big hit" and come with lists of what they want to help speed up the process. There is, however, way to shop without hitting the mall: Hire a personal assistant. While the concept is still a bit foreign to laid-back West-coasters, the idea of a personal assistant to help you with errands, hosting parties or doing your holiday shopping is growing in Vancouver, said Mary Ann Westendorf, president of The Bizzy Butler Concierge Services based in Maple Ridge.

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Bill Wangemann column: One-stop shopping began with trading posts

Today's dazzling, ultramodern mega-supermarkets that sell everything from apples to zippers all trace their beginnings several hundred years back to the early trading posts. In Sheboygan, William Farnsworth established one of the first trading posts in the early 1830s at the site of the present Esslingen Park. Indians would bring furs, honey and at times deer skins, which they would trade for tobacco, knives and sometimes guns. Some of the forest products were then resold to settlers. These early trading posts eventually evolved into general stores, which began to spring up in Sheboygan in the 1840s and 1850s, selling items such as groceries, tools, farm implements, seed, clothing, barbed wire and even gunpowder. As years went on, the general store began to disappear in the city and small owner-operated grocery stores came into being.

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Online festive shopping trends

A recent Symantec Online Shopping Trends Survey has shown that during the weeks leading up to Christmas, more than half of the respondents would not be shopping or transacting online over this festive season. The survey also revealed the online habits of those consumers that use the Internet, as well as the reasons behind the seemingly slow uptake of the online opportunities within the digital environment. A research sample of 200 South Africa consumers at 20 stores nationwide were asked whether they would be transacting online during the upcoming festive season for their gifts and groceries or sending of overseas greeting cards. "While only 22% indicated that they are very likely to utilise the Internet for their end-of-year goodies shopping, what is encouraging to note is that 28% are somewhat likely to make use of the digital world, demonstrating to us the ongoing acceptance of the Internet as more than a mere information tool," says Premlan Padayachi, consumer country manager at Symantec Africa.

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2006-12-11T04:51:00.000-08:00

An Online Shopping Guide Without the Hype

The first thing to know about online shopping is that it is safe, as long as you're not -- what's the word? -- "reckless" about it. Surveys suggest credit card fear is the big thing holding folks back, but at reputable Web sites, you're fine. They don't want to pass on your number; they just want to process it, book the sale and justify their inflated stock valuation. Be a Rockstar to Your Marketing departmentThese days, IT staffers work to fulfill a lot of requests. Like finding an email marketing solution for your marketing department. Lyris ListManager is the robust, scalable, and easily integrated solution your team needs. Download your free trial version today. .

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The 40th sport of the 2006 Asian Games: Shopping

Doha, Qatar (dpa) - The 15th Asian Games already has an incredible 39 sports in its programme, but a strong argument could be made to include at least one more: Shopping. Hundreds of athletes and officials have been rushing from shopping centre to shopping centre, buying those absolute necessities as well as items that are less important. The Qatari capital offers several excellent opportunities to partake in the sport. Not only does Doha have a host of modern, glitzy shopping malls filled with brand-name shops, there are also the traditional souqs (markets) where one can buy just about everything from spices to fabrics and carpets to cameras. Indian badminton coach Gopi Chand Pullela says most of the Indian delegation will be spending their money on souvenirs. "We will not really do a lot of shopping.

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2006-12-10T04:47:00.000-08:00

Don't get caught in shopping web

CLICK TO SHOP: With Christmas only 15 days away, one question remains for consumers: have you got your shopping done yet? If you are among a growing trend, you don't head to the nearest shopping outlet, fighting the crowds and traffic. Instead, you sit at your computer. With a click of a mouse, you do your shopping on the World Wide Web. Visa Canada, which has been conducting a gift-giving survey with its customers for the past eight years, says that "two million Albertans plan to spend an average of $1,042 on holiday gifts this year - $100 more than the national average of $930, but down slightly from last year's high of $1,081." And while Visa Canada says 86% of Albertans will fight the hustle and bustle at retail outlets across the province, we also lead the nation with online shopping, at 31% of all buyers.

