General Consumer Research

I’m no expert in economics (as my college econ professor will certainly testify), but I know enough to be pretty sure that the state of the economy is likely to impact me as a consumer. That’s why it was worth paying attention to President Obama’s State of the Union address yesterday.

He spoke about job creation and specifically tax benefits for companies that move production back to American soil. Besides supporting start-ups and creators of small businesses, the speech also addressed the issue of fair trade practices and making sure that U.S. businesses are on a fair legal footing to take their share of the international market. President Obama also talked about investing in the creation of alternative energy sources.

So what does this mean for us as consumers?  For those of us who are secure in our jobs, the impact may be fairly subtle. The price of fuel and energy resources may be the kicker for us. If oil prices are high, then shipping and manufacturing costs go up and the expense is usually passed on to the consumer. That’s in addition to the more obvious cost of electricity for your house and gas for your car. That means that taking the usual bus to the mall to buy the exact same toaster and then coming home and making an identical piece of toast to the one you made a year ago, will cost more than it used to.

These added costs are even paid by companies who are strictly online. Whether they need tons of electricity to keep servers running or just have to pay to keep the office lit and buy some coffee for the break-room, their added costs will also be reflected in the price of their products.

For some people however, the impact could be much more direct. More jobs in the country means it’s more likely that you’ll have one. It also means that you can expect higher wages, since employers know that workers are less desperate to stay in a mediocre position.

All of this is reflected in consumer confidence polls, such as those conducted by Gallup and Bloomberg. They can give a good picture about how much Americans will be willing to spend in the near future and can give you a hint as to whether other consumers are planning their spending the same way you are.

So no matter how you plan to vote in November or where you think the economy is headed, be sure to stay on top of the news. Since you’re here, I can be sure that you’re a responsible consumer who likes to do your research before making a purchase. Although it might make no difference in your decision about which product to buy, it’s always good to have a view of the bigger picture.

As Google spreads its influence through the internet, some of us are losing our favorite service sites.  Over time, Google has acquired sites that help you do all sorts of interesting things. Picnik is a photo-editor and Sky Map lets you map the stars as they’re seen from anywhere on Earth.  Summify sends users a daily digest of all the news from the users social network feeds and Urchin analyzes web site traffic. That’s a pretty wide variety and yet Google has decided that everything that these services offer is already included or can be nicely integrated into things that Google already provides on Google+, Google Maps, etc.

Fortunately for us, Google is going out of its way to make the transition easy. For example, Picnik now has a tool called Picnik Takeout, which allows you to quickly download all of the pictures you have saved on the site or copy them all straight into your Google+ account. Picnik seems positive about the change, saying that their tools will continue to be integrated into Google tools like Picasa and that the Picnik team will still be working to create more great editing tools, just not for their own site.

So, at least for Picnik, this is a win-win situation. Company employers get to continue their work and Google doesn’t have to invest in a separate company.  But what does this mean for consumers?  There are definitely advantages to having all of our favorite sets of tools integrated into one giant system. It means that everything should automatically compatible, for starters. Interfaces will probably all be similar making it easy to learn to use new tools and programs. On the other hand, do we really want everything we use to be in the hands of just one company?

Ignoring the technical side of it (which I don’t really know much about anyway), I’m torn. Weigh in and let me know where you stand on the issue!

The National Retail Federation Student Association recently released the results of a survey saying that 18-25 year olds still do most of their shopping, especially for clothing, in brick-and-mortar stores rather than online. I for one can’t blame them. Especially as stores engage in vanity-sizing, I find it nearly impossible to accurately guess what size I need to buy of any given garment, let alone whether or not I can really tell anything about the cut, color or fabric.

66% of the group surveyed still used the internet to research their purchasing decisions ahead of time and to compare prices before going out to shop, but in the end they still left their computers to head for the fitting rooms.

Target is taking advantage of this tendency by launching a series of “pop-up boutiques”. Specialty stores will be starting to sell their wares in Target for six weeks starting in May. They will sell everything from clothing to candy and baked goods. This is in addition to the selection of Apple products that will be available at twenty-five Target locations.

Target is following the footsteps of other discount stores, such as Kohls and J.C. Penny partnering with high-end designers. In the past, Target has also sold goods from fashionable designers but this will be the first time they are opening a separate store-within-a-store for the boutiques.

To be honest, I’m not sure what I think of the concept. I get overwhelmed enough even when I know what I’m going in for. However, I recognize that I’m a bit of a nervous shopper (it’s one of the reasons I can really appreciate review sites) and probably Target’s primary goal isn’t to improve my personal comfort level. I appreciate the reasons for shopping in person and so I’ll continue to do so and while I’m there I may just check out this candy store. Those caramel creams did look really tasty.

Think you’re an enthusiastic tech consumer? I think it’s a safe bet to say that you’ve never thrown eggs at a store that didn’t open in time so you could get your new gadget. Chinese Apple consumers however did just that after waiting in line overnight for the new iPhone 4S.

