A voucher program can boomerang on consumers who think they’re going to get bargains. Ellen Roseman
Wacky Wednesday a door crasher event
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Back to the old fashioned door crasher specials at Moms-to-be-and-more. The dynamic baby store will have specials every summer Wednesday between July 6 and August 24, 2011. Take a look.
No contrition as Bell pays $10 million fine
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Bell Canada has agreed to pay a penalty of $10 million for making misleading advertising claims — but it insists that it has done nothing wrong. Bell has agreed to stop making claims which misstated fees for many of its services, including home phone, Internet, satellite TV and wireless.
Lunch time at Scenic on Eglinton
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At the Scenic on Eglinton condominium site at Eglinton Ave. E., work has progressed to the next level of the parking garage. This will be, we believe, the second of three. Work continues at a brisk pace as the developers hope to be open next year. Here we see the seldom idle work force having lunch on Tuesday.
“Social media over-rated as a retail tool”
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According to a survey released in Toronto this morning retailers who focus on getting their product and services messages out on Facebook and Twitter are probably spending time and effort in the wrong area. This is the word for word conclusion from a well known retail consulting firm KubasPrimedia. Kubas has an impressive list of clients including the LCBO and Shoppers Drug Mart. The survey of over 1,500 consumers on their retail shopping habits and store preferences revealed they preferred to check out a company’s website for shopping pre-planning. More from their release: “Social media, like Twitter and Facebook, has been heavily hyped in advertising and promotion circles,” said Ed Strapagiel, Executive Vice President of KubasPrimedia. “MMRR (major market retail report) shows that retailers and product manufacturers who are relying on social media to sway consumer purchase decisions may be misguided.” Here is the full release.
Thorntons in UK closing 180 stores
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The huge UK chocolate retailer Thorntons has announced that it is closing 180 stores and converting many others to franchises. Thorntons stores numbered as many as 600 in recent years. The company acknowledges that changed business conditions and to a certain extent changing tastes have hurt business.
Padmore sisters help team win silver medal
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Two East York women, Clare and Kathryn Padmore (left and right) have played with distinction on the Canadian Women’s Ball Hockey Team in Bratislava, Slovakia. Kathryn, the goalie and younger sister Clare, a forward, helped the team win Silver in the World Finals late last week. Both girls have played for Leaside teams earlier in their careers with ball hockey coach Christine Pellerin. The team was matched up against Slovakia for the Gold, with both teams owning a 0-0-4 record. The Canadian girls lost 1-0. It was a heart breaker but the whole of Canada can be proud of these world class players from Canada, and the Padmore girls from right around home.
Impatiens bloom at Chai on Bayview
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There’s nothing Impatiens like better than warm weather and shade. So these guys newly planted outside Chai On Bayview are fat and sassy, as Impatiens go. The weather for the entire week looks just great. Seasonal temperatures between 22 and 25 Celsius are just right. Take a walk up our way soon, will you:?
15 assailents in Bayview-Eglinton mugging
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A mugging incident involving as many as 15 assailants has been reported by a 16 year old boy who was walking near the corner of Bayview Ave. and Eglinton Ave. It happened in the early hours of Saturday morning (1.10 am) and the complainant was accompanied by another person who the police report calls “a friend”. The complainant reports that he was punched about the face by a lead suspect. One suspect removed the victim’s I-Phone. The suspect produced a hand-gun and threatened the victim’s friend. The suspects fled the scene in an unknown direction. Victim sustained minor injuries and, say police, will seek his own medical attention. Police are requesting the assistance of the public in identifying the following described person in connection with this offence. The police description is: “Suspect #1: Male, black, 15-19 years, short black curly hair Mohawk style, stocky build. Suspect #2-#15: Male. NO FURTHER DESCRIPTION AVAILABLE.”
New Shoppers a cosmetics showplace
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The new Shoppers Drug Mart on South Bayview is a great asset to the street. But it also throws into sharp relief the amazing battle for the cosmetic dollar. This knock down drag ’em out fight has been underway for a few years. The main combatants are The Bay, Shoppers Drug Mart, Holt Renfrew and Sears, not necessarily in that order when it comes to getting an upper hand. The new Shoppers has a wonderful array of cosmetics and scents ranging through Lancome, Clinique, Clarins, Shishedo, Lise Watier, Guerlain, Biotherm, Stila and Chanel and Prada Fragrances. For the young there are hot lines like Smashbox, Anna Sui, Stila and Benefit. In a drugstore, mind you. We’ll never know just how much money Shoppers, or any other retailer, makes from cosmetics. The results are well buried in general revenues. But it’s widely known that the margins are very generous. Some say huge. And this is what fuels the competition.
CAA should consider electric mobile service
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CAA should take a page from the AAA in the U.S. which has announced that it will soon deploy electric mobile trucks in a number of markets. These vehicles will be able to re-charge electric cars which have run out of juice wherever they’re stranded. Bloomberg.
HMV Canadian stores go to business fixer
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HMV is selling its Canadian stores to a British restructuring specialist Valco Capital Partners. There is much discussion but not many answers about where Valco, or anyone for that matter, can take HMV as it faces the digital onslaught on its music and movies business. Do we see the Blockbuster Syndrome? Globe and Mail.