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2010-04-26T01:42:00.000-07:00

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Shoebuy.com Coupon:Sales Promotion: Rebates Challenge Coupons' Redeeming Values

2009-05-15T00:47:00.000-07:00

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Couponing's dominance as a sales promotion tool is being challenged by refund offers. Rebates stimulate sales without the high cost, waste, and fraud associated with coupons. Refunds are consistently predictable in terms of results and liabilities. Between 1977 and 1984, households using refunds increased from 27% to 51%. Dan Ailloni-Charas of Stratmar Systems attributes this growth to 3 factors: 1. the promotion and popularity of high-ticket rebates, 2. increased desire for shoppers to obtain greater savings than those possible by couponing alone, and 3. the proliferation of consumer swap clubs that foster awareness of promotional offers. Overuse of refunds by manufacturers, however, can be detrimental by eroding positive brand image in categories where there is a strongly perceived product differentiation. Because rebate offers often are made in response to competitive pressures, Ailloni-Charas says they should have a competitively favorable price-value ratio for the product.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Sales Promotion: Couponamania

2009-05-15T00:46:00.002-07:00

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Coupons can enhance brand awareness cost-effectively and provide flexibility and convenience in delivering the promotion quickly. Almost 80% of all households and over 2,000 manufacturers use coupons. Coupon distribution rose from 179.8 billion in 1985 to 202.6 billion in 1986, with packaged goods manufacturers increasing usage 13%. Redemption rate remained flat at 3.6%. Misredemption of coupons is estimated at 10%-15%. Coupons are distributed through freestanding inserts (FSI), print advertising, direct mail, and in stores. Determination of the proper vehicle to use should consider: 1. strategy and objective, 2. cost redemption, 3. availability, 4. circulation, and 5. exclusivity. FSIs carried 68% of all coupons in 1986, compared with 59.9% in 1985. Electronic coupon dispensers are being tested in an effort to find a better way to reach specific consumers. Computerized price reductions for in-store promotions may eliminate physical coupons. Rebates and refunds have gained popularity over cents-off coupons. Cross refunds/rebates among producers are increasing in usage.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:More About Rebates and Coupons

2009-05-15T00:46:00.001-07:00

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A survey by Discount Merchandiser shows that managers find coupons still generate traffic. Moreover, many managers find rebates to be a nuisance because of the time it takes for the consumers to get their money. Rebates give the customer extra savings, but people are not getting their money back from the manufacturer within a reasonable amount of time. With a rebate service, all the rebates for a promotion come in at one time. This service helps control rebates tremendously. Generic or in-house rebates are copies of original manufacturers' rebates that can be used when the original supply runs out. With rebates, stores can advertise several different items and bring them all down to one price point. With coupons, customers can see the results immediately. However, coupons cost the manufacturers more money. Some in-store coupons bring in more customers than manufacturers' coupons. Stores try other promotions to generate sales and bring in more customers, including prize give-aways and promotions of certain items.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Sales Promotion: What's Ahead

2009-05-15T00:45:00.000-07:00

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Three top executives from the largest US sales promotion agencies and the executive director of the Promotional Marketing Association of America recently participated in a roundtable discussion on the future of sales promotion. The ratio of promotion to advertising now is about 60 to 40. Vincent Sottosanti, president-chief executive officer of Comart-KLP, says that broadcast media are no longer as effective as they once were and that more emphasis has been placed on regionalized sales. The role of sales promotion has changed dramatically in the past 10 years; now it deals directly with key decision makers for client companies, according to James Mack, executive vice-president, client services, Frankel & Co. Mack says sales promotion agencies can provide programs that operate on a working partnership between the manufacturer and the retailer. Joseph Flanagan, president of Impact, Chicago, explains that there are three challenges facing the marketing industry - creativity, accountability, and attracting intellectual capital.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Coupons Maintain Redeeming Qualities

2009-05-15T00:44:00.000-07:00

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The United States is the largest coupon market in the world, with the number of coupons redeemed in 1990 exceeding the world population. There are more than 3,000 manufacturers currently using coupons in the United States, a 50 percent increase over the last 10 years.

Many changes and record growth have taken place within the consumer promotion industry during the last decade. This growth occurred as manufacturers discovered that consumer promotions effectively increased and maintained brand sales. Retailers added to this growth by supporting and initiating couponing efforts, which in turn provided them with increased sales and profits.

The free-standing insert (FSI) has become the dominant distribution method in the United States, overshadowing the once-prominent newspaper medium. The share of coupons distributed within magazines is less than 20 percent of the 1980 share. While the use of in-ad coupons are not covered in this report, they are a growing market.

Throughout the past decade, we have seen many lifestyle changes. More women are choosing careers outside the home, and men are staying at home with their children. People are waiting longer to get married and have children. Preserving the environment has become a growing concern. With computers in many homes, and telephones in cars, the world has experienced a variety of technological advancements. This technological growth has also affected the coupon industry. For example, barcoding has assisted in the "computerization" of coupon promotions.

The past decade provided many economic fluctuations, from a recession in the early 1980s to regained consumer confidence during the mid-to late 1980s. With the end of the decade, however, came another decrease in consumer confidence in the economy. Sales of big-ticket items were down in the last quarter of 1990, and this trend has continued in 1991. NCH has studied the relationship between coupon redemption and the general health of the economy and has found that coupons are redeemed more heavily in times of economic recession.

Coupon Distribution

There were 279.4 billion coupons distributed in 1990, a 4.4 percent increase over the 267.6 billion coupons distributed in 1989. Total coupon distribution has almost tripled over the last 10 years, with a growth of more than 190 percent. Record expansion in coupon distribution occurred during the 1980s, with an average annual growth of 18.2 percent from 1981 to 1983. Mid-decade increases continued at a rate of 12.4 percent for the years 1984 to 1986. The latter part of the decade was characterized by a somewhat slower growth rate of 5.6 percent. The average annual growth rate during the 1980s was 11.4 percent.

The enormous growth rate in coupon distribution in the 1980s is the result of many factors, including:

* A shift in manufacturer promotion spending from media advertising to consumer promotions.

* The realization that couponing produces results and can be a more strategic and effective tactic than price cuts.

* Couponing's ability to induce trial of new and improved products and to gain sales volume in a competitive economy.

* The versatility in reaching virtually all target groups through a variety of media choices, and in implementation with any size promotional budget.

* Retailer interest in coupon promotions.

Over the last decade there has been a shift in manufacturer promotional spending from traditional media advertising to trade and consumer promotions. This trend continues today.

According to Donnelley Marketing's 13th Annual Survey of Promotional Practices, the decrease in media advertising budget allocations is partially attributed to changes in the economy and world events.

Additional survey findings include:

* A greater percentage of manufacturers are using coupons and cents-off promotions, while the use of money-back offers/cash refunds, sweepstakes and premiums is on the decline. This shift may be an indicator of consumer demand for promotions which provide more immediate gratification.

* Higher levels of in-store consumer promotions were recorded between 1982 and 1990. Thirty-six percent of consumer promotion expenditures were in-store promotions, nearly double that reported in 1982, reflecting the growing importance of the retailer.

* Couponing continues to be highly supported by the companies surveyed, with 65 percent planning to maintain or increase coupon budget allocations in 1991.

Marketers are faced with the challenge of deriving growth from a slowing economy. A promotional strategy including the use of coupons can increase sales volume and build brand loyalty.

Due to increased competition and costs in the marketplace, manufacturers are moving away from "mass marketing" techniques and toward more targeted, segmented methods of reaching their consumers. Through a great variety of distribution avenues, coupons can reach virtually any target group. Targeted database marketing is on the rise and becoming more sophisticated: With barcoding technology and the use of personal identification numbers (PIN coding), couponing is more than a sales generator; it is a method of gaining vital information on consumers who are purchasing products and a means for developing valuable mailing lists of target consumers.

The variety of media and cooperative distribution programs available allows coupon programs to be implemented within most promotional budgets.

The increasing growth and consolidation of retail trade power has increased pressure on manufacturers to work with retailers on merchandising and promotional activities. These cooperative coupon promotions can produce increased sales and profits for both the retailer and the manufacturer.

Distribution By Media

Media selection for coupon distribution has changed dramatically since 1980. Early in the decade, newspaper was the primary medium used, accounting for 48.2 percent of all coupons distributed. Other popular distribution methods in 1980 included FSIs, 18.4 percent; magazines, 13.3 percent; and Sunday magazine supplements, 9 percent. By 1985 a shift had occurred, with newspaper coupon distribution falling to a 20.2 percent share and FSIs growing to almost 60 percent. The use of Sunday magazine supplements dropped to 2.1 percent, and the use of magazines decreased to 8.6 percent. There were only minor fluctuations in the media mix during the latter half of the 1980s.

Because of their cost-effectiveness to manufacturers and visual appeal to consumers, FSIs continue to be the dominant distribution media, increasing in share every year. Overall, the 1990 FSI share of coupon distribution represented 79.9 percent of the total market, more than four times its 1980 share.

The coupon distribution share through newspaper ROP/Solo and Co-op for all products in 1990 was 6.5 percent, a slight increase over the 1989 share of 6.4 percent. However, the 1990 newspaper media share represented only a fraction of its 1980 distribution share.

Direct mail coupon distribution has fluctuated only slightly since 1980, when it represented 3.4 percent of total distribution for all products. The 1990 direct mail distribution share was 4 percent, a slight decrease from 4.3 percent in 1989.

The use of magazines for distribution has decreased significantly since 1980, when it represented a 13.3 percent share of the total. In 1990, coupon distribution by magazine represented 2.4 percent of the total, down from the 1989 share of 3.3 percent.

In-and on-pack coupons have also decreased in popularity, dropping from a 7.7 percent share of distribution for all products in 1980 to a 3.5 percent share in 1990.

One medium that has experienced growth since 1986 is the handout coupon (electronically dispensed coupons, tearoff pads, shelf pads and coupons handed out at the retail location). The use of bounceback coupons, which are sent to consumers at their request, also became more popular in 1990. Typically, proofs of purchase and the consumer's name and address are required to recieve the coupon. Handouts and bouncebacks are graphically represented within the "Others" media category, which increased from 2.4 percent in 1989 to 3.7 percent in 1990.

Face Value

The face value of a coupon in one factor that affects the performance of a coupon offer. One might assume that the higher the face value, the higher the consumer redemtion. There is not, however, a one-to-one relationship between the face value of a coupon and the redemption rate achieved. For example, a 50 percent increase in face value will no produce a corresponding 50 percent increase in the redemption rate. Face value is more of a contributor rather than a primary influencer of redemption rate performance.

NCH's analysis of thousands of coupon offers indicates that there are many factors influencing consumers' decisions to purchase a product for which they have a coupon.

Consumers seem to give primary consideration to the product itself, their interest in it and their "need" for it, rather than making their decision solely based on the face value of the coupon.

There are, however, minimum threshold values which should not be reduced if a coupon offer is to be effective. This minimum face value varies by product category and depends on marketing strategy. If brand switching or trial is the goal, higher face values are generally required than for a promotion whose goal is to maintain current brand users.

NCH encourages manufacturers to conduct controlled tests to further investigate the relationship between face value and redemption rate. Selective newspapers across the country allow for A/B split runs, where manufacturers can run two different coupon offers simultaneously in one geographic area. The face value of a coupon can be altered while other offer variables, such as medium, geographic area and copy, remain the same. Through this type of test, a correlation can be established between a particular brand's redemption rates and face values utilized.

This type of controlled analysis can provide brand managers with valuable insight into "appropriate" face values and will provide assistance in coupon offer planning and budgeting.

Expiration Date Trends

New trends during the 1980s were the use of shorter expiration dates and a decrease in no-expiration-date coupons. The average duration of all coupons decreased by one month over the last three years, from 5.9 months in 1988 to 4.9 months in 1990. The duration categories with growing distribution share have been the one-to-three-month category, growing from 30 percent share in 1988 to 42.1 percent share in 1990, and the four-to-six-month category, growing slightly from 31.4 percent in 1988 to 32.7 percent in 1990.

The longer duration categories have all decreased in share over the last three years. For example, in 1908, 9.3 percent of coupons distributed had no expiration date, while in 1990 only 3.7 percent of all coupons had no expiration date.

Variables Affecting Redemption

Since 1987, coupon duration has dropped 10.3 percent a year, from an average of 6.8 months in 1987 to 4.9 months in 1990. This means consumers have fewer usable coupons at any given period. Adjusting the distribution figures to account for the decline in duration, one can see that consumers actually have fewer valid coupons to redeem today then they did in 1987.

The plateau in redemption and the resulting decline in the redemption rate are not indicative, as one might suppose, of a consumer lack of interest in couponing but rather of the consumer adjusting to using shorter duration coupons. In fact, if distribution were adjusted for the coupon duration, one would see an increase in redemption rates.

Another important factor that influences the redemption of coupons is the general health of the economy. Consumers use more coupons when the economy weakens. To test this, NCH developed a statistical model designed to measure the effect of the economy on coupon redemption. The model showed two variables as significantly affecting coupon redemption: coupon distribution and the change in the real gross national product (GNP). Coupon distribution accounted for 90 percent of the model's predictive power, while the change in real GNP accounted for 10 percent. The model also showed an inverse relationship between coupon redemption and the change in the real GNP. That is, when real GNP is low, coupon redemption tends to be higher than expected. Conversely, when real GNP is high, coupon redemption tends to be lower than expected.

During the early 1980s, the recessionary environment contributed to the period of growth in coupon redemption. During the late 1900s, we experienced economic prosperity and a plateau in redemptions. Given the current economic recession, one would anticipate a growth in coupon redemption. In fact, we have already begun to see an increase in coupon redemption and anticipate continued coupon growth. In order to help us assess this growth, NCH commissioned a study on consumer attitudes toward the current economic situation and the impact on grocery shopping behavior. According to the study, 75 percent of primary grocery shoppers said they would increase their use of cents-off coupons in response to the recession, while fully 89 percent of these primary grocery shoppers said they had already changed their shopping behavior. This study supports our model's findings and underscores the importance of using coupons in our current economic environment.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Coupons Go Computerised

2009-05-15T00:43:00.000-07:00

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Concern over wastage and misredemptions of coupons in the UK is growing, and not surprisingly. According to recent research (Marketing, March 12, 1992) last year about 7.5 billion of the eight billion coupons that were issued were not redeemed. And at least a quarter were misredeemed.

With such wastage and inefficiency, the industry is due for a shake-up. And there is one coming, from across the Atlantic. In the US, the potential benefits of a link between coupons and barcodes are being realised.

In the UK so far, it seems to be widely believed that the simple introduction of barcodes on coupons will solve or at least ease the problem of misredemption. But barcoded coupons were introduced into the US many years ago and there has been no reduction in the misuse (or abuse) of the coupon.

Quite often, for example, when shopping in the US I've been confronted with stacks of local papers where shoppers or even checkout staff can search for coupons. Shoppers request coupons on their selections and staff will occasionally actually cut out the coupons.

Usually the customer had already bought the product before he or she even knew of the offer: it was brought to the attention of the customer by staff who have learned the lessons of customer care well.

The simple barcode solution to misredemption fails to address the core problem, which is to incentivise existing and new customers to buy more of the brand in question.

But now, in the US, retailers and manufacturers are tackling both questions of incentivisation and misredemption with one system--a system that uses databased techniques to target the households with tailor-made offers.

The system works like this. The shopper goes up to the machine which is offering promotions on a range of products. The shopper is asked to tap in a number such as their phone number (or postcode, or Shopper Club ID number). The shopper can then choose from a range of products selected for promotion by pressing a button. (The promotions concerned are paid for by participating manufacturers who treat the system as another advertising medium for the communication of their offers. There are also manager specials, which change day by day or even hour by hour according to sales.)

Say the consumer chooses 5p off a can of beans. A coupon is printed out, plus another coupon, say from the retailer promoting an affinity product--own-label frankfurters, for example. Both manufacturer and retailer have something to gain.

But the system is more sophisticated than that. Since the type of neighbourhood is known from the phone number or postcode, the likely purchasing habits of the shopper allows the coupon machine to make new offers. If it is a heavy drinking area, a consumer choosing a coupon on a salted snack, may be given a second coupon offering money-off on a selected beer.

And, unlike the Catalina system (Marketing, March 19 1992) which is being tested in Asda, the coupon is issued only to consumers who ask for it, rather than being issued willy nilly at the checkout.

But the real trick is datacapture. The machine issues different coupons to each individual. Individual barcodes can be laser printed on each one. So, all the information can be recorded when the consumer finally ends up at the scanning till.

The details of each individual's coupon redeeming habits are then stored on a database. Retailers can analyse the information to build up knowledge about the buying habits of particular catchment areas and they can target future promotions more accurately as a result.

Ideally, in the future the data will be fed back into the couponing machine creating more finely targeted promotions for each cycle.

The machines need not be in-store. They can be in car parks, at bus stops, in shopping malls. This opens the way for partnerships between non-competitive retailers who use the system to generate cross-visits and store traffic.

The new systems being tested in the US reduce the risk of wastage and the expense of door drops, and avoid the upfront commitment to printed coupons. What's more they are more effective than traditional systems. The machine responds with the right proposition to the right household at the right time.

With that sort of offer, the coupon will soon rise out of its currently debased status to become a key database driven promotional tool of the 90s.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Financial Coupons Have Redeeming Value

2009-05-15T00:42:00.002-07:00

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Given the current emphasis on thrift, savvy financial marketers are luring a coupon-conscious public with special offers to open an account or take out a loan. Couponing is being done in many different forms in the financial services business, one example being rebates in credit card offers. Coral Gables Federal (Florida) has been an avid user of coupons for the past several years. According to vice president and director of marketing Karl Steene, Coral Gables Federal gets a good response from its coupons, which are mailed to selected households. The best response rates - 6% to 7% returns - come from mailings to new customers. Coupons fit in neatly with the concept of relationship marketing, a central focus in most financial institution marketing strategies. The idea is to sell more products to existing customers and build on those relationships, rather than reach for new business. Coupon offers can help to boost direct mail responses from the general public and can help marketers better track which households respond to the offers.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Coupons likely to remain popular

2009-05-15T00:42:00.001-07:00

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Couponing is alive and well, and though it has reached a level of maturation, consumers still see it as a virtual cash reward for buying a certain brand or product and are not about to shy away from the practice.