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Holiday shopping traditions begin to fade

E very day -- and night -- is shopping day on Cyber Planet. If you want something, you point and click, and FedEx takes it from there. So the idea of there being a Cyber Monday, a specific day when people march online to do their Christmas shopping, always seemed suspect. And it should have been. Cyber Monday, it turns out, was totally made up. What happened was that a bunch of online retailers got together and decided that they needed their own version of "Black Friday." Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving, when Christmas shoppers stampede into the stores. In retailing lore, this is the day when the merchants' bottom lines are supposed to turn from a loss (inked in red) to a profit (black). Black Friday spawns the inevitable pictures of shoppers shoving to get first dibs on cut-rate flat screens and the occasional fistfight over a coveted toy.

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Combine shopping, traveling for holidays

Mary Ann has a shelf in our bedroom closet where gifts go to await their dispersal. When it's full, new arrivals occupy a portion of our daughter's bedroom, now her art studio. While there is some kitsch (usually my picks for joke gifts), most are creative, not too pricey and, thanks to my wife, extremely thoughtful. The inventory can be broken down into two categories. There are gifts for a specific person and celebration: birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas, etc. Then there are those that Mary Ann knows will make great gifts for someone someday. What astonishes me about this gift-getting process is that I am, for the most part, always present when these purchases are made. Yet, I will still insist that neither one of us is by definition a shopper. If that's the case, how is it her art studio is packed with stuff and our Christmas shopping is practically done? The answer, in a word, is travel.

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2006-12-05T05:23:00.000-08:00

Happy hour with a purpose: Holiday shopping

"Going to happy hour where I am doing some holiday shopping while helping a local charity!" Sound implausible to you? Not so. Thursday, December 14 from 5-7PM, Senor Ric's, 13200 E. Mississippi Ave in Aurora, with assistance from Citywide Banks, is hosting Happy Hour with a Purpose, a silent auction* whose proceeds benefit The Arc of Aurora, a local advocacy organization for people with developmental disabilities. (There is no cost to attend this event; however, food and drink purchases are on your own.) Stop by to bid on items including an overnight at the Isle of Capri-Black Hawk, CU Men's Basketball game tickets, restaurant certificates, a facial and lunch shopping outing in Cherry Creek, and Rockies tickets with escorted access to the NewsRadio 850KOA broadcast booth. Holiday shopping and helping a local charity was never so easy and fun! For information on this event or a complete list of items or auction rules, call Jean at The Arc of Aurora, 720.213.1420.

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Christmas shopping at Thistle Hall Gallery

Thistle Hall is a vibrant community centre in the heart of New Zealand's cultural capital. We provide a community hall, meeting room and Wellington's only community gallery showcasing a range of artists and crafts people, from the established to the emerging. On Now 5 - 12 DECEMBER 2006 - A TESTAMENT TO WINEGUMS Opening 7pm Friday 8 December Four Painters - Nestor Opetaia, Liana Leiataua, Andre Moir, Jack Kirifi. Involve yourself in the eclectic clutter. Up Next** 15 DECEMBER 2006 **Thistle Hall invites you to celebrate the season at our annual Community Gallery fundraiser. 6-9pm Friday December 15th Thistle Hall Community Gallery 293 Cuba Street, Wellington Thistle Hall Community Venue invites you to the annual $100 Art Sale.

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2006-12-04T05:33:00.000-08:00

Feel the warmth: Needy children go shopping for free winter coats

Sage Farris, 4, picks out a gold coat from the selection offered to children from The Esplanade House on Saturday. Five hundred brand new winter coats were donated to the Coats For Kids program by Balken Construction, and the children from The Esplanade House got a private shopping experience inside a converted airplane trailer owned by Mark Balken.(Jason Halley/Enterprise-Record)

All Chico E-R photos are available here.

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Even shopping malls have had to come up with anti-gang strategies

Yet teenage thugs are teenagers nonetheless, and hanging out at the mall is what they like to do. That contradiction has turned some shopping centers into the front lines in the war on gangs, and mall officials don't take their roles lightly. "We work closely with the city and the police department ... to ensure it's a safe environment for all of the shoppers," said Sue Oxarart, marketing director at Ontario Mills. The Mills is a prime example, because of its explosive popularity with teenagers throughout Southern California. Barely a minute goes by during the mall's operating hours when youngsters aren't roaming its shops and neighborhoods in large groups. That reality was predicted early. When the Mills opened in 1996, it included a police substation and a daily, uniformed officer presence.

