Shoebuy.com Coupon: IN FRANCE, DIRECT-MAIL AND DOOR-TO-DOOR SALES ARE GAINING ON TRADITIONAL STORE SELLING


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ALTHOUGH TRADITIONALISM IN THE BOOK TRADE IN FRANCE HAS PREVENTED SUCH THINGS AS A TRUE MASS-MARKET PAPERBACK INDUSTRY AND DISCOUNTING, MAJOR STRIDES HAVE BEEN MADE IN SALES DOOR TO DOOR AND BY DIRECT-MAIL. SOME DIRECT TO CUSTOMER FIRMS ARE SPECIALIZED, OPERATING ONLY AT TRADE-FAIRS OR LOCAL FESTIVALS, BUT SOME LIKE HACHETTE CLAIM 50 PERCENT OF THE FRENCH MARKET AND EMPLOY AS MANY AS 1600 SALESMEN. IN 1974, OF FRANCE'S 388 FIRMS, 47 SOLD DOOR TO DOOR AND 226 SOLD BOOKS BY MAIL. MOST BOOKSELLERS STILL GIVE PRIORITY TO RETAIL SALES. A FREQUENTLY USED METHOD IS TO PLACE COUPONS IN NEWSPAPERS. THE CUSTOMER WHO SENDS IT IN RECEIVES A VISIT FROM A SALESMAN. ABOUT 70 PERCENT OF BOOKS SOLD ARE SOLD AT THE CLIENT'S PLACE OF WORK - NOT AT HIS HOME. SOME FORWARD LOOKING PUBLISHING HOUSES ARE WORKING WITH BOOK CLUBS AND CARRYING OUT AUCTIONS. BOOKSTORE OPERATORS HAVE BANDED TOGETHER IN MARKET STUDIES ON HOW TO MODERNIZE OPERATIONS.


Shoebuy.com Coupon: ACCESSING SHOPPERS DIRECT-LY


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Changes to Walmart's marketing strategy in recent years have required new thinking on the part of suppliers, with one of the biggest adjustments involving the expense associated with themed promotions, Smart Network ad rates and more costly demonstration program fees.

As a result, suppliers have gone searching for new methods by which to target Walmart shoppers, with many discovering traditional direct-mail coupons as an effective tool, especially as negative economic conditions have sent redemption rates surging.

"You have people at higher income levels using more coupons than ever before," said Frank Gugliuzza, group VP national retail sales with Cox Target Media, parent company of Valpak, the nation's largest distributor of direct-mail coupons.

Each month, Valpak mails its familiar blue envelopes stuffed with coupons to 45 million unique households in 115 different Nielsen Designated Market Areas. Every 10,000 homes receives a different version of the Valpak envelope with a combination of coupons that target what Valpak calls Neighborhood Trade Areas, which are defined by demographics, proximity tostares, traffic patterns and postal carrier routes.

Since nearly half of all coupons distributed are redeemed at Walmart stores, direct-mail couponing has emerged as a viable alternative for companies with distribution at Walmart who may lack the brand equity to be eligible for participation in a themed promotion or the resources to employ other in-store tactics. In addition, Walmart's themed events require substantial lead time, whereas direct mail programs can be executed quickly.

Shoebuy.com Coupon: Before You Buy Spring and Summer Shoes


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If you're looking for the top trends for 2009, be sure to check out this year's guide to Spring Shoes, or keep reading for a look back of what was hot in 2008.

In the world of Spring and Summer shoes for women, there are several big trends to be excited about this year. But topping the list are Gladiator Sandals, shoes in bright colors and patent finishes.

While men's and kids' shoes don't change quite as dramatically, there's still lots of great styles to choose from.

And whatever your footwear needs, this guide to Spring and Summer shoes has you covered.

Hottest Shoe Styles of the Season
In women's shoes, the style of the season is still the platform, but thongs are always hot when the temperature climbs, and wedges are on their way back after a brief disappearing act over the last couple of seasons. The articles below feature some of the finest of each style.
-- Sizzling Thong Sandals
-- Platform Shoes & Sandals
-- Wedges - Top Wedge Sandals

Most Popular Shoe Trends
Gladiator sandals, bright colors, color-blocking, prints, patents ... these are just a few of the hottest trends in women's shoes for Spring and Summer 2008.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:How to Walk in High Heel Shoes



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20 Great Tips on Wearing and Walking in High Heel Shoes.

1. Start with a lower 2-3 inch heel and work your way up to 4-5 inches after practicing walking around your home. Shoes higher than 5 inches are really not meant for walking far at all. You will notice that adding an inch to your heel height does make things significantly more difficult, and you may find that a 4 inch heel is the highest you can deal with, but it is different for everyone. The larger your feet are, the higher a heel you will be likely to be able to wear. Several of the most well known models wear a size 11, like Tyra Banks and Paris Hilton.

2. It is easiest to walk in high heels with a bit wider of a heel. They can still be stilettos, just with a bit wider heel like the black and red sandal shown below. Wedges are the easiest to walk in because they have a wider base, and can't get a heel caught in a crack or other obstacle. High platforms with spike heels are the hardest to walk in, and the most likely to make you twist an ankle. Rounded toe, or open toed shoe will be more comfortable than pointy toe shoes. A shoe with a slight 1/2 inch platform will have more padding that single soled shoes, and also adds to the comfort factor.

3. You will find it easiest to walk in high heeled shoes with an ankle strap, t-strap, or other straps to keep the shoe from sliding off. High heeled mules are more difficult to keep on your feet, especially if you are new to wearing heels.

4. Make sure the shoes fit well. If they are too loose, you will have problems keeping them on your feet, and if they are too tight, you will wish they would fall off. It is better to be a little loose, because you can easily add spongy little foot cushions available at most supermarkets and drugstores.

5. Leather shoes will be the most comfortable, will last longer, and will gradually mold themselves to the shape of your feet. They are also the easiest to stretch a bit, should you need to.