Those perceptions and many others about couponing are in the Frankel & Co. 1992 study regarding "Consumer Promotional Attitudes and Practices."

Plain and simple: Consumers' attitudes are favorable toward coupons, and they continue to use them. Aggressively.

"Consumers are savvy shoppers. They come armed with coupons," according to Don Packard, the company's marketing communications vice president and director of research. "Consumers are getting smarter. They want to make their money go further. They're looking for value."

And they're looking for value in coupons. The Chicago-based firm's 1992 study, done every four years since 1984, shows that 95% of the 746 households that responded to the survey said they either like coupons very much (73%) or somewhat. Ninety-nine percent reported using coupons at some time or another.

"You thought, by God, we'd reached the saturation point in coupons," said Packard. but "the economy said otherwise. Consumers have no problem with coupons. They can save a lot of money."

Coupon proliferation, however, could drive manufacturers and retailers into new modes of promotional operation. Although coupons won't go away, "we think manufacturers are going to have to reach out to other methods for a tiebreaker."

Subsequently, Packard sees event sponsorships, tie-ins, premiums, and cause-related campaigns gaining prominence. But they won't displace coupons. They'll just help build the kind of relationship marketing Packard believes will help differentiate their brands. Frequent-shopper programs will also gain popularity. All of the above offer opportunities for continued aggressive couponing.

In fact, consumers are so attracted to saving money that frequency programs offer a great opportunity, Packard believes, to transcend most sociodemographic boundaries and reach the "mass" audience once thought to be dead. "Frequency consumers come from all sociodemographic backgrounds," said Packard. "Money talks. Saving money attracts everyone."

And coupons offer opportunities to save money. Now, though, having reached virtually every household, "there's got to be more targeting of coupons," Packard asserted, which is one reason frequency clubs will proliferate, because of their ability to build brand-and category-specific data bases.

"I think that is the future," he said. "I think that trend has already started."

With consumer attitudes increasingly favorable toward coupons, you can bet on it. Manufacturers and retailers are scrambling for ways to get coupons into the right targeted households, especially with 96% of households telling the Frankel researchers that coupons are either very or somewhat helpful. Saving money was the No. 1 response for favorable attitudes toward coupons.

The targeting aspect can be seen in the 56% of respondents who said they have either much more favorable or somewhat more favorable attitudes toward brands that coupon, a 9 percentage-point increase from 1988. Interestingly, the study said, "there was not one negative comment about cheapening the value of a product or brand through the use of promotional incentives."

Subsequently, while more and better targeting is called for, consumers still expressed great diversity in where and how they collect their coupons. More than 90 get the bulk of theirs from newspapers (FSIs) and/or mailings. In-store distribution and ticket-back offers from special events also gained in popularity.

So while "you better get in the store and have effective merchandising," said Packard consumers still "come armed with coupons." But "They're making their decisions in the stores."

Coupons are helping to drive their decisions. "Because it's money," said Packard. "Consumers see it as money. It's a reward for using the product. It's a reward for being loyal. Consumers see it as a reward for their patronage. They don't overthink it. It's become ingrained in them. Consumers really like brands that reward them with an incentive. Consumers like all kinds of promotion incentives and think favorably of the brands that give them to them."

Coupons are also much easier to use than other methods, like rebates, which don't offer "instant gratification," said Packard. "A store wants everything easy to do. A coupon is easy to do." Although "other promotional tactics can be expected to "narrow the gap" on couponing when the survey is repeated in 1996, just like a certain battery-charged bunny, Packard said, "Couponing will go on and on and on. There's always going to be coupons.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Counting on coupons

2009-05-15T00:41:00.000-07:00

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Coupons have become somewhat crumpled. Evidence that misredemptions have been running at an average 27% have been a turn-off for marketers with a 33% fall in the number of coupons issued last year compared with 1991's record performance. But fresh initiatives in point-of-sale verification targeting and distribution are now or the scene to help iron out the crease and restore credibility and confidence

While acknowledging the problem of misredemption, Brian Barberton, UK managing director of NCH Promotional Services, Britain's biggest coupon handling firm, believes other factors have contributed to the downturn.

"The coupon market in the UK is very cyclical, almost fashionable," he suggests. Consumer goods marketers. after a period of heavy coupon distribution, look for variety in other promotional methods to meet their objectives.

NCH calculates that the number of coupons redeemed in 1991 was 451 million, on a distribution of 8.1 billion. The previous redemption peak was 1987, at 411 million. Distribution fell to 5.4 billion last year end redemptions to 365 million. There were other troughs in 1985 and 1988.

Barberton contends that the misredemption element is given more weight than it deserves. "In any promotional activity a proportion of the expenditure is wasted," he argues. "Wastage is an important measurement but more important is whether the activity sells incremental product and pays for itself."

Towards this end, NCH is looking for sales promotion partners to employ the new Scanpro modelling system developed by its parent company AC Neilsen. This is designed to measure incremental sales achieved by a specific promotional activity.

Last year, the coupon committee o the Institute of Sales Promotion sough to tackle misredemptions by calling on the main store groups to display warnings to shoppers. But the grocery giant failed to agree on this and committed chairman Peter Le Conte now admits "It is probably a non-starter."

He sees technology as offering the most promising route. After trialing barcode scanning to validate coupons against purchases, Tesco is extending the system to all its stores with electronic point of sale (EPoS) tills.

At present, only Tesco-specific coupons are fully validated. For others, the checks just extend to confirming that the store has a trading relationship with the manufacturer.

But Le Conte regards this as a step in the right direction. "It does help establish in consumers' minds that big retailers are scanning coupons and perhaps people will be less inclined to hand over coupons for products they haven't purchased," he says.

Coupons printed automatically at the point-of-sale against specific purchases is another approach. Catalina Electronic marketing has introduced a system from the US, where it is said to be in use at 6000 stores. This has been on trial by Asda. It allows manufacturers three categories of coupon promotions.

There is "own use", where purchase of a product triggers a money-off coupon against the next purchase. Then there is 'complementary', where a purchase of, say, nappies produces a coupon for baby food. More cut-throat is the 'competitive' category, where the buyer of one brand receives a coupon for a competing brand.

This last is "competition in its purest form," says Catalina managing director John Eustace. "If you take the top 100 brands on sale in the UK during the trial, 74 of these were either triggering or being triggered on."

Another method of producing coupons and messages as an add-on to EPoS tills is produced by Riva Systems. This also rejects coupons if the product has not been purchased or if the coupon is out of date. West Midlands Co-op has had it on trial in 50 lanes at four sites.

There is a legal dispute to be resolved between the two suppliers, Catalina alleging that Riva has infringed its patent.

Another US system is the Instant Selector, marketed in the UK by BLP Consultancy. This is for special promotions, in-store or elsewhere. Consumers complete questionnaires on their tastes or requirements and appropriate coupons are printed out.

From the targeted to the large scale distribution of coupons. This year has seen ambitious launches of free standing inserts (FSIs), another idea imported from the US. There are three major players in the UK.

First on the scene was The Coupon Book, from IPC Magazines (previously seen as Reed Coupon Book and distributed via fre newspapers). On its heels is moneysavers from Brand Movers, formed from the unlikely alliance of three newspaper groups, Mirror, Express and Telegraph. Third to appear from News International and Associated Newspapers is Shoppers' Friend.

The Coupon Book was issued with Woman 5 Own on February 15. The next issue is due out in both Woman's Own and TV Times on April 19 and 20. Then, in June, it is planned to add Woman's Realm as a third carrier.

Moneysavers made its debut in its sponsoring newspapers in March ,with a circulation of 9.6 million. It allows advertisers to regionalise and to have copy splits. The next issue is due in September. Shopper's Friend appeared at the weekend with a distribution of 8.2 million copies: further issues are scheduled for June, August, October and November.

"The Coupon Book is just one important element in an overall package from IPC Magazines," says its managing director David Flavell, previously publishing director of Woman's Own. "We can offer a range of opportunities and link them together to put forward total advertising/marketing solutions."

While it has the potential for a circulation of seven million by adding other magazines from the IPC portfolio, Flavell says this is not necessarily what the market wants and he will be guided by his clients.

Looking at the competitive situation, he comments: "I am not sure there will be three of us around in a year's time. If there is a market, The Coupon Book will be here and it will be the leader." This view is not, of course, shared by the other FSI publishers. Alan Kirkland, sales director of Brandovers, asserts: "Retailers are recognising the power of the FSI in National newspapers." But he adds: "It's a shame that more people haven't had the bottle to get involved with Moneysavers at the beginning. We would like to have been bigger to start with."

Dorothy Cumpsty, managing director of Shopper's Friend, contends: "It is the quality of the content that sells. And Shoppers' Friend has quality advertisers, including in the launch issue a major grocery retail chain."

Signs are that initial response from advertisers has been less than overwhelming. The Coupon Book contained 12 pages, moneysavers six pages and Shoppers' Friend eight.

But these are early days. The coupon publishers take heart from the success of FSIs in the US. These started back in the early 70s as single sheet inserts. Today, about 80% of coupons in America are distributed by FSI methods.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Who's Got the Coupon? Estimating Consumer Preferences and Coupon Usage from Aggregate Information

2009-05-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

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Most researchers in marketing have typically relied on disaggregate data (e.g., consumer panels) to estimate the behavioral and managerial implications of coupon promotions. In this article, the authors propose the use of individual-level Bayesian methods for studying this problem when only aggregate data on consumer choices (market share) and coupon usage (number of distributed coupons and/or number of redeemed coupons) are available. The methodology is based on augmenting the aggregate data with unobserved (simulated) sequences of choices and coupon usage consistent with the aggregate data. The authors analyze various marketing scenarios that differ in terms of their assumptions about consumer choices, coupon availability, and coupon redemption. They illustrate the proposed methods using both simulated data and a real data set for which an extensive set of posterior predictive checks helps validate the aggregate-level estimation. In addition, the authors relate the empirical results to some of the findings in the literature about the coordination of coupon promotions and pricing and show how the methodology can be used to evaluate alternative coupon targeting policies.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:International coupon trends

2009-05-14T23:18:00.000-07:00

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In 1992, 5.4 billion coupons were distributed to the U.K. market. This represents a decline of 33 percent from the exceptional level of 8 billion coupons distributed during 1991. However, the 1992 level represents a 6 percent growth compared to 1990, with a compound market growth of 3 percent over the last nine years.

Not surprisingly, coupon redemption also dropped in 1992 to 365 million coupons, a 19 percent drop from 1991. The overall coupon redemption rate was 6.76, percent, an increase over the prior year's rate of 5.56 percent. This is a direct reflection of the changes in media mix for coupon distribution in the United Kingdom.

A quality-rather-than-quantity approach to couponing has been seen throughout 1992 in the United Kingdom. Considerable postpromotion evaluation took place during the second half of the year.

This past year has made marketers in the United Kingdom increasingly aware of the need to target coupon activity more effectively by using the range of distribution vehicles available to those issuing coupons.

Newspaper and magazine distribution declined, with distribution growth coming from in/on-pack promotions and in-store media. Door-to-door coupon distribution remained stable at 18 percent of total distribution.

During 1992, the average face value of a coupon increased to almost 29 pence, the largest increase in three years. This has occurred despite research which has indicated that the optimum face value to drive usage at efficient cost is in the 15 to 20 pence range. As consumers become more active in collecting coupons, their main objective may change from saving on individual products to achieving acceptable discount levels off their total grocery bill. It is anticipated that the rate of increase will probably slow during 1993 as promotion budgets are used more effectively.

The effect of the increase in average face values is highlighted by the fact that coupon users saved almost 106 million pounds by using coupons, down only marginally from the 1991 value of 113 million pounds.

This past year the Food and Drink Federation and the British Retailers Association recommended a 15 percent increase in the retailer coupon-handling allowance, paid by manufacturers to retailers, to 26.50 pounds per 1,000 coupons. For the first time, this increase in the handling allowance reflects the manufacturers' commitment to coupons and the effort involved in retail handling.

Coupon redemption across media types has remained in line with distribution. Newspapers, magazines and FSI vehicles have seen a downturn in coupon redemption, with growth being experienced through in-store, in/on-pack and door-to-door methods. The "Others" category, with 1.4 percent of total redemption, tends to reflect the test marketing of new promotion vehicles. This means the volume of coupons redeemed via "other" media types remains relatively small as a proportion to the total.

A significant announcement made during 1992 was the decision of Tesco (a large U.K. retailer) to pursue point-of-purchase scanning of coupons to help control misredemption for retailer tailor-made coupons and reduce handling costs within the store. It is hoped that in time, the initiative will be developed to encompass misredemption control for all coupons.

A number of interesting new distribution vehicles were introduced in the United Kingdom during 1992, which included:

* Catalina's Checkout Saver

* Shoppers Friend FSI

* Money Savers FSI

Such innovations in the marketplace have increased U.K. distribution levels within the "Others" category. These new vehicles have also aided coupon issuers, who are searching for more effective means of distributing coupons to their consumers.

MARKET SUMMARY AND TRENDS IN ITALY

Coupon distribution in Italy continued to grow, reaching 621 million coupons in 1992. This represents a growth of 6.7 percent compared to 1991. The continued growth of coupon distribution in Italy is driven mainly by food manufacturers issuing more coupons.

The average face value of coupons distributed in Italy during 1992 grew just over 2 percent to 841 lira, compared to an average value of 822 lira in 1991.

Coupons distributed on a product package were still the media of choice for Italian manufacturers, with 38.1 percent of coupons distributed this way in 1992. Another 8.5 percent were distributed on a product package and were instantly redeemable.

The use of in-pack promotions grew in 1992, to account for 16.6 percent of total coupon distribution and door-to-door coupon distribution increased only slightly.

Magazine cou-pon distribution was cut in half in 1992, representing a 5.7 percent share of distribution, compared to a 12.8 percent share in 1991.

Coupon redemption continued its upward trend, reaching 89 million coupons in 1992. This represented growth of nearly 20 percent from the previous year.

The average face value of coupons redeemed in Italy increased only slightly to 875 lira, a 1.9 percent increase from the 1991 average of 859 lira. Italian consumers saved 77.9 billion lira on their grocery bills in 1992, up nearly 22 percent.

Similar to the United States, instant redeemable coupons commanded the highest average redemption rate at 39.1 percent. In-store coupons were the next highest at 32.3 percent, followed by in-pack promotions, which averaged 21.7 percent.

MARKET SUMMARY AND TRENDS IN SPAIN

The coupon market in Spain continued to decline, with coupon distribution dropping more than 25 percent to 106 million coupons. The Spanish economy has been extremely strong in recent years and there has been little need to stimulate sales by the use of consumer promotions.

The average face value of coupons distributed dropped more than 20 percent in 1992 to 32.3 pesetas, compared to 40.8 pesetas in 1991.

The use of newspapers and magazines to distribute coupons in Spain increased substantially, with these media accounting for nearly one-quarter of all coupons distributed in 1992. The distribution share of in/on-pack promotions also increased in 1992 to represent 43 percent of all coupons distributed.

Door-to-door coupons declined in popularity during 1992, dropping from a 49.9 percent share in 1991 to just 25.2 percent of total coupon distribution.

In 1992, the total number of coupons redeemed in Spain dropped 22 percent from 21.8 million coupons to 17 million coupons.

In contrast to the other top-line trends in Spain, the average face value of coupons redeemed increased more than 15 percent in 1992, growing from 34.5 pesetas in 1991 to 39.8 pesetas this past year. This allowed consumers to save 678 million pesetas on their grocery spcnding in 1992.

In/on-packs remained the highest redeeming medium in Spain, averaging 30.7 percent. In-store promotions averaged 28.2 percent redemption, while door-to-door coupons were redeemed at an average rate of 12.9 percent.

The outlook for promotions, and coupons in particular, is more positive for the future. The Spanish economy, having completed the Summer Olympics, is no longer showing substantial growth. Therefore, manufacturers must again fight for increased market share if growth is their goal.

MARKET SUMMARY AND TRENDS IN JAPAN

Coupon activities in Japan are still in the early stages. All restrictions on the print media carrying coupons have been lifted; however, reluctance on the part of retailers and consumers alike has kept the industry stagnant.

Coupon activity in Japan has been brief. The following information summarizes the major moves in the industry.

1990

* The restriction on newspaper ROP coupons was lifted. Maximum discounts, however, were limited to 50 percent of the normal price.

* SEIYU, Japan's #3 chain at the time, placed coupon advertisements within all the major daily newspapers. The chain included between five to 10 coupons in each paper. The coupons were valid for one week and redeemable only at SETYU stores in Tokyo and its vicinity. No information was available on redemptions.

1991

* The restriction on newspaper FSIs was lifted and two newspapers in Tokyo carried FSI coupons in a medium called "The Makers' Coupons."

* It is estimated that 103 million FSI coupons were distributed to subscribing homes. The coupons covered 14 different product types, were valid for one month and ranged in value from a low of 30 yen to a high of 380 yen.

* Video Research, the redemption agent/clearinghouse in Japan, estimated that 125,000 coupons were redeemed, an average redemption rate of 0. 12 percent. The highest food coupon redemption rate reached 0.27 percent, while the highest redemption rate for a health and beauty aid was 0.29 percent.

* Retail cooperation for this first FSI campaign was estimated at 17,000 retail locations.

1992

* In March, another FSI campaign was generated by Japan's two largest newspapers, Asahi Shimbun and Yomiuri Shimbum, covering the areas of Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama and Kanagawa.

* Retail chain cooperators reached 112, accounting for approximately 17,500 retail locations.

* Thirteen different coupons appeared in the FSIs, ranging in value from a low of 20 yen to a high of 200 yen. Each was printed in full color with a barcode and was valid for approximately one month. No information was available on redemption quantities.

* Subsequent similar FSI campaigns were distributed in May and September for a total distribution quantity in 1992 of 259.4 million coupons.

* Distribution of coupons via direct mail and magazines, in/on-pack promotions and retailer-sponsored coupons is very limited in Japan. Most coupons are redeemed through manufacturers or their appointed agents and redemptions are almost negligible in numbers.

* While the coupon market in Japan has begun to develop, it is growing very slowly. This is largely due to low consumer interest to use coupons and the lack of cooperation of Japan's #1 supermarket, DAIEI and #1 convenience store, Seven-Eleven.

1993 AND BEYOND

* It is estimated that three additional FSI campaigns will be run in 1993, much in the same fashion as the 1992 promotions.

