Blog de Puree » Shopping

Random Friday Video: Subtle and Not Subtle Schick Women’s Razor Commercials

paul — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 11:15:56 +0000

Compared to Europeans and European TV, Americans always lean to the conservative side. Often, our sensibilities are downright stodgy. Check out these two fabulous Schick women’s razor commercials, first the American version, then the European version.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Yankee Fisherman’s Coop Will Sell Catches Locally, Like a Farmshare

paul — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:41:04 +0000

This is a new one for me—a fish-share.

The Yankee Fisherman’s Coop of Seabrook, NH will sell locally caught fish to local retail establishments and to any customer interested in weekly shares of shrimp and lobster.

At this time, it looks like they only have shellfish packages for landlubbers like us or 20 pound packages of a broader fish assortment for retail establishments.

I would love to see them offer shares of more than just shellfish for the average shopper. A five pound selection of fish per week would be fantastic! It’s fresh, it’s easier on the environment and we’d be supporting local fisherman who have been fighting an uphill battle against fishing legislation and regulation in the last few years. A win-win in my book. (An added bonus would be a 2 pound selection of sushi-grade fish cuts)

Read more about it in our local rag, The Daily News.

Until then, there are a couple options for super-fresh fish in the area. We recommend David’s Fish Market of Salisbury, MA on Route 1 for a decent selection of fish just off the boat and held in massive holding tanks on their premises. (We’re not sure where they get the fish from, whether it’s local fisherman or beyond.) You can also occasionally get lucky if you’re hanging out at the pier/boardwalk in Newburyport Harbor near the end of the day when some fisherman will walk about trying to sell you fish straight from their catch. (Be sure to ask when they caught it, how it was preserved in the boat and to see the fish first.)

Companies aren’t so “Green” with annoying long receipts

paul — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 01:47:20 +0000

Have you ever been to the store to purchase a couple items only to walk out with a receipt that’s actually longer than the itemized one you get at the super market? Sadly, it’s a trend that’s becoming all too common these day.

Ironically, these are often given to me by stores that purport to be green and environmental, or from places that “pledge” to reduce the cost to customers by reducing corporate waste.

These receipts also have advertisements or appeals to participate in surveys that lure you in with promises of being a grand prize winner in some lame contest or getting a percentage off your next purchase—of at least $1,000. Honestly, how often am I going to drop that kind of dough at Staples and what kind of schmuck would do so just to be entered in a drawing to win a shopping spree?

Here’s a list of stores that give me obnoxiously long receipts and what they purport to do in the name of environmentalism:

Staples. The receipt is long, but the store is committed to a seven percent reduction in U.S. carbon emissions by 2010, starting in 2001 by partnering with the EPA. Seven percent in nine years. Oooooh, you guys are really gunning aggressively for change, aren’t you?
In 2003, Lowe’s installed a solar energy array on the roof of one of the company’s stores in Los Angeles. Michael Chenard, director of environmental affairs for Lowe’s, said, “Environmental stewardship is at the core of Lowe’s operation…” That’s great. Let’s start with not wasting what we already have, such as trees to make paper for your crazy-long receipts.
In 2007, Home Depot started selling, promoting and labeling products that are environmentally friendly. But they’re still going to bury you with enough receipt to insulate your house with
Target has an environmental policy that focuses on waste reduction and energy efficiency. And while they recycle tons of plastic and metal from hangars, it’s not doing anything to save trees or keep my wallet from looking like an overstuffed piñata.
BJ’s Wholesale Club’s corporate community relations page is all about clean efficient energy. And awareness education. The problem with BJ’s is that you can’t get out of the store quickly because some poor slob has to make sure that you’re super-long receipt coincides with what’s in your cart. Do they not trust their cashiers?
Ecoshopper.net blogged that Banana Republic’s parent company Gap is looking into using organically grown cotton for its clothing products. This was in 2007. Wow, you guys are truly environmental front runners. Didn’t they have organic cotton decades ago??
And J. Crew? I couldn’t finding anything even remotely positive about them when it comes to the environment. PETA is bearing down on them for using real fur instead of synthetic fibers and Coop America reports that the company silently supports sweatshop labor. It looks like long receipts are the least of their worries.

The irony here is that I happily admit to shopping at these stores. Sadly, it’s damn near impossible to buy what you need in America today without going to a retailer that has a perfect environmental record from start to finish. But here’s some unsolicited advice to these store executives from an annoyed consumer.

Newsflash to you corporate marketing gurus: You don’t need to advertise to me. I’m already in your store. And I’m there for either a sale or because you have what I’m looking for, not to drop stupid money so I can enter your sweepstakes contest that makes your receipts three times as long. And I’m certainly not going to your website to register all my personal information so you can have marketing information in the name of a “contest.” And if thousands of Americans are doing that, that’s kind of sad.

And here’s a financial question that I hope will make sense to the corporate executives: Think about how much money you’ll save on paper by shortening your receipts?

Ovedia: Amesbury’s secret sweet spot

paul — Sat, 31 May 2008 23:51:42 +0000

Nestled behind the brick building at 36 Main Street in Amesbury is an artisan chocolate shop called Ovedia that is sure to soon be known as Amesbury’s sweet spot.