6. Watch your step! When walking in high heeled shoes you must be aware of your walking surfaces. Sewer grates, train tracks, stairs, grassy or sandy areas, thick rugs, slippery or rainy surfaces, must all be watched out for. On sandy surfaces you will want to walk mostly on the balls of your feet, like on tip toes to keep your heels from sinking in. When wearing heels and dealing with stairs, always use the handrail, and make sure to have the entire shoe land on each stair, even if you have to turn your feet slightly sideways.

7. While wearing high heel shoes, you should take shorter steps than usual, and as you bring each foot down have the heel touch the floor just slightly ahead of the ball of the foot. Keep your legs close together and walk slightly on your tiptoes.

8. To appear graceful while walking in heels, you will want to keep your feet pointed as straight ahead as possible, and each step should be placed in front of you like you are continually stepping on a single line painted on the floor ahead of you. The famous models catwalk or runway strut takes this a bit further, and each step actually crosses slightly over past the line on the floor to the opposite side. This helps create the sexy hip sway that catwalk models are known for. This does take some practice.

9. Your weakest link are your ankles. You will need to develop strength and confidence that comes from practice in walking in heels and other leg strength development exercises that you will find offered at most gyms. There is even a course called Stiletto Strength specifically for this and the development of poise and confidence while wearing high heels that is available at Crunch gyms.

10. Swing your arms as you walk in high heels which will help with the balance, and add to a graceful appearance.

11. If you are out wearing your heels for an extended period, take them off from time to time, or at least make sure to flex and bend your ankles once in a while to keep them from getting sore.

12. Driving a car in heels is not a good idea, especially in very high heels or platforms. This is even more dangerous with a standard transmission. You can always bring a pair of sensible shoes for driving, and change into your favorite high heels after you arrive at your destination.

13. Never put weight on a high heel that is tilted backwards or you may break the heel.

14. You may find that it helps to walk in heels if you think of yourself walking on tip toes.

15. When turning while walking in high heels, you will find that it is easy to pivot your foot on the point of your heel. This will become second nature to you after a while.

16. If you cannot stand up straight in your heels without bending your knees, then you need to switch to a lower heel. Often just a half inch lower heel can make a big difference.

17. Dancing in high heels takes practice. Practice this at home first. You will also make things much easier if you have some sort of straps holding the shoes to your feet.

18. Wear new shoes around the house a few times to break them in before wearing them outside. This will also scuff the sole a bit making it less slippery on polished surfaces.

19. High heel shoes with lots of thin straps especially in the vamp and toe area may dig in after a short while and become quite painful for extended wear.

20. Don't wear high heel shoes every day. Give your feet some recovery time. If you insist on wearing them every day, at least make sure to vary the heel heights, and if they are leather shoes give them a chance to dry out from any perspiration.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Be a Celebrity with a “Gladiator Shoe



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“Gladiator shoe”, in Roman times were inspired from the Grecian styles of the day. Traditionally, a “gladiator shoe” is consisted of an open-toed leather sandal with a long lace. But today, in our modern time, there are a lot of new designs and look for the “Gladiator Shoe”.

The “gladiator shoe” is another new trend in the fashion world today. It is more elaborate and with a wider variety of fashionable styles, “gladiator shoe” has become more flexible and versatile. Many celebrities are wearing this that is why many of the ladies in town wear this shoe either in a date or just hanging out.

There are a lot of new releases for the “gladiator shoe”. Big fashion brand companies have their own look and design for it. Several are out in the market and celebrities and super models are seen wearing one of these trendy-looking sandals. Before there is less translations of the gladiator, the sexy high-heels, chunky platforms and its strappy summer sandals; as well as the conventional knee-highs and criss-cross straps.

More of these chic gladiators are giving the heavy duty yet urban-battle designs a run for their money, allowing the trend to appeal to a much bigger spectators. With a wider range of elegant look, “gladiator shoe” has become more versatile. Whether they are just in a bar, as at home at the beach or at a pretty much any other social gatherings, pair it up with a “gladiator shoe” and it is proven to be particularly elegant too.

Varieties of “gladiator shoe” are already out in the market. Be it a simple and cheap, or chic and branded pair it is available. Many of these are in the malls and also in the world wide web where online shops post several pictures of elegant yet versatile “gladiator shoe”. So if you wanted to have a Grecian-inspired goddess look, better grab a new chic “gladiator shoe”.

Shoebuy.com Coupon: SpeedTax, Inc.; SpeedTax and StrikeIron Partner to Provide Seamless e-Commerce Sales Tax Solutions


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2009 APR 21 - (VerticalNews.com) -- SpeedTax, Inc., a provider of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), fully-automated sales tax management solutions, and StrikeIron, a company offering an on-demand Web-based infrastructure to deliver business data to any Internet-connected system, have partnered to deliver SpeedTax solutions to StrikeIron's e-commerce customers.

The SpeedTax Sales Tax Web Service provides real-time, automated sales tax calculation based on a delivery address, jurisdiction and tax classification category. In addition, SpeedTax will validate and standardize any customer's address via jurisdiction mapping to the rooftop level, providing the most precise, detailed address information available.

The SpeedTax Sales Tax Web service integrates with a business's financial, e-commerce system or shopping cart, providing FIPS, name, and sales tax determined by an address and the items' specific tax category. Based on an address and tax classification, the SpeedTax Sales Tax Web service provides tracking of tax holidays, ship from and ship to address, tax category, combined sales tax rate, and jurisdictions and individual jurisdiction sales tax rate.

"With the SpeedTax Web Service from StrikeIron, companies can effectively outsource the most time-consuming and tedious elements of sales tax compliance -- changing jurisdictions, constant tax rate changes and nexus rules -- while simultaneously minimizing the risk associated with a sales tax audit," said Anton Donde, SpeedTax CEO. "Our alliance with StrikeIron gives e-commerce customers fast, reliable access to a true outsourced sales tax solution."

