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Consumer news

February 08, 2012

Amazon to open real-world store this year: report

Amazon doesn’t need any PR bumps, but let’s give it one anyway, shall we?

My favourite Amazon story goes like this: one weeknight in 2010, I caught a late-night showing of The Social Network. Certainly, it was the year’s best movie, and so inspired was I that I came home and said, Hey, I oughtta read the book that was made from.

So sometime after midnight, well into the a.m., I placed an order for Ben Mezrich’s “The Accidental Billionaires.” Before the end of the next work day, it was at my door.

I’m not a paid Amazon advocate, just a fan of its convenience. So why, then, would a service as punctual as the web retailer actually open its own bricks-and-mortar store?

Posted at 12:36 PM in Consumer news, Current affairs, Shopping | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

February 10, 2012

Woman caught selling fake Facebook shares in Wisc.

The Facebook IPO, unlike Facebook itself, isn’t for everyone.

It’s investing, it’s complicated and, more importantly, it’s not even here yet.

No, despite everyone knowing about the social network’s public offering, some aren’t aware bits of Facebook won’t actually be for sale until the spring.

That’s a dangerous combo, then, considering one woman’s recently been going around selling what she claims is Facebook stock.

Posted at 12:03 PM in Consumer news, Current affairs | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBack (0)

February 07, 2012

Walmart expanding big in Canada ... thanks to Target

Last spring was supposed to be Research In Motion’s grand hurrah into the tablet sector.

In May, though it was a bit late to the party already, RIM was finally to unveil its PlayBook, not only the answer to the iPad but rejuvenation for a company that’s BlackBerry market share had started to wane.

Well, what happened? Ahead of the PlayBook’s Apr. 19 release date, Apple swooped in and rushed its iPad 2 to stores by Mar. 11 (Mar. 25 in Canada), completely undercutting the RIM tablet and stamping out any momentum it hoped to build up.

What’s the point? American retailer Target, as you know, is coming to Canada next year after much hullabaloo, so Walmart, of course, is hoping to go all iPad 2 on ‘em.

Posted at 12:48 PM in Consumer news, Current affairs | Permalink | Comments (23) | TrackBack (0)

January 31, 2012

Watch for the Valentine's Day scam that'll empty your wallet

We all know Valentine’s Day is a nonsense holiday, a venture in commercialism more egregious than even what Christmas has become by 2012.

Of course, it’s also a terrible punch in the gut for singles and widows each year, which is why this story is just that much nastier.

As if Valentine’s Day wasn’t rough enough, now the lonely have to watch out for scams designed to tug on both their heartstrings and purse strings.

And if you’re not careful, the prospect of romance might just leave you swindled this year.

Posted at 12:28 PM in Consumer news, Current affairs, Scams | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

January 30, 2012

A look at Super Bowl ticket prices through the years

The worst-kept secret in sports may revolve around Super Bowl tickets, which advertise a face value but usually sell for two, three, four times that figure.

This year, certainly, will be no different: tickets for Sunday’s game in Indianapolis technically cost between $800 to $1,200, but only a select number of fans get the chance to buy them for that.

Instead, provided you’re not a Colts season ticket holder, league sponsor or other VIP, your charge for going to the Super Bowl this year should came at an average clip somewhere between $2,800 and $3,623, according to new reports from StubHub and Ticket Exchange.

That’s a lot, but how does it stack up against prices from Super Bowl’s past?

Posted at 12:26 PM in Consumer news, Current affairs, Sports | Permalink | Comments (2) | TrackBack (0)

Is there any difference between renting a condo or an apartment?

A lack of apartment building construction combined with a glut of new condo construction has given birth to a new kind of landlord who buys one or two condo units and rents them out, the Ottawa Citizen reports.

While rents may barely cover mortgage, tax and other expenses in certain markets, the hope is that the rental income evens things off bit until the unit increases in value.

Fair enough, but are you sure you want to be the one paying the rent? First off, rents for condominium apartments are anywhere from 30% to 40% more than traditional rental apartment buildings -- in the GTA, at least.

