The Power of Retail

The latest trend in the US is small things! US drivers are not only switching to smaller cars but also to smaller TVs. The shipments of LCD TVs saw a 52% rise which was mainly due to sale of smaller TVs in the 19, 22 and 32 inch screens. According to research firm DisplaySearch, there was a 28% increase in shipments of all types of televisions over the previous year.

Since the switch over to digital broadcasting is happening next year, many consumers have begun to upgrade their old TVs and have traded them in for smaller and more affordable versions. According to Paul Gagnon, of DisplaySearch, “We had expected a shift to moderate screen sizes, but we did not expect overall volumes to increase that much.”

The number one manufacturer of TVs continues to be Samsung, which holds a flat-panel TV market, with a 18.9% market share, rising from 14% in the first quarter. Sony is the second largest manufacturer of TVs and has a market share of 10.4% in the flat panel TVs market and 11.7% in the LCD market.

Popularity: 100% [?]

Besides reading, I’ve also been getting back to another old favorite pastime of mine…arts and crafts. With our last move, I ended up losing all of my craft supplies, and I never had time to start collecting all the things again. In the past few months, I have really begun to enjoy spending time on creating fun stuff and have spent time online looking for the right supplies, such as the right paper, airbrush tools and so on. Now what I have to do is get a shelving unit to store all these items and to ensure that I don’;t lose them in the next move, whenever that might be!

Popularity: 99% [?]

I’ve been on quite a roll with my reading these past few months and am thrilled about it. I recently finished reading Fareed Zakaria’s The Post-American World and found it to be a very engrossing read. I started reading books on current affairs a few years ago when I read Longitudes and Attitudes by Thomas Friedman. Since then, I have become hooked to reading this genre of books as well books on economics, social behavior and culture such as The World is Flat, Freakonomics and Why we buy? Other than travelogues, this has become my favorite type of reading.

Popularity: 99% [?]

While the Internet has been a great service to the world of communication, I think its power of finding information is even better. No matter what you are looking for, you are sure to find some information about it on the Internet, anything from mesothelioma to buying the right garage doors and much more. This one thing has changed the world and completely changed the way we live and work. The concept of looking through an encyclopedia or dictionary for information has now become so outdated and almost obsolete. I wonder what changes the Internet will bring about next. I find it extremely interesting to see how these things occur and become part of the mainstream over time.

Popularity: 93% [?]

Border’s new concept store in Texas opened in Allen. The store is spread across two floors and has several interactive features on offer in the travel, wellness, cooking and other sections. There is a large mural on three walls in the children’s section done by Colin Thompson, which is a definite look at even if you don’t have your kids along. The store has a large section on Manga comics and has a large consumer electronics section, which was put in after the company conducted research on that their customers wanted. So now, consumers will be able to burn their own CDs, create audio books and learn the art of making picture books. There is also a self-publishing kiosk at the store.

Popularity: 34% [?]

The trend for shopping for baby products has been shifting from large stores to smaller and more niche stores lately. For a lot of people, being able to buy crib bedding, a changing station and monogrammed blankets from a small boutique makes it a very special and loved experience, that is not always possible in larger stores. Another difference is that smaller stores are now being rather competitive with their prices and since the focus is often the quality of products, they are ending up as winners in the long run. People buying things for their children want to make the shopping more of an experience since it is a special time, and stores like babyearth are able to do just that.

Popularity: 30% [?]

Shoppers in North Texas put up with bad weather to stock up on back-to-school products, clothing and other items on the state’s first day of its 10th annual tax free shopping weekend. Even though the crowds weren’t too huge, retailers hoped to do some brisk business in the course of the weekend. All purchases of clothing and shoes and other selected items under $100 will be exempted from state and local taxes during the weekend. According to the Texas comptroller’s office, shoppers will save an estimated $54 million in shopping this weekend.

Popularity: 33% [?]

Admit it, there’s nothing like having salon hair all the time, isn’t there? For a lot of people, it’s a nice treat to go to a salon and have your hair done professionally, but it can never be often enough right. the next best thing is having the professional tools at home, so you can create the look yourself. Don’t panic, it’s a lot easier than it sounds, so instead of having visions of burnt and frazzled hair, think how amazing it would look once you used a pink flat iron to create a salon styled look!

I think it’s a great way to replicate the styles, and where at one time all professional products were made only for use by professionals, these flat irons are made to be used be regular people at home, and are really simple to handle. We’ve all had the run of the mill styling products that look so generic, but with these pink flat irons, your hair is sure to get a bit of pizazz and end up looking fabulous.

Since these products are made with the finest products and latest technology, they are very easy to use and handle even for novices. The newer design of these flat irons means that there is a limited strain on the hands and wrists during use, which will be an added bonus from all the use that you going to put it through!

Popularity: 33% [?]

It has been found that consumers who regularly buy organic food products are significantly open to trying out new things than regular shoppers. The study conducted by Mindset Media and Nielsen Online, found that marketers of brands of organic products don’t necessarily have to target these customers in organic magazines or TV shows but can reach them across networks and websites, as they appeal to the open mindset of this segment of consumers.

According to Sarah Welch, COO and co-founder of Mindset Media, “Marketers that have organic products can certainly go offline and advertise in places like a yoga or green magazine. But niche print titles tend to reach 90[,000] or 100,000 people. When you start to understand that what makes someone interested in organics is a mindset–then you can reach millions of people with that mindset with a simple online buy.”

Popularity: 35% [?]

With the economy slowing down as much as it has lately, there are some really great deals out there on all kinds of vehicles, especially the more expensive gas guzzling SUV variety of vehicles. So it might just be a very good time to buy a car, although you don’t really want a gas guzzler, I’m sure. Along with great prices on vehicles, you will also likely get some great deals on an online auto insurance quote if you search for companies who provide such a service online. This is a really great way to find a competitive rate, and probably one of the best ones out there in the market these days. Save your money for high gas prices instead!

Popularity: 28% [?]