"We are excited to partner with SpeedTax to deliver efficient, reliable, cost-effective tax solutions for integration via Web service," says Richard Holcomb, CEO of StrikeIron. "Our customers want comprehensive e-commerce solutions that simplify the buying process and seamlessly deliver a granular level of data effectively managing sales tax compliance. The SpeedTax on-demand sales tax solution provides the necessary data to achieve this and takes e-commerce sites to the next level." The SpeedTax Sales Tax Web Service from StrikeIron can be easily integrated with a customer's financial, e-commerce system or shopping cart, and is available immediately at www.strikeiron.com. About SpeedTax A Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution, SpeedTax performs real-time, automated sales tax calculations, integrates seamlessly with its customers' financial or e-commerce systems, and provides automatic returns preparation and filing, while enabling reporting, treasury management and audit defense with sophisticated, web-based compliance management and reporting tools.

Headquartered in Laguna Hills, California, SpeedTax was founded on the premise that businesses of all sizes should be able to confidently, accurately and affordably outsource the most tedious, repetitious and time-consuming aspects of sales tax compliance -- researching, calculating, posting, reporting and remitting sales taxes -- while simultaneously acquiring the ability to better manage their business via online, real-time access to sales tax data. For more information, visit www.speedtax.com. About StrikeIron StrikeIron is the leader in providing innovative solutions for delivering data over the Internet via Web services. Business users, application developers and enterprise IT professionals are able customize and integrate external data sources and additional external functionality from StrikeIron into enterprise, Web, and composite applications. The company provides a technology platform, micro-transaction management and a consistent interface across many XML-based Web services from multiple and diverse sources. Currently, StrikeIron offers live data sources and business functions from organizations such as Cortera, Gale, MapQuest, Midnight Trader, Tax Data Systems, and Zacks.

StrikeIron delivers value to over 1,600 customers and partners such as Avaya, BEA, Delivery.com, IBM, Honda Europe, Siemens, Nike, Swarovski, ShoeBuy, and Exclusive Resorts.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:How To Buy Shoes

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Buying a pair of shoes seems simple enough, but a few considerations should be made. Your shoes are probably the most important clothing item to determine comfort, so a little extra time when buying can be well worth the effort.

Difficulty: Easy
Time Required: 20 minutes

Here's How:
1.Have your feet measured by a salesperson.
Many people jump ahead to trying on the shoes without checking the length and width of each foot. It is important to know to proper size of your feet and if your feet are slightly different sizes.

2.Shop for the larger foot.
If your feet are different sizes, buy shoe that best fits the larger foot. If you need, buy an insole to fill space in the other shoe.

3.Make sure the shoe fits your heel and your toes.
The toebox should provide ample wiggle room, and the heel should not slip up when walking.

4.Go for a walk in the store.
Make sure the shoe is comfortable for a short walk around the store--any pain is only going to be worse on a long walk.

5.Don't think a shoe will 'break-in.'
This is a common misconception that shoes should be purchased snug so they can break-in. Wrong! Shoes should fit when you buy them.

Tips:
Stand up when measuring your feet.
Do your footwear shopping towards the end of the day after you've been up and walking for a few hours. Under these conditions your feet will be slightly larger than in the morning. End-of-the-day shopping is the best way to buy footwear.

Remeasure your feet each time you buy new shoes.
Measure your feet each visit as your shoe size can change over time. And never buy a shoe based on size alone--try them on!

Shoebuy.com Coupon: Heeling Power



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How to wear the new sky-high shoes. And why women do.

"More hips, ladies, more hips!" scolds the cheerful instructor for the fourth time in as many minutes. Obligingly, my classmates and I traverse the dance floor like tragic auditioners for a hip-hop video. We, the participants in the High Heel Fitness Class & High Heel Walking Workshop, need more hips. We need to move our knees more. We need to tighten our core. We need to hold up our chests. We need, in short, to learn to walk again. This time in heels.

Of all the things for which women have an inexplicable affection--Matthew McConaughey springs to mind--high-heeled shoes are among the most puzzling. Scientists have linked wearing them to serious health conditions, such as osteoarthritis and sciatica, as well as milder ones with hideous names like hammertoe and--my favorite--Haglund's deformity (a lump on the Achilles tendon, also known as pump bump). A Swedish study even associates heels with schizophrenia. Yet this season, women are heading off to work in footgear more vertiginous than ever, topping out at about 6 in. (15 cm). Just last month tree-high shoes felled several models on the Milan runways, and no wonder. Walking in heels that height is the rough equivalent of trying to stroll down Space Mountain.

You gotta ask, Why do women keep taking on such a downhill battle?

There are lots of easy answers: fashion, peer pressure, vanity. There are less obvious ones too. To narrow the height difference between men and women, perhaps? Or because, as evolutionary psychologist Martin Tovee of Britain's Newcastle University surmises, girls' legs grow only during childhood, so long legs communicate a healthy youth and good breeding potential.

A study released in Italy in February suggests that women who wear high heels enjoy sex more--no, really, hear me out--because walking in heels conditions the pelvic muscles. As I said, released in Italy.

Another study, presented in May at the American College of Sports Medicine, warned that wearing high heels on stairs was especially perilous. The body compensates for the instability by putting an emphasis on the knee-extensor muscle. "It's an eccentric muscle action," says Wendy Miletello, one of the authors and an assistant professor of kinesiology at Louisiana Tech, who (speaking of eccentric) wears heels. Future biomechanics studies may look even more closely at pump-related injuries and fatigue.

Behind the shoes' superficial appeal seems to lie a deeper truth, however. And that is that Jimmy Choos, Manolo Blahniks and Christian Louboutins are not primarily apparel. The protection of feet is not their first priority. No, the stiletto (Italian for dagger, after all) is actually a tool. Not so much for crushing cockroaches and hammering nails, although that works, but for the projection of an image that is both feminine and powerful.

That's why Gwyneth Paltrow wore custom-made, 6-in. (15 cm) Alexander McQueens at an Iron Man premiere and Sarah Palin donned Naughty Monkey Double Dare pumps at the Republican Convention and former Lehman CFO Erin Callan navigated Wall Street in skyscraper spikes. Because heels are the perfect shoes for negotiating the complicated landscape where authority meets beauty. Think of them as a peacock's tail--if each feather were also a poison dart.

But any tool--or, yes, weapon--works better when the user has training. Hence the lessons. Crunch introduced its Stiletto Strength classes to New York City in 2006 and now offers them in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. "It's one of our most popular classes," says Donna Cyrus, Crunch's senior VP of programming. Legworks, which offers the workshop I went to in Manhattan, has a growing fan base. The Los Angeles high-end shoe store Il Primo Passo holds high-heel-walking classes, taught by a drag queen, of course, on a monthly basis.

