Online Shopping
The New ShopSheBoutique.com: Site Review
The Lowdown: Finding what you’re looking for while shopping online has always been something of a challenge. After all, thumbing through racks of clothes and trying on some of your finds is pretty much impossible with online shopping. ShopSheBoutique.com understands the issue, which is why they have recently re-launched their popular retail website that is super user-friendly and easier to navigate. So did they succeed? Let’s check it out.
Our Review: Here’s how it works—ShopSheBoutique.com breaks down its thousands of products into three major categories for shoppers who feel like browsing: What’s New, What’s Hot, and What’s On Sale. For those of us who already have a good idea of what we’re looking for, the site also organizes clothing by designer or category as well. For those who enjoy a little more visual inspiration, the site features a Lookbooks page with dozens of ideas for pairing different pieces together. ShopSheBoutique.com also features a continually updated Twitter feed full of information about the clothes your favorite celebrities are wearing, along with its own blog that keeps readers in-the-know about the latest products coming in stock. The diversity of designers available through ShopSheBoutique.com is actually pretty impressive. The site offers everything from Catherine Malandrino puffer coats for a whopping $995 to Ksubi skinny jeans, on sale for just $90.
It is important to note that ShopSheBoutique.com is the retail space for the SHE Boutique in Chicago. And based on the company’s overall branding—SHE stands for She Has Everything, after all—the website does a great job of staying close to the stylish, sophisticated aesthetic that the SHE Boutique is known for. The clothing that is available at ShopSheBoutique.com isn’t the kind you’d wear to the beach or in downtown Hollywood. Rather, it’s the sophisticated style that one might wear in, say, New York or Chicago—which makes perfect sense.
Our Verdict: We are iffy about this one. Many of the pieces available on ShopSheBoutique.com aren’t exactly cheap—since name brand designer clothes rarely ever are—but they still happen to be a bargain compared to what you’d be paying elsewhere. And because ShopSheBoutique.com only stocks clothes that fit in with its sophisticated, stylish aesthetic, you can be sure that nearly anything you look at on the site will be fashion forward enough to wear during a night out in the city.
Shop H&M Online Soon
What: We’ve got a special place in our heart reserved for H&M, and now that we may be able to shop for our favorite diffusion lines and trends online…well, we’re in love. Rumor has it that H&M will launch an online storefront for the US. To date, Americans have to purchase everything in store.
What They Say:
H&M would prove to be stiff competition for some of our favorite online vendors, such as Forever21, Topshop, and especially Urban Outfitters, as the potential site could not only serve up its affordable styles, but their covetable accessories as well.
What We Say: Watch out Forever 21, you’ve got company! This could be the great “fashion equalizer”, as we all know that the type of merchandise available at H&Ms vary widely between locations. We’re way excited about this possibility, but we’ll wait to jump for joy until everything’s confirmed.
Are you a big H&M fan but you don’t live near a store?
Bargain Hunters Go Online
What: Instead of combing the sales racks for discounts and deals, more and more shoppers are going online to compare prices and take advantage of free shipping and other incentives. A new survey conducted by Cotton Incorporated found that 73 of women have browsed for apparel online, while 20 percent of women said they “regularly” buy some of their clothing on the web and 5 percent said they do “most” of their shopping online. To keep up with the demand, brands like Quiksilver, Levi’s, and Saks Fifth Avenue are increasing their online presence by joining social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
What They Say:
“Women are considering their purchases very carefully these days, and that thought process starts before they even begin shopping online,” said Melissa Bastos, Manager of Market Research, Cotton Incorporated. “But retailers have stepped up their online marketing campaigns, with discounts and other incentives to encourage skittish shoppers to complete their purchases.”
What We Say: Who isn’t shopping on the web these days? With online-only discounts and easy price comparison tools, it’s easy to save money and check out a variety of styles that may not be available in your hometown mall. If nothing else, we’re surprised that the statistic about 20 percent of women “regularly” buying clothes online isn’t higher.