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Holiday Shopping Reaches New Lowe's

At this time of year, many people would find it a great convenience to be able to shop and pay on-line but then go pick up their merchandise at the nearest retail outlet. And while more and more retailers are supposedly offering that capability, the coordination between website and brick-and-mortar store isn't always everything it should be. That's certainly what one reader found out last week after making a purchase from Lowes.com. "I was looking for some Christmas lights but having trouble finding what I was looking for," the reader wrote. "But when I checked Lowe's website I found that it shows what's in stock at any particular store; very handy. They also allow you to purchase online and pick it up at the store - even more convenient; no need to wander around a big box store looking for something that might not even be there.

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2006-12-03T05:04:00.000-08:00

Allow us late City shopping

FROM TIME TO TIME we hear calls about re-energising Bridgetown, since it is clear that the numerous malls located in the suburbs are pulling a lot of activity away from the City "after work". I'd like to suggest that Bridgetown remain open until 9 p.m. every Friday. With a little imagination many things could be done to attract people and keep shoppers in town. As the world turns, things change. Pragmatic people change their modus operandi and remain successful. All it takes is some creative thought and willingness. DAVID GITTENS .

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Shopping for Signs

This is the time of year when the turkeys come home to roost -- and shop. That's why investors were looking for signs of whether U.S. consumers would keep spending. A glum sales forecast from Wal-Mart after the Thanksgiving weekend helped drive the stock market sharply lower Monday. But signs of a recovery in existing-home sales Tuesday reassured investors. Fed Chairman Ben S. Bernanke predicted economic growth would slow enough to tame inflation without slipping into a recession. Oil Prices Climb Again Even though U.S. crude oil inventories are 14 percent higher than the five-year average, oil prices were on the rise again. Crude oil on the New York Mercantile Exchange hit $63.43 a barrel Friday, the highest in two months. Many traders were expecting colder weather to follow a mild November.

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The World Wide Web could spell World Wide Trouble

Look to experts for recommended sites. Consumer Reports, for example, recommends retailers in its Holiday Giving Guide and offers online shopping tips. Shop sites you're familiar with and go with your gut. "If it's too good to be true, it usually is," the Better Business Bureau's Bernas said. "You need to have common sense and, unfortunately, common sense is not so common these days." .

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2006-12-02T04:53:00.000-08:00

Exchange shopping for game watching

It's time for one last weekend of college football fun before we dive into bowl season with sporadic action spliced between holiday shopping. We've got you covered with what you need to see (all times Eastern): Championship Saturday in college football: There are three conference title games - SEC, Big 12 and ACC - but unless USC spills the milk against UCLA (4:30 p.m., ABC), it's unlikely any of those games will change the national title picture. NFL: The afternoon is full of mismatches, but Sunday night should be a treat. The Broncos host the Seahawks (8:15 p.m., NBC) as rookie QB Jay Cutler makes his debut, taking over for Jake Plummer. And by the way, Shaun Alexander is back. He didn't get into the end zone, but cracking 200 yards last week was enough for us. NBA: One of the few decent teams from the Leastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers, visit the Houston Rockets today (8:30 p.m.).

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The millions of Scots who do Christmas shopping with their heads ...

ALMOST 2.4 million Scots will go Christmas shopping financially blind this year, unaware of how much money they actually have in their bank account to splash out on presents - risking a painful financial hangover come the new year, warns Clydesdale Bank. According to its research, 58 per cent have no clue how much they have in their accounts before setting off on their festive spending spree. A worrying 18 per cent are planning to hit the shops this Christmas and only check their balance after they've bought the lot to see what damage they've done. .

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Executive Santas `compete' in shopping spree

For the second straight year, Nvidia chief executive Jen-Hsun Huang can lay claim to the unofficial title of Silicon Valley's not-so-secret Santa. Huang outspent five other executives who competed Friday in the ``CEO Shopping Challenge'', a 20-minute race at a Sunnyvale Target to scoop up gifts for needy Bay Area children. The executives were required to use their own money, not company funds, to buy gifts matching ``wish'' requests. The presents are being distributed through The Family Giving Tree, a Bay Area non-profit group. Huang, assisted by three Nvidia senior executives, was declared the winner, buying 2,395 gifts for $49,971. ``He's Mr. Crazy Shopping Guy,'' said Anne Hohenberger, chairwoman of the Family Giving Tree. ``It was pandemonium in the toy department.'' Huang was followed by SanDisk chief Eli Harari; Applied Material's Mike Splinter; National Semiconductor's Brian Halla; Palm's Ed Colligan, and Silicon Graphics' Dennis McKenna.

