Retailing: New habit of discount shopping hits all economic strata.

By Maria Panaritis Inquirer Staff Writer

Desperate times call for discount measures. It's the new rule of retail, and cash-squeezed consumers are laying down the law.

An astounding number of penny-pinched shoppers are handing the industry some wake-up news this back-to-school season: Because of expensive gas and overall economic woes, consumers plan to scavenge for bargains like hustlers in a cash-flow crunch, according to two surveys out this week.

In vogue: Dollar stores, off-price discounters like Marshall's and T.J. Maxx, and comparison-shopping on the Internet. Out of vogue: Pretty much anything not on sale. Serious sale. Most shoppers plan to buy their children's pens, bookbags, clothes and other back-to-school necessities at discount stores - 73 percent, according to the National Retail Federation; 88 percent, according to Deloitte L.L.P.

Almost four in 10 will shop at dollar stores; eight in 10 will look to buy more things on sale than last year, according to Deloitte. The nation's newfound penchant for discount shopping is cutting across all economic strata, according to Deloitte's mid-July survey. One analyst said the humbler habits may be here to stay, unlike past downturns, when consumers pulled back until the storm passed.

"It's not just affecting those with less in their wallets," said Tara Weiner, managing partner of Deloitte & Touche's Greater Philadelphia office in Center City. "It's affecting just about every wallet. And it's causing a change in behaviors. It's changing how they shop."

Weiner said 61 percent of consumers polled by Deloitte said they believed the nation was in a recession, even though economists and politicians continued to duke this out. Those consumers are acting like recession shoppers, and a "structural shift" in shopping habits has set in, said Weiner, who has monitored the retail industry for 20 years.

The discount-hunting trend has emerged since last summer's implosion of the subprime-lending market and soaring crude oil prices shocked the economy and began draining consumer wallets and retail profit. A similar thing happened during the 2001 recession. Then and now, discount-shopper ranks swelled with people "trading down" from marquee stores. "People didn't go without," Weiner said, "but they were in greater search of value."

Back then, 83 percent of shoppers said they planned to do some of their holiday shopping at discount retailers - including three quarters of households with income of $75,000 or more, according to Deloitte. In 1993, only 57 percent of all households planned to shop at a discount store, Deloitte said. While conventional retailers like Macy's and a number of mall stores have struggled in this environment, dollar-store chain Dollar Tree Inc., and off-price retailers such as Marshall's and T.J. Maxx, have benefited.

Dollar Tree, which has 76 stores in the eight-county Philadelphia region, plans to open as many as 245 stores across the country this year, while other retailers have pulled back. Broker Donna Drew, of Metro Commercial Real Estate Inc., said the expanding chain has kept her busy 13 years as they've pursued store locations to meet growth goals.

"I just think people are really trying to stretch their dollar," said Drew, who also brokers lease deals for TJX Cos. Inc. - the parent company of T.J. Maxx, Marshall's and A.J. Wright. Dollar Tree reported record sales last quarter, exceeding the $1 billion mark and logging a 14.4-percent profit increase, said spokeswoman Chelle Davis. "We definitely think we are right for the times," Davis said. "Everyone likes to save money."

Dollar Tree shares closed up $1.76 yesterday to $38.07 on the Nasdaq and have risen steadily in value since January, thanks to shoppers like Sandra Harvey-White of Lansdowne, Delaware County. Harvey-White, 43, walked into a Lansdowne Dollar Tree yesterday to buy bottled water, but walked out with a shopping cart full of $1 buys - including boxes of Tastykake treats, frozen waffles, frozen pasta and Herr's potato chips.

"I always stop at the dollar store before I go to the supermarket," said the mental-health therapist, who has amped up her bargain shopping this year. "Because of the economy, I find myself making smaller trips - purchasing either what's on sale, what I can use, and not particularly the brands I used to buy."

On the clothing side of shopping, Nadine Phillips is just as devoted to the T.J. Maxx on City Avenue near Overbrook Park, in a strip near the Philadelphia and Montgomery County line. Phillips, 31, a nursing assistant who often works overtime, sneaked into the store between shifts yesterday in full nursing garb to pick up two bags of merchandise she had put on layaway. At $198, the buys were a bargain. Gone are the days, she said, of treating herself to designer duds at Macy's, which she would occasionally do before this year. Money is just too tight now. "At the other stores, I feel as though the stuff is overpriced," Phillips said. "But at T.J. Maxx, you can get the same stuff for less."

Mouse Hand Warmer in Picasa slideshow!

The Mouse Hand Warmer is shown above in a Google Picasa slide show for the first time online! The IGMproducts.com website is under construction and just about ready for traffic. As you can see, the Mouse Hand Warmer is a soft, gray blanket to keep your mouse hand covered and away from chills and cold drafts.

We're excited to share the slide show. We'll add more photos as they become available. Check here for more news and announcements about the new Mouse Hand Warmer.

Mouse Hand Warmer - Geek gadget shop online

from ShoppingBrokers

IGMproducts.com is launching a new site and a new product just in time for a shift in the weather and holiday shopping worldwide. We'll post photos and purchase opportunities here as soon as they are received. We're looking forward to being one of the only online resources for the new Mouse Hand Warmer.

The Mouse Hand Warmer is new, and there's nothing like it on the market. Here's details directly from the manufacturer:

$19.95 price includes Free USA Domestic Ground Shipping & Sales Tax!

The perfect gift idea for computer users.

Keeps your mouse hand covered by a warm blanket. Constructed of a warm polyester fleece blanket material with a non-slip surface. Fits standard mouse pads. Hand wash and air dry.

