What do chicken thighs, home safes, used SUVs, temporary tattoos for pets, American sperm, and Asian-American egg donations have in common? Lately, consumers have demonstrated a curiously high level of interest in these goods and services, along with a few other random ones.
Millennials came of age with the flourishing resale markets on Craigslist and eBay. They’re accustomed to what’s been called the “disposable culture,” in which goods are commonly discarded even though they’ve barely been used. Right now, they’re also fairly likely to be broke due to some combination of unemployment, underemployment, and/or student debt. All of [...]
Last year, we lamented how costly proms were: According to a Visa survey, the average prom attendee wound up dropping $807 on photos, limos, hair and makeup styling, tickets, and of course, a dress or tuxedo. Fast-forward to this year’s prom season, and an $800 tab seems cheap.
Together, these forces cause normally smart consumers to skip key steps in the buying process—namely, pausing to think about how much the item is actually worth, and shopping around.
Yesterday morning, Target began selling clothes, accessories, and home furnishings from its new Missoni for Target collection. To say that Target’s collaboration with the Italian fashion house has been a hit is putting it mildly. Many stores were sold out by 9 a.m., and a surge of online shoppers caused Target’s website to crash. Inevitably, [...]
The list of ills being blamed on the fashion industry includes sweatshops, child labor, the worldwide culture of greed, rampant consumerism, warped self-images, eating disorders, pollution, water shortages, “spiritual and psychic damage,” and even pornography, divorce, and teen suicide. And who’s doing the blaming? Of all people, a fashion editor.
PennyChic.com shows readers how to put together stylish outfits at Walmart. But seriously. Walmart? Shauna Miller says it’s actually not as bad as you think.
Now through August 11, Neiman Marcus is offering an extra 30% off when you purchase one sale item, and an extra 40% off when you buy two or more sale items—meaning the total discount sometimes adds up to 75% off the original prices. Also, use the promotion code AUGFS to get free shipping on all [...]
For eons, the concept of keeping up with the Joneses fueled people’s desires to acquire the markings of wealth and show them off. With the rise of the Internet, the Joneses aren’t just next door or around town—they’re everywhere. And considering how easy it is to create an identity online, the countless Joneses you’re subconsciously [...]
Why do some jeans retail for hundreds of dollars more than, well, what a typical pair of jeans should cost? The consumer opting for the “premium” product is paying extra for American materials and labor, fancy embroidery on the pockets and waistbands, and, of course, a brand logo that, subtle or prominent, is strategically designed [...]
Research shows that in the post-recession era, wealthy Americans are more inclined to wait for items to go on sale before making purchases. Brand names mean less to them, marketing has less influence as well, and the number of well-off shoppers who say they trust salespeople has plummeted. In other words, the rich today are [...]