Check out our Coupon and Deals section for great online coupons and deals.
Don’t Fall for False Coupons
What: If you’ve ever gone to a store with a coupon in hand, ready to save some money, and then discovered your coupon was faulty or expired, you’re not alone. According to a survey by Harris Interactive (commissioned by CouponCraze.com), 95% of shoppers have found themselves in this situation. But instead of ditching the purchase entirely, 72% of that group will go ahead and lay the extra dough down. Same sort of statistics go for online shoppers and online coupons, but with 57% vs 72% following through with the purchase.
The best ways to avoid overpaying for items is to go with online coupons over printable coupons (as you can often find a replacement if something doesn’t work out), and to ensure the coupon discount is applied before you checkout - not afterward. And once you’re stuck with a crappy coupon, don’t give up! Forget the purchase, or shop around for an item with a cheaper price tag.
What They Say:
“Purchasing items at full price despite attempts to save money encourages the distribution of faulty coupons, which not only wastes consumers’ time and money, but also leads to frustration that can unjustly and negatively affect online retailers.”
What We Say: Ouch…we gotta wonder how much money we’ve lost over the years, reluctantly buying stuff we thought was going to be a lot cheaper, thanks to an expired or faulty coupon.
Ever happen to you? (It’s okay, you can admit it…)
Swaxy.com: Site Review
The Lowdown: We were just saying the other day that what we REALLY needed was a shopping site that featured bikini clad girls with fake parts and belly-button piercings. Oh wait, that wasn’t us—it was the group of college frat boys at the next table ... and that’s exactly who Swaxy.com is aimed at. Well, all men if you want to get right down to it. How else can you get them to want to shop, right? Um, sure.
Our Review: Okay, we’ve already basically told you up front what this site is all about—shopping “deals” presented by sexy scantily clad spray-tanned girls in very Maxim-appropriate poses and videos supposedly intended to highlight must-have items like, oh, an NFL Universal Remote Control Football for $17.99.
Yes, we get that we’re not the target demographic here, but at the same time, we’re not really sure what to make of this. I mean, stereotypically speaking, guys love electronics (which is the main focus on the merchandise on this site) and guys love hot girls in bikinis. But it’s not as if there’s not enough of that available out there to make this site really all that tempting, in theory. Particularly when, upon looking a little closer, there seem to only be about 12 items available for purchase, the listings for which take up a whole lot less space than is devoted to the Q&A page for the girls (filled with scintillating information like the fact that one girl’s favorite item of clothing is a black satin bustier, and another girl who’s most embarrassing moment was losing her bikini top at the beach. Sigh.).
The Verdict: Uhh, let’s see—how about a Nay? Look if you must—what you do on your own time is none of our business—but as a shopping site? Even if it’s intended to be tongue-in-cheek, it’s just silly.
Shoppers Get Creative with Coupons
What: Clipping coupons from a newspaper is so last year. The newest trend in recession-era shopping is group coupons, which can be found online—at sites like What’s the Deal, Groupon, and LivingSocial’s Visual Bookshelf on Facebook—and used anywhere from clothing stores to fancy restaurants and spas. After signing up online, customers get daily emails about special coupons for retailers in their area, which they can then print out and use.
What They Say:
“From our perspective it seems to be a real paradigm shift in the amount people are saving, and their behaviors and habits are shifting a bit. People are more cognizant in wanting to take part in a deal,” said LivingSocial co-founder Tim O’Shaughnessy. “Local merchants are thinking of how can we bring customers into the doors. We marry those two together.”
What We Say: Group coupons are a great way to save money and find out about new restaurants or shops you may not have heard of before. Just be sure not to buy products you wouldn’t otherwise need, since some “great deals” can actually make shoppers spend more money in the long run.
Wal-Mart: the New Amazon for Apparel?
What: Dirt-cheap clothes. Check. Celeb fashion collabs. Check. Monopoly on the online shopping market? Getting there. Wal-Mart has just expanded its site to include one million new items, including apparel. The twist is the new inventory is from outside retailers. Like this $19 clutch from eBags.