And what do these classes teach? Nothing, alas, that revolutionary. Make sure your heels hit the ground first. Make sure you are spreading the weight as evenly as possible across your foot by tightening your abdominal muscles and keeping your chest high. And lead with your hips. In other words, walk like a hooker with great posture.

Does it work? More or less. At the workshop, I wore what I call my 20-minute "shoeters"--shoes that I can stand for 20 minutes before I want to shoot myself. I lasted a good 40 minutes. With practice, I bet I could get to a really quick party.

Obviously there are some heels that no amount of exercise will make tolerable. Even Blahnik doesn't recommend a heel height above 4 1/2 in. (11 cm).

As for feeling like a hooker, well, Crunch no longer offers Stiletto Strength in New York City. Apparently it got old. Cyrus says nearly everyone who took it moved to a new class the gym offers: pole dancing.

Shoebuy.com Coupon: Instant Problem Solver

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INSTANT PROBLEM SOLVER!

HOW TO MAKE EVEN YOUR HIGHEST HEELS MORE COMFORTABLE. IT WORKS--WE TRIED IT!

According to N.Y.C. stylist Kendall Farr, author of just-out Style Evolution (Penguin Group U.S.A.), slip a pair of Insolia gel inserts ($20/3 pairs; insolia.com) into your vertiginous stilettos, and you may forget you're not wearing sensible pumps. "I take new shoes to the cobbler and have these put under the liners," Farr says. "The pads distribute one's weight from the ball of the foot back to the heel. They're like shock absorbers!"

Shoebuy.com Coupon: PopularMedia Launches Social Media Marketing Suite

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PopularMedia, the leading provider of social media marketing solutions, announced a suite of products designed to help companies maximize the impact of online word-of-mouth channels to deliver leads, sales and revenue growth through trusted consumer social networks.

"Marketers and publishers alike are wrestling with how to monetize social media," said Jim Calhoun, CEO of PopularMedia. "Our suite of solutions are proven to deliver more value to advertisers, more engaging experiences for consumers, and better results through the power of predictive analytics and optimization."

The social media marketing suite allows marketers and agencies to publish, measure, and optimize online word-of-mouth programs; identify and target influential consumers and social networks; and facilitate consumer-to-consumer sharing through email, blogs, and social network sites. PopularMedia's technology measures and optimizes every aspect of its online word-of-mouth programs, including consumer-to-consumer sharing activity, impact on transactions, targeted consumer actions, and consumer messaging and applies sophisticated algorithms to optimize campaign performance.

To date, PopularMedia programs have touched over 40 million consumers. IGG.com, Oddcast, Omaha Steaks, Shoebuy, and Zecco are just a sample of customers, agencies and partners that have identified influential consumers and are generating real ROI through PopularMedia's solutions.

PopularMedia's social media marketing suite consists of enterprise-level strategic products and services and easy-to-use sharing tools, all delivered on a Software as a Service platform.

-- PopularMedia Conversation, the company's flagship product, is a word-of-mouth campaign management platform allowing marketers to create, publish and test a range of social media experiences. The system uses predictive analytics to identify the combination of factors that will lead to maximum distribution through social networks while achieving a marketer's targeted objectives.

-- PopularMedia Insights provides real-time, actionable intelligence into consumers' online social activities, motivations, and technology usage, enabling marketers to make more informed marketing decisions.

-- PopularMedia Importer is an easy to configure web service API which lets website visitors quickly import contact information from their existing web-based address books. Importing from Yahoo, Gmail, AOL, MSN/Hotmail and LinkedIn is supported. Users get easy access to their address books. PopularMedia Importer is available free at http://www.popularmedia.com/solutions/api_form.php Real-time usage reporting is available for an additional fee.

"PopularMedia allows us to enable an important distribution service to our users. Our users create user-generated avatars and constantly share their speaking avatars with their friends and family," adds Calhoun. "Through PopularMedia Importer, we can empower our users to easily and seamlessly select from their various address books rather than having to manually type in contact emails, which inspires the 'send-along process' and drives a greater level of viral distribution for our users' creations and ultimately, our products and platforms."

Consumers are flooded with information from a variety of channels, and are turning away from traditional media networks in favor of personal, socially connected networks. This shift has turned consumers into powerful influencers who directly impact a marketer's bottom line. In October 2007, a Nielsen study found that consumer recommendations are the most trusted form of advertising around the world. Over three-quarters of respondents from 47 markets across the world rated recommendations from consumers as a trusted form of advertising.

Availability

PopularMedia's social media marketing suite is available direct from the company or through its growing network of agency partners. Clients can select products based on their need or purchase the Influencer Edition that combines PopularMedia Insights, PopularMedia Conversation, and creative and strategic services to help clients quickly deploy high impact social media marketing programs. www.popularmedia.com

Shoebuy.com Coupon: PayPal Announces Back-to-School Deals to Help Save Time and Money

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This year, as the leaves start to change colors, parents will be exercising tighter control over the back-to-school budget, according to a recent PayPal survey. More than half of the parents surveyed said they will wait for sales before buying for their teens this fall. Forty percent will give their teens a budget and let them decide how to spend the money while only eight percent of parents said they will buy their teens whatever they want.

In order to help parents and kids find clothing and supplies that fit their budgets, PayPal has launched a back-to-school Web site with the season's hottest deals and styles: https://www.paypal.com/backtoschool. Starting today, parents can use their PayPal accounts and receive discounts, cash-back offers and other promotions at some of the most popular sites on the Web, such as American Eagle, eBags, eBay, Guess, OfficeMax and Shoebuy.com.

As parents and teens stock up for school this fall, many will disagree over how the back-to-school budget is managed. The PayPal survey, conducted by ACNielsen, found some disparity over who controls the purse strings. Eighty-two percent of parents said they are involved in deciding what their teens buy. However, 62 percent of teens disagreed and said they decide what to buy on their own. Teens with jobs claim to have the most independence, with 45 percent saying they not only make the final decisions on what to get but they also use their personal money to facilitate the purchases.