I discovered the place a week before Valentine’s day in 2007 in a frantic search for sea salt caramels (One of my wife’s favorites) and I didn’t want to pay the stupid amount of money that Crate & Barrel was charging. (And shipping was almost as much as the product!) Granted, my time and options were running short, but I was loathe to throw unnecessary money at big chain stores instead of supporting local merchants. That’s when I found Ovedia online.

It was obvious by the copy on the site that folks at Ovedia see candy as passion, and weren’t in business just to hawk chocolates. Artisan chocolates, no doubt!

I called from work and found out that I would not be able to get to the shop before it closed, so I inquired about delivery. The proprietor asked where I lived and as our house was so close to downtown Amesbury, she offered to drop them off with a note as well. I’m proud to say that I was the shop’s first delivery customer. But whether the shop delivers regularly, I couldn’t say.

Well, the sea salt caramels, with milk or dark chocolate, were a huge success. Every night for about three weeks, my wife would, chew, smack her gums, lick her fingers and thoroughly enjoy her confections while I sat watching her, with my jaw agape and drool slowly collecting at the corner of my mouth. She was almost through the entire box before she finally gave me one. I could see why she didn’t want to share.

Ovedia makes its own candy, as well as some of the best hot chocolate my wife and I ever had. You’ll always see a couple cars parked by the front door—no doubt someone enjoying a cup of hot chocolate or some coffee with a few sweets. Aside from a sure win with Valentine’s Day treats, I highly recommend Ovedia for any special occasion, a perfect hot drink and accompanying treats to warm you on cold days or for a quick morsel to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Grahamgetaways.com opens its doors

paul — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 12:07:46 +0000

One of my college buddies, John Graham, has started an online travel website called Grahamgetaways.com. The website is a Referring Travel Agent site for YTB Travel Network, but operates just like other Internet travel sites such as Expedia or Travelocity.

However, if you peruse Grahamgetaways.com, you’ll find that many of the prices are better than the major operations because of the unique relationship his portal has with YTB. The site offers deals on flights, hotels, vacation packages, cruises, ordering flowers, as well as tickets to sporting events, concerts and more.

In college, John was often the go-to guy when you it was time to organize the gang for weekend getaways, spring breaks and one-day trips. Without the Internet being mainstream in those days, it was scary how quickly he could put a trip together with obscenely fantastic rates. As many of us were on tight budgets, John was a handy guy to know.

So, if you’re looking to book something in the near future, give his site a visit and see what kind of deals you can find. Courtesy of John.

LEGO Turns 50

paul — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:59:27 +0000

I think every American, from Baby Boomers to Gen Y will remember playing with LEGO bricks. I know parents loved them as well—one of the few toys that their children could sit quietly with, while stimulating their fertile imaginations. Well, the official timeline on Gizmodo.com shows that they’re 50 years old today. Here’s to 50 great years, LEGO!

I hope that my son will get the same joy out of them as I did. Now I’m off to the official LEGO website to see what’s new.

Saturday yard sale

paul — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 20:27:59 +0000

In an attempt to get rid of a lot of old and useless junk around the house, we held a yard sale this past Saturday. We did our best to unload our old full-size wooden bed, an Epson computer printer, a golf bag, and a fairly decent amount of miscellaneous home furnishings/decorative accessories, sports equipment, electronics, books and music.

We started on Thursday with Randye doing yard sale research. How to sell and display. How to deal with many of the wackos and yard sale enthusiasts that would no doubt be visiting. How to price what we have so it will sell.

On Friday, Randye gathered supplies, such as posterboard, labels, etc. That evening, we consolidated everything that we wanted to sell downstairs so we could move it all outside fairly easily on Saturday.

On Saturday morning, we kicked things into high gear at about 7:30 after tea, coffee and a quick breakfast of cereal. We started with bringing the larger items. I brought the bed of solid wood out of the basement and we assembled it in the driveway. Then came two display tables and old sheets where we would display everything. Finally, I lugged most of our stuff out of the house while Randye feverishly priced, labeled and displayed them.

Our first potential customer showed up about 20 minutes into our setting up the sale at about 8:00 a.m. She was politely told that we were not ready yet and that we would be open for business at 10:00. “It’s ok,” she told us, “I was just walking by.” She then expressed her interest in the bed and asked if she could give us $20 to hold it for her, until she could come back with a truck to get it. Following rule #3, we politely stated that we could not. (If someone came by to buy it during the sale, we wanted to unload it immediately and we had no way to document our taking her money. All around a bad idea for yard sale business.) She said she would be back, but we never saw her again.

Once everything was just about set up, I jumped into the car and zipped to the end of our street on both ends and a few key intersections to post large yellow signs with arrows to shepherd in potential customers.

(The full view of our yard sale. We maximized on the space in the entire front yard and displayed the bed, fully assembled, in the driveway to draw customers.)

Then we waited. Thirty minutes into the sale, we saw our first potential customer. From that point until 2:30 in the afternoon, people came by in drips and drabs—a car here, a few cars there.

