Everyone thinks their baby is the cutest. But when prizes are at stake – suddenly, things can get ugly. And it may get even uglier before it’s over. That’s what the Iowa-based Hy-Vee grocery chain discovered, after it innocently launched a “Cutest Baby and Toddler Contest” on its Facebook page earlier this month. More than 2000 people entered, but critics[Read More…]
If you’re going shopping this weekend, and paying with a credit card – watch out. Beginning Sunday, stores can charge you extra for it. Under the terms of a settlement reached last year, stores will have the option of adding a surcharge for credit card payments – passing the cost that they already pay to the credit card companies, on[Read More…]
Couponing is a necessity for some, a hobby for others – and for many, a way of life. But would you keep clipping if you were suddenly worth a half-billion dollars? Tonight’s drawing for an estimated $550 million Powerball jackpot has many dreaming big. Mansions, fancy cars, lavish vacations – but paying full price for groceries? That’s something that could[Read More…]
Have you recovered from your Cyber Monday and Black Friday shopping experiences yet? The spending frenzy can make grocery shopping seem downright mundane in comparison. But what if grocery stores got in on the action? A recent report by the coupon processing company Inmar says Black Friday and Cyber Monday shoppers are hungry for grocery store deals as well. 61%[Read More…]
Back in the Dark Ages of self-scanning at the supermarket – way back in 2011 – customers thought it was cool if they could use a store-provided “wand” to scan their items as they shopped. Yawn, that’s so last year. Now, at least one major supermarket chain is letting customers scan items with their own phone – and soon, you[Read More…]
The president’s in town. Yawn. So is his opponent’s newly-minted running mate. Snooze. But there’s a giant new supermarket opening today in Urbandale, Iowa! Make way for the crowds! The grand opening of a new $20 million, 95,000+ square foot Hy-Vee is all the buzz in this suburban Des Moines community. Customers who just couldn’t wait to see it began[Read More…]
If you’ve ever found yourself wandering the aisles of a store, looking for someone – anyone – who works there and can tell you where to find what you’re looking for, your problem is solved – there’s an app for that. “Mobile retail navigation service” aisle411 has announced that it’s completed mapping all 7,907 Walgreens drug stores in the United[Read More…]