* One positive factor for the coupon industry in Japan is its sluggish economy. It is speculated that the need for cost-consciousness among Japanese consumers will motivate consumers into an increased use of coupons.

OTHER COUNTRIES

In Portugal, there has been a growing interest in the use of coupons.

In France, only a small amount of couponing occurs. The retailer market is highly concentrated with a few retailers controlling the market. The cost of distribution is high and retailers have a fairly negative attitude toward coupons.

Although the population of France is similar to that of the United Kingdom, only 25 million to 35 million copies are redeemed annually.

The coupon market in the Republic of Ireland is very small, with the majority of the coupons issued by United Kingdom manufacturers and redeemed at retail locations within the United Kingdom.

Couponing became legal in Denmark only a few years ago. Therefore, this market is not yet being fully utilized by manufacturers and retailers.

In Germany, the discount given on a coupon cannot be greater than 1 percent of the product's value, so German consumers are not persuaded to use couponsregularly.

In the Commonwealth of Independent States, formerly the U.S.S.R., the lack of product availability, organized retail structure and little to no variety in advertising media provides an environment that is presently unsuitable for couponing.

In Belgium, environmentalists are trying to ban the household delivery of coupons. Annual redemption volume in Belgium is estimated at 70 million coupons.

In Holland and Switzerland, major retailers refuse to accept coupons; therefore, the coupon market does not exist in these countries.

In Greece, sales, marketing and retailing techniques are currently not sufficiently developed for couponing to be effective, so the market in these countries is limited.

In Sweden, Norway and Finland, the coupon market exists, with annual volume averaging 40 million.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:An experimental investigation of the consumer perception of products featured on coupons

2009-05-14T23:17:00.002-07:00

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An experiment using a homogeneous group of male subjects in a controlled classroom setting exposed subjects to one of eight coupons, each representing one of eight possible conditions of a combination of two levels of three independent variables tested in a 2 x 2 x 2 experimental design: face value, manner in which the offer was stated, and familiarity with the featured brand. Subjects were asked to respond to a questionnaire measuring perceptions such as psychological value of using the coupon, perceived quality, perceived price, liking for the brand, liking for the offer, intention to use the offer, and perceived risk in using the coupon.

Findings show that the independent variables all have significant impact on consumer perceptions of the brand featured on coupons.

Among them, liking for the coupon and intention to use it increase more dramatically with increases in face value when the brand is familiar. Also, when only the face value was shown, liking and intention increased more with face value for the familiar brand than the unfamiliar one.

Finally, coupon proneness and value consciousness add to the understanding of consumer perceptions. Coupon prone consumers pay less attention to face values, and have more positive perceptions of coupons when only the face values are shown. Highly value conscious consumers, on the other hand, pay attention to the magnitude of the face values.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Consumers' coupon use behavior: A theory of planned behavior perspective

2009-05-14T23:17:00.001-07:00

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The use of cents-off coupons by businesses as a promotional tool to (1) introduce new products, (2) revitalize older products, (3) encourage store or brand switching, (4) build store traffic, (5) reduce inventory build up, (6) counter competitive promotional activities, (7) cushion the effects of price increases, and to realize many other marketing objectives has grown in popularity during the last quarter century. Each year, businesses distribute billions of cents-off coupons in the U.S. in an attempt to entice consumers to purchase their goods and services. Paralleling this trend, research indicates that the percentage of consumers who use cents-off coupons, as well as their frequency of use of cents-off coupons, has also been increasing. Furthermore, the use of cents-off coupons as a promotional tool has spread from marketers of frequently purchased packaged consumer non-durable goods to marketers of consumer durable goods and services as well. However, in recent years, some businesses have begun to reassess their heavy reliance on cents-off coupons and other forms of sales promotions, in light of concerns over potential detrimental effects such as erosion of brand franchise and diminished brand loyalty.

While most of the initial research on couponing focused on predicting aggregate redemption rates, this was later followed by a shift in focus towards examining the effectiveness of couponing as measured by its effects on incremental sales and profitability. More recently, there has been a greater focus on psychological factors underlying coupon use at the individual level. In the aggregate, however, there has been less research on the psychological aspects of coupon promotions than on predicting aggregate redemption rates and evaluating their effectiveness. This dissertation investigates consumers' coupon use behavior from a theory of planned behavior perspective. More specifically, the dissertation: (1) examines the moderating effect of consumers' coupon use experience, (2) investigates the extent to which coupon use behavior is under complete volitional control, and (3) tests competing models of coupon usage behavior based on the theory of planned behavior. The competing models represent alternative specifications of the relationship between consumers' coupon use experience, attitude towards the act of using coupons, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, intention to use coupons and coupon use behavior. Data was collected in a two-stage approach from 347 consumers who were members of a large family-oriented organization based in South West, Texas. Moderator regression analysis was used to test the proposed model. The results show that the extended model based on the theory of planned behavior to be a better predictor of coupon use behavior. The findings also suggest that coupon use behavior is not under complete volitional control. The findings also corroborate the general belief that the extensive use of price-oriented promotions, such as coupons, by firms leads to greater use of coupons by consumers due to their developing more favorable attitudes toward the act of using coupons.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Clipping coupons in cyberspace: A proposed model of behavior for deal-prone consumers

2009-05-14T23:16:00.001-07:00

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The use of cents-off coupons by consumers is a widespread phenomenon and is well documented in the marketing literature. Recently, coupons have become available in electronic form on the World Wide Web. This article introduces an adaptation of the theory of planned behavior applied to coupon usage that encapsulates both traditional and electronic environments. A careful review of the couponing literature is presented, along with a proposed theoretical framework. A methodology for empirical verification is suggested and managerial implications are discussed, along with avenues for further research. (C) 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

The use of cents-off coupons as a marketing tool is a widespread phenomenon and serves different objectives for retailers and manufacturers. Typically, commercial surveys show that over 88% of grocery shoppers report having used at least one coupon in their grocery shopping in the last six months (Kingsbury, 1987). For retailers, chain-specific coupons or doubling and even tripling values of standard manufacturer coupons are mostly used to attract consumers into the store and as such, are often seen as loss leaders. For manufacturers, coupons are used as incentives for trial of new product entries and/or product reformulations; they can also be used as a price-reducing mechanism for estab lished brands, allowing deal-prone consumers to purchase the brand at a lower cost given their increased price sensitivity (Narasimhan, 1984). Firms use coupons instead of direct price reductions in order to maximize revenues by discriminating between price-elastic and non-priceelastic consumers and thus avoid the costly rewarding of current brand loyal users. From a consumer perspective, the decision to use coupons is actually a trade-off between the potential savings obtained and the associated costs of using coupons. Two key components of these costs are time and flexibility. Much time is required to search, organize, sort, and classify coupons. In addition, limited coupon dispersion within brands and categories leaves little flexibility in the choice of a particular brand or size in any given point of a purchase cycle. The information search literature suggests that search behavior will be observed if the buyer feels that the potential benefits outweigh the costs involved. A number of studies have also shown that deal-prone segments have specific demographic characteristics (Blattberg, Buesing, Peacock, & Sen, 1978; Webster, 1965), that have been appropriately coined by some as marketing mavens (Price, Feick, & Guskey-Federouch, 1988).

A well-researched area of marketing, couponing, has generally relied on intrusive forms of communication and distribution to reach potential consumers. Freestanding inserts in Sunday newspapers still represent over 78% of all distributed coupons (Blattberg & Neslin, 1990). Recently, technological advances have made it possible for coupons to be distributed electronically with the use of an interactive medium such as the World Wide Web (Web). Numerous e-coupon sites have emerged where consumers can browse through listings of product categories and brands and physically download specific coupons based on their own preferences. Some sites request consumption information prior to coupon access so that the offer can be tailored accordingly based on first trial, switching, or light/medium/heavy usage, for example. Users can select their own coupons by easily navigating through product/category listings; this transfers the choice option to the consumer level and signifi cantly reduces the time required to search, sort, and organize coupons. The purpose of this article is twofold: First, to review the current theories of coupon use put forward within a traditional mass media context. Second, to examine how these theoretical models hold in light of a new coupon distribution medium that exhibits interactivity and hence power of choice transferred to the end user. This article argues that in light of these new options, we might see a change in the profile of the typical coupon user and that the model of behavior observed might switch from a heuristic to a more systematic information search given reduced search costs. Retailers and manufacturers can benefit in targeting specific offers to specific segments while reducing distribution costs, thus enhancing efficiency and profitability. Implications of this are discussed.

The article is organized in three sections. First, a review of the cou poning and deal-prone literature examines key theoretical and practical findings relevant to our current investigation. Second, based on the current state of knowledge, a theoretical framework is proposed to examine coupon usage behavior based upon an enhancement of the wellgrounded theory of reasoned action (Fishbein & Ajzen, 1975). Third, issues that might contribute to support or disconfirm such a model within an interactive environment are identified and discussed. Finally, directions and avenues for future research within this context are presented.

Shoebuy.com Coupon: Penny-Pinchers' Paradise; E-coupons are catching on fast--and companies are learning how to use them

2009-05-14T23:15:00.000-07:00

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The Internet is becoming one of the hottest spots to save with coupons. Web surfers who clip virtual coupons have risen to nearly 30% of those online from 23% a year ago. E-coupons are discount offers either found on a Web site or that can be redeemed online. E-coupons make up less than 1% of the 256 billion coupons distributed yearly in the US vs. the 80% that are distributed in Sunday papers. But nearly 57% of those who click on e-coupons or get them via e-mail redeem them, compared with the 1.2% of Sunday paper coupons that are redeemed. Merchants can e-mail offers targeted to customers' tastes once they find a consumer who loves the Beatles or Legos or 2% milk. Like their real-world counterparts, e-coupons help lure new customers, too. But Web sites should be careful not to give away the store. A good coupon campaign offers just enough savings to give consumers a little thrill.

Something about saving a few bucks brings out the miser in almost everyone. Maybe you won't admit it, but Lauren Tascan does. She's among the 80% of Americans that clips coupons every year. The 32-year-old New Yorker accepts her parsimonious streak with an easy shrug. ``There's a little thrill that comes from just a little bit of savings,'' Tascan says.

Get out your piggy bank, thrill seekers. The Internet is becoming one of the hottest spots to save with coupons. Web surfers who clip virtual coupons have risen to nearly 30% of those online from 23% a year ago, says researcher NPD Online.

What exactly are e-coupons? They're discount offers either found on a Web site or that can be redeemed online. Sites such as coupons.com and coolsavings.com, for example, let you print a coupon and redeem it at your local grocer. Just as often, consumers see an e-tailer's coupon bearing a special code in a magazine or on a Net portal. They then enter the code on a Web site to get a discount when buying online.

Virtual coupons have clear advantages over those you clip from the local paper. For starters, they have a ``phenomenal'' redemption rate, says Charles K. Brown, vice-president for marketing at promotions researcher NCH NuWorld Marketing Ltd. To be sure, e-coupons make up less than 1% of the 256 billion coupons distributed yearly in the U.S., vs. the 80% that are distributed in Sunday papers. But nearly 57% of those who click on e-coupons or get them via e-mail redeem them, Brown says, compared with the 1.2% of Sunday paper coupons that are redeemed.

What makes e-coupons so effective? Merchants can e-mail offers targeted to customers' tastes once they find a consumer who loves the Beatles or Legos or 2% milk. ``The manufacturer is able to build a relationship with the consumer in a lot more depth than in any other media,'' says Steven M. Golden, CEO of coolsavings.com, the Web's most visited coupon mall, with 11 million members.

Like their real-world counterparts, e-coupons help lure new customers, too. During the six months that ended in November, Staples.com jumped from 23rd to 14th among retail Web sites with the most buyers, says researcher PC Data Online. Many new customers were lured by an e-coupon that saved $25 on purchases of $75 or more. Web coupons are ``a key tool in the tool kit,'' says Kelly A. Mahoney, chief marketing officer for Staples Inc.

But Web sites should be careful not to give away the store. In 1999, when the Web teemed with fledgling e-tailers, merchants flooded consumers with ``impossible'' promotions, says analyst Mike May of Jupiter Communications Inc. Vitamins.com, for example, closed down partly because it was too generous with discounts. The site offered new visitors $25 off purchases of $25.01 or more. Then it added a $15-off coupon for the buyer's next purchase--and delivered it all free.

Better to be wise than bankrupt. Sure, the bigger the discount, the bigger the draw. But the idea is to wean consumers from boffo deals, migrating them from big savings to smaller ones. ``If a dollar off works the first time,'' May says, ``the customer should not see that discount again.'' A good coupon campaign offers just enough savings to give consumers a little thrill.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Dealing With Coupons

2009-05-14T23:08:00.000-07:00

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Non-food marketers lead growth spurt of Sunday inserts

Marketers issued an equivalent of 850 free-standing inserts for every U.S. citizen in 2004, distributing a whopping 251 billion coupons that offered deals on everything from cereal and cheese to coffeemakers, takeaway pizzas and restaurant meals.

The data, contained in the new Marx FSI Trend Report, estimates that coupon distribution rose 7.7 percent over 2003 and amounted to a potential per-person savings of nearly $1,000. FSI distribution registered a compounded 3.5 percent growth rate over the last five years, a 13 percent change overall, according to Marx Promotion Intelligence, a unit of TNS Media Intelligence. (FSIs, the coupon inserts in Sunday newspapers, account for the majority of U.S. couponing.)

During that time, non-food marketers-like those for household items and health and beauty aids-have significantly increased their coupon activity and now surpass food manufacturers. Led by a slew of product introductions in the oral care, cosmetic and household cleaning sectors, nine of the top 10 couponing brands in 2004 were non-food products.

Growth in the franchise sector outpaced that of consumer packaged goods in 2004, and now accounts for 11 percent of all FSI page distribution. That growth has been driven by wider acceptance of FSIs as a cost-efficient marketing vehicle for restaurants.

"Marketers outside the packaged-goods category appreciate the impression value of FSIs," observes Wallace Marx Jr., director of marketing at MPI. "Restaurants like Red Lobster, Applebee's and Chili's will use a full-page ad to deliver a single coupon. It's like a magazine ad, but one that reaches a Super Bowl-sized audience."

While coupons are widely used for product launches, they also help categories that have commodified and need to keep their standing with retailers. "Coupons tend to follow innovation," notes Marx. "But with products that have plateaued, they also have to coupon to keep up relations with the trade. They need to keep prices low and keep their place on the [store] shelf."

Consumer packaged goods remain the largest user of FSI coupons, accounting for two thirds of all FSI page activity. But newer categories like high-value coupons and those for appliances are quickly catching on. The average value of a coupon in 2004 was $1.03 cents, rising above $1 for the first time, and up from 95 cents in 2003. The difference is that while consumers may be saving 25 cents off a bag of flour, they might also be using $30-off coupons for a diabetic testing kit.

Coupon printer and distributor Valassis says consumers saved more than $3 billion last year using coupons, and notes that the demographics of coupon clippers run counter to popular perceptions: Some 43 percent of them are men, and 32 percent live in households with above-average incomes of between $40,000 and $75,000. -NOREEN O'LEARY

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Coupons Gain New Market on Cellphones

2009-05-14T23:07:00.000-07:00

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The firm has linked up with about 200 marketers, including entertainment and fast-food shops such as Virgin Megastores, Hollywood Video, Domino's Pizza and Quiznos Subs. For the right to send mobile coupons, the marketers pay Cellfire an upfront fee and additional subscription rates if the number of cellphone subscribers to their coupons increases. Cellfire has separate arrangements with major cellphone carriers such as Verizon Wireless to ensure its coupons are available through their services. The companies declined to discuss the terms of these arrangements.

Ms. [Dee Mc Laughlin], who says she has met with various cellphone marketing companies, sees Cellfire's subscription-based service as a safe first step into mobile marketing. Virgin Megastores has offered discounts on products such as DVDs through Cellfire-distributed coupons. The early results have been good, she says, with redemption rates for mobile coupons at seven stores in New York and California at 15%, far higher than the typical 5% return for paper coupons. Virgin is also using Cellfire to market in-store events such as a Halo 3 videogame competition.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Coupons, Vouchers, and Adjudicated-Debit Cards... How Is a Brand Manager to Decide?

2009-05-14T23:01:00.002-07:00

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Each has its advantage, but one is tech savvy and just might make filling scrips for customers a whole lot more desirable By Michael Edmondson

According to various estimates, between 20 and 30 percent of prescriptions are never filled. There are numerous reasons for the shortfall, and cost certainly ranks high among them.

One of the ways to address this concern for pharma companies is to utilize patient-savings branded-drug programs and copay assistance incentives to help patients defray their costs.

Pharma companies have experimented with a variety of different platforms and formats through which to deliver the programs. Generally, they fall into two main categories: coupons/vouchers/patient savings cards and adjudicated-live debit cards.

All can accomplish the main goal: Making it easier for a patient to say yes to a prescription.

But there are significant differences between the two approaches-especially in terms of how they provide incentives to pharmacists.

Product managers need to understand the logic of these programs to make the best choice.

Paper coupons/vouchers

Coupons and vouchers come in a paper format; they are distributed via newspapers and magazines, or they can be printed from the Web. They can be used (depending on the conditions) to cover all or part of a patient's out-of-pocket expenses, including copays. To redeem a coupon, a patient must bring it along with a prescription to the pharmacist. The pharmacist submits a claim and deducts the discount. If the pharmacy does not accept the coupon, the patient has the option of mailing a form (often attached to the coupon) into the manufacturer for the discount.

Patient savings-program cards

These are virtually the same as the paper coupons and vouchers except they come in a card format on a heavier-stock paper. And like most paper coupons/vouchers, the card stipulates that should the pharmacist accept it, he or she will receive a reimbursement sometime in the future ( 10 to 20 business days).

From the pharmacist's point of view, there are two obvious problems with this:

* The coupons/vouchers/cards do not serve as a financial transaction.

* He or she receives no immediate payment.

Making the pharmacist wait for the money could be a turnoff and may prompt the pharmacist not to accept the incentives at all. This, in turn, could leave a sour taste in the mouth of the patient, who then must find another pharmacist to honor the discount. Or the patient might decide not to fill the scrip altogether.

This is also counter to the intention of the brand team, which sought to provide a positive, money-saving experience for the patient, and perhaps to create a long-standing relationship with the product.

