I have never used Groupon but I have definitely taken advantage of travel deals from TravelZoo e-mail blasts and dinner discounts. Actually I just discovered blackboard eats and VillageVines this year (they both offer discounts off your bill).
Over the holidays, I received a photography class as a gift from my parents and I had a really good time (despite the fact that I was using a point and shoot and everyone else had $1,000+ professional cameras!). I never would have thought to sign up for it but I learned a few new tricks and took great photographs.
Some of the discounted daily deals are really random things that I would never use. For example, I once saw a discount for a professional closet organizer for $100+ which was a little bit ridiculous to me. I am a neat freak and I would never pay someone to organize my stuff! Yet, a lot of the restaurant deals sound appealing. The fact that Groupon changes it's deals so often is nice because I think it lures new customers in. Trying something that you would not normally try and paying 1/2 the price sounds like a plan. A lot of my friends have tried things on Groupon and recomended them to me. I found my old hairstylist through a friend that used a Groupon deal at a hair salon. I don't know if I could ever buy something on one of the sample sale sites like Gilt unless I knew my exact size because when I shop I like to see it in person and touch the material or try it on etc. However, dinner discounts never fail!
Hopefully, I'll get a bit more adventurous and try something out of the ordinary!
Monday, May 16, 2011
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Global Fashion: Spotlight on Hong Kong!
On a recent trip to Hong Kong, I did some serious shopping! There is one district in Hong Kong where I find myself falling in love with trends from all different parts of Asia. The area is called Causeway Bay. There is a huge department store from Japan called SoGo as well as tons of little shops that import clothing from Korea and Japan.
I took a picture of an adorable little shop that sold jewelry and accessories with the cutest pink decorations. I find that the Asian culture enjoys cartoons, stuffed animals and anything with rhinestones (oh and of course HELLO KITTY).
I bought a blue button up t-shirt from Korea as well as 2 jackets and 5 pairs of shoes! I could have spent the whole day shopping but I had other things to see and do. I love the fact that you get access different trends from surrounding countries in Hong Kong because when I traveled to Tokyo a few years ago I found it fascinating to see how dressed up all the women were. They dye their hair, wear tons of makeup and always walk around in high heels. I also loved visiting harajuku to see how all the teenage girls looked in real-life. They had some really interesting outfits and were happy to pose for pictures.
However, in New York, you can shop at many stores which have global fashion trends but in Hong Kong it is so fun because you are shopping near the source (China) where nearly all garments and shoes are made!!!
Ladies Market for example, had tons of bootleg Tory Burch shoes and handbags for tourists. However, I never purchase fake items because aside from being illegal the quality is always terrible and often not even real styles of what is actually produced.
By the way, over 70% of the worlds shoes are made in China. Another interesting fact: Luxury designer items often hide the fact that items are made in China: How do the brands get away with this? Some hide the “Made in China” label in the bottom of an inside pocket or stamped black on black on the back side of a tiny logo flap. Some bypass the “provenance” laws requiring labels that tell where goods are produced by having 90 percent of the bag, sweater, suit or shoes made in China and then attaching the final bits — the handle, the buttons, the lifts — in Italy, thus earning a “Made in Italy” label. Or some simply replace the original label with one stating it was made in Western Europe.
Made In China on the Sly
I took a picture of an adorable little shop that sold jewelry and accessories with the cutest pink decorations. I find that the Asian culture enjoys cartoons, stuffed animals and anything with rhinestones (oh and of course HELLO KITTY).
I bought a blue button up t-shirt from Korea as well as 2 jackets and 5 pairs of shoes! I could have spent the whole day shopping but I had other things to see and do. I love the fact that you get access different trends from surrounding countries in Hong Kong because when I traveled to Tokyo a few years ago I found it fascinating to see how dressed up all the women were. They dye their hair, wear tons of makeup and always walk around in high heels. I also loved visiting harajuku to see how all the teenage girls looked in real-life. They had some really interesting outfits and were happy to pose for pictures.
However, in New York, you can shop at many stores which have global fashion trends but in Hong Kong it is so fun because you are shopping near the source (China) where nearly all garments and shoes are made!!!
Ladies Market for example, had tons of bootleg Tory Burch shoes and handbags for tourists. However, I never purchase fake items because aside from being illegal the quality is always terrible and often not even real styles of what is actually produced.
By the way, over 70% of the worlds shoes are made in China. Another interesting fact: Luxury designer items often hide the fact that items are made in China: How do the brands get away with this? Some hide the “Made in China” label in the bottom of an inside pocket or stamped black on black on the back side of a tiny logo flap. Some bypass the “provenance” laws requiring labels that tell where goods are produced by having 90 percent of the bag, sweater, suit or shoes made in China and then attaching the final bits — the handle, the buttons, the lifts — in Italy, thus earning a “Made in Italy” label. Or some simply replace the original label with one stating it was made in Western Europe.