You’ll likely get a newer (albeit smaller) unit and, in many cities, you’ll have better access to the downtown core. But tenants who rent a unit in a condominium complex and are used to the standard leases of traditional apartment buildings, may be in for a few surprises.

Posted at 02:30 AM in Condominiums, Consumer news, Homes, Real estate | Permalink | Comments (17) | TrackBack (0)

January 25, 2012

Charity donations picked up in 2011: report

If you’re like me, who’s tasked with scouring financial headlines and articles all day, you really have no idea what shape the economy is in.

Well, you see the news. You know. Every story contradicts; one step forward, two steps back, another ahead to bring things even.

So what I’ve found is, since the recession’s outset in 2008, it takes a story that makes layman’s sense to put the economy in perspective.

Like this one: if you want proof things repaired last year, consider that people gave more to charity in 2011 than they did in 2010.

Posted at 01:12 PM in Charities, Consumer news, Current affairs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

January 24, 2012

Starbucks to serve beer and wine at some U.S. stores

Let’s brainstorm together: if there is one place on earth where people linger too long, where is it?

Starbucks!

Indeed, there are few social meeting spots as cliché as the coffee chain, yet still it persists, Starbucks being the place you want to be if your desire is to be seen in public typing on your laptop, studying for an exam or wearing a cashmere scarf with glasses absent prescription frames.

Business-wise, having people spend incredible stretches of time in your outlets is a big money maker for Starbucks, though in the U.S. the franchise has found a way to lure customers in for even longer.

Posted at 10:46 AM in Consumer news, Current affairs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

January 23, 2012

Walmart launches 'American Idol'-like contest for products to win placement in its stores

When a company gets as big as Walmart, how does it stay fresh?

From a consumer standpoint, Walmart is nothing coveted – even in the department store sector, it has zero of the cache a name like Target does – and from an activist viewpoint, the retailer is reviled, the corporate giant that ruins communities, not helps them.

Of course, Walmart can simply look down on its detractors from Mt. Dominance, but you get the sense the Ark.-based store wants more. It wants to be loved.

Well, here’s a way the retailer can get a little buzz. Walmart has just kicked off a contest called “Get on the Shelf,” an American Idol -like campaign where small-time products compete for placement on Walmart’s shelves.

Posted at 01:45 PM in Consumer news, Current affairs | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBack (0)

January 20, 2012

Will the iPad become the universal textbook of the future?

Late last year, we discussed an intriguing story about Apple, the company that was in the push toward a new, lucrative sector.

According to New York Times, Apple, under the reign of CEO Tim Cook, was to become the new name in corporate communication, supplanting RIM and turning businesses from using BlackBerries to using iPhones.

Certainly, if Apple could corner the corporate market, that’s a big win, though the Cupertino-based tech giant isn’t done yet.

The latest market Apple wants to dominate, as the company announced today, is the textbook biz.

Posted at 11:52 AM in Consumer news, Current affairs | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

AUTHORS

Gordon Powers

A long-time fund company executive, Gordon Powers now heads up the Affinity Group, a financial services consulting firm. Gordon was a personal finance columnist for the Globe & Mail for many years, has taught retirement planning...

Jason Buckland

The modern-day MC Hammer of money, Jason can often be seen spending cash that isn’t his with the efficiency of a Wilt Chamberlain first date. After cutting his teeth as a reporter for the Toronto Sun, he joined the MSN Money team with...

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Consumer news

February 08, 2012

Amazon to open real-world store this year: report

February 10, 2012

Woman caught selling fake Facebook shares in Wisc.

February 07, 2012

Walmart expanding big in Canada ... thanks to Target

January 31, 2012

Watch for the Valentine's Day scam that'll empty your wallet

January 30, 2012

A look at Super Bowl ticket prices through the years

Is there any difference between renting a condo or an apartment?

January 25, 2012

Charity donations picked up in 2011: report

January 24, 2012

Starbucks to serve beer and wine at some U.S. stores

January 23, 2012

Walmart launches 'American Idol'-like contest for products to win placement in its stores

January 20, 2012

Will the iPad become the universal textbook of the future?

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