The adjudicated-debit card

Enter the adjudicated-debit card:

It looks like an ATM card; it walks like one, too. Backed by banks, the adjudicated-debit card serves as a financial transaction, which means the pharmacist is paid rieht away.

Usually distributed by a sales rep to a doctor, the adjudicated-debit card is then passed along to the patient with the prescription.

The patient then presents it to the pharmacist, who swipes the card at the point-of-sale terminal and types in the identification number on the back of the card. Loaded with the patient benefit preset by the brand team, the card both facilitates and encourages copay purchases.

Additionally, the adjudicated-debit card can be used only for the NDC (national drug code) associated with the business rules designated by the brand team.

In terms of security, the card is inactive until all parameters are met. Money cannot be put onto the card or taken off the card unless the adjudication process is completed correctly for the program.

If all goes as planned with the adjudicated-debit card, the pharmacist gets his or her money in real time, and the patient gets the discount on the drug. And, like any successful DTC marketing initiative, awareness of the brand has been increased.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:A Perfect Storm for Savings - More Coupons, Bigger Discounts & Low Prices

2009-05-14T23:01:00.001-07:00

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Concern over the economy has one silver lining - more retailers are offering online coupons and deals at deep discounts to drive sales. In turn, customers are responding, as more people go online to look for savings.

CouponMountain.com, which has been providing users with online coupons since 2001, bucked seasonal trends as February traffic outpaced November traffic by 10% according to the ComScore Key Measures Report. The reported number of total unique visitors is also up 90% over last February as more customers turn to the site to save on everything from laptops to baby clothes.

The discounts offered in February were deeper than last year. An internal survey of 1,162 coupons and deals from top computer retailers revealed that discounts listed in February 2008 offered a 19% deeper discount on average than ones listed in February 2007. The best discounts were offered by Buy.com, with an average discount of 58%, and HP, with an average discount of 34%. The average discount doubled at both stores compared to what they listed on CouponMountain.com in February 2007. Also, online retailers like Overstock.com and Newegg offered 82% and 207% more online coupons and deals on the site this February than last year.

MeziMedia, a division of ValueClick, Inc. (NASDAQ: VCLK), has leveraged this increased supply and demand for coupons on both their CouponMountain.com site as well as Smarter.com, a site that provides consumers with price comparison, product reviews, merchant reviews, product videos and more - all matched with online products. For example, in February they focused on adding online coupons to the listed products and managed to match online coupons to nearly 70% of the active product catalog offered on Smarter.com.

"Today, more and more top online retailers are offering special savings including coupons, rebates and free shipping offers in hopes of enticing consumers to purchase products," said Paul Willmes, MeziMedia's Product Evangelist. "Smarter.com has increased its coupon coverage to nearly 70% of all active products on our shopping search site in order to more accurately reflect market conditions and meet consumer demand for deep savings."

The addition of coupons and rebates to a price comparison site like Smarter.com makes it possible for consumers to save even more than on a traditional coupon site. Customers can choose the lowest price with taxes and shipping included and then save even more with a coupon or rebate. Smarter.com can help customers save on everything from tech products like digital cameras and iPods to apparel like women's jeans and men's watches.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Buffalo ranks among top coupon markets: Redemption rate tied for 3rd in country

2009-05-14T23:00:00.001-07:00

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Thirty-six percent of area households use them at least once a week, a rate that tied Buffalo for third highest in the country behind Milwaukee and Rochester, according to Scarborough Research, a consumer marketing research firm. The national average was 27 percent.

The survey results back up Buffalo's reputation as a town that likes a bargain. Wegmans grocery store chain says Buffalo is its leading market for coupon redemption, followed by Rochester and Syracuse, though the differences in the rates between those three markets is slight.

Coupon redemption at Tops Markets in its Buffalo and Rochester markets has stayed fairly constant compared to a year ago, said Katie McKenna, a spokeswoman for the Amherst-based supermarket chain.

Steve Seraita, executive vice president of sales for Scarborough, said there is a correlation between areas with strong rates of coupon use and high Sunday newspaper readership, since Sunday papers stuffed with inserts remain the leading source of coupons identified by the study.

"I also think couponing has been helped this year by a poor economy, unfortunately," Seraita said. As the economy softens, he said, consumers could be turning to coupons as a way to save money.

Buffalo Niagara's demographics also make it prime territory for coupon redemption, said Dan Fulham, a local supermarket industry veteran who now works with a private equity firm.

"You've got generally two working [parent] families, or a significant amount of retirees who are on a fixed income," Fulham said. Combining those groups creates a large pool of potential coupon users, he said.

New York City-based Scarborough's national data showed that grocery- clipping coupon households spent an average of $114 per week on groceries, $4 more than the national average. The study said coupon users are more likely than the average household to buy grocery items across categories, from coffee and ready-to-eat cereal to yogurt and energy bars.

Scarborough also said that people across all income brackets clip grocery coupons, but households with higher income brackets are slightly more likely to clip them.

CMS, a North Carolina-based coupon processing agent for grocery brands, says use of all types of coupons, not just for grocery items, could rise this year.

In 2007, consumers redeemed 2.6 billion manufacturers' coupons, including for grocery items, which was about the same total as the year before, the firm said. Even though the redemption rate didn't increase, it was the first time there wasn't an annual decline since a high of 7.9 billion coupons redeemed in 1992.

Matthew Tilley, director of marketing for CMS, noted that prior to last year, the economy had been in pretty good shape for the previous 10 or 15 years, going back to the early 1990s recession, when coupon redemption was far higher.

"That has meant that coupons have slowly crept out of everyday life for consumers," Tilley said in a presentation about CMS's 2007 data.

CMS said that through the first half of 2008, consumers' coupon use was essentially unchanged from a year earlier. But the firm sees signs that coupon redemption will increase in the second half of the year.

Wegmans has seen different results. In the most recent 13- week period compared to the same period a year ago, the Rochester-based chain has seen a significant decrease in coupon use in its Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse area markets, said Ann McCarthy, a Wegmans spokeswoman.

Wegmans hasn't studied the trend to determine why the dropoff occurred. But the chain suggested a couple of possible influences. When shoppers are on tight budgets, it is possible they might not be able to afford the multiple items some coupons require. And since some coupons are for newly introduced items, it is possible some shoppers might consider them to be luxury purchases.

While Buffalo's rate of grocery coupon use was among the highest in the country, it was down from 46 percent in a Scarborough study released in 2004 that ranked Buffalo No. 1 in the country. The national average also declined over the same period, from 30 percent to 27 percent.

Scarborough also looked at where consumers obtained cents-off coupons, including for grocery items.

In the Buffalo area, 66 percent of households obtained coupons from the Sunday paper, making that the leading category. Nationally, 53 percent of households said they obtained coupons from the Sunday paper.

Thirty-six percent of Buffalo households acquired coupons through the mail; the third largest source was in-store coupons, at 32 percent. (The total for all 10 categories surveyed exceeded 100 percent.)

Twenty-one percent of Buffalo- area households said they never use coupons, according to Scarborough.

Coupons obtained through the Internet are a small but growing source of coupons. Nationally, 11 percent of households obtained coupons through the Internet in 2007, but that was up 83 percent from 2005, making it the fastest-growing source over that span, Scarborough said.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Survey says use of online coupons up

2009-05-14T22:57:00.000-07:00

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The survey, conducted by Simmons/ Experian Research, found that one key demographic for consumer packaged goods companies-young families with children and an annual household income of $60,000 or more-were more likely to print coupons online than clip them out of a newspaper or insert. Redemption rates are also higher among online coupon users versus print, reaching almost 17 percent, according to Weitzman, compared with less than 1 percent redemption of free-standing insert coupons.

The number of people turning to the Web for coupons has grown by more than 38 percent over the past throe years, and now totals some 36 million "coupon clickers," according to a new study released late last month by Coupons Inc., a leading provider of interactive coupon marketing and technologies.

The survey, conducted by Simmons/ Experian Research, found that one key demographic for consumer packaged goods companies-young families with children and an annual household income of $60,000 or more-were more likely to print coupons online than clip them out of a newspaper or insert. Some key findings:

* In households making more than $60,000 a year, 61 percent printed coupons from the Web versus the 56.6 percent who clipped paper coupons.

* Among consumers age 35 and under, 29.4 percent download online coupons versus 23.3 percent who clip paper.

* 35.6 percent of households with a child under the age of 18 use online coupons versus 29.2 percent who clip paper.

But it's not just young families that are seeking savings online-boomers are doing it, too. "It's a false assumption to say that consumers 60 and older are not using the Internet," Jeff Weitzman, chief marketing officer for Coupons Inc., told Drug Store /Vims. "There is a very active [online] community within that age group." Today's retirees are using the Internet more and more as a kind of online senior community center where they can find fellow retirees with similar interests, he said.

But it's not so much how many people download online offers; it's how many redeem them. Redemption rates are also higher among online coupon users versus print, reaching almost 17 percent, according to Weitzman, compared with less than 1 percent redemption of free-standing insert coupons.

In addition to higher utilization rates, online couponing affords marketers the opportunity to do a little demographic research of their own. According to the research, more than 70 percent of consumers seeking to download a $2 coupon were willing to share personal information, such as their full names and mailing addresses, or were willing to fill out a questionnaire.

That has the potential of helping to fine tune promotional strategies for retailers that post coupons on their sites. And, if the consumer becomes conditioned to finding greater value on a retailer's Web page before they even reach the store, it also has the potential of increasing shopper loyalty. "Retailer sites are one of the more popular places to get coupons," Weitzman noted. One of the primary reasons consumers visit retailer Web sites, according to the survey, "is to see if there are any promotions or deals they can find before visiting the store," he said.

Online couponing also easier to track and trace. Coupons Inc., for example, can pinpoint when a coupon has been printed and where that particular coupon was redeemed. There is also greater control over the total number of coupons that can be downloaded or printed per computer, as well as the number of total coupons printed.

In addition to the survey, Coupons Inc. has developed a couponing index that not only helps measure demand but also can serve as a leading indicator of economic stress. That can help retailers tweak their promotional strategies to better reflect real-time economic pressures. "The Coupon Index is more an instant measure of consumer psychology," Weitzman said.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Consumers Turn to Coupons in Tough Economic Times

2009-05-14T22:56:00.002-07:00

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Consumers Save Nearly $3 Billion Using Coupons

The Promotion Marketing Association Coupon Council Releases New Coupon Usage Statistics and Kicks Off National Coupon Month

NEW YORK, Sept. 4 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As Americans continue to be concerned about the price of gas and general cost of living in today's unpredictable economy, they look for ways to save and get the most "bang for their buck." September is National Coupon Month and a reminder that clipping coupons is an easy and fun way to save.

According to recent research from the Promotion Marketing Association's (PMA) Coupon Council, many consumers are already taking advantage of the savings opportunities. The recent PMA Coupon Council Internet survey of 1,000 people found that:

-- 89 percent of the overall population report that they use coupons when shopping (for grocery, household and healthcare items at supermarkets).

-- 97 percent of primary shoppers report that they use coupons at supermarkets.

-- Coupon users report an average of seven percent savings on their grocery bill with coupons.

"Consumers love coupons - they are a great way to economize, stretch the grocery budget and try new products for less than retail price," says Charles Brown, Co-Chair of the PMA Coupon Council. "And particularly when shoppers are pinched by rising gas and energy costs, as well as increasing food prices, coupons offer an easy chance to save. All consumers have to do is organize their shopping to buy items with the coupons available to them - whether in their newspaper, in their mailbox, in the store or on the internet."

Consumers See Value in Coupons - Typical Savings

-- Studies have shown that consumers who spend 20 minutes per week clipping and organizing their coupons can save up to $1,000 per year. (With an average annual family grocery bill of $5,000 that means 20 minutes could result in a 20 percent savings from coupons).

-- The typical family saves between $5.20 and $9.60 per week using coupons.

-- Those who spend 10 minutes or less per week clipping and organizing their coupons (46 percent of consumers) still achieve an average $7.00 weekly savings on their grocery bill.

PMA Coupon Council Co-Chair Matthew Tilley adds, "In this environment, consumers can be particularly responsive to coupon offers. But so far in 2008, CPG marketers haven't really changed the number of coupons available, therefore consumer redemption is steady with last year. That's a significant change because until last year, we saw 15 years of declining coupon redemption in the U.S."

Other Coupon Usage Statistics

-- Approximately $2.6 billion is saved annually by consumers using manufacturer's coupons when shopping for packaged products.

-- More than $350 billion of packaged goods coupons are offered annually.

-- Today, the average value is approximately $1.25 per coupon.

-- Nearly 90 percent of all coupons are issued in the Sunday newspaper Free Standing Inserts (FSI), but coupons are also available directly in many retailers' ads or in the store, and in magazines, in and on the package, on the Internet, and even in your mail box.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Mambo Sprouts Marketing; Coupon Usage Rising as Consumers Grapple with Financial Crisis and Economy

2009-05-14T22:56:00.001-07:00

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In a consumer buying survey launched during the financial crisis' first record market drop, nine in ten consumers (91%) reported paying more attention to everyday spending using grocery coupons to help manage finances during this economic crisis.

Launched on September 29, the survey by Mambo Sprouts Marketing (www.mambosprouts.com) gauged coupon use among natural and organic product consumers during the 2008 economic crisis. The survey launch coincided with a then-record 700 point drop in the Dow.

Grocery coupon usage was very high with virtually all respondents (99%) using coupons, 7 in 10 (70%) reporting regular coupon redemption. While one in two (51%) continued historic high coupon levels, a significant number of consumers (46%) reported increased usage. On average, natural and organic consumers used about six to nine coupons per week, spending about $75 - $99 per week on groceries and saved about $8.00 per shopping trip-representing a savings of about 10% off of their weekly grocery bills.

The most commonly used sources for coupons were in-store programs (95%), coupons by mail (84%), and newspapers (84%). Three in four (76%) used online printable coupons (76%), while only 1 in 10 used cell phone coupons (9%). Mailed coupons were preferred to printable online coupons by two to one (72% vs. 37%).

Six in ten or more natural product shoppers felt like "smart shoppers" using coupon deals (76%), often tried new brands or products with coupons (62%) and considered coupons when planning their grocery shopping (61%). More than 1 in 2 would use more coupons if they were offered for natural and organic brands vs. more conventional brands (56%).

The Mambo Sprouts survey focused on grocery coupon use in tough economic times. The online survey was issued in September 29, 2008 and completed by 1,080 natural and organic consumers. The survey was fielded by Mambo Sprouts Marketing, a leader in natural and organic product marketing and promotions.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Economy sparks coupon comeback: Rising costs are making coupons attractive again

2009-05-14T22:55:00.000-07:00

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Nine in 10 consumers say they have used coupons when shopping for grocery, household and health care items in supermarkets, according to the Promotion Marketing Association's Coupon Council. Newspaper still best source for savings Lots of cash-off coupons are appearing in the Tulsa World on Sundays, some in news sections and many others in color inserts -- discounted groceries, services and hard goods of all types.

$350 billion in coupons: Following 15 years of declining coupon redemption in the U.S., the council has recently seen an increase. American shoppers saved $2.6 billion last year, even though $350 billion worth of packaged-goods coupons have been offered annually. The average value is $1.25 per coupon.

Get organized: Sort coupons in a coupon organizer and keep it with you in case of an unplanned shopping trip. Organize your coupons in an order based on how you shop at a store.

Budgeting lesson: Make the coupon-clipping ritual a family project as it teaches math, budgeting and saving skills -- especially for the kids. Involve them in the process by letting them earn coupon-savings instead of giving them allowances.

Nights

out (or in): Plan evenings out using restaurant, movie or special-event coupons or save gasoline by ordering pizza delivered or by using other delivery-style restaurant coupons.

Menu planning: Plan weekly menus based on the coupons with closest expiration dates.

Doubles & triples: Shop on "double-" or "triple-coupon days" and use manufacturers' rebates to realize additional savings. Plan your family vacation -- including transportation, hotels, dining and entertainment -- using coupons.

Rewards: Register on rewards and coupon program Web sites to get exclusive, "members-only" coupons. Maximize savings by using retailer coupons during big event sales (i.e. back-to-school, holiday and seasonal).

Food pantries: Use coupons to buy products to donate to local food pantries or to put the savings toward other charities.

Newspaper still best source for savings

Lots of cash-off coupons are appearing in the Tulsa World on Sundays, some in news sections and many others in color inserts -- discounted groceries, services and hard goods of all types. The Promotion Marketing Association's Coupon Council says 90 percent of manufacturer coupons are delivered in Sunday newspapers.

Stores: Other sources include the stores where the coupons are redeemed. You can find them attached directly to products, on store shelves, at kiosks and even at check-out counters.

Floor samples: Accept the free samples offered in store aisles and you'll often be offered a coupon to take home a package of the tasty products.

Packaging: Check all around product packaging -- there is usually a coupon somewhere among the nutritional content lists and recipes. Your favorite brands want you to keep buying them, so you'll find coupons on their packages, or even inside the packages.

Coupon books: Many are sold by schools and community groups to raise funds for their causes, but some larger community books are overprinted and the merchants whose coupons are included stop taking them when they fail to increase revenue.

Money saver

Save 7 percent: The average savings achieved with coupons, according to an association survey, is $7 per week, and most consumers spend less than 10 minutes per week clipping and organizing them. The typical family saves $5.20 to $9.60 per week with coupons. Consumers who spend 20 minutes per week couponclipping save $1,000 per year (the average annual family grocery bill is $5,000) --a 20 percent savings with coupons.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Prices and Coupons, Inc.; Recession-Proof Online Shopping: Integrating Price Comparison with Coupon Codes

2009-05-14T22:54:00.000-07:00

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The majority of online shoppers take advantage of price comparison websites in order to find the lowest price for a given product. Additionally, consumers are scouring the web looking for the latest coupon or discount code for their online order. These two methods of saving money online are effective; however the combination of price comparison and coupon codes will almost always yield more savings for the consumer.

In the last few months, a new website has emerged that integrates price comparison with online coupon codes. For a given product, http://www.pricesandcoupons.com/ will compare prices from multiple name-brand stores and simultaneously search for valid online coupons for that product. Any online coupons found will be automatically calculated into the final price.