"While parents and kids disagree about who is really in control of back-to-school purchasing decisions, online shopping is something everyone can agree on," said Don Fotsch, Vice President of User Experience and Design. "PayPal is helping parents and kids save time and money by offering great online deals on everything from trendy apparel to back-to-school basics that don't require a trip to the crowded mall."


Shoebuy.com Coupon: PTC; Brown Shoe Drives Global Product Development With PTC Footwear Solution

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2009 APR 7 - (VerticalNews.com) -- PTC (Nasdaq: PMTC), the Product Development Company(R), announced that Brown Shoe Company, Inc., a footwear company with worldwide operations, has taken steps to improve collaboration and enhance visibility within its global product development process by implementing as its technology tool the PTC Footwear and Apparel solution FlexPLM(TM). This move is Brown Shoe's first step in the implementation of its previously announced enterprise-wide information technology initiatives.

FlexPLM delivers a single Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) platform to Brown Shoe, and is expected to enable the company to gain early visibility into its product development processes, improve collaboration, effectively manage costs and reduce development times. Brown Shoe is a $2.3 billion global footwear company that inspires people to look and feel good every day, with a compelling portfolio of loved and trusted brands. The company operates the more than 1,100 store Famous Footwear chain, offering more than 80 brands for the whole family, and markets leading footwear brands including Naturalizer, Franco Sarto, LifeStride, Dr. Scholl's, Via Spiga, Etienne Aigner and Carlos by Carlos Santana for adults, as well as Buster Brown children's footwear.

Based on PTC's Windchill(R) technology, FlexPLM is an intuitive, Web-based solution that streamlines communication, tracks milestones, pre-empts performance bottlenecks, and provides instant visibility throughout the product development value chain. Highly scalable and fully configurable, FlexPLM enables global product teams to work more efficiently and productively.

More than 18 months ago, Brown Shoe's product development team across the U.S. and China began an analysis of the company's systems and how its global supply chain could become even more streamlined, efficient and disciplined, while also cutting costs. The company sought a PLM solution that was created specifically to serve the needs of the footwear industry. Following an extensive review, Brown Shoe selected and implemented FlexPLM because it supports footwear industry best practices, offers global access to a centralized library with version control, provides the ability to manage, streamline and reduce product development cycles and enables Brown Shoe to easily connect and communicate with its global suppliers and factory partners. Brown Shoe utilizes FlexPLM to connect the development of its line calendar, the structure of line planning/sample planning, and the management of product specifications in one system that is accessible to everyone involved in the process. It offers the company critical visibility for planning and budgeting, and enables product developers to focus on creating great footwear for consumers.

"Ultimately, we expect FlexPLM to enable Brown Shoe to be an even better partner to retailers, factories and suppliers, while introducing trend-right footwear into the marketplace. This solution is designed to create a more cohesive product development process, which is important to managing our business well. It is still up to our teams to put in the work, but we expect FlexPLM to make it easier for product teams to speed up the development process, obtain visibility at every step and streamline one system for planning," said Brown Shoe's Senior Vice President-Product and Sourcing Dan Friedman.

Shoebuy.com Coupon: Taking a look inside Nike's factories

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LAST WEEK AN ACTIVIST GROUP CALLED THE NATIONAL Labor Committee accused Nike and other companies of running virtual slave factories in China, alleging that workers are habitually overworked and underpaid. It's the kind of charge Nike has faced, and denied, repeatedly regarding its operations in Asia. Nike subcontractors employ nearly 500,000 workers in plants in Indonesia, China and Vietnam.

TIME visited Nike plants in China and Vietnam recently and found them to be modern, clean, well lighted and ventilated, and paying decent wages by local standards-although by no means are they trouble free. Make no mistake: these are factories, not amusement parks, and even in developing Asia, where jobs are scarce and getting scarcer, this is not the employment of choice. It's low-tech assembly work that hasn't changed much since Nike chairman Phil Knight first started sourcing sneakers in Japan 35 years ago. Since then, the work has migrated in search of ever cheaper labor.

At the Yueyuan Factory No. 3 in Dongguan, in the Guangdong province of China, Zhang Jinming, 21, who comes from the poor inland province of Jiangxi, runs a stamping machine. "I work here because I have to earn a living, but it's boring work. When I have money, I'll go back," he says. [TIME used its own interpreters.] The average monthly wage is 600 renminbi, or $73. The company provides meals and living quarters in spartan although adequate dorm rooms that sleep 12 and offer individual storage closets and ceiling fans for the summer. In Vietnam, by comparison, the minimum wage is $40 a month, and workers must pay for such accommodations.

Indisputably, there have been cases where supervisors abused workers, including a well-known incident at Pou THE SWOOSH FACTORY Workers in Vietnam assembling shoes Chen's Bien Hoa plant in Vietnam when several women fainted while being forced to run laps around the perimeter of three warehouses as a punishment. Workers there have no confidence in the grievance system, and some still fear reprisal from bosses. "The manager wants us to meet the regulated number," says a 27-year-old woman. "When we don't and there's a gap, they force us to work extra to meet the quota." Workers have also complained that they were paid as temporaries for longer than the law allowed, and not given automatic raises after one year, as required. Nike says it has fixed those problems.
Another huge issue is the question of a fair wage. "Americans pay $100 for a pair of shoes that a worker gets $3 a day to make," says Kimberly Miyoshi of San Francisco's Global Exchange. "They pay Michael Jordan $40 million to endorse them. Can't they find more money to pay the workers?" The short answer is no. Corporations pay the going rate for labor wherever they are. And Nike maintains that the rate is good. Research conducted by Dartmouth College, for instance, found that Nike subcontractors in Indonesia and Vietnam paid above subsistence levels, allowing workers to save a portion of their earnings. TIME found this to be true at Yueyuan.

Nike says it has a staff of 1,000 labor-practices managers enforcing a program the company calls SHAPE-an acronym for Safety, Health, Attitude of Management, People, Environment. "We are the only company that has people dedicated exclusively to labor-practice enforcement," says Brad Figel, Nike's Washington lobbyist. Outside auditors as well as nongovernmental organizations have also had a look.

