Jos. A. Bank Clothiers Inc. said Tuesday that it has upgraded its Web site just in time for the busy holiday season.

The new site has larger images and allows shoppers to zoom in on the fine details of its suits. The new site also allows customers to have their orders shipped to a store and pay through the Bill Me Later service. Shoppers can also now take advantage of sales once only offered in Jos. A. Bank stores.

(Baltimore Sun file photo)

Continue reading "Jos. A. Bank men's store unveils new Web site" »

Posted by Andrea Walker at 11:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: online shopping
        

We wrote yesterday that Walmart.com was selling for $10 popular books that are due out in November, including the memoir by Sarah Palin.

Well, Amazon didn't want to be outdone and matched the price, only to have Walmart come back quickly and lower the price to $9. Now, Amazon has the books at $9 too. Shew!

The two sides seemed to have come to a truce at that $9 price for now. But we'll keep watching to see if the prices come down anymore.

Find out more information about it at the Read Street blog.

Posted by Andrea Walker at 4:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, online shopping
        

Amazon.com is now offering same-day delivery in seven cities, including Baltimore and Washington.

You have to be an Amazon Prime member to take advantage of the service. (Prime members pay $79 for an annual membership that gives them certain shipping perks.) Items have to be ordered by 10:30 a.m. on the day you want delivery. Shoppers will even be able to order last-minute gifts on Christmas Eve this year.

The new service is great for last-minute shoppers, say if you forget somebody's birthday. It also gives the online retailer an advantage during the holiday season. One of the downfalls of shopping online is you have to order it far enough in advance that it will get delivered in time.

Amazon has also expanded Saturday delivery options. Items ordered on Thrusday using two-day shipping will now be delivered Saturday instead of Monday. This shipping service is free for "prime members.  Normal shipping rates apply for others.

Posted by Andrea Walker at 11:53 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: online shopping
        

Macy's is having its fourth annual "Shop For a Cause" event at its stores and online this Saturday.

The department store chain is allowing charities to sell $5 shopping passes that consumers can take to a Macy's store on Saturday and get discounts such as 20 percent off purchases. All of the proceeds will go to the charities. Consumers can buy the passes now at Macy's stores and from its Website Saturday.

 Look up participating charities at www.macys.com/shopforacause.

Posted by Andrea Walker at 10:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Shopping, charity, online shopping
        

Savvy retail reporter Andrea Walker told you about ShopGoodwill.com earlier this week --- an easy way to hunt for thrift store bargains from the convenience of your own computer.

In honor of Consumer Web Site of the Week, here's a few other recessionista shopping options I found through ShopSmart Magazine (via Consumerist):

Sales of clothes and accessories from ShopHousingWorks.com supports Housing Works, a nonprofit that provides housing for homeless AIDS patients.

SomeLikeItVintage.Com is the online site of a Toronto-based resale shop.

With the HousingWorks and Goodwill sites, you can not only get a great deal on gently worn or sometimes even new clothing, accessories or other items, but you also support valuable causes. Plus, the charities benefit too, because these online auctions help them garner perhaps higher prices for items that would be exposed to just a limited audience in a brick-and-mortar thrift store.

Any other charities flogging their items online? Got a favorite way to keep your wardrobe looking chic while saving your pennies? Please share!

Posted by Liz Kay at 11:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, online shopping
        

Walmart.com said Monday it is allowing other retailers, such as http://www.ebags.com/ and http://www.csnstores.com/, to sell products from its website.

The products can be found under "Wal-Mart Marketplace," a new section on the Walmart website.

The launch will give consumers access to 1 million more items on the site.

Purchases from the other retailers will be handled by the Walmart.com checkout process. The other retailer will manage the order, including shipping and handling, customer service and exchange and returns.

Photo: Courtesy of Associated Press

Posted by Andrea Walker at 11:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: online shopping
        

Maybe I'm a little slow, but today I learned today that Goodwill Industries, the non-profit known for its thrift shops, has its own online auction site, much like Ebay.

Shopgoodwill.com, which launched on Aug. 31, 1999, is celebrating its 10th birthday today. Since then it has posted its fifth millionth item and made $75 million in funds for job training programs.

 The site features items from Goodwill's 166 agencies across North America. More than 30,000 items are for sale at any given time. Items include music, jewelry, handbags and other apparel, electronics, toys, hardware, furniture, antiques, books, rare paintings and collectibles. There is no fee to bid.

Some of the more unique items sold include a 1927 Martin 5 K soprano ukulele, a Mercedes and a Bose subwoofer. The site gets more than a million page views per day.

I recently wrote about thrift stores becoming more popular for frugal-minded consumers these days. Perhaps the Goodwill auction site is another alternative for cheap shopping.

Posted by Andrea Walker at 10:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: online shopping
        

Do you find yourself editing your shopping cart --- grocery or online --- more often given the state of your wallet?

Brick-and-mortar stores are littered with more detritus created by fickle consumers who pick up items but then talk themselves out of the purchase as they are waiting at the cash register, according to the Associated Press.

And more people are failing to complete their checkout online, adding things to their cart but then never getting around to completing the purchase, the story states.

The phenomenon is compounded at retail stores that have fewer employees to gather the rejected products and return them to their proper homes --- leaving toiletries languishing on the candy displays and clothing strewn around the racks of accessories near the cashier.

Now, in this era where many stores fail to put price tags on items, customers are often forced to use the cash register for price checks --- or hold back a few indulgences until they see the total. I say it's nothing to feel guilty about, if it protects your bottom line. After all, they don't want you to reshelve books at the library, either, right?

However, if you have changed your mind, it's probably a little bit more considerate in a regular store to hand your unwanted items directly to a clerk instead of dumping it.

Here are some general tips to limit the last-minute rejection and impulse purchases before you reach the checkout:

Continue reading "Abandoning items at the store" »

Posted by Liz Kay at 8:41 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Cheap/Frugal, Shopping, online shopping