What They Say:
Retail consultant Burt Flickinger III said Wal-Mart can use online sales as a growth area, especially considering how the company’s stores have saturated much of the U.S. market. He said Wal-Mart also can draw online customers from the European continent and South Korea, where it no longer has stores.
What We Say: Hey, anything that makes online shopping easy and affordable is very much welcome around these parts. We guess it’ll take a long time before we think of Wal-Mart as an online shopping search engine, but we’ve no doubt the retail giant will get there if it tries hard enough! Thoughts?
Burglers Troll Social Networking Sites, and You May Pay the Price
What: If you use social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, you could pay for it with a higher insurance premium. “Leading insurer Legal & General” has given a head’s up to us all about this in a recent article explaining how burglars target those who share information about their travel plans online. Insurance companies might start grilling us about whether or not we’re members of social networking sites, as they decrease our privacy and increase the risk of us getting burglarized.
What They Say:
Plans being considered by Legal & General include questioning customers about whether any of their family members belong to any social networking sites. But yesterday privacy groups accused insurers of using the popularity of social networking sites as an excuse to increase premiums.
What We Say: We’d hate to pay higher insurance rates just because we tweet and update our Facebook statuses. However, this is a gentle reminder to keep tight-lipped about travel plans until they’re all said and done. It’s never a good idea to advertise that you’ll be out of town on the World Wide Web. Remember, it’s easy to customize your privacy settings on all these sites, so there’s really no excuse for putting your safety at risk!
FREE- The Best Sites to Score Free Stuff
Nothing in life is free - or is it? When perusing the web for free stuff, you’ll find yourself in a never-ending abyss of half-truths. Sure, you can get a free $500 gift card to Macy’s - but first you have to subscribe to Netflix for five months! You know the drill. Well, there are some select freebie sites that not only feature 100% free attire and accessories, but also are easy to make sense of and navigate. We’re serious; no hidden costs, no selling your soul to the devil…just really cool, really free stuff.
SilverJewelryClub.com
This sounds-too-good-to-be-true site features four free pieces of sterling jewelry at a time, with new items popping up every 15 minutes or so. Rings, earrings, and pendants are the main offerings. And they’re truly free (besides the cost of shipping and handling, that is). The catch? Well, there really isn’t a catch. The jewelry manufacturers behind the site - Peoria.com - just hope you’ll fall in love with their craftsmanship, and spread the word to other would-be customers. Now that’s the kind of marketing we can all appreciate.
Craigslist.org
You could very well furnish your entire apartment for $0 with Craigslist. Narrow down to your city from the main home page, and check out the “free stuff.” Browse recent listings, or search for specific items of clothing. If you don’t mind hand-me-downs, then you’re liable to find some pretty amazing additions to your wardrobe here.
SwapStyle.com
It’s the self-proclaimed Online Fashion Swap Party, where fashionistas from around the globe gather to give and get. Although you must pay $10 to join (in order to become ‘address verified’), using the site is totally free from then on. If you’ve got clothes you no longer want or need - and we’re fairly sure you do - then don’t give them away to Goodwill just yet. See if you can trade them in for something better here. Accessories, shoes, cosmetics, and general apparel are all available on the site.
FreeCycle.org
Similar to Craigslist, the much-loved FreeCycle simply connects people who have stuff to give away to people who want stuff in the same communities.
Thunderfap.com
It’s a super mixed bag here, but definitely worth checking out from time to time. From free sample packs of toiletries to free tacos at Jack In the Box, you just never know what you’re going to get - there is a “Sample Clothing” category you can investigate, but it’s slim pickings at the moment.
WeeklyFreebie.com
As you might have guessed, WeeklyFreebie has one batch of free offers per week. Maybe you’ll discover a free museum pass or set of Ziploc bags. There’s no telling what kinds of goodies you can score here, so check back every week if you’re dedicated to saving as much cash as possible.