But Nike's critics have argued that the company cannot monitor work standards credibly with its own staff or with hired guns such as former United Nations ambassador Andrew Young, whom Nike paid to visit plants in China, Vietnam and Indonesia. He concluded that "Nike is doing a good job ... but Nike can and should do better." Activists dismissed his report as propaganda. Of course, if Nike can't reverse its recent sales trends, job conditions won't be a problem for many of these workers. They won't have jobs


Shoebuy.com Coupon: 3M targets women with its 'Sex and the City' campaign

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Stationary company 3M is to launch a Sex and the Cify-inspired shoe voucher giveaway and competition for its Post-It and Scotch Magic Tape brands.

The 'Step out in style' campaign, created by Blue Chip Marketing, aims to drive sales among women in office admin and capitalise on the release of the Sex and the City movie in May. It will run from April until the end of July with a £10 shoe voucher for consumers who submit proof of purchase for a qualifying number of products.

Vouchers can be spent in a range of high street shoe shops including Clarks and Ravel. Shoppers will also receive a Spring Style Guide to give them tips on fashion.

Entrants to the free online competition will have the chance to win a trip to New York with three of their friends. The trip will include a personal shopping trip to the designer shoe store Jimmy Choo, popularised on the Sex and the City TV show, where they can choose four pairs of the shoes.

The promotion will be supported by online and print advertising in the trade press. Online ads will appear on sites such as Yahoo and hotmail, as well as office admin forum site Desk Demon.

3M ran a similar fashion promotion in October 2006 when it teamed up with Twentieth Century Fox for The Devil Wears Prada. The campaign offered a competition to win a trip to Los Angeles, a free mini lint roller and a £5 fashion voucher that could be redeemed at high street shops such as Selfridges and Topshop.

Shoebuy.com Coupon: How to Choose Children's Shoes

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Shopping for the first pair

Step1 Wait to buy shoes until your child starts to walk. Research suggests that children develop healthy, well-developed feet when they learn to walk barefoot. Keep their feet toasty and unrestricted with soft booties or warm skid-free socks. Robeez (robeez.com) makes thin but warm leather moccasins in a range of colors and sizes that actually stay on little crawlers' feet.

Step2 When it's time for your baby's first pair of shoes, take your well rested, recently fed child to a quality children's shoe store that stock brands such as Stride Rite and Elefanten. The best stores have patient and knowledgeable salespeople who are expert at fitting children's feet.

Step3 Have the salesperson measure the length and width of both of the child's feet. Many babies have an extra wide foot and may need a special size.

Step4 Make sure the shoes aren't too big, which can cause a baby to trip. First shoes should be soft and pliable to let new walkers feel the ground.

As they grow

Step1 Have your child's feet measured on a regular basis at a shoe store that specializes in children's shoes. Kids grow fast, and shoe sizes can change from month to month. Really good salespeople can spot evasive maneuvers like scrunched up toes, and know how to woo a reluctant tot out of a parent's lap. Toys and play areas are added bonuses.

Step2 Head to discount stores, such as Payless ShoeSource, Target and Kmart, which are also great sources for shoes that get limited wear, such as dress shoes. If you're clear about your child's shoe size, you can save a bundle at these discounters. However, many of these stores don't carry wide or narrow shoes.

Step3 Have your child try both shoes on. Shoes vary in fit, even within the same brand. Toes should have a 1/2-inch (1-cm) clearance, but not much more. Getting one size larger than their foot is typical. Watch your child walk and make sure that the heels don't slip out. If a heel is too wide but the rest of the shoe fits, try heel pads (available at some shoe stores and drugstores).

Step4 Invest in a good pair of sneakers that your child can wear every day. This pair will take a pounding, so look for quality. Leather holds up better than vinyl, and stitching lasts longer than glue.

Step5 Take advantage of Velcro fasteners. At some point, though, all kids need to learn to tie shoelaces, so get your preschool-age child at least one pair that ties.

Step6 For summer months or warm climates, purchase cheap canvas sneakers for playing in the sand box, jumping in puddles or going in the creek. Velcro-strapped sandals are great for tender feet that want to have wet summertime fun.

Step7 Buy rain and winter boots a size or two bigger. Kids can wear heavier or even doubled socks. Most retailers won't restock boots, even if they sell out of a size, until the following year's season. Be aware that most rain boots don't come in wide sizes; you may have to go up in size to get them wide enough.

Shoebuy.com Coupon: Tips For Proper Foot Wear

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With a wide variety of shoes available, be sure to consider variables such as foot type, durability and fit when making your selection. Whether you are looking for high-mileage training shoes or a recreational shoe, factoring these variables into your decision can help select a shoe tailored to your needs.

Shoes of right size
Most shoes these days don't stretch and feet don't shrink (they actually get bigger with age). If after your first workout your toe nails hurt, feet cramp, or if you get excessive blisters, there is something wrong with the fit of the shoe. First try adjusting the laces and changing sock types. If this doesn't solve the problem, return the shoe to us and we'll gladly send you a better fitting pair.

Comfort for your feet first and style next!
The impact that affects your neck, back, hips, knees, and ankles starts at your feet. Depending on how much you work out, you should purchase new shoes every 4-8 months for maximum cushioning. You can further reduce impact by using padded socks and/or a shock-absorbing insole.

It's exciting to get new shoes, but don't go crazy
We know the first thing you want to do when you get your new shoes is take them out for a long ride. But remember, it's going to take a little time for your feet and shoes to get to know each other. Take it easy for a couple of workouts and you'll prevent blisters and other unwanted aches.

Don't get shoes that are too small
Most of the shoes in the catalog (and on this site) fit true to size. You'll notice that we have indicated the fit of each shoe to help you pick the best size. If you are not sure about your size or if you are in between sizes, select a half size bigger. There is nothing worst than shoes that are too tight! If the shoe is a little big, you can always wear padded socks or insert an insole to make for a tighter fit.

