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.
Few people would make the case that we should encourage gambling. But what if gambling could be used as a ploy to improve road safety, recycling, school attendance, the financial well-being of citizens, and society as a whole?
Wouldn’t your kids love it if the Easter Bunny brought them a real live bunny this Sunday? While the idea of giving a rabbit on Easter sounds adorable, a nonprofit pet rescue organization is trying to talk parents out of it.
Throughout the worst of the economic crisis and a post-recession era bogged down by uncertainty and high unemployment, consumer spending on pets remained strong. In surveys, owners said they refused to spending on their dogs during tough times, and overall pet spending seemed to increase by at least 5% annually like clockwork. Recently, though, signs [...]
According to one estimate, 60% of all Valentine’s spending occurs in the five days leading up to and including the holiday. That means we’re in the prime Valentine’s spending period right now. Here are some more factoids related to February 14—a big day for Cupid, and for quite a few businesses.
All along, skeptics said that the enormous success of daily deals couldn’t be sustained in the long run. And indeed, in recent months, the industry appears to have suffered some setbacks. Roughly one-third of all deal sites disappeared last year, because they were either purchased or closed down. This week, Groupon shares dropped 15% after [...]
Now that the New England Patriots and the New York Giants are set to play in Super Bowl XLVI, the hype for the “Super rematch” of the championship from four years ago can begin. (Where is David Tyree these days anyway?) The hype for the game, though, may pale in comparison to the noise being [...]
A new report estimates that the average American worker drops nearly $1,100 annually on coffee. That’s not much less than what the average worker spends to commute to the job.
Every year, in addition to the battle between the two teams on the field at the Super Bowl, there’s a battle among advertisers to see which company comes up with the most memorable, most brilliant, and most hilarious commercial. This year’s big game is still two weeks away, and yet an ad from one automaker [...]
Wanna hang a stocking for your cat? Or wrap a new rhinestone collar and place it under the tree so your dog can open it on Christmas morning? Knock yourself out, say psychologists.
The death of a loved one is traumatic enough. The scenario of late typically involves difficult decisions and costly medical expenses—followed by a potentially costly ceremony and burial. Increasingly, though, families are cutting expenses by choosing cremation, which costs less than half of the price of a traditional burial.