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2006-12-01T05:01:00.000-08:00

Thelma still in plaster six weeks after shopping fall

A woman is seeking compensation from a supermarket for an incident in October that has left her in plaster for the past six weeks. Thelma Ball was in Somerfield on Racecourse Road, Pershore, on Friday, October 13 when she tripped and fell over a rug on the floor next to the freezer section. Mrs Ball, of Woodleigh, Middle Littleton, injured both her ankle and her achilles tendon. She required hospital treatment and has been in plaster to allow the injured area to heal, but she says this is making it very hard to carry out her normal day to day activities. .

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It's not in fact the biggest online shopping day

A few years ago, when e-commerce was in its infancy, a new term was introduced: Cyber Monday. It was, the press said, the biggest online shopping day of the year, the web equivalent of Black Friday, and it came the Monday after Thanksgiving, when people returned to work and began doing their holiday shopping online. It was a catchy concept. But it turns out its not really true. Though it is a big shopping day, its not the biggest, and theres no huge significance to Cyber Monday for etailers. This past Monday saw web sales of $608 million, up 26 percent over last year, or about the same average increase for November as a whole, according to numbers from digital measurement company comScore Networks. By comparison, folks spent $434 million online on Black Friday, up 42 percent over last year.

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Only 24 shopping days until Christmas

Have the people on your shopping list been naughty or nice? You can find the perfect gifts this weekend at local holiday bazaars in the Rogue Valley. Dec. 1, 2 and 3 The First Church of God will hold its holiday bazaar from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Dec. 1 and 2, at the church, 2000 Crater Lake Ave., Medford. Baked goods, cookies, candy, pies, homemade items and crafts, along with lunch and refreshments, will be available. Call 826-4480.Rogue Valley Medical Center employees' annual craft fair is set for 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, at 2825 E. Barnett Road, Medford, in the basement entrance of the hospital under the Dubs Cancer Center. More than 40 booths will feature pottery, fudge, soap, scarves, ornaments, decorated books, quilts, pillows, jewelry, woodcraft, wire craft, beading, aboriginal instruments, personalized children's books and more.

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2006-11-30T05:00:00.000-08:00

Dogeared Jewels And Gifts Launches Online Shopping Store

Los Angeles, CA (AHN) - Dogeared Jewels and Gifts, a leading seller of handcrafted jewels and accessories on Tuesday announced the launch of its first direct-to-consumer Web site. The consumer site, which debuts in the company's 15th year, will facilitate Dogeared's loyal customers to have direct access to the collection. "We talk to our customers all the time," designer and founder Marcia Maizel-Clarke said in a business release. "We know about the special events in their lives that Dogeared has been a part of. They weren't asking for an online catalog, but rather entre to our world, where we can share our important moments." Venice, Calif.-based Dogeared said the customers will be able to browse through the store, read company's infamous cards, search gifts by occasion, best sellers, keyword, and color.

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Internet beats high street for Christmas shopping

This year Britons will spend more money buying presents online than they will on the high street in the run-up to Christmas. Brits will spend 55 per cent of their Christmas shopping budget on presents bought online, a new survey by Nielsen/Netratings has found. On average, people will spend 237 online as opposed to 197 on the high street. Around 70 per cent of Brits will buy presents online this Christmas, according to the research. With a record-breaking Christmas for e-tailers on the cards, convenience was cited as one of the main reasons for buying presents online, with 34 per cent of those surveyed citing it as a factor. Twenty-three per cent of respondents said they wanted to avoid crowds while 17 per cent hated the idea of queuing. Alex Burmaster, European internet analyst for Nielsen/Netratings, told silicon.com that Christmas is particularly conducive time to use the internet to shop.

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Shopping center to rise in Capitol lot next year

A group of Filipino-Chinese businessmen in Bacolod City will construct a shopping center at the Capitol lot at Gatuslao Street similar to the popular 168 Shopping Mall in Divisoria, Manila. William Ong, president of owner-developer Bacolod Capitol Hill Land Development Corp., said they are investing about P100 million to develop the property where the "888 China Town Square" will rise soon. He said the groundbreaking rites will be held on Dec. 15 and construction will start in January. The target opening date is in October next year. Ong said they are leasing the 1.2-hectare property, formerly occupied by the Negros Occidental Tennis Association courts, from the Negros Occidental provincial government under a 35-year contract. The two-storey shopping center, which will be constructed on 5,000-square meter area with parking space, will house 165 stalls and a supermarket.