There are many shoe types. They generally fall under the following categories:

Cross Trainers: This category is the most popular among buyers because of the wide range of sporting activities it covers. Cross trainers allow the athlete to do weight training, short distance jogging, play tennis, etc. A cross trainer has a wide, stable outsole and midsole, with great cushioning and support which makes it very versatile.

Running: A running shoe is a sport specific shoe designed to provide support, cushioning and elastic rebound to distance runners. Lightweight, wedge shaped midsoles sport large cushioning units to absorb the continuous impact, reducing strain on the runner's lower back and knees. These units also provide elastic rebound as they spring back, returning energy back to the runner. Trail runners are more durable in the upper and the outsole provides traction for running up and down hills in loose gravel and dirt. They often also have deeper tread patterns for better grip.

Basketball: This sport requires footwear that offers lateral support for the ankles, cushioning for the knees and lower back (enough to with stand forces equivalent to 2 1/2 times a person's weight), and good traction for smooth floors. Basketball shoes have wide outsoles made of gum rubber, which provide stability and traction. Large cushioning units located in soft compound midsoles add much need cushioning, and the upper is higher cut materials such as leather or nubuck combined with support straps and stiff heel counters to provide ankle support.

Shoebuy.com Coupon: How To Determine Your Shoe Size


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Making sure that you are wearing the right size shoe is a basic for daily comfort. Shoes that are too small are one of the major causes of foot pain and problems. Shoes that are too large can cause blistering and a lack of stability. Also, just because you knew your shoe size a few years ago doesn't mean it is the same--feet, like people, change over time.

Measuring tips:

The best time to measure your feet with the following method is at the end of the day, when your feet are at their most swollen.

Wear the same style of socks that you plan to wear with your shoes.
Measure both feet and choose the shoe size that fits the bigger foot.
If you are alone, it is best to take the measurements while sitting. If someone else is helping you, then standing on your feet is best.
--For a more accurate measurement, use centimeters instead of inches. If need be, you can convert inches to centimeters by multiplying by 2.54.
--There are wide variations among shoe measurement systems and the fit may be quite different depending upon the brand and type of shoe you buy.
--With an exact toe to heel measurement, which some sellers provide, you are more likely to order the correct size.


How to Measure Your Feet:

1.Sitting or standing (see tip above), place one foot on a piece of paper. This may seem obvious, but make sure the sheet is bigger than your foot. You may want to tape the paper down to keep it from moving.

2.Holding a pencil as straight as possible, trace around your entire foot.

3.Using a ruler, measure your foot width and length.
Length: Measure the distance between the two longest points on your foot tracing. Now, reduce this measurement by 5 mm or 1/5 of an inch. This accounts for the slight space between your foot and the pencil.
Width: Measure the distance between the two widest points on your tracing, & also reduce this measurement by 5 mm or 1/5 of an inch. This number will help determine your foot width.

4.Using your measurements from step 3, refer to the following chart to determine your shoe size. Remember that sizes can vary significantly among different shoe types and brands.

Shoebuy.com Coupon: Get clients with coupons

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How to Promote a Discount on Your Services and Profit


As a jewelry salesman 15 years ago, Ramon Williamson saw sales spike when he began distributing coupons door-to-door to clients. Today, as owner of an entrepreneurial seminar and personal coaching business in McLean, Virginia, he still swears by the clip 'n' save strategy. Even though Williamson no longer peddles wristwatches and rings, his client roster has increased a whopping 300 percent since he's passed out coupons to attendees after each of his small-business talks.

Dotting office bulletin boards and home refrigerators, redeemable promotions aren't just for food establishments. If the latest batch of Val-Pak mailers, yellow pages ads, and newspaper solicitations are any indication, everyone from accountants and attorneys to pediatricians and pet groomers are luring clients with cost-cutting coupons.

But you don't have to limit your marketing sites to ads and direct-mail promotions. Today, if you can print on it, you can slap a coupon on it-from the backs of business cards, invoices, and movie tickets to the sides of paper cups and shopping bags. And if you're targeting prospects who rarely leave their offices, new Internet coupons may stimulate sales (see "Target Desk Jockeys With CyberCoupons"). Indeed, the ways to promote your dotted-line discounts are as varied as the prospects you can reach.

Targeting the Right Market When Shannon Moore, owner of an ad agency that targets small businesses, first agreed to run in a coupon booklet that was going to 15,000 homes in Florida, her expectations were low. Who thinks of their business when opening personal mail? But within a week of the mailing, Moore received her first response: A real estate magazine publisher called and signed on as one of Graphics Warehouse's largest accounts. "I learned that businesspeople continue to think about work while they're at home," she says.

The price to produce and distribute cut-and-save ads starts at a couple of cents per coupon and can run into thousands of dollars. Heavier paper stock, for instance, is more costly, but it discourages prospects from reproducing your coupons. To run an ad comparable to, say, Moore's, would cost roughly $35 per I,000 names. And the direct-mail company that Moore commissioned handles the creative side.

Williamson, on the other hand, takes the do-it-yourself, low-cost approach. Using PageMaker 6.5 (Adobe, 800-8336687; Win 95, Mac; $895), he designs his own rectangularshaped redeemable ads and hands them out to attendees of his seminar. But other programs such as Microsoft Publisher 97 (Microsoft, 800-426-9400 ; Win 95; $79) and My Professional Marketing Materials 3.0 (MySoftware Co., 800325-3508; Win 95, Win; $79.95) will help inspire more attention-grabbing design ideas, such as irregularly shaped ads. (If you'd like to add a scissors icon, the Zapf Dingbats font offers several, but a simple dotted line is often enough.) Tear-and-Save Tactics As veterans of the cut-here-andsave marketing approach, Williamson and Moore offer the following dos and don'ts.

Do hone in on your audience. Whether you're sending online extras

For coupon design samples or to link to Hot Coupons, visit our site at www.smalloffice.com or on AOL (keyword: soho). redeemable e-mail solicitations yourself or signing up with a coupon distributor, business owners report that you'll get a greater response when you use carefully culled lists. Specialized newspapers, newsletters, and targeted direct-mail operators are just a few ways to draw qualified prospects.

