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Adidas Shoe Sales as Yet Another Economic Indicator
Filed under: Budgeting & Planning, Investing, Shopping, Weird & Wonderful
By 24/7 Wall Street
Global athletic and apparel maker Adidas released better-than-expected quarterly earnings. So did rival Nike Inc. (NYSE: NKE) about a month ago. Given the hundreds of millions of athletic shoes sold by them each year, in addition to the clothing each sells and the number of markets in which they operate, their results may not be a bad proxy for the global consumer economy.
10 Things You Didn't Know About Shoppers Drug Mart
Filed under: Budgeting & Planning, Health, Shopping
Who doesn't get lured into Shoppers Drug Mart at least once a week?Thanks to easy access with 1240 Shoppers Drug Mart and Pharmaprix locations that are currently across Canada, customers can find a store in every province and territory.
"Whether you need a prescription or shampoo, we have tremendous offerings - but we also have many other products and services available to all our customers," says Lana Gogas, Communications and Corporate Affairs Manager for Shoppers Drug Mart.
But there's probably a few things you didn't know about this Canadian retailer - so check out our list of 10 things to commit to memory for your next visit.
According to recent 8 Ways That Money Can Buy Happiness
Filed under: Family Finances, Shopping, Travel, Weird & Wonderful
Daily Finance
"If money doesn't make you happy, then you probably aren't spending it right."
That's the excellent and descriptive title of a paper published last year in the Journal of Consumer Psychology by the University of British Columbia's Elizabeth W. Dunn, Harvard's Daniel T. Gilbert, and UVA's Timothy D. Wilson.
The paper, which summarizes decades of study on the subject, notes that "money allows people to do what they please, to live longer and healthier lives, to buffer themselves against worry and harm, to have leisure time to spend with friends and family, and to control the nature of their daily activities -- all of which are sources of happiness."
Unfortunately, money is "an opportunity that people routinely squander because the things they think will make them happy often don't."
So how do you make sure to spend your money in order to to maximize your happiness? Follow these eight steps:
Buying a Car? The Lingo You Need to Know
Filed under: Buyer Beware, Budgeting & Planning, Economizer, Shopping
Any first time car buyer is guaranteed to be intimidated by the terms and lingo used by most salesmen on the lot. Problem is, if you miss what's being said, you may miss great opportunities to save big money. This is why we've prepared a gallery of all the lingo you need to know to gain the upper-hand when buying a car. Some of these terms aren't even supposed to be public knowledge, but members of sites like CarCostCanada.com will get a piece of that secret information and most definitely gain an advantage during the negotiation process.Click on a a photo to find out how.
Get Smart: Dumb Phones Are on the Decline
Filed under: Investing, Shopping, Technology
The researchers at IDC are reporting that for the first time ever, more smartphones were sold globally in the first three months of 2013 than so-called "dumb" phones, the basic-feature models that come with most calling plans.
It's a development that's roiling the smartphone space as Apple saw the market share of its iconic iPhone slide below 20% as sales grew only 6.6%, the first time since the third quarter of 2009 its growth rate has been in the single digits. In fact Apple was the only smartphone maker among the top five that saw its market share slip, putting it even further behind industry leader Samsung, which saw its share of the market widen to 32.7%, a gain of almost 4 percentage points from the year-ago period.
Vendors shipped some 418.6 million mobile phones in the first quarter, a 4% increase from the 402.4 million units shipped in the same period last year, but down 13% from 483.2 million units shipped in the fourth quarter of 2012.
In looking at mobile phones generally, at both smart and "dumb" phones, Samsung remains the industry leader, but Nokia is second, with a 14.8% share reflecting the 62 million phones it shipped in the first quarter. It's followed by Apple -- which inched up in terms of share, to 8.9% -- LG, and ZTE.
Retail Police Blotter: Nude Woman Strolls Through Walmart
Filed under: Sex Sells , Shopping, Weird & Wonderful
By Matt Brownell
Daily Finance
Sick of all the terrifying and sad headlines that have dominated the news these last couple of weeks? So are we. As a partial antidote, check out our Retail Police Blotter, a semi-regular roundup of all the weird crimes that went down at the nation's retailers and fast food joints.
The 10 Most Decadent Starbucks Frappuccinos Found on the "Secret Menu"
Filed under: Food & Drink, Shopping, Weird & Wonderful
This summer Starbucks is rolling out the latest experiment in American gluttony that's sure to put the Double Down or the Doritos Locos Taco to shame.It's called The Caramel Ribbon Crunch Frappuccino (see photo on right) and it's reportedly coming to the menu as a kick-off to summer on April 30. It features three kinds of caramel with caramel syrup, dark caramel sauce and a caramel crunch topping, that's akin to creme brulé, all mixed in. You also have your choice of milk and if that amount of caramel isn't enough for you for some reason, you can still request the requisite caramel drizzle over a healthy dollop of whipped cream.
The overboard decadence of it all makes us think it was once a custom order from the "Secret Menu" -- featuring flavours that start out only in a savvy customer's imagination and then are faithfully recreated by an understanding barista.
In honour of the coming Caramel Ribbon Crunch, we thought you'd be mesmerized by these equally decadent flavours from "The Secret Menu" that will test the skills of your local barista.
SLIDESHOW: The 10 Most Decadent Starbucks Frappuccinos
Five Budget-Friendly Ways to Get Your Backyard Ready for BBQ Season
Filed under: Family Finances, Food & Drink, House & Home, Saving, Shopping, Your Home
Good weather is flirting with us. It's tossing its hair and making some serious eye contact. My advice is to enjoy the attention but don't get too attached just yet. Still, you know that sometime soon a long term relationship is coming and that a lot of quality time will be spent in your backyard.Here are five inexpensive things you can do to prepare your outside space for the coming love affair.
RELATED LINKS:
Do it Yourself: What You Don't Need to Pay for This Spring
Get More Bang for Your Spring Cleaning Buck
Home Improvements that Get Your House Sold
The Cost of Spring Tune-Ups: Your Bike vs.Your Car
Filed under: Bargains & Freebies, Budgeting & Planning, Family Finances, Health, Saving, Shopping, Travel
Now that the roads are clear, Canadians are dusting off helmets and reflective jackets and pulling out their bikes to get to work. It's not just cyclists who want to hit the road during the warmer months. Drivers who love getting out in their car in the great wide open have no doubt started planning where they'll be traveling to. But whether you're a cyclist or a driver or both, what you really need to start thinking about this time of year is making sure your "vehicle" is fit to go where you want to take it. Here's what the experts say you need to do to make sure your bike or car is tuned up for spring:
Related Links:
Top 10 Tips for Budget Family Travel
Do it Yourself: What You Don't Need to Pay for This Spring
Spring Cleaning: Seven Steps to Get Your Financial House in Order
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