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2006-11-29T04:51:00.000-08:00

WAITS CHANGES SUPERMARKET SHOPPING TACTICS

Singer/songwriter TOM WAITS was forced to change his shopping habits after realising his new neighbours were constantly judging his purchases at the local supermarket. Waits was still adjusting to life in a small town in California and was so keen to stop nosy fellow shoppers from stereotyping him, he began to buy products he didn't even want. He explains, "When I first moved up (here) I felt like an unplugged appliance. It took some time to get used to where I was. "The problem is, at the supermarket, people get very friendly and they want to look at all the things that you purchase and then they want to build a story about 'em. They feel compelled. I hate it. "So now the things that I choose to purchase aren't really things I want, they're only things I think will make a good story or a less embarrassing story.

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Retailers: Shopping with a strategy best approach

If you are planning on shopping at Fox River Mall on Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, you'd better go with a strategy in mind, says frequent mall shopper Marion Maentz. "This is not a day to Christmas shop and browse," Maentz of Appleton said. "Everyone who goes to the mall, knows what they want, what they are going there for." From past experience, Maentz said, "people will literally be running through there." "When I tell people I go shopping on Black Friday, they look at me like I'm a crazed lunatic or need an asylum," she said. "It is completely insane there because of the amount of people in the state the mall serves." John Burgland, senior general manager of the Fox River Mall, says shoppers can expect to be bumping elbows with 85,000 other shoppers during Black Friday, up from the average 70,000 on Saturday during the Christmas season and 45,000 on Saturday during the rest of the year.

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Make holiday shopping easier, start early

Oh, man, am I excited. The Christmas season is here. No question about it. Santa Claus has officially arrived in West Island shopping centres and so, my daughter Gabrielle is eager to meet him. “Tanta Taws!" “Yes, Gabrielle. That's Santa Claus." With every second decoration featuring some variation on the Kris Kringle theme, this can get very old very quickly when we go shopping and Pere Noël is grinning back at me every nine steps or so. I asked her, quite innocuously enough, the other day (of course, those who know me know I don't ask anything innocuously, though.) if she'd like to go see Santa Claus and tell him what she'd like for Christmas. She's a little less than two years old, so how much she knows about Christmas, is frankly, in doubt. What she does know, though, is that she likes toys and loves opening presents.

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2006-11-28T05:04:00.000-08:00

Ikea to trial online shopping

Ikea, the Swedish furniture chain, is to begin internal trials of its online shopping service this week, as it prepares for a pilot launch in the Nottingham area in January. The retailer is intending to charge shoppers £7.50 for delivery of parcel-sized goods and £35 for larger goods, such as sofas or kitchens. .

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Tips for Shopping Online

ROCKFORD -- Long lines, angry customers, and crowded stores. Three things some people look to avoid when they do their holiday shopping. The busiest shopping day of the year, Black Friday, is over and now it's time for 'Cyber Monday,' when millions of people head online to get gifts. It can save you time, but there are things you need to watch out for. The online options are endless. Electronics. Clothes. Food. Jewelry. You name it, you can buy it. The Better Business Bureau offers these tips: Protect your computer by installing the latest anti-spyware and anti-virus software. Be in the right frame of mind. If you're too tired or distracted, you could make a mistake. Trust the merchant. If you don't, visit a different site. And most importantly, visit a site that's secure. Dennis Horton with the BBB says, "And make sure that it says shttp:// or https:// which means that the site you're at is encrypted and secure.

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Doing any 'Cyber Monday' shopping?

There's a lot being written and said about this being "Cyber Monday," supposedly one of the biggest Internet shopping days of the year. USA TODAY's Jayne O'Donnell and Mindy Fetterman reported that last year, Cyber Monday was the second-biggest online shopping day after Dec. 12, one of the last days most sites offered standard free shipping for delivery by Christmas. But MasterCard has said that last year, the day with the highest amount of Web transactions processed was actually Dec. 5, a week after Cyber Monday. Regardless, many retailers want to push Cyber Monday has a must-shop event -- even setting up a dedicated website where special deals are promoted (and a short time ago, the website wasn't working -- perhaps an indication that it's busy?).