Made In China on the Sly
Saturday, April 23, 2011
How to make a few extra bucks: Consignment 101
The catch phrase from SecondTimeAround is "Recycle your unwanted clothing and start earning money today!" Now consignment is certainly not a new concept but I think that it is becoming more popular because people are getting more and more into recycling/reusing everything.
Usually, I try to clean out my closet 1-2x per year. I analyze each item of clothing and ask myself: does this fit me? is this style still popular? will I wear this again? If the answer is no to any of those questions then I usually I chose to donate. I have a few cousins or family friends that are younger than me and would probably fit into my old clothes so that is option #1. Then, if that doesn't work out I usually donate to salvation army or something along those lines.
This year, I happened to be walking around shopping and I found this great store that was selling near-new used clothing but really upscale designers. I figured it would be worth a shot to consign considering the items I was going to give away were Tory Burch, Lilly Pulitzer, Ralph Lauren and BCBG!
Well, it was a great decision - I made over $100 and I still have a few more months to continue to consign. It is a great idea so check out the site for more details:
SecondTimeAround
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Same price but less product?
Recently, an article from The New York Times mentioned that many companies are putting less products in their bags/packages but keeping the prices the same in order battle price increases. Is food inflation here? The article mentions one shopper who said she began inspecting her other purchases, aisle by aisle. Many canned vegetables dropped to 13 or 14 ounces from 16; boxes of baby wipes went to 72 from 80; and sugar was stacked in 4-pound, not 5-pound, bags, she said.
Being in the CPG industry, I can relate to this. We have taken price increases on certain items in order to keep up with increasing costs related to the raw materials. Although it's not that noticeable in household goods, I think when people are grocery shopping for food items it is more obvious. Companies aren't going to advertise that the prices are staying the same but customers are getting less. However, there are "creative" ways of marketing the new changes such as promoting the fact that snack sizes may be more healthy a.k.a. 100 calorie packs or emphasizing how the packaging may be more green and smaller etc.
Kraft's CEO even mentioned that the company must closely watch the rise in commodity prices. Whether they introduce smaller packages, smaller serving sizes or begin lowering costs across the chain there is no doubt that companies will start to be more conscious about costs and portions in each item they sell.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
How much do millennials crave feedback?
Today I read an article mentoring and millennials where the author mentioned how millennials crave feedback. If you don't know exactly who millennials are, read on...
By definition:
The Millennial Generation, born between 1977 and 1998, are the latest generation to enter the workplace. They are 75 million strong in size and are characterized as being self-confident, focused on learning and moving up quickly, team-oriented, well networked, and technologically savvy.
I agree with the fact that because we are new to the workforce we want feedback. However, I think that trait can be applied across different generations. We are much more socially connected and obsessed with updates and instant feedback i.e. facebook vs. other generations. I think we do crave feedback and I personally find it easier to find mentors that are baby boomers because they are parental figures in the workplace. Whereas a gen x may be more competitive or less open about sharing insights or advice.
One-on-one mentoring is extremely valuable and I think our generation has a lot to teach!
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Texting and Walking: Fail
New Yorkers are forced to be aware of what is going on around at all times. There are dangerous streets to cross, people walking around, people in motion on bikes, skateboards, scooters etc., people walking dogs, and hazards on the ground (pot holes/unpaved streets) just to name a few obstacles. However, being aware doesn't equal being safe. I admit that sometimes I get brushed by people if I am trying to text while walking but if I ever feel like I can't do both safely, I just stop walking and go into a corner and finish my text.
The fact that a woman fell into a fountain is just sad. What has the world come to? We need to be accountable for our actions. I think it's dangerous to multitask so much to the point where your vision or your capability of remaining alert is compromised: texting and walking, driving and talking or being distracted in general. Technology is advancing quickly but I think people get caught up in it. We are all human and to think that this lady didn't even glance up to see what was in front of her long enough to see that there was a huge fountain is a mistake on her part. We have to learn to utilize technology and media in a way where we are not loosing focus of the most general abilities such as walking.
I'm sure one day there will be an app where you will be alerted if you are about to walk into a fountain or get hit by a car!
The fact that a woman fell into a fountain is just sad. What has the world come to? We need to be accountable for our actions. I think it's dangerous to multitask so much to the point where your vision or your capability of remaining alert is compromised: texting and walking, driving and talking or being distracted in general. Technology is advancing quickly but I think people get caught up in it. We are all human and to think that this lady didn't even glance up to see what was in front of her long enough to see that there was a huge fountain is a mistake on her part. We have to learn to utilize technology and media in a way where we are not loosing focus of the most general abilities such as walking.
I'm sure one day there will be an app where you will be alerted if you are about to walk into a fountain or get hit by a car!
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