Prior to PricesandCoupons.com, savvy online consumers would compare prices at one site, look for coupon codes on another site and then calculate the lowest overall price from a trustworthy online store. Instead of a three-step process, PricesandCoupons.com takes care of all the research and calculations in one step. Additionally, each coupon shown will have redemption instructions, expiration dates, and other pertinent information.

Real World Example: Price Comparison of Magellan 4050 GPS Unit on Dec. 4th, 2008: PricesandCoupons.com displayed prices and coupons from 7 online stores with Dell.com having the lowest price at $149.99 which included a coupon code for 40% off (the regular price was $249.99). We visited other leading price comparison sites and the lowest price we found was $239.99 plus Shipping. By using the power of price comparison and coupon codes, a savings of $90 was achieved over traditional price comparison sites.

Another attractive feature of PricesandCoupons.com is the unbiased approach to price comparison. The prices listed on the website are sorted by the lowest price, unlike other comparison sites which allow an advertiser to purchase space at the top of the page as a 'Featured' seller.

"Consumers can recession-proof their wallets by taking a few extra moments to find the best deal. We've created a website that is aligned with the goals of the consumer. No advertisements, no paid listings, just pricing and coupon codes from reputable online stores," stated David Chase, Director of Marketing for Prices and Coupons, Inc.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:New Research Reveals Surge in Online Activity and Overall Coupon Usage as Year Progresses

2009-05-14T22:53:00.002-07:00

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The report also notes dramatically increased online coupon activity; distinct trend differences between health and beauty care (HBC) and grocery manufacturers; a significant shift toward mass merchandisers, dollar stores and drug store chains; and an overall progressively upward trend in coupon promotional activity in the second half of the year as the economy worsened.

Valassis (NYSE: VCI), one of the nation's leading media and marketing services companies, released research conducted by its subsidiary, NCH Marketing Services Inc., that provides new insight into consumer saving habits and manufacturer coupon trends during these recessionary times. Consumer packaged goods (CPG) coupon redemption during the fourth quarter of 2008 increased a dramatic 16.7% compared to prior year quarter, although total coupon redemption for 2008 was flat compared to the prior year, according to this annual report on coupon trends. The report also notes dramatically increased online coupon activity; distinct trend differences between health and beauty care (HBC) and grocery manufacturers; a significant shift toward mass merchandisers, dollar stores and drug store chains; and an overall progressively upward trend in coupon promotional activity in the second half of the year as the economy worsened.

"Challenges in the economy are most definitely influencing manufacturers and consumers as it relates to both distribution and redemption," said Suzie Brown, Valassis Chief Marketing Officer. "Every trend indicates these current buying and saving habits will continue to increase and value seeking will become a cornerstone of shopping behavior in the future. The RedPlum portfolio is incredibly well positioned to deliver the values consumers are seeking today and tomorrow." RedPlum helps consumers score more deals than ever. It provides an opportunity for consumers to save up to $1,000 a year or more by spending just 20 minutes a week taking advantage of coupons and special offers.

HBC manufacturers saw redemption rate improvements as a result of strategically using coupons during a downturn in the economy to motivate consumer purchases. HBC manufacturers tactically improved the attractiveness of coupons and distributed nearly 5 billion additional coupons in 2008. Overall, HBC coupons increased their average cents-off savings to $1.75 -- more than a 9% increase from the previous year; extended average offer expiration dates to 2.8 months; and substantially reduced their use of multiple purchase coupons. Meanwhile, grocery manufacturers began to reverse their conservative approach to couponing by distributing more coupons in the second half of 2008.

Overall, 281 billion coupons were distributed last year. The free-standing insert (FSI) continued to deliver nearly 90% of all coupons in 2008 with magazines, handouts and the Internet gaining share. Online coupon distribution grew faster than any other medium -- up more than 80% -- according to this report, although the Internet represents less than 1% of all coupons printed. Likewise, redemption volume of online coupons increased nearly 130% to 4.8% of all CPG coupons redeemed in 2008. Valassis offers online savings through its redplum.com destination site and network.

"These trends tell us that marketers are using the Internet more and more to reach consumers with coupons and consumers, especially in current economic times, are responding at an increasing pace to Internet coupons," said Charles Brown, NCH Vice President of Marketing. "As the year progressed and consumer demand grew, manufacturers increased the overall number of CPG coupons in the marketplace in the second half of the year and utilized targeted media to a greater extent. We continue to see increased demand for savings and value fueled by the state of the economy and that is particularly evident in the significantly increased redemption in the last three months of the year."

Other findings include:

-- 94% of consumers say they use coupons, up five share points from the

previous year; 76% use coupons regularly;

-- Average face value of CPG coupons offered increased to $1.29 -- up

nearly 5% from 2007;

-- Overall, the average coupon expiration of 2.5 months remained flat from

the previous year; and

-- Coupon redemption volume is growing by double digits in non-traditional

supermarket channels such as mass merchandisers, dollar stores and drug

store chains.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Coupons, Inc.; Coupons.com Saves Consumers More Than $300 Million in 2008

2009-05-14T22:53:00.001-07:00

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According to a recent poll, 61% of consumers in America report using more coupons now than ever before in their lives. 78% of Americans are using coupons to avoid changing their lifestyles or cutting items from their shopping lists. Coupons, Inc. clients and licensees include the majority of top consumer packaged goods companies such as Clorox, General Mills, Johnson & Johnson, Kimberly-Clark, and Kraft Foods as well as over 100 grocery retailers including Kroger and Safeway.

With the economy driving more shoppers to search out savings, interest in online coupons has spiked, helping spur record growth for Coupons.com in 2008. The world leader in digital coupons more than doubled the amount of savings printed from the site and helped more than 38 million consumers print coupons. The Company also drove innovation in the printable coupon market with key product developments and partnerships.

"We believe shoppers will continue to seek out savings everywhere they can find them as the economy further tightens in 2009," said Steven Boal, CEO of Coupons.com. "With local newspapers struggling, many consumers will lose access to their Sunday coupons. As a result, household brand name companies are increasingly looking to deliver savings to those consumers online. Our goal in 2009 is to bring coupons to as many digital platforms as possible so that consumers can readily find savings in these difficult times." On the consumer front: In 2008, the amount of savings printed during the year grew 140% from $131 million to $313 million.

Over 38.6 million people used online coupons in 2008, according to Simmons Market Research Bureau.

The number of people who only use online coupons (do not clip newspaper coupons) grew 51%, according to Simmons Market Research Bureau.

According to a recent poll, 61% of consumers in America report using more coupons now than ever before in their lives. 78% of Americans are using coupons to avoid changing their lifestyles or cutting items from their shopping lists.

Coupons.com remains #1 amongst all sites in the Coupons/Rewards category, according to Nielsen NetRatings. On the brand marketing front: AdAge magazine called online coupons one of "the Bright Spots in 2009" and reported, "According to ComScore, coupon sites were the fastest-growing online category in November by traffic, up 32% from October to 35.6 million."

Coupons.com launched Brandcaster, the industry's first content relevant promotion serving network, now appearing on thousands of websites.

Coupons.com announced the results of the first Printable Coupon Consumer Pulse Survey, providing unique industry insights about coupon clippers.

The redemption rate for Coupons.com coupons remained approximately 17% on average vs. less than 1% overall for newspapers. On the business front: Coupons.com's Digital FSI network added well-known retailers such as Safeway, Kroger, CVS and Kmart.

The Company expanded the reach of printable coupons to include social networks through the launch of a Facebook application, television through the acquisition of CouponBug, local coupons through a Money Mailer partnership and mobile phones through a Yahoo! partnership. The Company recently acquired GroceryIQ, the number one selling lifestyle application for the iPhone, and intends to coupon enable the shopping list application in early 2009.

Internationally, Coupons.com printable couponing technology was launched in eight new countries, bringing the total to 14 including the United States, Canada, The United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Belgium, The Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and Australia.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Discount Diva: Know rules on coupons at each store

2009-05-14T22:52:00.001-07:00

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BJ's also provides in-store coupons which are updated twice a month, accepts printed Internet coupons and offers its own coupons for download online. Be sure they are printed clearly, sport a scannable bar code and say "manufacturer's coupon" somewhere in there.

Don't you just love that moment at the end of your grocery purchase when the cashier totals up your coupons and announces the amount of money you've saved? It's like being at the Seneca Niagara Casino and hearing the coins clatter into the tray of a slot machine. I always expect everyone to turn and clap.

But for all the joy couponing can bring, there are struggles. The one I've found most frustrating is getting the lowdown on coupon policies at local stores.

The rules seem to change depending on which cashier is standing in front of you. I've made it a practice to keep a copy of those store coupon policies available on the Web (not all are) and keeping them in my coupon pouch.

Knowing how coupons can be used at different stores helps maximize your purchasing power. Here are some basics at a glance:

Aldi, Sam'sClub and Save-A-Lot do not accept manufacturer's coupons.

BJ'sWholesaleClub isthe only wholesale club that accepts manufacturer's coupons. BJ's also provides in-store coupons which are updated twice a month, accepts printed Internet coupons and offers its own coupons for download online.

You can stack one store coupon and one manufacturer's coupon per item. Better yet, single sale items packaged in bulk "club packs" count as single items. That means if you've got three store coupons and three manufacturer's coupons for Crest toothpaste, you can use all six of them on a three-pack. Plus, you'll get the club pack discount.

Wegmans will double coupons worth 99 cents or less. Coupons for $1 off or more are accepted at face value. Also, as is the case with most retailers, the value of the coupon or its value when doubled can't exceed the price of the item being purchased. So, if macaroni and cheese is on sale for 79 cents, you can't use a $1 coupon and get 21 cents back.

Wegmans will take Internet coupons unless (get this) the word "free" appears anywhere on the coupon. For example, a coupon for a free gallon of milk would not be accepted, nor would any kind of "buy one get one free" offer.

Only four manufacturer's coupons for free items can be redeemed per day and only four coupons can be doubled on four of the same brand item per day.

Tops (with a Bonus Card), Budweys, QualityMarkets and Dash's all double coupons up to 99 cents.

Tops accepts Internet coupons up to $5 off, but doesn't accept Internet coupons for free items.

Budweys does not accept Internet coupons. Wal-Mart does.

Tips for using Internet coupons:

Make sure your coupons are legible (I know we like to save ink by printing in grey, but come on now). Be sure they are printed clearly, sport a scannable bar code and say "manufacturer's coupon" somewhere in there.

The coupon also needs to contain an address where the retailer can remit payment. And no, you can't print up store-specific coupons from one store's Web site and try to redeem it at another. Nice try, though.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:MyCoupons.com Releases Free Coupon Publication Service for Small Businesses

2009-05-14T22:51:00.000-07:00

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MyCoupons, established in 1995, is the world's oldest and largest online source for coupons, coupon codes, printable coupons, and coupon related social networking.

MyCoupons announces that it has added a free coupon publication tool to the MyCoupons Advertiser interface. This tool enables Advertisers to add localized printable coupons free to the MyCoupons site.

The current economic climate has many small businesses struggling to bring consumers in the door. Revenues are down and business budgets have tightened leaving less money for advertising.

"When budgets get tight advertising is always one of the first items to be reduced even though this can be counter productive. We want to help businesses reach our users, while at the same time giving our users access to more ways to save money," states Greg Stoltz, President of MyCoupons, LLC. "It really is a win-win-win situation. Great content for us, more coupons for our users and free advertising for the small business," continues Stoltz.

Small businesses can visit MyCoupons, create an account and publish a coupon within just a few minutes. Businesses can add multiple locations and even tie the coupons they create to these different locations. When visitors come to MyCoupons.com their location is determined based upon their IP address. Any available coupons are included within an additional tab on the index page. The business has complete control over the content of the coupon, including any required legal disclaimer and expiration dates. One unique feature is the ability to set the expiration date based upon the date the coupon was actually printed. This helps to motivate the consumer to action.

This service is completely free for the business and provides a great promotional opportunity to reach a broad range of consumers who are striving to stretch every dollar.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Free Online Coupons Provide Summer Vacation Savings on Arrival

2009-05-14T22:50:00.000-07:00

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Another school year is coming to an end and families are busy making plans for summer camps and for the annual family vacation. According to the American Automobile Association, a family of four spent an average of $269 per day on food and lodging in 2007. That cost doesn't factor in the cost of travel, visits to theme parks, sightseeing, recreation, shows, shopping, and more. This is where the cost of a vacation can really rise.

In an economic downturn, many travel destinations feel the heat because a big portion of their local economy is based on tourists visiting, spending and investing in their economy. However, the fact remains that regardless of how bad it gets, people will still travel, just not as far, or for as long. And when they do travel, they will look for ways to save money on all facets of their trip.

Now there is a one-stop website that addresses many of these travel concerns. Savings On Arrival (http://www.SavingsOnArrival.com) is a free service that offers travelers savings on attractions, dining, golf, recreation and more. The site also offers helpful travel savings tips, as well as information about things to do at many popular U.S. travel destinations.

Right now, http://www.SavingsOnArrival.com offers discounts in multiple cities throughout the United States. A visitor to the website simply chooses the state and city they plan to visit from dropdown menus on the home page. They are then taken to an overview of that city with recommendations for things to do and see. This is followed by the "Savings Selection Area." In the "Savings Selection Area" they can find savings according to four categories: "Things To Do," "Dining & Nightlife," "Rental Cars and More" and "Upcoming Events." Each category offers a listing of participating businesses, that when clicked on, reveals an overview along with a savings coupon that can be printed and easily carried in a wallet or hand bag.

There is no doubt that a sluggish economy has an effect on consumers' lifestyles. Anything that may help reduce costs is welcomed in this tough economic climate. While travel will be impacted, saving money on travel may help ease the burden just a bit.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Shoes for the Holidays! Shoebuy.com's Footwear Supersite Offers Great Gift Ideas, Tips On Buying Shoes Online

2009-05-14T22:49:00.000-07:00

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This holiday season, shopping for gifts doesn't have to involve fighting the crowds. Now consumers can shop online for the best styles at great prices. "Shoes are a terrific gift, as well as the finishing touch to any holiday fashion ensemble," explains fashion and gift spokesperson Anne Crays from Shoebuy.com. "The gift ideas are literally endless: From warm, cozy slippers for someone you love, to hand-made baby shoes for a family's first holiday, to the ultimate golf shoe for him, or to fashion sneakers for today's teens. Add the appeal and convenience of online shopping and you will find a quick visit to Shoebuy.com can provide something for everyone on your list- -including you!" And, for the individual that is difficult to buy for, Shoebuy.com has the built in Gift Hint feature. The Gift Hint allows the person you're buying for to pick out a pair (or pairs) of shoes and send you an email on the styles they long for. It couldn't be easier!

Online fashion shopping and gift giving has never been easier, or more efficient. This holiday season click on to Shoebuy.com to find the largest selection of mens, womens, teens, and children shoes-- all at great values. Over 100 manufacturers of quality formal, casual, and athletic shoes are featured on the easy-to-navigate Shoebuy.com website.

Great Gift Ideas: Shoes for Everyone

This holiday season, shopping for gifts doesn't have to involve fighting the crowds. Now consumers can shop online for the best styles at great prices. "Shoes are a terrific gift, as well as the finishing touch to any holiday fashion ensemble," explains fashion and gift spokesperson Anne Crays from Shoebuy.com. "The gift ideas are literally endless: From warm, cozy slippers for someone you love, to hand-made baby shoes for a family's first holiday, to the ultimate golf shoe for him, or to fashion sneakers for today's teens. Add the appeal and convenience of online shopping and you will find a quick visit to Shoebuy.com can provide something for everyone on your list- -including you!" And, for the individual that is difficult to buy for, Shoebuy.com has the built in Gift Hint feature. The Gift Hint allows the person you're buying for to pick out a pair (or pairs) of shoes and send you an email on the styles they long for. It couldn't be easier!

Online Shoe Buying Tips

Shopping online provides 24 hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week access to the styles and brands of footwear consumers are seeking. Some Tips For Online Purchasing From Shoebuy.com include:

-- Carefully read the special "fit" descriptions that emphasize the unique fitting characteristics specific to the brand and shoe.

-- Click to access the large view of the product to gain insight on detailing and design.

-- Review European Size Conversions. Shoebuy.com provides European size conversions specific to the brand and style selected.

-- Know Return Policies. Be sure your online shoe resource has a liberal return policy. (Shoebuy.com offers a 30 day money back guarantee, and will send a designated courier to pick up returns from the shopper's home or office.)

-- Be Aware of Shipping Policies. Online retailer's shipping charges can vary greatly. Be careful not to lose valuable savings in mail or overnight charges. (Shoebuy.com offers free shoe delivery.)

Shoebuy.com Site Features

Shoebuy.com has been designed with busy shoppers in mind. The site assists the user to get to where she wants to go in a single click. Whether it is a search by brand, search by activity, search by department, search by gender, or through Shoebuy's unique "Search by Profile," or Shoebuy's special "Deal of the day," fast download and clear navigational direction make it possible to purchase footwear six different ways all in less than sixty seconds.

Other site features include:

-- Free Shipping within the U.S.

-- 24-hour, 7 days a week customer service.

-- Customer discounts--including 10% off any additional purchases made within 30 days.

-- 30 day money back guarantee.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Shoebuy jumps into on-line shoe-selling with both feet

2009-05-14T02:44:00.000-07:00

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A Boston company recently launched a retail site it says is the largest on-line shoe store on the Internet.

The company is Shoebuy.com, and its goal is to become the leading seller of footwear on the Web. Company officials, who launched the site in midDecember, offer shoes from nearly 80 different manufacturers.

"There are places (in cyberspace) to buy shoes, but it's not an easy process," said co-founder and president Scott Savitz. "There are manufacturer sites that have only their shoes, or large retailers that sell many items in addition to shoes.

"Our research showed people want choices in shoes that can be easily found. Within 60 seconds the shopper can locate exactly what they are looking for - from casual to dress to athletic wear."

Company officials say buyers can search by brand, activity, department or gender.

The site's primary "buyer beware" caveat pertains to choosing the right size. The site comes equipped with a guide which explains how to make a given shoe "fit" comfortably.

Shoebuy, which is privately funded, was founded in April 1999. The site had its "hard launch" in mid-December, which means officials lost much of the holiday-buying season.

It is led by Savitz, who is president of the company. He is a former executive with BancBoston Robertson Stephens, where he specialized in originating loans for high-tech corporations.