Some of the consumers had spent days traveling to Beijing for the Apple store’s 7am opening time. There were over 1,000 shoppers lined up outside when the doors did not open on time. The crowd quickly became rowdy and starting fighting and throwing eggs at the store windows, eventually attacking a security guard. Concerned for safety, Apple decided to cancel sales for the day.

In fact, Apple stores in Beijing and Shanghai will not be selling the iPhone 4S at all in the meantime. Consumers will be forced to order from the online store or to buy from authorized resellers. Some people who had been turned away from the closed doors of the Apple store, did manage to get their iPhones from other retailers soon after.

I tend to not be the first in line for new tech. First of all, I hate crowds. More to the point however, is that like many of us here at Consumer-Rankings.com, I like to have ALL of my research done. My preference is to have analyzed the data, read the reviews, made tables and most importantly: Waited for someone else to dive in first and test the waters.

At this point however, I’d like to open up the floor to the audience. Have you ever waited in line before opening time for the newest gadget? What was it or what would it be if you ever were to do it? This is your chance to tell us your stories and to prove yourself a truly serious techie.

If you’re into gadgets like we are here at Consumer-Rankings.com, then we can only assume you’ve been paying attention to what’s going on at CES this year. The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) opened on Tuesday and ends tomorrow with a total of over 3,100 companies exhibiting. This is the biggest trade show of the year and it is where new consumer technology has traditionally been unveiled.

Although tech giants like Apple and Google have the resources to get attention for new products at any time, CES is still going strong with a record number of exhibitors and 20,000 new products on display this year. CD players, HD tvs, Camcorders and even the game Pong all got their start here.

Journalists see this as an opportunity to get a feel for the upcoming trends- a way of visualizing the future of technology. Check out tech writers this week and you’ll see observations on this year’s CES offerings, analysis of new directions and predictions for next year.

Unfortunately for me however, I can’t go. In fact, CES is only open to people who work in the consumer electronics industry. Therefore most consumers, and therefore most of this blog’s readers, won’t be heading off to Las Vegas to get some ideas for next year’s holiday gifts. While this means that we can’t see what’s there on our own, it does mean that any great expectations we have for the year’s technological breakthroughs won’t have to be disappointed just yet. As far as I know, in some near-forgotten corner of the Las Vegas Convention and World Trade Center, there sits an inventor with a prototype of my flying jetpack on the table in front of him.

Ok, maybe a jetpack is a bit cliché. But this is a great opportunity to dream about how far technology can take us this year and hope that if it isn’t at CES this year, it will be there next year.

If you thought the holiday shopping season was over, you were wrong. Things are just getting started as people start making exchanges, spending gift cards and searching for post-holiday sales.

Gift cards made up nearly 18% of spending this season, higher than any other year and retailers saw it coming since gift cards were at the top of most people’s wish list .57% of retailers expected an increase in their sales, which means that they can still look forward to those cards being redeemed in the next month or two. Apparently, unlike me, most people actually spend their gift cards within 60 days of receiving them instead of keeping them in a drawer until they get found next July.

On the other hand, as shoppers start seeing December’s credit card debt turn up, it may keep some people at home. November’s credit carding spending was up 7% from last year although numbers aren’t available for December yet. Plenty of people are likely to make thriftiness their New Year’s resolution and retailers will have to put up some really impressive sales to lure shoppers. It’s a great time to keep an eye out for bargains and stock up on items that can be used all year round.

All of these factors contribute to make this a shopping season just as much as it was a month ago and it’s just as easy to get caught up in the moment. Like all things in life, this shopping season comes down to balance.

Gift card purchases feel like free stuff but they make it easy to end up justifying purchases that you would never make otherwise, especially expensive ones that are only partially paid for with gift cards. Post-holiday sales are also a great way to save some money in the long run but be careful to only buy things that you are sure you will use and would have to buy eventually anyway.

Happy shopping!

My new year’s resolutions are the same ones I’ve had three years running, which is not a good sign. However, I am learning the tricks and getting a little bit better every year. One of those tricks is that I’ve learned to make myself accountable to someone for each of my goals and to open myself up to criticism and feedback. In return I’m happy to nag friends, edit my sister’s college papers and generally criticize anyone who asks.

But a writer for Android Central pointed out that it would be in everyone’s best interest if we were to perform that service as consumers in addition to as friends and family members. Return policies for apps aren’t great and not just for Android devices. Therefore, users rely heavily on consumer reviews to choose whether or not to spend the time and money to download a new app. Developers look to the same reviews to find out what problems users have with the apps and where they can work on improving their products. But in order for that system to work, people need to actually sit down and review apps after they have used them.

The web version of Android Market has recently made reviews even more useful by allowing you to filter reviews by things like device or different versions of the app. Looks like even Google has been listening to feedback and working to improve things. This new feature means that reviews can be a really convenient tool but it’s up to us as users to make that happen.

This isn’t just true for Android apps though. Consumer-Rankings.com does a lot of research and can be very helpful but it’s impossible for us to check out the myriad of ways that every individual user out there will want to use a product. That is why we also ask for you as the consumer to add your two-cents to our opinions.