FreeMania.net’s Freebie Gator
FreeMania is in its own right, a well-known freebie site, but its freebie aggregator - or “gator” - is especially handy. In a jiffy, find out what’s being give away on top sites like FatWallet.com and Freebies 4 Mom.
Wal-Mart’s Sample Site
Saving you money - Wal-Mart’s at it again! Right now, you can try to quit smoking for free (with a sample of Nicorette gum) or smell good, specifically like Bodycology’s Raspberries & Cream Body Lotion, for free. For a store as diverse as Wal-Mart, it’s a clever idea to keep checking its sample site.
Beauty.com’s Sample Center
This is a great find if you’re looking to give a few new perfumes or lotions a try, but all kinds of beauty products are featured here.
FreakyFreddies.com
Just about every day, this site is updated with a hefty hodgepodge of freebies, samples, and even sweepstakes. Very well regarded among the Internet’s top bargain hunters, FreakyFreddies may not always offer up complimentary beauty products or apparel, but there’s probably at least one item per week that you’d buy anyways.
FreeStuffTimes.com
While there’s nothing particularly unique about this site, it’s one of the first and most trust-worthy of its kind, and it’s updated frequently.
What freebie sites can you add to this list?
L. L. Bean Gets a Modern Look
What: L. L. Bean, the clothing company known best for its monogrammed backpacks and outdoor-gear, is updating its look. Beginning in March, the company will introduce L. L. Bean Signature, a more modern collection featuring tailored linen blazers, buffalo plaid shirts, camp jackets, and madras shirtdresses with prices that are expected to be nearly the same as L. L. Bean’s traditional collections.
What They Say:
“Chris Vickers, a vice president in charge of L. L. Bean Signature, said the prices have not been determined but that you can expect a woven shirt to cost $50 to $70 and a sport jacket about $200. The biggest difference from the classic sportswear will be a fit that is closer to the body.”
What We Say: Call it camping chic. As more companies enter the outerwear market, it makes sense that L. L. Bean would look to diversify its offerings with an updated collection. We just hope they don’t stray too far from the company’s traditional aesthetic. But $200 for a sport jacket may be a bit out of our range.
Trackle.com: Site Review
The Lowdown: Now that we’re all hopelessly dependent on the Internet to function in our day to day lives (okay, maybe that’s a slight overstatement, but you get the point) the next big thing in websites seem to be those that send us alerts on all the information we need without us even having to actually search the web. That’s the idea behind Trackle.com, which emails or texts you updates in a variety of categories—everything from entertainment, to travel, to real estate, to crime in your neighborhood. Oh, and shopping—which is why we’re bothering.
Our Review: Right out of the gate, we were frustrated—viewing this site on Internet Explorer, it all looked fine but after we created our account and tried to add things to track, we hit a dead end. Turns out, at least on this day, the site only worked properly in Mozilla, so keep that in mind. Moving on ...
The site itself is a little over-whelming, to be honest. When you read the “About Us” section, it’s clear those behind it are more techie than lay-person ... apparently the service is “advanced algorithms that provide a layer of intelligence.” Um, we haven’t thought about algorithms since 11th grade algebra, so, again, moving on ... All we really want to know is does the site work. We added some “tracklets” to our account, and we liked that under the “shopping” category we found coupon tracklets that allowed us to pick categories and specific retailers we want alerts from, including lots of our budget favorites like Forever 21, Banana Republic, New York & Company, and more. We also like that if we refer friends and they join, we get credits that add up to gift cards to save us even more.
The alerts themselves? We signed up for e-mail only, and within 15 minutes we had e-mails with coupon codes for some of our favorite sources including Drugstore.com and Beauty.com. Nice.
The Verdict: We’re all about being alerted to the latest deals without having to lift a finger. The site is a little broad and slightly confusing on first glance, but once you’re set up, it’s a Yea.