Other founders include chief executive officer William Pryor, a former executive at McGraw-Hill Construction Information Group; and Chief Financial Officer Craig Starble, former managing director for global treasury at BankBoston.

Company officials say they will have 25,000 individual items for sale by spring.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Shoebuy.com Hits the Ground Running With Over 100 Top Brands of Men's Women's and Children's Footwear

2009-05-14T02:43:00.002-07:00

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Utilizing the limitless potential for marketing footwear via the Internet, Shoebuy.com, a recently launched and quickly expanding website has detailed its strategy for capturing market leadership.

The site, located on the Web at www.shoebuy.com, currently boasts more than 100 brands of men's, women's, teen's, and children's shoes - - more than twice the number of labels than its closest online competitor. And, through its factory-direct order fulfillment model - the Company's primary competitive differentiator -- Shoebuy.com is able to offer the most competitive prices accompanied by free shipping and a 30 day money back guarantee. "We have no 'brick and mortar' overhead, hold no inventory and focus on nothing but footwear," explains Scott Savitz, co-founder and president of Shoebuy.com who previously managed the investments of large high tech corporations for a well-known, Boston-based investment firm. "Consequently, we can pass on appreciable savings to our customers; whether it is through our great prices, through discounts we offer for repeat purchases or registering on the site, or through our free shipping, return, and exchange policy ."

Utilizing the limitless potential for marketing footwear via the Internet, Shoebuy.com, a recently launched and quickly expanding website has detailed its strategy for capturing market leadership.

The site, located on the Web at www.shoebuy.com, currently boasts more than 100 brands of men's, women's, teen's, and children's shoes - - more than twice the number of labels than its closest online competitor. And, through its factory-direct order fulfillment model - the Company's primary competitive differentiator -- Shoebuy.com is able to offer the most competitive prices accompanied by free shipping and a 30 day money back guarantee. "We have no 'brick and mortar' overhead, hold no inventory and focus on nothing but footwear," explains Scott Savitz, co-founder and president of Shoebuy.com who previously managed the investments of large high tech corporations for a well-known, Boston-based investment firm. "Consequently, we can pass on appreciable savings to our customers; whether it is through our great prices, through discounts we offer for repeat purchases or registering on the site, or through our free shipping, return, and exchange policy ."

Savitz further explains that, although a "handful" of companies currently market and distribute footwear online, they are generally: manufacturers who sell a single brand; multiple product retailers who sell a limited number of brands; or retailers burdened by store front expenses.

"Much of our competition views the Internet as a necessary evil and has been forced into adopting an online strategy despite the inherent conflicts with in-store pricing and current vendor relationships," said Savitz. We're an Internet pure-play and, as such, can avoid the conflicts that often compromise true savings."

Two Tier Marketing Strategy Targets Catalog Buyers And Working Professionals

In 1998, more than 10 percent of the dollars spent on shoes in the United States -- representing over $4 billion in annual sales -- were sold through single-branded mail order catalogs, confirming that consumers are willing to purchase footwear without having to try it on. Shoebuy.com's marketing efforts will be squarely focused on this audience by exploiting the advantages of Internet shopping and, more specifically, the ease of use of the Shoebuy site. "Our goal is to significantly penetrate the growing mail order shoe business by offering a much greater selection of brands and styles supported by attractive prices," said Savitz.

Additionally, the Company will focus on its target market of working professionals between the ages of 25- 40 who, not so coincidentally, make up the lion share of current Internet users/ online shoppers. "Our feeling is that those already comfortable with the Internet will also be those most willing to buy their footwear online," said Savitz.

Offering Brands That Shape the Footwear Industry

Since its inception in April, 1999, Shoebuy.com has added an average of 9 brands per month to the site, bringing the current total of manufacturers to a previously stated 100 labels. Savitz believes that, in addition to savings, selection is what will bring people to the site and create what he describes as annuity customers. "Many people have a brand or two that they favor, that they buy again and again because they trust the fit, the feel or the quality. We want to meet their needs by establishing relationships with favored manufacturers who lead not only in industry sales but in innovation and style as well," concludes Savitz.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:The Knot and Shoebuy.com Announce Partnership to Provide To-Be-Weds With Style, Selection and Savings

2009-05-14T02:43:00.001-07:00

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Through this partnership, those planning their wedding and honeymoon can one-stop-shop at The Knot (www.theknot.com) for all of their own, as well as their wedding party's, footwear. With over 125 labels to choose from - including such specialty brands as Manale and Hype, and best sellers like Nicole Miller and Dyeables - The Knot and Shoebuy.com have made selecting the perfect wedding day shoes easy and hassle-free.

"We're proud to partner with The Knot, not only because of the obvious benefits the brand affords Shoebuy, but also because of our newly formed association with many of the Internet's leading merchant sites who are also Knot partners," said Scott Savitz, Co-founder and president of Shoebuy.com. Savitz indicated that such "household names" as America Online, Sandals Resorts and Nutrisystem.com are also members of The Knot's "wedding party."

"Because we share the same business and customer service philosophies, Shoebuy.com was a natural fit for us," said Adam Sandow, VP-Sales, The Knot. "We're delighted to add Shoebuy.com to our site, and are anxious to offer our audience their wide selection of styles and brands."

The Knot, the leading online wedding resource, and Shoebuy.com, the 'Net's largest footwear supersite, today announced that they have joined forces to offer brides- and grooms-to-be the widest selection of footwear available on the Web.

Through this partnership, those planning their wedding and honeymoon can one-stop-shop at The Knot (www.theknot.com) for all of their own, as well as their wedding party's, footwear. With over 125 labels to choose from - including such specialty brands as Manale and Hype, and best sellers like Nicole Miller and Dyeables - The Knot and Shoebuy.com have made selecting the perfect wedding day shoes easy and hassle-free.

"We're proud to partner with The Knot, not only because of the obvious benefits the brand affords Shoebuy, but also because of our newly formed association with many of the Internet's leading merchant sites who are also Knot partners," said Scott Savitz, Co-founder and president of Shoebuy.com. Savitz indicated that such "household names" as America Online, Sandals Resorts and Nutrisystem.com are also members of The Knot's "wedding party."

The Knot, which recently exceeded one million first time visitors in a single month, offers to-be-weds a fresh perspective on how to prepare for and plan the ideal wedding. Additionally, through its direct-to-manufacturer e-business model - a model embraced by Shoebuy.com and other leading web e-retailers - those planning their wedding have convenient access to over 30,000 product and fashion choices.

"Because we share the same business and customer service philosophies, Shoebuy.com was a natural fit for us," said Adam Sandow, VP-Sales, The Knot. "We're delighted to add Shoebuy.com to our site, and are anxious to offer our audience their wide selection of styles and brands."

Shoebuy.com Coupon:SHOE AMAZON; HAVING LEARNED FROM THE DOT-COM FALLOUT, SHOEBUY.COM IS BLAZING ITS OWN PATH.

2009-05-14T02:42:00.000-07:00

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If Scott Savitz has his way, Shoebuy.com might very well become the Amazon.com of shoes -- only profitable. According to Savitz, president of the site, this goal should be reached during the first quarter 2001.

Since cofounding Shoebuy in April 1999 with private capital, Savitz and Craig Starble, the company's chief financial officer, officially launched the site last January. During the past year, Boston-based Shoebuy.com has built a large following on the Net, averaging upwards of 700,000 hits a day in December.

"Shoebuy.com was born out of Craig's frustration with buying footwear online," said Savitz. "He saw that there was a unique opportunity for someone to provide a one-stop shopping option for shoes on the Internet. After trying to come up with reasons not to start a dot-com business, we saw an incredible opportunity that we could not ignore.

With a solid financial background, Savitz is resolute about taking a sound financial approach to operations, with profit margins the main focus. "We went cash-flow positive in December," he said,"with month-to-month revenues up 25 percent, a decreasing burn rate and steady margins."

From the start, we've had an incredibly disciplined business approach," she continued. "We created a sound business model that we stuck to. We don't burn through cash, and we never got involved in outrageous portal deals -- no Super Bowl ads or lavish parties."

According to Footwear industry analyst Mike Kormos, NPD Group Inc. "Shoebuy.com has been extremely methodical in their overall program development approach,"

"They're one of the only e-commerce sites I'm aware of that is set up to make a profit ."

December was Shoebuy.com's best month ever, with expenses at their lowest to date, closing out 2000 with total sales of $1.75 million.

Savitz expects sales to hit $10 million in 2001.

"The question will be whether Shoebuy.com can continue to meet the needs of the marketplace and tweak its business model as time goes on," Kormos said.

In terms of generating traffic to the site, Shoebuy has a slew of on- and offline partners, including MasterCard and Priceline.com, as well as approximately 8,000 affiliated shopping sites featuring direct links to Shoebuy.com. In addition, the company has alliances with Yahoo and Lycos. "We try to have a presence wherever people are looking to buy shoes," Savitz said.

The site offers consumers a real one-stop shopping destination. According to Savitz, the site has 160 manufacturers and more than 80,000 products.

Shoebuy doesn't ever handle the shoes it sells; rather, it acts as a middleman, selling from a vast virtual inventory. Once an order is received and processed, the actual product is shipped directly from each manufacturer to the consumer.

Savitz said relations with Shoebuy's manufacturer partners are excellent.

Savitz also acknowledged that manufacturers are taking a risk by putting their brand on the site, and that without a real partnership mentality it would be impossible for Shoebuy.com to have staying power.

"By the same token, we provide smaller and newer manufacturers with a sales outlet they hadn't had before, and access to so many potential customers," he said.

Savitz says Shoebuy's demographics are an even split between urban and more rural shoppers. "Our strength lies in being the place where shoppers can turn to find the lesser-known, harder-to-find or up-and-coming brands they are seeking and that they find more difficult to go out and specifically shop for," he said.

Shoebuy.com doesn't offer customer chat rooms, "ratings corners" or other such staples of Internet consumer sites. However, the site offers free shipping and no sales tax, as well as a 10-percent discount for first-timers and those who make repeat purchases within 30 days.

"We want to sell shoes in a user-friendly format, and customers seem to really be responding to that," he said.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Shoebuy.com garners unparalleled foot traffic

2009-05-14T02:41:00.002-07:00

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Unlike the cobbler's kids with no shoes, the Savitzes have fallen prey to the family business, ShoeBuy.com, an online shoe shopping extravaganza that's not merely surviving the dot-com bust but marking three years in business with 100 percent year-to-year growth and hitting the $1 billion "accessible inventory" mark.

If It's clear the shoe-buying public is ignoring Al Clethen's advice that "you can get shoes for 85 cents at bowling alleys," because Bostonbased ShoeBuy.com is moving 220 brands and 150,000 products through 1.5 million visitors to its site every month. The company adds a new shoe brand to its virtual inventory monthly, has been profitable since a year after launching in 2000 and takes in more than $1 million in business for every employee on the payroll.

"We're very shocked by our traffic numbers," Savitz says.

When he first thought of selling shoes online, Savitz figured it would succeed because housing the volume of shoes he wanted to sell over the Internet would require miles of aisles in traditional shoe stores and lots of warehouse space.

Footwear Consulting Group analyst Mike Kormos says, "The significance of achieving this level of product access is the equivalent of putting 5,000 shoe stores within reach of each consumer visiting ShoeBuy.com."

Factor in fast-moving trends and what Savitz describes as the "fickle" nature of shoe sales and he concluded the Internet was the answer. But, he adds, he knew building the business wouldn't be as simple as constructing say, a casino, with "if you build it they will come," results.

"You have to be a real business. You need a value proposition," he says. "They won't just come."

So he built the website in-house, began teaming up with big-name shoe manufacturers and fine-tuned the company's proprietary eshopping experience. Despite the huge virtual inventory, users can type in their size, desired color, shoe style, price range and even heel height to launch an advanced and quick search. Longer browsers can select simply "women" for example, and look at everything in that category.

Women are the best example for long searches. Savitz has found that women spend an average of 20 minutes on his site, while men get in and out in under five minutes. The numbers seem more surprising held up against figures showing that ShoeBuy.com sells 52 percent of its goods to women and 48 percent to men, almost an even split It's just taking women longer to find what they like.

The site is so successful, users have gone beyond shoe shopping and inquired about ShoeBuy.com building similar sites for other businesses. It's a surprise opportunity Savitz has pushed aside as he grew the company but one he may consider in the near future.

Meantime, his shoe customers are rural residents who don't want to drive long distances to shoe stores as well as the tech-savvy urban buyer. They're the hard-to-fit customers who need to find extra-large or narrow shoes without traipsing through numerous stores. They are bargain shoppers and highend shoe junkies.

"Or it could be the guy who buys the same size 10 Florsheims and goes - on to buy four pairs of diem," he says. "It's an extremely fragmented industry."

And it's one the company is doing well to get a handle on.

With orders from ShoeBuy going directly to manufacturers in hourly batches, Savitzs company first cornered the women's market then men and children, and is now pursuing the Sex and The City-style top designer shoe buyers. None of the shoes are seconds. ShoeBuy ships within 48 hours, and it offers a guarantee that if buyers find a shoe online for less, they'll refund at 110 percent.

The company uses encryption to protect buyer information, but if fraudulent charges are made to accounts by way of ShoeBuy.com, the company will pay any fee charged by the credit card issuer. And there's free shipping and handling and no taxes, making this online success story a repeat business affair. Even among ShoeBuy.com employees.

"We have folks who input the information who are becoming buying addicts," Savitz says. "We have, more humorously, cut them off."

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Shoebuy.com Reports Record-Setting Month Over Month Sales as Shoppers 'Choose Shoes' to Fill Holiday Shopping Carts

2009-05-14T02:41:00.001-07:00

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Shoebuy is the largest retailer on the Internet focused on all categories of footwear and related apparel. Shoebuy has partnerships with over 200 manufacturers and represents over 200,000 products from top brands including adidas, Aerosoles, Bass, Bostonian, Brooks, Clarks England, Dexter, Dockers, Dr. Martens, ECCO, Etienne Aigner, Fila, Florsheim, Franco Sarto, Hush Puppies, Johnston & Murphy, Keds, K-Swiss, Merrell, New Balance, Reebok, Rockport, Sebago, Skechers, Steve Madden, and many more. The site offers free shipping, free returns, no sales tax, 110% price guarantee; and live customer service.

Shoebuy.com, experiencing its most robust holiday season to date, today announced that December '03 sales increased by more than 50 percent over November ' 03 numbers, signaling a record-setting end-of-year -- and holiday season -- for the four year-old online retailer. Today's news comes on the heels of a record-setting November during which sales increased by 35 percent over October' 03 numbers.

"We were very excited about the 35% growth we had experienced November over October," said Scott Savitz, President and CEO of Shoebuy.com. "Similarly, we could not be any more delighted with the better than 50% growth we saw in December over November."

Shoebuy.com credits its ongoing success to offering a value proposition that makes it very difficult for the customer to say no. The site, which sells footwear, handbags, accessories and luggage, offers over $1 Billion -- roughly 5,000 "shoe stores full of goods" - - in accessible inventory from over 200 brands in a vast array of sizes, widths, and colors. Plus Free Shipping; Free Returns; No Sales Tax; Live Customer Service, and a 110% Price Guarantee. The Company which became profitable in October, 2001, enjoys 40% plus gross margins, experiences over 1,500,000 visitors per month; and acquires customers for less than $10. Shoebuy.com was founded in April 1999 and formally launched its website in January, 2000.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Shoebuy.com Closes $9 Million in Funding

2009-05-14T02:40:00.001-07:00

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Shoebuy.com, Inc., a leading online retailer of footwear and accessories, today announced the completion of a $9 million Series B expansion financing by Apex Venture Partners and Tudor Ventures. In addition, Lon Chow, a partner at Apex Venture Partners and Carmen Scarpa, a partner at Tudor Ventures, have joined Shoebuy's board of directors. Innovation Advisors, a boutique investment bank, advised Shoebuy in the transaction.

"We are happy to complete this round of funding and are enthusiastic to work with Apex Venture Partners and Tudor Ventures," said [Scott Savitz], President and CEO of Shoebuy.com. "The investment validates our business model as we continue to partner with top manufacturers and aggressively increase revenues through offering a value proposition that makes it very difficult for the customer to say no." Shoebuy.com offers free shipping, no sales tax, a vast selection and free returns. Savitz continued, "We made significant progress in all operational areas over the past year, and along with this funding and the support of our new partners, we will aggressively pursue the tremendous market opportunity before us."

Shoebuy.com, Inc., a leading online retailer of footwear and accessories, today announced the completion of a $9 million Series B expansion financing by Apex Venture Partners and Tudor Ventures. In addition, Lon Chow, a partner at Apex Venture Partners and Carmen Scarpa, a partner at Tudor Ventures, have joined Shoebuy's board of directors. Innovation Advisors, a boutique investment bank, advised Shoebuy in the transaction.

Through their website, Shoebuy.com customers can search for shoes by style, brand, gender, size and price point. Shoebuy's site features over 200 leading brands and over $1 billion of accessible inventory. Shoebuy, which was profitable in 2003, has raised a total of $2.7 million to date.

"We are happy to complete this round of funding and are enthusiastic to work with Apex Venture Partners and Tudor Ventures," said Scott Savitz, President and CEO of Shoebuy.com. "The investment validates our business model as we continue to partner with top manufacturers and aggressively increase revenues through offering a value proposition that makes it very difficult for the customer to say no." Shoebuy.com offers free shipping, no sales tax, a vast selection and free returns. Savitz continued, "We made significant progress in all operational areas over the past year, and along with this funding and the support of our new partners, we will aggressively pursue the tremendous market opportunity before us."

"Shoebuy.com's solid management team, strong manufacturer relationships, and loyal customer base made this a compelling investment," said Lon Chow of Apex Venture Partners, who led the round. "We believe the breadth and depth of Shoebuy's product selections as well as its award-winning customer service will position the company as the preferred provider of footwear for anyone looking to make a purchase online."

"We were very enthused by Shoebuy.com's business," explained Carmen Scarpa of Tudor Ventures. "The company has leveraged its virtual, inventory-free business model into 100% average annual revenue growth while maintaining profitability."

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Shoebuy.com lands $9M up round

2009-05-14T02:39:00.000-07:00

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Having sat out the frenzied fundraising for Internet retailers in 1999, Boston-based Shoebuy.com Inc. took advantage of a tentative return of venture capital interest in dot-com retailing to raise $9 million from Chicago's Apex Venture Partners and Boston's Tudor Ventures.