So don’t be shy: speak up!

I know, I know, here at Consumer Buzz we tend to tout the wonders of online services and I don’t renege on that. If it weren’t for the fact that I can do everything from my laptop, my house would be a disaster zone overrun with unsorted papers. Plus I still maintain that the greatest thing about modern technology is how often it allows me to keep my slippers on.  But every so often even we need to get off the computer and appreciate people who make the same efforts to get quality consumer products as we do and do it all wearing shoes.

Today is one of those days and the product we celebrate is one of those most threatened by the wonderful world of online everything: Pens. Even though we tend to chew on the ends, lose them behind the file cabinet and generally underappreciate their worth, there are people out there who are giving pens their proper respect.

The Fountain Pen Hospital in New York is a prime example. The establishment was opened in 1946 and at the time repairing broken fountain pens was the main business. The “hospital” section still operates underneath the store’s showroom and has drawers holding thousands of replacement parts for pens dating as far back as the 1920s. Today however, most of the Fountain Pen Hospital’s clientele are shoppers in the market for new specialty pens.

Pens can sell for as much as $30,000 for a solid gold fountain pen. Chaos, a pen designed by Sylvester Stallone featuring white gold serpents, swords and skulls, sells for $6,000.

True pen connoisseurs may subscribe to Pen World magazine and attend gatherings like the Los Angeles International Pen Show. Laura Chandler, editor of Pen World, tells of a couple who had been bidding against each other for years for select pens on eBay but later met at the Chicago Pen show and are now happily married. Presumably they have combined their pen collections and have teamed up to bid against other collectors.

Terry Weiderlight is the owner of the Fountain Pen Hospital, inherited from his father and grandfather. He doesn’t think that computers will be the end of his business. In fact, he owns a pen with ink on one side and an iPad stylus on the other. At the store, pens are displayed like jewelry in glass cases and that is how Weiderlight sees them. “A nice writing instrument for a man today is a status symbol,” he says, the equivalent of buying jewelry for a woman.

The store does have a facebook page and a website used by customers from all over the country. Which I guess brings us back to our own topic. Even pen collectors can appreciate staying in pajamas.

How much are you willing to spend to reduce your carbon footprint? Apparently, the extra $10,000 for an electric car crosses the line for most people and so the new lines of vehicles haven’t taken off as well as people had hoped.

With gasoline prices fairly stable these days it’s hard for people to justify the extra cost, especially since it comes along with some added inconvenience as well. The two major models are the Nissan Leaf and the Chevrolet Volt and they each have their issues. There are only a few places to recharge the Leaf, which means you’re limited to 73 miles before you have to be back at home. The Volt only goes 25 miles but can then switch to gas. However, there have been some safety concerns.

A lot of the buyers so far have been real electric car enthusiasts, people ideologically choosing them rather than those deciding that it makes financial sense. They, along with the car’s makers, aren’t ready to stop hoping yet. They say that these are just growing pains and things will pick up.

As consumers, we often end up choosing between what’s best for us as individuals as opposed to what’s best for mankind or the environment. What we buy, where and who we buy from are all political statements, not to mention statements about the cost we’re willing to pay for our beliefs.

That’s a lot of pressure. Add to it the fact that we’re inevitably being judged on our possessions. Even for a successful career, we need good looking clothes, business cards and websites, all of which cost money. To start raising your costs in order to do the best thing for the earth and society takes a serious commitment.

Like any commitment to a New Year’s resolution, it all comes down to balance. If I commit to eat only fruits and veggies for the whole year, I’ll fail three days in. But if I commit to eat salad a few times a week and to limit fries and ice cream to special occasions, there’s a good chance I’ll make it.

So now the question is, does an electric car count as once a week salad or a lifetime ban on chocolate? And I think that’s a very personal question.

Almost all of the news I get is free because I get it online and it’s paid for by advertising. But now, consumers may have the opportunity to get other things for free. A new company is giving users the option of viewing an ad instead of paying a fee at ATMs. This means I can stop wondering if it would be more economically sound to keep my money under my mattress. The ATMs wouldn’t be associated with any bank and the advertising money would cover the fee that you normally get charged for using an ATM belonging to a bank where you don’t have an account. There could still be fees from your bank for using an ATM that isn’t theirs, but it’s a good start.

The founder of Free ATMs NYC, who are installing the machines, say that a given transaction should take the same amount of time as it would without the ads and users will still have the option to pay a fee instead of viewing the ads.

I have to wonder who would choose that. I tend to be good at ignoring advertising (chalk it up to a mom who would NEVER buy the toys in the commercials) so I’m all for anything that gets rid of bank fees. On the other hand, I do wonder what could be next. How many services could I get for free if I’m willing to be advertised to? Besides our online news, TV and music which come with healthy doses of advertising a lot of web services, like the web designers we review, will give you a free trial in exchange for their logo prominently displayed on your site.

So little by little we are not only the targets of advertising but can easily become advertisers ourselves. When I put it this way, all of a sudden it sounds a bit creepy. On the other hand, I still like free stuff.