Yahoo Search Pad: Review
Okay, we have to admit—we were a little perplexed at first as to how the Yahoo Search Pad (now in BETA) would be any different than cutting and pasting websites and notes into a document or notepad on our own computer. But as anyone who’s done any kind of research online knows—whether for work, planning a vacation, a purchase, etc.—keeping track of where the heck you’ve been and making sense of the information you’ve found can be a challenge (and bookmarking favorites isn’t really all that helpful in the long run). Enter Yahoo Search Pad. Yeah, it doesn’t sound very impressive, but bear with us here ...
Our Review: Here’s the lowdown—Yahoo Search Pad is the kind of online research organizer we’d have invented, if we were that organized. It’s actually incredibly simple—start your Yahoo search, then open the Search Pad function, which will appear on the upper righthand side of your search screen.
We went for “pencil skirts”—we actually do research on stuff like that—and the Search Pad did all the work. Well, a lot of it. Search Pad remembers what sites you’ve clicked on and automatically transfers the link into your notes, complete with screen shot to help jog your memory when you look over your list after clicking on, oh, 62,000 or so sites. You can delete any you like, but for those you keep, simply click in the field to add your own personal notes. Rearrange with a simple drag and drop. Save as many lists as you like. E-mail them to a friend—or yourself—with a click or two. Seriously. It’s our new favorite toy. Er, we mean tool.
The Verdict: A Big Yea. We love anything that makes our shopping—or research—more efficient. It doesn’t cost a thing either. We do recommend checking out the quick tutorial before you start.
The New Shopbop.com: Site Review
We’ve long been fans of Shopbop.com at TBF, as a source for picking up designer clothes for less (which isn’t a necessity, but certainly eases the bottom line for the designer-addicted among us). We have to admit though, we haven’t always been fans of their site design. Apparently, Shopbop wasn’t either, and—to the great delight of those of us who peruse these sites as part of our living—decided a redesign was in order. But is newer really better? Let’s see.
Our Review: A good sign? Looks like Shopbop took cues for their redesign directly from user comments, which is always a good place (maybe the only place) to start. Another good sign is that they didn’t just plop the new site online with no explanation—navigate to the site and you’ll find a welcome page that guides you through all the changes, and even includes some of the user comments that inspired them. Nice to see a retailer actually responding to its customers. We like.
And the changes themselves? A big improvement. One of our beefs (and apparently a sentiment shared by lots of users) is that in each category, you would get a tiny window of items that you had to them scroll down endlessly through, without being able to sort in any logical way and suffer through frequently painfully slow scrolling to boot. Now, you can shop and sort by size, price, brand, so that you see only what you are ACTUALLY looking for.
The sites “Lookbooks” feature has it’s own place now—with more special editorial features to come, and a new addition, “Shop Your Style,” features five “mini-boutiques” sorted by style—Bohemian, Casual Chic, Classic, Edgy, Girly—to help you find pieces that suit your own preferred personal look.
Honestly, we still feel like the site is a little too bulky—selection we love, but there are so many tabs with so many choices that it’s a little overwhelming. However, easier scrolling, bigger pics, and some nice special features make this overhaul a step in the right direction.
The Verdict: Yea. If you do happen to check it out, Shopbop is asking for feedback on the new design as well, so be sure to let them know what you think.
What to Buy at a Dollar Store
There’s nothing like a good dollar store, but how do you know if what you’re getting is really a bargain or just junk? The September Issue of ShopSmart Magazine gives us the answers, with a great story on what one should, and shouldn’t, buy from the local dollar store. Here’s some tips:
What to Buy at the Dollar Store
Based on the unit price, these items are steals at the dollar store.
* Heavy-duty Aluminum Foil: At 3 cents per square foot, the dollar store can’t be beat on price.
* Gift Wrap: Dollar stores had the cheapest price at 2 cents per square foot versus 17 cents at one grocery store. But, skip the tissue paper. It’s more expensive at dollar stores.
* Cotton Rounds: For something used everyday to remove makeup, the savings could really add up over time.