(The front view of the house and sale.)

At the end of the day, we pulled in over $100. A good haul as far as I was concerned.

We never did unload the bed. At $50 for the bed frame and $50 for the mattresses, or $75 for the whole lot, it was already a steal. But we did have many people casually inquire if the price was firm. Well, it sure is. Unless you show up with a truck and some hard cash in hand. Until then, yes, the price is firm. Amateurs!

(Randye sits in the shade and fans herself on what was probably the last hot day of the season. Cash only. All sales are final. She drives a hard bargain.)

With about half of what we intended to sell gone, all that’s left to do is call the Salvation Army to see about a pickup of the bed and everything else. I suspect that the tax deduction for donating the rest of our stuff will be worth more than another $100.

All told, it was a pleasant yard sale experience. We met some interesting people, made some diaper money and stayed true to the axiom, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.”

Firefly stamps for Whedon fans

paul — Wed, 11 Jul 2007 17:27:05 +0000

For many, Firefly is the cult show that just won’t die. For fans like us, thank goodness! For those who follow the Joss Whedon universe, particularly fans of his TV show Firefly and the subsequent movie Serenity, the fun continues with officially licensed Serenity U.S. postage stamps.

Creation Entertainment is now selling sets of 40 stamps for $49.95, for regular use or collecting. According to their website, only 100 sets will be made.

I priced it out and the 41 cent stamps sell for approximately $1.24 per stamp. That’s quite a bit more than the actual value of the stamp, as far as the U.S.P.S is concerned. The blog Whedonesque has also mentioned the stamps and there are quite a few comments about the exorbitant price tag. But they are, after all, collectors items.

Regardless of their relative price and value, it would be cool to send our snail mail with characters and pictures from one of my favorite TV shows of all time.

Full priced phones and lousy contracts? Apple, say it ain’t so!

paul — Fri, 26 Jan 2007 02:12:03 +0000

Please say our worst fears are not true. Please say we’re not going to going to have to pay full price for the iPhone and get saddled with a 2-year contract from an average cell phone company.

According to SciFi Tech columnist Adam Frucci, Apple had the chance to revolutionize the cell phone industry, but instead it seems the company may have taken the low road. Granted, Apple is a company and its business is to make money, like all businesses. And you can’t fault it for monetizing great products like the iPod and iTunes, but at least in that model, both consumers and industry businesses found a happy middle ground and everyone was generally satisfied.

Frucci hones in on the rebate factor within the cell phone industry, where American customers get phones for free and at supposedly less than half of “official” prices and lock themselves into 2 year contracts and pay hundreds of dollars in usage charges. He then notes that Apple knew that customers would have paid full price for the iPhone–from all the hype so far–and they could have sold the phones without attaching them to any particular cell phone carrier. Instead, Apple chose to to make a partnership with AT&T, and it seems that customers like us will have to pay full price for the iPhone and get saddled with a 2-year contract.

Not only that, is it possible that Apple will start a new trend where U.S. cell phone companies start charging full price for the phones AND require 2-year contracts?

Frucci writes, “The last thing we need is for one of the most blatantly anticonsumer industries in this country to start thinking they can rip us off even more. Thanks, Apple. Somehow we expected more from you.”

Maybe I’ll buy the Treo or a BlackBerry after all.

A warm winter’s day in Freeport, Maine

paul — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 19:15:03 +0000

It’s been unusually warm this winter. From a global perspective it’s not out of the ordinary because earthly weather patterns are in an el Niño cycle. It being a nice day, we thought we’d head up to L.L. Bean on Saturday and air ourselves out a bit while enjoying some shopping without huge mobs of pedestrians.

As we suspected, the holiday crush was over and a certain calm lay on Freeport, like a big sigh of relief. Coupled with the warm weather, people moved about without any sense of urgency and were quite amiable. You didn’t have to fight your way through stores. And then there were the post-holiday sales.

Before starting our shopping experience, we took a quick lunch at Morrison’s Chowder House–famous for its clam, lobster and haddock chowders. We enjoyed a cup of lobster stew and a fresh tuna roll. If you’re looking for a quick delicious bite that won’t break the bank in downtown Freeport, this is a great place.

My main mission was to see if L.L. Bean was stocking a particular Stetson-like hat, called the Outdoorsman hat, that had a wider than average brim for spending long hours outdoors. With big landscaping and outdoor recreational plans each spring and summer, I felt it would be most useful and I might even have a chance at looking 19th century chic. I’ve been coveting this hat for over two years since I first saw it, but didn’t purchase it. It hasn’t been available online, and a couple replies from e-mail inquiries to L.L. Bean’s customer service led me to believe the hat was discontinued.

But to my delightful surprise, they had the hat in stock and it wasn’t discontinued. The gamble to make the drive paid off. Oh, happy day! I quickly made the purchase.

Randye had a stellar day too. She came away with a couple pairs of much-needed new pants.

I’d have to say that Freeport is a pleasant day trip when there are no crowds, it’s the off-season and you actually find what you’ve been looking for.