The 5-year-old dot-com had raised just $2.7 million in previous funding, primarily from founders and angel investors. CEO Scott Savitz said the company launched its shoe-sales Web site in January 2000 amid the tail end of the Internet investment boom but never considered raising large amounts of money at the time.

Instead, it nurtured growth to profitability before seeking professional investors. "We felt our efforts were better spent on continuing growth than on spending time on the capital markets," Savitz said. "We had always expected to raise money again at about this time, and we also thought it didn't make sense to raise money at the kind of valuations other retailers were getting."

Savitz said the company's strategy has created revenue growth of better than 100% each year, and he said it meant that unlike more ambitious e-tailers, the company never had to scale back as original expectations of the online market collapsed. "We never had a retrenchment period," Savitz said.

Savitz would not disclose a valuation on the deal but said the round came at a large increase over earlier investment, which came in stages beginning in April 1999. He said the company was happy to have stayed on the sidelines the last few years, when online retailers that managed to raise money often took huge hits in valuation.

"We found the fundraising market much healthier than people have found it the last couple of years," Savitz said. "We do have dot- com in our name, but we went out with real metrics to judge the company by."

Shoebuy enlisted the aid of Boston's Innovation Advisors LLC to help raise the round; Innovation managing director Doug Brockway handled the deal. The company had legal representation from Mike Balfe of Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo PC in Boston.

Savitz would not disclose Shoebuy's revenue, but the company has access to more than $1 billion in inventory. The company was profitable in 2003, though Savitz would not reveal earnings.

Shoebuy claims to be the largest online retailer specializing in shoes, and the company carries all categories of footwear. Shoebuy has partnerships with more than 200 manufacturers and represents more 200,000 products including Adidas, Aerosoles, Bass, Bostonian, Brooks, Clarks England, Dexter, Dockers, Dr. Martens, Ecco, Etienne Aigner, Fila, Florsheim, Franco Sarto, Hush Puppies, Johnston & Murphy and Keds.

Investors saw Shoebuy as a solid late-stage company that has been able to build its business with a minimum of initial capital by operating essentially without inventory, said Tudor Ventures' Carmen Scarpa.

Shoebuy returned to the market as venture capitalists have re- emerged after fleeing the retail sector following the spectacular collapse of heavily funded ventures such as Pets.com, Webvan Group Inc. and Wine.com Inc. Consumer investment specialists including San Francisco's Venture Strategy Partners and Rosewood Capital Associates LP and Seattle's Maveron LLC stayed with the sector but have remarked recently that broader-based venture firms have recently paid more attention to retail investments.

Savitz said that as confidence grows in online retailers that have managed to survive the past few years, the company expects to grow more aggressively. But he expects the current round to be the company's final venture round and will stick largely to funding growth internally.

"If you look at the surviving companies that have made it through all this craziness, what you see is that they didn't raise more money than they needed," Savitz said.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Shoebuy.com says new $9M financing will enable it to 'hit the accelerator'

2009-05-14T02:38:00.000-07:00

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In yet another example of the resurgent strength of e-commerce among venture capital investors, Boston-based Shoebuy.com Inc. has closed on $9 million in a B round of funding.

Tudor Ventures of Boston and Apex Venture Partners of Chicago provided the financing.

Founded in 1999, the company had previously raised just $2.7 million in angel financing and claims to have achieved operating profitability in 2001. Shoebuy.com started out by selling shoes but later expanded its offerings to include handbags and luggage.

CEO Scott Savitz wouldn't disclose the company's financial figures in a telephone interview last week, but in a December interview with Mass High Tech he said that the company brought in $1 million for every employee on the payroll. That would peg -revenue for 200.3 at more than $24 million. And for Savitz has said that the past three years revenue grew at 100 percent annually.

The plan for Shoebuy.com had always called for a round of VC financing, Savitz said. He just didn't want to rush it.

"We wanted to build the infrastructure and the fundamentals So that we're built for scale," Savitz said.

Now that the company has achieved the $1 billion mark in virtual inventory, Savitz believed it was time to "hit the accelerator."

Savitz plans to use the new cash to expand into Canada and the United Kingdom, to boost marketing and to add in July a new line of products, which he declined to specify.

For Tudor Ventures, the keys to securing the investment were Shoebuy's ability to hit profitability on a small amount of initial capital and the relationships and integration agreements it has established with manufacturers that have allowed it to create its virtual inventory.

"One of our advisers, a former president of Keds, said the biggest issue you have with footwear is there are so many SKUs (stockkeeping units) - length, width, style," said Carmen Scarpa, a partner at Tudor. "Fashion-wise, these things turn over very quickly."

The ability to ship products without having to keep a large physical inventory gives Shoebuy a big !advantage, Scarpa said.

Shoebuy competes against several other online shoe merchants, including the online division of Seattle-based Nordstrom Inc. and San Franciscobased Zappos.com Inc.

Unlike Shoebuy.com, Zappos.com maintains a large warehouse in Kentucky. It claims to have brought in $70 million in revenue last year.

Savitz had expected the fund raising to take a while and so he contracted innovation Advisors, a boutique investment bank with locations in Boston, New York and Chicago, to manage the raise.

"It turned out there were an awful lot of VCs that were interested in the economics and metrics of the business," Savitz said.

Indeed, the financial community has done a 180 over the past 18 months with respect to e-commerce.

VistaPrint USA, a Waltham-based online printing company, closed on $30 million in VC financing in the fall, and recently two local firms bought out UBS Capital's stake in Watertownbased BuyerZone.com, a price comparison site for business products and services.

Nationally, e-commerce plays are not only performing well in the public markets - both Amazon.com Inc. and eBay Inc. are up more than 58 percent from their stock price one year ago but are also teeing up to go public once again.

Seattle-based Blue Nile Inc., for example, which sells diamonds and jewelry online, has filed for an IPO of up to $83.9 million. Last year it made $27 million on. $128.9 million in revenue.

Likewise, New York-based Shopping .com has filed for an IPO of up to $75 million. For 2003, it made $6.4 million on $67.2 million in revenue.

Is an IPO in the works for Shoebuy?

"We don't have any immediate plans that you'll hear about in the next month, but if it's the right opportunity to give an exit strategy to our investors, well do it," Savitz said.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Shoebuy.com Rings in '04 Holiday Shopping Season with Record Setting November Sales

2009-05-14T02:37:00.002-07:00

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November's numbers indicate that Shoebuy.com, still in the early weeks of the holiday season, will far exceed what technology research firms Forrester Research and Juniper Research predicted as an estimated 20 percent increase over the prior year for Internet retailers this Christmas season. Scott Savitz, President and CEO of Shoebuy.com, indicated that more than two million unique visitors shopped the supersite in November, choosing from over 300,000 footwear and related apparel products offered by more than 250 top brands.

Early Spike in Purchases Shows a Significant Increase in Average Holiday Sales Over Other Major Online Merchants --

In a clear sign that America's love affair with footwear never takes a holiday, Shoebuy.com, the 'Net's largest footwear supersite(TM), today announced that November '04 sales increased by more than 20 percent over just the prior 30 days alone, signaling a record-setting end-of-year - and holiday season - for the five year- old online retailer.

November's numbers indicate that Shoebuy.com, still in the early weeks of the holiday season, will far exceed what technology research firms Forrester Research and Juniper Research predicted as an estimated 20 percent increase over the prior year for Internet retailers this Christmas season. Scott Savitz, President and CEO of Shoebuy.com, indicated that more than two million unique visitors shopped the supersite in November, choosing from over 300,000 footwear and related apparel products offered by more than 250 top brands.

According to Anne Crays, V.P. of Merchandising at Shoebuy.com, hot sellers include winter footwear, slippers and traditional gift items including handbags, belts, luggage and accessories. As Crays explains, "Shoebuy.com shoppers enjoy six different ways to find the product of their choice within one minute, including an advanced search that allows the customer to search by size, width, color, price and even heel height, and a Gift Center filled with all the latest trends."

Says Savitz, whose website was recently awarded BizRate's Circle of Excellence Award as one of the top 41 etailers in the country, "Selection and service has been the key." The website ranks among Amazon, Wal-Mart and eBay in representing over $1 billion in accessible inventory and offers free shipping, free return shipping, no sales tax and a 110% price guarantee on every order. As Savitz adds, "It is certainly validating to see such a positive response from our customers as we continue to become the one-stop-shopping destination for all their footwear and related apparel needs"

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Sole survivor ; Shoebuy.com disproved skeptics by gaining foothold as Web retailer

2009-05-14T02:37:00.001-07:00

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WORCESTER - Scott Savitz practices what he preaches, at least when it comes to shoes. Asked to speak at a recent WPI Venture Forum event, the chief executive officer of Shoebuy.com Inc. showed up wearing a pair of Johnson & Murphy shoes purchased online at Shoebuy.com, naturally.

But buying shoes online was not always so readily accepted. When Mr. Savitz and Craig Starble launched the online shoe store in 2000, the dot-com bust left observers skeptical of the duo's plans.

"Everybody said we were going to fail because we were involved with the Internet," Mr. Savitz said.

Not so. Today, Boston-based Shoebuy.com employs about 60 people and is profitable. Almost a year ago, it raised $9 million in venture capital from Apex Venture Partners and Tudor Ventures.

The privately held business has prospered as a virtual shoe seller with dozens of deals and partners, and a few promises to shoppers: Free shipping. Free returns. No sales taxes.

Shoebuy.com has no warehouses or fulfillment centers to operate. Instead, it sells the shoes and relies on manufacturers to carry the inventory.

The result is an online store with more than $1 billion in inventory.

For the vendors, Mr. Savitz said in an interview, "we are essentially their Internet distribution arm."

Online retailing has seen its share of ups and downs in recent years. Some flamboyant retailers, such as Pets.com, flamed out, despite the buzz around its sock-puppet commercials. Furniture.com launched with fanfare in 1998, then struggled to fill customers' orders and closed in 2000 before reopening under new management.

Yet customers have clicked their support for online shopping. Forrester Research calculated that U.S. e-commerce last year totaled $136.6 billion.

Shoebuy.com managed to survive the bursting of the technology bubble by doggedly building a unique business model, said Lon Chow, a general partner at Apex Venture Partners.

"They've actually used technology to allow them to integrate with their shoe manufacturers. That was very unique and very different," he said. "This business model they developed, it's less capital intensive. You don't have to spend a whole lot of money buying shoes wholesale and selling them retail."

Shoebuy.com got its start accidentally enough. Messrs. Savitz and Starble were working in banking, not actually looking to start a business. Then Mr. Starble went to buy shoes online for his family and struggled to find one site that could accommodate them all. He was baffled.

It wasn't as if people were wedded to buying their shoes in stores. In 1998, Mr. Savitz said, $2 billion in footwear sold through catalogs.

"We tried to find many different reasons why this idea wasn't a good idea," Mr. Savitz said. They didn't.

Instead, Shoebuy.com forged agreements with vendors, built a Web site and affiliated with others on the Internet to drive customers to Shoebuy.com. It offers thousands of shoes as a seller on Amazon.com.

The company crafted a business model that allowed it to make money on its very first sale. It still makes money on every sale, Mr. Savitz said.

Shoebuy.com does not disclose revenues, but Mr. Savitz told the WPI Venture Forum crowd that it totals about $1 million per employee.

The site attracts about 2.5 million visitors each month, and the retailer's target market is 25- to 40-year-old middle-class professionals, a category of shoppers that buys shoes and shops online.

About 250 vendors are tied to Shoebuy.com, but the site has agreements to add about 40 more brands, Mr. Savitz said. In six months, there should be more than 300 vendors offering shoes on Shoebuy.com.

Driving customers to the site is not free. Marketing costs average out to about $15 per "acquisition," or paying customer. But each transaction produces a profit of about $21, Mr. Savitz said.

"Because we sell something everybody buys, we're able to acquire customers and make money on the first sale," Mr. Savitz said.

Yet Shoebuy.com is not just about shoes. In 2002, the Web site added handbags for sale. Luggage joined the mix in 2003. The next category to go up for sale will be active wear.

About one in six shoes sold through Shoebuy.com is returned, Mr. Savitz said. But satisfied customers are returning repeatedly. In 2004, repeat buyers accounted for 42 percent of total revenues, he said.

Those repeat customers are the key to successful online retailing, Mr. Savitz told the WPI Venture Forum. "If you can't have that repeat buyer drive the bottom line, I don't think you'll ever cross that threshold," he said.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Shoebuy.com Is Recognized By Its Peers As #1 For Customer Fulfillment At the National eTail Awards Ceremony

2009-05-14T02:36:00.002-07:00

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"We take a lot of pride in working with over 250 manufacturers and representing over 300,000 products while fulfilling at greater than 99% with an average ship time out the door of less than 1.5 days," adds [Bill Pryor], "Every day we work to offer the absolute best experience for our consumers, and to see over 50% of our revenues come from repeat buyers and to win an award like this, certainly makes it well worth it." According to Peter Hurvitz, CIO of H.H. Brown, the parent Company of such well known footwear brands as Born, Softspots, Nurse Mates, Bolo, Carolina, Sofft, Quark, Double H, Carolina and Dexter, "We chose to partner with Shoebuy.com because of their steadfast attention to servicing the consumer. The sophistication of their technology allows for the consumer to only order what can be fulfilled and with over $1.5 billion in accessible inventory on the Shoebuy.com site, all being shipped manufacturer to consumer direct, this is no small feat. We think it is essential to partner with someone who believes in representing the integrity of our brands in the same way we would do in our own stores - and Shoebuy.com clearly hits the mark."

Besting such heavyweights as Overstock and Ritz Interactive, footwear e-tailer Shoebuy.com (www.shoebuy.com) was selected the winner in the Fulfillment Category at the 3rd annual eTail Awards. The eTail awards, considered one of the premiere events within Internet retailing, recognizes the World's foremost innovators and etail performers.

"We are proud of this award not only because we were up against other companies that are doing a terrific job online, but most importantly because this award was judged by other retailers." says Bill Pryor, COO of Shoebuy.com.

The eTail Advisory Board included Brendan Hoffman, President & CEO, Neiman Marcus Group; Brett Miller, General Manager, Sephora.com; Denise Incandella, COO, Saks.com; John Thompson, Senior Vice President General Manager, Best Buy; Jonathan D. Shapiro, President, Lillian Vernon Corporation; Shafiq Khan, VP E-Commerce, Marriot; and Shelly Nandkeolyar, VP Interactive Marketing & E-Business, Home Depot.

"We take a lot of pride in working with over 250 manufacturers and representing over 300,000 products while fulfilling at greater than 99% with an average ship time out the door of less than 1.5 days," adds Pryor, "Every day we work to offer the absolute best experience for our consumers, and to see over 50% of our revenues come from repeat buyers and to win an award like this, certainly makes it well worth it." According to Peter Hurvitz, CIO of H.H. Brown, the parent Company of such well known footwear brands as Born, Softspots, Nurse Mates, Bolo, Carolina, Sofft, Quark, Double H, Carolina and Dexter, "We chose to partner with Shoebuy.com because of their steadfast attention to servicing the consumer. The sophistication of their technology allows for the consumer to only order what can be fulfilled and with over $1.5 billion in accessible inventory on the Shoebuy.com site, all being shipped manufacturer to consumer direct, this is no small feat. We think it is essential to partner with someone who believes in representing the integrity of our brands in the same way we would do in our own stores - and Shoebuy.com clearly hits the mark."

Shoebuy.com has always looked to raise the bar. In 2004, the Company was awarded BizRate's Circle of Excellence Platinum Award as one of the top 41 etailers in the country for customer satisfaction. Shoebuy.com currently ranks among Amazon, Wal-Mart and eBay in representing over $1.5 billion in accessible inventory including footwear, handbags, luggage, and outerwear; and experiences over 2.5 million unique visitors a month making it one of the most heavily visited apparel sites in the world.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Shoebuy Announces the Launch of Its New Site Bagsbuy.com

2009-05-14T02:36:00.001-07:00

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"We are very excited about Bagsbuy.com," said Scott Savitz, President and CEO of Shoebuy.com. "We are pleased to offer the widest selection of all categories of bags in the most convenient manner." Shoebuy.com, founded in 1999, has quickly become the largest pure play retailer on the Internet specializing in all categories of footwear and related accessories. The Company is partnered with over 250 brands; represents over $1.5 billion in product on the Shoebuy.com site; and experiences over 3,000,000 visitors a month. Adds Savitz, "We look forward to building Bagsbuy.com the same way, one customer at a time."

Shoebuy.com announces the launch of its new online store, Bagsbuy.com. The website specializes in all categories of bags and carries over 5,000 styles of handbags, luggage, sports bags & duffels, briefcases and more from leading brands.

On top of an unbeatable selection comes the best in class customer experience. Shoebuy.com is no stranger to top-of-the-line service. The Company, in August, was awarded the #1 etailer in the country for fulfillment at eTail 2005. Other finalists included Ritz Interactive and Overstock. Judges included the CEO of Neiman Marcus and Sr. Executives from Saks, Best Buy, Lillian Vernon and Home Depot.

Even more recently, in September, Shoebuy.com was awarded BizRate's (Shopzilla's) Circle of Excellence "Platinum Award" as one of the top 50 etailers in the country for customer satisfaction in 2005.

"We are very excited about Bagsbuy.com," said Scott Savitz, President and CEO of Shoebuy.com. "We are pleased to offer the widest selection of all categories of bags in the most convenient manner." Shoebuy.com, founded in 1999, has quickly become the largest pure play retailer on the Internet specializing in all categories of footwear and related accessories. The Company is partnered with over 250 brands; represents over $1.5 billion in product on the Shoebuy.com site; and experiences over 3,000,000 visitors a month. Adds Savitz, "We look forward to building Bagsbuy.com the same way, one customer at a time."

Bagsbuy is an Internet retailer focused on providing you all categories of bags. Bagsbuy already offers over 5,000 products from over 60 top brands including Adrienne Vittadini, Baggallini, Clava, Eagle Creek, Ellington, High Sierra, Jack Georges, JanSport, Marlo, Samsonite, THE SAK, Tignanello and many more.