* Party Supplies: Gift bags, ribbon, greeting cards, decorations and balloons are all great buys.
Hit or Miss at the Dollar Store
These items tend to be similarly priced at the dollar store and other retail locations.
* Birthday Candles: Some dollar stores had the cheapest price while others had the highest.
* Brown Paper Bags: Dollar stores tied with most other stores except CVS, which charged more.
* Composition Notebooks: Find these for 1 cent per page at dollar, discount and grocery stores.
* 16 Ounce Plastic Cups: Prices at dollar stores were among the cheapest at 5 cents per cup, but these cups could be found for a good price elsewhere.
* Napkins: At ½ cent per napkin, they are cheap at many stores.
* Security Envelopes: Most stores sold a box of 40 for 1 dollar, so buy these anyplace except CVS which charges 6 cents per envelope.
* Foam Plates: 8- or 9-inch foam places could be found for about 3 cents a plate.
What to Avoid at the Dollar Store
ShopSmart tested these items in their labs and found many of them fell short of safety standards.
* Dangers to Kids: Even with warning labels, party favors and toys with small parts should be avoided as they can become lodged in a child’s throat. Also avoid bottles containing potentially harmful substances. For example, bubble-blowing liquid in containers that look like soda bottles and baby bottles, do not have a label to identify the liquid for Poison Control in case a child drinks it.
* Fire Hazards: Skip tiki torches (they can catch on fire) and utility lighters (even if they have a “child-proof” latch). Novelty lighters can also be a hazard if they are mistaken as a toy.
* Electrical Products: Extension cords, lamps and other items may have fake UL labels vouching for their safety.
* Medication: Aspirin and other meds can be on shelves long past their expiration date.
* Vitamins: Some dollar store multis do not have the amount of nutrients listed on the label.
* Kids’ Jewelry: Older products containing high lead content might still be sold in dollar stores, even though they were recalled in recent years.
Urban Outfitters On Your Phone
What: Urban Outfitters has gone mobile. Very few retailers offer up cell phone-friendly sites, so this took a bit of initiative. M.UrbanOutfitters.com joins the ranks m.Target.com, m.WalMart.com, and some others, but it’s an area that’s definitely underdeveloped. On the mobile site, you can build a wish list, find a store in your area, and of course shop for stuff - and even track your orders later on. This, of course, is in addition to the SMS texts that alert you to specific deals. Seems the majority, if not all, of Urban Outfitters’ inventory will be readily accessible on your phone.
What They Say:
“At the core of the Acuity platform is a preference engine that ensures users see products and content that is relevant to him or her. We call this Spot Relevance. “
What We say: About time, no? We’re surprised it’s taking this long for retailers to hop on board the mobile bandwagon. If you’ve got a blackberry, iPhone, you’ve got an app for just about anything - except for shopping possibly. Hey, if your favorite stores aren’t mobile, you’re kind of out of luck. Maybe that’s a good thing… hard enough to limit our spending!
This got us thinking about the future of shopping - as we shop online more, it’s just natural that we’ll start shopping on our phones, too. (Your boss won’t know what you’re up to.)
Are there any mobile shopping applications you already use and can recommend?
Kohls.com: Site Review
Oh, Kohl’s. We always have such high hopes for you, as you add designer lines (Vera Wang, Dana Buchman) and what should be fun and interesting brands and collections (Daisy Fuentes and Elle). And yet, we end up coming away either disappointed or with an overwhelming sense of “eh”. Still, we’ve seen glimpses of good stuff (shoes and handbags aren’t too bad, actually) and so we keep hoping. One way to keep tabs? Stop by Kohls.com and see what’s new—maybe online shopping is the way to go ...
Our Review: Kohl’s site design leaves us feeling about the same way as the retailer in general—it’s not remarkable, but not exactly terrible either. All we really expect from a major mid-level retailer’s website is pretty much what we get here—highlighted daily sales and tabs for each major category (women’s, men’s, you know the drill). Sort by item, brand, sale, etc.