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2006-11-27T05:20:00.000-08:00

As online shopping grows, scam artists stalk the Net

SAN FRANCISCO -- The hunt is on. As more shoppers scour the Internet for holiday deals, they're also being stalked -- by scammers. Cyber Monday is today, the kickoff to the busiest online shopping period of the year. E-commerce is expected to hit a record this year, as Web-savvy shoppers and newbies alike hand over more of their holiday budgets to online retailers. Online shoppers spent $79 billion through the first nine months of the year, up 23 percent from the comparable period last year, according to the Commerce Department. Lazard Capital Markets, an investment bank, predicted in a recent report that the trend would continue through the holiday season. But where there are shoppers, fraudsters will follow. Computer security experts said they expected a seasonal uptick in the usual Internet scams, such as fake items auctioned online, unsolicited commercial e-mail, and so-called phishing attacks, in which e-mailings try to trick recipients into disclosing personal and financial information.

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American Shopping Online Exceeds All the Estimates

If today you feel the urge to shop online, you are not alone. Forrester Research predicts holiday online retail sales of $27 billion with today (the first Monday after Thanksgiving) and next Monday reputed to be the busiest days of the year for Internet shopping. These days are variously known as Black Monday, e-Day, and other names suggestive of online shopping. As the story goes, millions of us return to work today and purchase online some of the items we failed to find in shopping malls over the weekend. But in reality, we Americans shop online much more than either our government or even many industry experts imagine. If your boss catches you shopping online, just explain that, as federal statistics reveal, online shopping is mostly for wholesale and business-related activities rather than personal retail shopping.

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2006-11-26T04:47:00.000-08:00

Retailers report Black Friday as strong start to shopping season

NEW YORK // The nation's retailers had a strong start to the holiday shopping season, according to results announced yesterday by a national research group that tracks sales at mall-based stores. One big exception was Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which said it expects to report same-store sales in November below its already lackluster forecast. According to ShopperTrak RCT Corp., which tracks total sales at more than 45,000 mall-based retail outlets, total sales rose 6 percent, to $8.96 billion, on Friday, the start of the holiday shopping season, compared with the same day a year ago. "Although we anticipated a solid consumer turnout for Black Friday, this data shows an even larger increase than expected as consumers proved they were willing to spend," said Bill Martin, co-founder of ShopperTrak, in a statement.

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Shopping Festival times and venues announced

Dubai: The Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF) office announced its calendar of activities for its upcoming 45-day-long combined 11th and 12th festivals, billed as the 'World of Festivals'. Fireworks and a nighttime hot-air balloon show will kick off the DSF on December 20, and the festival will run until February 2. With a core theme of 'One World, One Family, One Festival' the DSF revolves around an eclectic mix of over a dozen festivals - the World Cultures Festival, a Family Entertainment Festival, the Arts and Cultural Festivals, a Musical Festival, the Dubai Fashion Festival, the Sports Festival, a Food Festival, a Records Breaking Festival, the Heritage Festival, a Shopping Malls Festival, the Balloon Festival and a Raffles and Winnings Festival. "DSF 2006-07 will hold many surprises for its visitors," said Saeed Al Naboodah, CEO of the DSF.

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Weather the holiday shopping storm

Maneuvering through a crowded shopping mall on the day after Thanksgiving is kind of like surviving a roller derby track without skates or padding. Sure, you might try to dart around a customer chatting on a cell phone, or cut across oncoming traffic because of a plodding family slowing the wave of shoppers. But then out of nowhere comes an inadvertent elbow to the ribs, or even worse, a sideswipe from an overstuffed cart that turns your sweater into an Orange Julius-soaked dishrag. As crazy as it might seem, the sales-for-sanity trade-off is one millions of Americans make each time they step inside a congested store to grapple over discount pizza ovens and laptop computers. And while "Black Friday" serves as the unofficial benchmark for holiday shopping madness, it's not as if the remaining weekends leading to Dec.

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She's a chic shopping 'Queen'

2006-11-15T01:12:00.000-08:00

ROYAL girlfriend Kate Middleton dresses head to toe in black on a stroll to the shops — but still manages to brighten up a dismal autumn day. Prince William’s beauty, 24, was spotted with a chic holdall in Chelsea, West London. With looks like this it’s no wonder she managed to bag herself a prince. .