Instructions: Slip a standard sized mouse pad inside the Mouse Hand Warmer. If using a wireless mouse, the net front provides a clear optical connection. When using an USB connected mouse, slip the cord through a small slit opening made in the center front net. Easy to keep clean by hand washing with a mild detergent and air drying.

Made in the USA.

The Mouse Hand Warmer is an inexpensive way to keep your mouse hand warm during chilly weather or whenever you feel your mouse hand getting cold. A drafty air-conditioned office makes for an uncomfortable exposed hand if you sit and work all day at the computer. During the winter, a draft or drop in temperature makes your mouse hand cold, too. Sometimes fingers get numb due to the cold air. Keep your mouse hand warm inside a cozy blanket.

The idea for a Mouse Hand Warmer came about after spending many years working long, late hours sitting at a computer. When your mouse hand gets cold there's really nothing you can do to warm it except stop working or cover it with a warm blanket. That's why the Mouse Hand Warmer was created.

No wires or cords to get tangled on your desk top. The Mouse Hand Warmer is a contemporary, modern, techie-looking desk accessory in neutral colors of gray fleece with black and white trim. The pouch measures about 12" x 12" with a wide front opening to get your hand into and out of the Mouse Hand Warmer with ease. Fits most mouse sizes, from a standard small mouse to a large ergonomically shaped mouse.

Mouse Hand Warmer is a registered trademark and patented product made in the USA by i-GlobalMall.com, Inc. For more information, for distribution or wholesale orders, please write by clicking on the Contact Us located at the top of each page at IGMproducts.com.

FREE SHIPPING & NO SALES TAX

Pacific Coast Down Comforters - 20% Off

Pacific Coast Down Comforters are on sale now. Take an additional 20% off!
Click the image above for the best selection of the HIGHEST QUALITY down bedding!

Free Shipping - See site for details. Click the image above.

SONY launches digital book reader

SONY
SONY digital book reader

from Which?

SONY is the latest company to announce the launch of a digital book reader. The Japanese electronics company is releasing its device in conjunction with high-street bookstore Waterstone’s. The SONY Reader – which will be available from September - follows hot on the heels of the iLiad Book Edition from iRex Technologies, which is available through Borders and online. Which? has reviewed the iLiad Book Edition.

However the SONY Reader costs £199, which is £200 less than the iLiad. Memory stick. The Sony Reader will come with a free CD containing 100 classic 'ebooks' and you'll be able to choose from a further 25,000 books through the Waterstone’s online store.

The Reader weighs 260g (9oz), is 8mm thin and has a 6-inch screen. It can store around 160 ebooks although this can be increased to several thousand if you use a memory stick or card. Sony says the battery will last for 6,800 page turns without recharging – or the equivalent of reading War and Peace five times over.

Battery life
Users will also be able to store and view PDF documents, Microsoft Word files and picture files and store MP3 files.

Survey Ranks Japanese World's Best Tourists, Americans 11th

Expedia USA

By Kelly Bronk

Japanese travelers claim the title of "World's Best Tourists" in Expedia's first global tourist survey, while the British and the Germans tie for the runner-up position. Americans rank 11th.

The 2008 rankings, published by online travel company Expedia Inc., which plans to do the survey annually, are based on surveys of more than 4,000 hoteliers to determine the best overall tourists by nationality. Hoteliers were asked to rank international travelers in a variety of categories including manners, willingness to learn the language and try local cuisine, generosity and fashion savvy. Countries were scored on a 100-point scale.

"Hoteliers are the experts when it comes to interacting with tourists, so as the busy summer travel season approaches and vacationers prepare for their own travel experiences, we thought it would be fun to present some of [the hoteliers'] common perceptions regarding tourists from all around the world," said Expedia.com travel specialist Karyn Thale.

In addition to claiming the overall Best Tourists title, Japanese travelers are also named the best behaved, most polite, most quiet and least complaining tourists.

"They know what they want, and they come prepared with attractions marked in their Japanese tour books," said Polina Roze, a concierge at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Times Square in New York City. "They're very easy to accommodate, and they're very polite. They often say 'thank you' four or five times."

Hoteliers rank Americans as the international tourists most likely to try to speak in the local language and sample native cuisine. But while Americans earn points for those efforts to experience another culture fully and win the title of most generous tourists, they are also labeled the noisiest and least fashionable visitors.

Along with the Americans, the British and the French are described as culinary adventurers. And this sense of adventure extends beyond just a willingness to try local cuisine, according to Christopher Heywood, a vice president for NYC & Company, the official marketing, tourism and partnership organization for New York, which is the No. 1 destination for international visitors to the United States.

"German and British tourists seem to be a little bit more adventurous," Heywood said, citing their interest in visiting other New York boroughs in addition to Manhattan. Heywood attributes this desire to see all five of New York's boroughs - Manhattan, Brooklyn, the Bronx, Staten Island and Queens - to the fact that many European tourists have visited New York City multiple times. "They've seen many of the tourist attractions and they want a real authentic experience," Heywood said.

Other notable winners in the Expedia survey include the chic French and the Italians, who claim the most fashionable prize. Roze says many international visitors, including French and Italian tourists, are eager to visit New York's designer stores. "I've noticed that a lot of visitors from Spain, Mexico, Italy and France are usually dressed very sharp, and they ask about going to stores like Juicy Couture and Century 21, a store known for discounted designer clothing."

Although international visitors to the United States have many different characteristics, some desirable and some less so, their positive effect on the United States is undeniable. "International guests are keeping us on our toes and bringing a boost to the economy," Roze said. "They're here to enjoy the city and experience New York to the fullest. They're such a positive influence on the city."

Source: U.S. Department of State