Daily deal items and frequent shipping deals (sometimes requiring a coupon code) add value to shopping online here—and you can sign up for e-mail alerts to have the latest deals sent directly to you—but what it boils down to is that the offerings are the same. We dig the Candies shoes and the Dana Buchman accessories, and it’s handy to be able to pick up kids’ clothing and household items while you shop for your summer handbag. But we can’t help but feel like the whole thing could just be better. Period.
The Verdict: Nay. Again, not terrible, but nothing interesting enough to make us clamor to shop here.
Tigerbow.com: Site Review
We’ve seen all kinds of shopping sites, but Tigerbow.com is kind of a new breed, and we’re not sure how we feel about it. Here’s the deal: you want to send someone a gift, but you don’t have their address. You do, however, have a virtual address, in the form of e-mail, Twitter, Facebook profile, etc. At Tigerbow.com, that’s all you need—pick your gift, supply the virtual address, select a payment method, and Tigerbow does the rest. Which could be handy, or could be stalkerish, but we’re not here to judge the senders—just the site.
Our Review: Well, when we went on the site we were greeted with a bare-chested David Hasselhoff (on a greeting card, natch) which didn’t exactly make us feel all warm and fuzzy about our first visit. Pressing on, however, we perused all the categories, including flowers, food, books, movies, etc., on readily visible and easy to navigate tabs for quick navigation. The selection is limited, though in the FAQ the owners of the site say that they’re hard at work adding more stuff all the time. Good plan.
The prices? A bit high for some things, like food items ($74 for a Popover Kit Basket Deluxe, in which the recipient still has to bake their own popovers? Hmmm.). Other items, like cards, books, and movies, are more reasonable—meaning comparable to what you’d pay at the local Target or Walmart—but having said that, we can’t think of any person we’re following on Twitter at the moment that would need a copy of Danielle Steele’s latest tome. But that’s just us.
The Verdict: For ease of use and innovation, we’ll say it’s a Yea, but with reservations. We’d like to see more varied (and creative) gift choices, but all in all, if there’s someone you’re Facebooking with that you simply MUST send flowers to, Tigerbow.com makes it easy.
IMShopping.com: Site Review
One of the biggest challenges of online shopping is that you are, in every practical sense, on your own. You can search items to your heart’s content, and read every description word by precious word, but if you have a question, or don’t know exactly what you’re looking for? You’re out of luck. But not at IMShopping.com, where they boast “human assisted” shopping. At least that’s the theory. Let’s see if it checks out.
Our Review: First things first—at first glance, the site is not as navigationally-friendly as we’d like. Confronted with a list of recent random questions and answers on various shopping topics and some visual clutter, we really weren’t sure where to start.
Since we’re in the business of shopping, however, we pressed on, and soon realized that this is not a shopping site per se—it’s a community site that helps you figure out where to get what you’re looking for. Okay, so the “shopping” part of the “IMShopping” moniker confused us, but moving on ...
Once we got a handle on what the heck we’re doing here, we, naturally, clicked on over to “Clothing and Accessories” to see what other shoppers are looking for. A whole lotta things, as it turns out—from someone seeking cute AND comfortable sandals to a shopper on a quest for Ed Hardy clothes, to a bride-to-be wondering if she should wear a tiara for her wedding. Sooo, that last one is not exactly a shopping question. In fact, much of what we saw were not shopping questions per se, but more opinion/recommendation questions.
All of which seemed a little broad for us, until we really got in the swing of it. Posing a question about where to purchase pretty colored bras on a budget, we found some interesting related questions about finding hard-to-fit bra sizes, etc.—all of which had at least one seemingly-helpful answer from an “expert”—which convinced us this might be a useful stop after all. Especially when our question was answered in about 10 minutes complete to links with some inexpensive options. Nice!
One bonus: register and you can get paid if you have provided the best “expert” answer (usually a buck each, but free money is free money).