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Westfield:Delivering the Ultimate Shopping Experience

2006-11-14T02:29:00.000-08:00

The magic of the season comes to life at Westfield Garden State Plaza where premium customer services are designed to anticipate shoppers' needs, with a dash of indulgence along the way. We invite you to experience the magic of the holidays at Westfield Garden State Plaza in Paramus, New Jersey, easily accessible from Manhattan. Here's a sampling of the pampering in store. Discover the Children will discover the magic of the holidays coming to life this Magic season as they go on a festive holiday adventure. From enchanting icicle lights, swirling snow and glittering ornaments, and of course, Santa, the new interactive holiday décor makes family holiday shopping more enchanting than ever. Greeters Friendly Concierge staff located at multiple entrances will be ready with a smile and a number of special services to make holiday shopping better for you including gift suggestions, directions to stores, assistance with valet parking, complimentary use of Kiddie Kruzzer strollers and wheelchairs, and complimentary package carry out.

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Holiday Shopping? Don't Be Spider's Fly

2006-11-12T04:56:00.000-08:00

You remember the poem by Mary Howitt that starts: "Will you walk into my parlor?" said the spider to the fly. "`Tis the prettiest little parlor that ever you did spy. ... And I have many curious things to show you when you are there." Well, are you like that fly? Are you being lured into spending more than you should for the holidays? .

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Careful shopping can curb investment fees

2006-11-12T04:55:00.000-08:00

Extra costs can be slipped in so many different ways by investment firms that the investor often doesn't even realize it. Some represent valid costs of doing business, but others are tacked on or increased because it can be done so effortlessly. Fees are alive and well in 2006, with some on the rise. But fierce competition is having an effect, with a number of these costs eliminated, reduced or easier to avoid. Your best game plan still is to shop carefully and knowledgeably for the least expensive investments and best loan terms; consolidate accounts in one place if it means better deals from a higher balance; and pay all bills on time with no bounced checks. Bank of America Corp. has eliminated fees on millions of its stock-trading accounts by giving 30 free online stock trades a month to those who keep at least $25,000 with the bank.

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Letters: Sheboygan County needs more national shopping and dining

2006-11-12T04:54:00.000-08:00

My family moved here from southern Indiana about two years ago and we have been extremely disappointed in the lack of national chain dining and shopping available in a community of this size. When we first arrived and I would ask about a certain store or restaurant, everyone just told me, "Oh, you have to go to Appleton (or Milwaukee or Green Bay)." Why should that be acceptable? The town we moved from (Columbus, Ind.) has a population of 39,000 (71,000 in the county). That's about 40,000 fewer people than Sheboygan County, but there is a larger selection of national chain shopping and dining is remarkable. In addition to the national chain restaurants Sheboygan does offer, Columbus has Bob Evans, Captain D's, Cracker Barrel, Ruby Tuesday's, Denny's, Fazoli's, Long John Silver's, Mark Pi's, Red Lobster and Texas Roadhouse, to name a few.

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Top SA online shopping results

2006-11-09T05:12:00.000-08:00

Six months after the launch of shopping search engine Jump Shopping, the first online shopping product results are out - and technology products top the lists in all areas. The search for iPod topped the ranks week after week, and since the launch of Xbox 360, the race for the top word is still on. "The number of searches on Jump Shopping increased month by month, and with 80% of traffic on Jump Shopping generated by excellent Google and search engine rankings, we are more than optimistic that 2007 would be an excellent year for Jump Shopping," says Albert Bredenhann, co-owner of Jump Shopping. The Jump Shopping catalogue is populated with product and product information from various online stores in South Africa on a daily basis, enabling the consumer to search for the best price.

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Christmas shopping starts early online

2006-11-09T03:13:00.000-08:00

UK consumers are starting their Christmas shopping online earlier than last year, according to the latest online retail figures from Hitwise. The market share of UK internet visits to the Hitwise UK 100 Retail Index, the index of 100 of the UK's leading retailers, was up 2% last week over the same week in 2005 and up 6% over 2004. Searches for 'Christmas gifts' have also started rising, up 62% in the last week and up 81% over last year. Heather...Article continues below .

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Highwoods sells shopping center for $10.5M

2006-11-09T02:51:00.000-08:00

Highwoods Properties Inc. has sold a shopping center in Overland Park, Kan., for $10.5 million, the company's top Kansas City official said Wednesday. Highwoods' Barry Brady said the supermarket-anchored center's sale fits Highwoods' strategy of selling noncore assets outside the downtown Kansas City, Mo., retail, dining and entertainment district of Country Club Plaza. .

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