Shoebuy.com Coupon: Shoebuy and Moneta Offer Online Shoppers Secure, Convenient, Responsible Payments

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2009 MAR 18 - (VerticalNews.com) -- Shoebuy.com, one of the largest Internet retailers of footwear and apparel, will offer Moneta as its newest payment option. Moneta offers consumers a secure, free online payment method which enables them to safely pay from their bank account without leaving the merchant site or disclosing sensitive information.
Consumers setup their free Moneta account conveniently through a single enrollment process at www.monetacorp.com; setting a username, password and designating a bank account for online payments. When shopping online, the consumer simply logs in, and completes the transaction within seconds, without leaving the merchant site or revealing sensitive information.
Moneta's method of securely transferring payments from the consumer's checking account is growing in popularity. Financial analysts predict that consumer credit use may decline by 40 percent within a year accelerating debit-based payment acceptance, like Moneta, as consumers pay down credit balances.
"Shoebuy customers appreciate the range of choice we provide in product selection and in payment options," said Jim Keller, SVP Marketing at Shoebuy.com. "Moneta is well suited for our customers who prefer to pay directly from a bank account and avoid running up credit balances and interest charges. In addition to providing value to our existing customers, we believe that Moneta's bank payment approach will attract new customers to Shoebuy.com through unique marketing programs with trusted consumer organizations such as financial institutions and non-profits."
"We are pleased to have Moneta added as a payment option on Shoebuy.com, one of the largest online retailers," said Guido Sacchi, CEO of Moneta. "Shoebuy's commitment to a positive customer experience reflects our focus on increasing consumer confidence through a secure, easy online transaction that promotes responsible spending. Using Moneta, Shoebuy customers now have a safe, easy-to-use option to pay directly from their bank account." About Shoebuy.com Shoebuy.com is the largest retailer on the Internet focused on all categories of footwear and related apparel. Shoebuy.com has partnerships with more than 750 manufacturers and represents more than 700,000 products from top brands including adidas, Aerosoles, Allen-Edmonds, Born, Bostonian, Brooks, Charles by Charles David, Clarks, Crocs, Dockers, Donald J Pliner, Dr. Martens, Easy Spirit, Fila, Florsheim, Franco Sarto, Hush Puppies, Jessica Simpson, Johnston & Murphy, K-Swiss, Keds, Mephisto, Merrell, Mezlan, Naturalizer, New Balance, Reebok, Rockport, Sebago, Skechers, Softspots, Sperry Top-Sider, Stride Rite, Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger, and many more. Shoebuy.com also operates Bagsbuy.com, which represents all categories of bags including handbags, backpacks, luggage, baby gear, briefcases and laptop bags. Shoebuy.com is an operating business of IAC. About Moneta Corporation Moneta Corporation offers secure, convenient methods for consumers to pay online merchants directly from their checking or money market accounts. Moneta partners with online merchants, nonprofits and financial institutions to process payments, while providing banks online branding opportunities. Merchants offering Moneta payments benefit from increased online traffic through marketing programs with trusted financial institutions and non-profits. Moneta is a privately-held company headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. Visit www.monetacorp.com.

Shoebuy.com Coupon: Shoebuy.com Finds a Way to Win New Customers with a Secure Cash Checkout


2009 MAR 18 - (VerticalNews.com) -- As online retailers look for ways to attract consumers during the recession, Shoebuy.com, a top rated apparel shopping site with over 5 million unique visitors each month, looked towards eBillme. eBillme(TM), the payment option that enables consumers and small businesses to use online banking to pay now, pay securely and use available funds, was introduced on the site as a checkout option in November 2008, to give shoppers a credit card alternative that limits debt. After just four weeks of integration, Shoebuy.com saw immediate adoption of the payment option as 42 percent of shoppers who checked-out with eBillme were new customers for the online retailer.

"We're seeing increased demand for non-credit payment options as consumers take steps to limit interest and decrease credit card balances," says James Keller, SVP Marketing & Business Development at Shoebuy.com. "We chose eBillme as a solution that further addresses customers looking for a secure way to shop online and pay now with available funds, without any fees, and with buyer protections. We are seeing the desire for some consumers to shift from credit to cash and eBillme is helping us respond and reach new shoppers."

eBillme is an easy-to-use alternative payment option for shopping online. When shoppers choose the option at checkout, their order is confirmed with an eBill sent to their e-mail address. Consumers simply pay the eBill through their online checking or savings account--the same way they pay utilities, loans, insurance, and other bills. The transaction occurs securely, bank to bank, with no personal or financial information required or transmitted over the Internet.

"Shoebuy.com customers value their vast selections, competitive pricing and first-class customer service," says Marwan Forzley, President and CEO of eBillme. "Our payment option delivers benefits to both merchants and consumers. Shoppers have changed their spending preferences and are starting to act with more financial responsibility. Shoebuy.com has seen first-hand evidence of this as more of their customers look towards cash checkout. Now is the time for online retailers to invest in cash-like alternatives to adapt to the changing landscape."

Because shoppers pay directly from their online bank account, they don't release any financial information online. This helps consumers manage their spending and debt, while better safeguarding themselves from identity theft and fraud risks. eBillme's buyer protection program takes security a step further. Provided at no cost to shoppers and retailers, the buyer protection features have the same or a better level of buyer protection than premium credit cards. Protection features include a return guarantee, price guarantee, in-transit protection, and fraud protection. Consumers can shop with confidence knowing their eBillme transaction is guaranteed and protected.

To read the full Shoebuy.com case study, please visit http://www.ebillme.com/images/uploads/pdfs/shoebuy_eBillme_casetudy.pdf. ABOUT eBillme eBillme(TM) is the only online payment solution that extends the convenience of online banking to the merchant's checkout, reduces the security risks of shopping online, and enables merchants to increase sales while reducing transaction costs. No financial data is exposed and the payment transaction is securely transferred from the customer's bank to the retailer's bank. Consumers can shop online, by catalog or through call centers, and pay for their purchases at their bank, credit union, or bill pay portal using the security and convenience of online banking. eBillme gives retailers access to the over 110 million Americans who use online banking. For more information, please visit www.eBillme.com or eBillme's Online Debt-Free Shopping Mall, www.shopdebtfree.com.