The Verdict: Yea. Here at The Budget Fashionista, we’re all about community and sharing information with our peeps—so we can easily get behind a site like IMShopping. Though, since it’s not technically a “shopping” site, we STILL think the name is misleading ...
RedTagCrazy.com: Site Review
Okay, after spending waaay too much time navigating shopping sites that are trying to be everything to everybody, RedTagCrazy.com is a welcome respite. One item at a time please. Too minimalist? Maybe not, because one great item for an unbelievable price is worth far more to us that an offering of 6,000 mediocre pieces that should only cost half of what they’re asking . . . So does RedTagCrazy do it right? We aim to find out.
Our review: It’s so simple we may have to make up stuff just to fill the space (that’s a joke)—but here’s how it works: one item, on big discount (50-80% off), limited number, go. It stays on the page until the stock is sold, and gives you a progress bar to show you how many are left, and how long they estimate the sale to last. Once the item is sold out, the next item is posted, and the process starts all over again.
Obviously, this isn’t a site you shop when you need to pick up that (insert current dream item/wardrobe necessity here). It’s as hit or miss as it gets, but if you are a die-hard sale shopper or have a bare bones budget, it’s worth a look. You won’t waste a lot of time because you’ll know at a glance if the current item is anything you’re even remotely interested in. Even better, sign up for alerts by browser, IM, e-mail, mobile phone, etc. and you don’t have to seek the deals out, they come to you. And if you, like most budget sale shoppers, like to dish about your latest buy—or anything else—there’s a “chick chat” and blog for member participation, and contests too.
The verdict: Yea. No fuss, no muss—just potential savings that are clean, quick, and totally straightforward. We like. One caveat—we would always maintain that buying something on sale does NOT make it a bargain—be sure you’re comfortable with the price and it’s something you actually really want/need. It’s not a deal if it hangs unworn at the back of your closet NWT, natch.
Shopflick.com: Site Review
Based on the name alone, we’d have thought Shopflick.com might be a source for the latest movie star looks (and hopefully with no movie star budget needed). But while there is a celebrity focus, Shopflick actually is an outlet for indie (read: independent seller) fashion goods—connecting shoppers with indie sellers with an emphasis on—you may have guessed this—video. Plus you can create your own collections, share videos, and for sellers, create your own online store, use video commerce widgets, and more. Confused? Well, there’s a lot going on, but we’re going to sort it all out. We hope.
Our review: It took us a little while to get our heads around this site, because there really is so much going on. TOO MUCH GOING ON. But here’s the deal—there are two ways to use this site: as a shopper and as a seller. Looking around, the site is potentially a great way for indie sellers to get their goods out there. Not only are you listing items, but you can use video clips to tell sellers more about yourself and your products, giving you face time with a potentially limitless number of consumers. As a buyer, you have access to all kinds of cool, indie goods—even if you happen to live in the middle of the corn belt instead of New York City.
But, that being said, we’re budget shoppers, and while we always love a shot at something truly unique, can we afford it? Well let’s just say, overall, the stuff ain’t cheap. On the first page of “Women’s Clothing” we tally three dresses over $700. And a scarf for just under $600 (clearly we’re not at TJ Maxx anymore). On the same page, this Hera dress is listed on sale for $98, but the picture only shows the skirt (between waistline and knee-length hem, from what we can tell). Um, we’re just not feelin’ it. Time to find our way to the sale page, which we do . . . and find some slightly less painful pricetags, like this really hot Stop Staring! Vogue Glamour Blush dress, on sale for $119.25, which is slightly more palatable though still not cheap. And then there’s this Beard Head Knit Cap Pirate Edition, for $24.99. We have no idea what the point of this is, but at least it’s under $30. Sigh.
The verdict: We hate to say it, but for our purposes? Nay. Were we an indie vendor or high budget stylistas, we’d be on it like Lindsey Lohan on an energy drink—but as budget shoppers? In this economy? For the buyers, it’s good for a fun splurge but we just don’t have the disposable cash right now . . .
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