Besides the selection, Bagsbuy.com also offers these other great benefits:

* Free Shipping

* Free Returns

* No Sales Tax

* 110% Price Guarantee

* Live Customer Service

Shoebuy.com Coupon:IAC to Acquire Shoebuy.com

2009-05-14T02:35:00.001-07:00

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IAC/InterActiveCorp (Nasdaq: IACI) announced today it has reached an agreement to acquire Shoebuy.com, Inc., a leading internet retailer of footwear and related apparel.

Shoebuy, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Boston, carries more than 400,000 products from more than 250 leading brands. With its innovative virtual inventory model whereby huge product assortments can be showcased on behalf of vendor partners, Shoebuy has also recently launched Bagsbuy.com and plans to extend into additional product categories. Shoebuy's Founder and CEO Scott Savitz will continue to oversee the company's operations.

Shoebuy, founded in 1999 and headquartered in Boston, carries more than 400,000 products from more than 250 leading brands. With its innovative virtual inventory model whereby huge product assortments can be showcased on behalf of vendor partners, Shoebuy has also recently launched Bagsbuy.com and plans to extend into additional product categories. Shoebuy's Founder and CEO Scott Savitz will continue to oversee the company's operations.

Terms of the cash transaction were not disclosed. Shoebuy will join IAC's Retailing sector.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Shoebuy.com Launches 'Power Search ...

2009-05-14T02:34:00.000-07:00

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Shoebuy.com Launches 'Power Search ... For a Cause' to Support Breast Cancer Research and Education; All pink shoes and accessories purchased on the 'Net's Footwear Supersite will support the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation with a guaranteed $10,000.00 minimum donation

To ensure the program's success, Shoebuy.com will donate a guaranteed minimum of $10,000 to the Komen Foundation. "Shoebuy.com is proud to partner with the Komen Foundation and to provide our consumers with the opportunity to support this important cause," says Patrisha Sweeney, Vice President of Merchandising for Shoebuy.com. "We hope our initiatives will help bring researchers one step closer to finding a cure and eradicating this devastating disease. We encourage every one of our loyal customers to 'power search' for a cause."

Shoebuy.com and the Susan G.Komen Breast Cancer Foundation are teaming up to offer shoe lovers a uniqueway to help fight breast cancer. The Internet's largest footwear supersitehas announced that during the month of October, online shoppers who buy pinkshoes or pink accessories can take advantage of the Company's 'Power Search... For a Cause' initiative, expressly offered by Shoebuy to call attention toa disease that is diagnosed within the U.S.' population once every threeminutes.

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and, for nearly 25 years, the Komen Foundation has been a global leader in the fight against breast cancer through its support of innovative research and community-based outreach programs, including education, screening and treatment projects.

During the month, for every Shoebuy.com customer who purchases a pair of pink shoes or a pink accessory, 10% of the retail price will be donated to the Komen Foundation. Additionally, if two pink items -- shoes and/or accessories -- are purchased, 11% of their aggregate retail sales price will be donated, and if three pink items -- shoes and/or accessories -- are purchased, 12% of their retail price will be donated. 'Power Search ... For a Cause' is available to all Shoebuy.com consumers.

For shoppers' convenience, Shoebuy.com will feature an exclusive 'Power Search ... For a Cause' web page, http://www.shoebuy.com/sb/power-search.jsp, allowing consumers to view more than 500 pink products all from top brands.

To ensure the program's success, Shoebuy.com will donate a guaranteed minimum of $10,000 to the Komen Foundation. "Shoebuy.com is proud to partner with the Komen Foundation and to provide our consumers with the opportunity to support this important cause," says Patrisha Sweeney, Vice President of Merchandising for Shoebuy.com. "We hope our initiatives will help bring researchers one step closer to finding a cure and eradicating this devastating disease. We encourage every one of our loyal customers to 'power search' for a cause."

"The Komen Foundation is dedicated to collaborating with a variety of organizations to provide meaningful ways for people to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer," said Cindy Schneible, Vice President of Resource Development at the Komen Foundation. "We are proud to have the opportunity to partner with Shoebuy.com and provide shoe lovers nationwide with critical breast health information and the opportunity to make a valuable contribution to breast cancer research and community outreach programs."

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed cancer in women. This year more than 213,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to occur among women and men in the US, and more than 41,000 will die from the disease. Thankfully, the breast cancer death rate has been dropping about 2% annually since 1990 in all women combined, and even more rapidly in women younger than 50 years old. The decline is attributed to early detection through screening, increased awareness and improved treatment and increased funding.

To help support breast cancer through 'Power Search ... For a Cause,' visit http://www.shoebuy.com through October 31st, 2006. For more information on breast health and breast cancer, visit http://www.komen.org or call 1-800 I'M AWARE.

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 300 manufacturers and represents more than 400,000 products from top brands including adidas, Aerosoles, Allen-Edmonds, Bass, Born, Bostonian, Brooks, Clarks England, Dockers, Donald J Pliner, Dr. Martens, Fila, Florsheim, Franco Sarto, Hush Puppies, Johnston & Murphy, K-Swiss, Keds, Mephisto, Merrell, Mezlan, New Balance, Reebok, Rockport, Sebago, Skechers, Sperry Top-Sider, Stride Rite, Timberland, Tommy Hilfiger, Via Spiga, 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/InterActiveCorp (Nasdaq: IACI).

About the Komen Foundation

The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation was established in 1982 by Nancy Brinker to honor the memory of her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died from breast cancer at the age of 36. Today, the Foundation is an international organization with a network of more than 75,000 volunteers working through local Affiliates and events like the Komen Race for the Cure(R) to eradicate breast cancer as a life-threatening disease. A global leader in the fight against breast cancer, the Foundation fulfills its mission through support of innovative breast cancer research grants, meritorious awards and educational, scientific and community outreach programs around the world. Through fiscal year 2005, the Komen Foundation, together with its Affiliate Network, corporate partners and generous donors, has invested $630 million in breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment programs.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Shoebuy.com Rings in the '06 Holiday Season with $2 Billion in Accessible Inventory

2009-05-14T02:33:00.000-07:00

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Shoebuy.com Rings in the '06 Holiday Season with $2 Billion in Accessible Inventory; The 'Net's Supersite for Shoes Responds to Demand for 'One-Stop-Shoe-Shopping' During Hectic Holiday Season by Adding New Brands, Styles and Selection

In efforts to ensure customerscontinue to enjoy the widest selection of brands and styles available on theInternet, and that Shoebuy.com is the only shoe site they will need to visitduring the fast-approaching holiday shopping season, COO Bill Pryor todayannounced the availability of more than $2 billion of inventory on the 'Net'slargest retailer of footwear and related apparel.

According to Mike Kormos, President of Footwear Consulting Group, "The significance of achieving this level of product access is the equivalent of putting 10,000 shoe stores within reach of each consumer visiting Shoebuy. I can't imagine how holiday shoe shoppers could find a more fulfilling experience."

This milestone, accomplished by only a handful of the Internet's most prominent retailers, including Amazon, eBay, and Wal-Mart, was made possible through the addition of more than 85 leading brands added to the Shoebuy.com site within the past 12 months alone. Shoebuy.com now offers more than 300 top brands, all shipping manufacturer to consumer direct.

According to Anne Crays, VP Brand Relations for Shoebuy, now a wholly owned company of IAC/InterActiveCorp (Nasdaq: IACI), this is just the beginning: "We currently have more than 50 leading brands in our pipeline and will be adding a minimum of two brands per week for the remainder of the year. Our 'virtual shelves' are fully stocked and ready for what we anticipate to be our best holiday season yet!"

Shoebuy.com believes that partnering with brands that resonate best with consumers has much to do with its success, as well as developing a highly sophisticated proprietary technology that supports the site and results in an incredibly positive customer experience. "We highly value our Shoebuy.com relationship because they not only seamlessly sell a lot of our product but also represent our merchandise the way we want it sold," said Jules Schneider, CEO of Aerosoles.

Shoebuy.com represents more than 400,000 products on its site in a vast array of colors and hard-to-find sizes; is experiencing more than 2,500,000 visitors; and is rated by Shopzilla (formerly BizRate) as one of the top 58 online retailers in the country in terms of outstanding service. Product lines include all categories of footwear, handbags, accessories, active wear and luggage.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Cyber Monday gives boost to a roaring holiday start for retailers

2009-05-12T23:44:00.000-07:00

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U.S. retail sales rose a healthy 3.4 percent, to $14.7 billion, on Friday and Saturday, said ShopperTrak RCT Corp., which tracks mall-store sales. And preliminary reports from online retailers showed strong Internet traffic and sales on Cyber Monday, so-called because it's one of the biggest online shopping days of the year.

Shoppers like Alva Bell Bullard, of Lauderhill, are helping make online shopping increasingly lucrative for retailers. Bullard, a corporate executive and mom, started her holiday shopping online Monday by visiting Web sites for JC Penney, Dillard's, Shoebuy.com and Overstock.com. By late afternoon, she had spent about $600 on gifts. "The days of me going store to store to store are over," Bullard said. Shopping online is easier and less stressful, she said. "You'll never find me in the stores the day after Thanksgiving. I can't stand holiday crowds."

At the Broward Mall, average sales were up about 4 percent from last year, and the department stores were clearly sales leaders, said Marketing Director Kafi Van Creighton. At the Mall at Wellington Green in Wellington, mall-wide sales were up roughly 10 percent over 2005. "We didn't have a hurricane this year, and I think more people were in the shopping mood," Marketing Director Dorian Zimmer said.

Shoppers in South Florida and across the nation snatched up bargains over the weekend, starting a strong holiday shopping season that continued Monday as consumers hit their computers in search of online deals.

U.S. retail sales rose a healthy 3.4 percent, to $14.7 billion, on Friday and Saturday, said ShopperTrak RCT Corp., which tracks mall-store sales. And preliminary reports from online retailers showed strong Internet traffic and sales on Cyber Monday, so-called because it's one of the biggest online shopping days of the year.

Shoppers like Alva Bell Bullard, of Lauderhill, are helping make online shopping increasingly lucrative for retailers. Bullard, a corporate executive and mom, started her holiday shopping online Monday by visiting Web sites for JC Penney, Dillard's, Shoebuy.com and Overstock.com. By late afternoon, she had spent about $600 on gifts. "The days of me going store to store to store are over," Bullard said. Shopping online is easier and less stressful, she said. "You'll never find me in the stores the day after Thanksgiving. I can't stand holiday crowds."

But plenty of South Floridians did hit the stores and malls over the weekend.

In South Florida and across the nation, the biggest winners were electronics stores, toy stores and popular-priced department stores, such as JC Penney, that opened early.

At BrandsMart USA, sales for the three-day weekend were up double- digits and average ticket prices were up 30 percent at stores open at least a year, largely because of booming sales of flat-screen televisions, said Michael Perlman, president of the Hollywood-based electronics retailer.

Low prices didn't guarantee strong sales for every retailer, and some analysts question whether consumers will continue spending when discounts may not be as steep. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., which promised its most aggressive discounting, said Saturday that the month's same- store sales, a key barometer for retailers measuring performance at stores open at least a year, would be weaker than expected.

That sent the stock market into a tailspin Monday. The Dow Jones industrials fell 158 points, and Wall Street had its worst day in more than four months as the dollar weakened and concerns arose about the strength of consumer spending during the holiday season, a critical time for the retail industry.

Nevertheless, weekend reports from South Florida malls showed increases compared with last year.

At the Broward Mall, average sales were up about 4 percent from last year, and the department stores were clearly sales leaders, said Marketing Director Kafi Van Creighton. At the Mall at Wellington Green in Wellington, mall-wide sales were up roughly 10 percent over 2005. "We didn't have a hurricane this year, and I think more people were in the shopping mood," Marketing Director Dorian Zimmer said.

Cynthia Cohen, president and founder of Strategic Mindshare, a Miami-based retail-consulting firm, was optimistic about consumer spending, especially in South Florida.

She called flat-screen TVs and expensive new gaming consoles, such as the PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii, "money boxes" that would drive revenue increases at electronics and big-box stores.

Department stores Macy's and Bloomingdale's, both owned by Federated Department Stores Inc., "looked better than they have in a long time," she said, but specialty apparel retailers might have a tough year because of poor decisions by manufacturers that are producing less-than-exciting fashions.

While brick-and-mortar retailers tallied up their sales Monday, Internet and multichannel retailers were watching online checkout counters.

E Fashion Solutions, an e-commerce provider of several major luxury and teen fashion brands, said total online retail sales were up between 40 and 50 percent by late Monday afternoon, and Web retailers were converting significantly more of their browsers into buyers.

"South Florida is definitely in the top five" U.S. markets for online sales, said Chris Leogrande, vice president of buying and planning for E Fashion Solutions.

Business Writer Paul Owers contributed to this report, which included information from The Associated Press and Bloomberg News.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:BUYING SHOEBUY

2009-05-12T23:43:00.002-07:00

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There's an unusual democracy to Shoebuy.com, the e-tailer acquired in 2006 by Barry Diller's IAC/InterActive Corp., parent company of Home Shopping Network, Ticketmaster, Match.com and Ask.com.

Shoebuy has its entire 85-person organization - including customer-service phone operators - housed on one floor of an office building located in Boston's Financial District.

According to Shoebuy.com President and CEO Scott Savitz, the site has been "obsessed" with customer service since its inception in 2000 - a strategy he believes helped the company survive and thrive when many other sites faltered in the cutthroat e-tail world.

That attention to service, coupled with an impressive mix of must-have brands, has helped Shoebuy continue to show steady growth over the years. Since the January 2000 launch, the site's sales have been growing about 5 percent per month.

Savitz, who admits he's become a footwear junkie over the years, sat down with Footwear News recently to discuss Shoebuy's phenomenal growth, synergies with parent company IAC and plans for the future.

FN: Walking through your office, I was struck by the fact that your service department sits right in the middle of the action. It's not miles away or overseas somewhere.

SS: I am a huge, huge believer in customer service. I have always had customer service right next to my office because that's how important I believe it is. Sixty percent of our revenues are from repeat business. Business has been growing 5 percent month over month for the last 7 1/2 years. It doesn't matter how expensive it is [to staff people in downtown Boston]. We are consumer-feedback junkies, and our service team is one of our best sources of information. ... Each month we review thousands of transaction surveys and customer feedbacks [from] BizRate and the Shoebuy site and receive thousands of product reviews.

FN: You launched in 2000, during the height of the dot-com bubble. What led to your success when so many others famously flopped?

SS: I think it's because we were obsessed with customer service. We were also so hard on ourselves. We obsessed over feedback scores and stats. I am a crazy, crazy stats person. We were one of the first to offer free shipping. I wanted it to be a no-lose value proposition for customers if we did not live up to our promise on the product, either through sizing that didn't work or a description that wasn't right. Even with free shipping and free returns, it's not a perfect experience if the customer has to return. Right now we fulfill 99.6 percent [of orders] and 1.3 days is our average ship time [out of the warehouse].

FN: How big are you today?

SS: [IAC doesn't] break out revenues by site, but we are a lot bigger than I ever thought we would be. We get about 4 million visitors per month.

FN: You've invested in a television campaign for the first time, which prominently highlights New Balance, among other brands. What is the scope of the campaign?

SS: It is a multimillion-dollar national campaign on NBC, USA, SciFi and Bravo, generating more than 150 million impressions. There are both 15- and 30-second spots highlighting a number of top brands, which we believe is indicative of Shoebuy's terrific selection. The campaign focuses on the strong acceptance to Shoebuy and the fun, personal connection each of our visitors experiences. We thought that given where our business is today, this not only provides wonderful validation to our existing customer base but also is a way to introduce ourselves to those who have not discovered us yet.

FN: A lot of Boston companies are leaving or have been acquired recently. It's nice to see a retailer growing in the area.

SS: We're taking more space as we speak. Sixteen months ago, when IAC bought us, part of the sale was [the agreement] to not move out of Boston. Our employees are key to our business. Key individuals have helped us grow at every stage and they are still with us. I don't think we've had one employee change because of the IAC purchase. IAC is as hugely customer-centric as we are and they don't want to stop the flywheel [of our growth].

FN: How did the sale to IAC come about? And what's it like being part of a big corporate parent?

SS: Barry Diller is a huge visionary. He sees three steps ahead. We are running the business, but he makes himself totally accessible to us. We spend a lot of time with [senior executives from] Ask.com or Ticketmaster. We are always gathering together to share best practices. It's funny being in that room. It's a crazy bunch of entrepreneurs who always think they could be doing better. There is a lot of commonality among the businesses and about the approach to reaching consumers, and that's why it's been such a terrific fit.

FN: Your site is rather plain, not slick visually like some of your competitors. Is this deliberate?

SS: We are an extremely analytical team. That's always been our approach. We designed, built and prioritized the site around customer behavior. It's consumer driven. And what our consumer has been telling us consistently is they want it to be usable and easily navigable. We have a lot to offer: 400-plus brands, about 500,000 products and about $2.5 billion in accessible inventory. We offer numerous ways for the consumer to get to what he or she is looking for. We see a lot of sites make mistakes in trying to be too flashy and overly sexy at the expense of function.

FN: Do you plan to venture into categories beyond footwear?

SS: We already operate the site Bagsbuy.com and we're rolling out apparel by soft launching it on Shoebuy. I'm a big believer in walking before you run. With any new product [category], we test for over a year to get a good grasp of what the consumer wants. I've never been caught up in the idea that you have to be first [into a market] to be successful.

FN: Tell us more about the Bagsbuy site.

SS: Bagsbuy launched at the end of 2005. We do well with brands like Adrienne Vittadini, Bagolini, Clava, The Sak. We target the same customer as we reach on Shoebuy: an upper-middle-class professional, ages 25 to 50. [On Shoebuy], we do a huge, huge comfort and classic business, but all categories do well for us. About 52 to 54 percent of sales is women's [product], 38 to 40 percent is men's and the remainder is children's.

FN: You've said you're obsessed with numbers. What stats can you share about the business?

SS: Our average order value is $88, which is a lot higher than the average footwear sale. We don't give our gross margins, but I can tell you we went profitable in 2001 and we've become more profitable since being acquired. Our return rate is 19.5 percent against a catalog return rate of 25 to 30 percent. We speculate some of our competitors' return rates are about 30 percent.

FN: Speaking of which, how would you say Shoebuy differentiates itself from the competition?

SS: Almost everything we do is driven by improving the customer experience. We've built a number of ways for customers to quickly get what they are looking for on our site. They can search by the usual things, such as brand or width, but they can also do an advanced search that will allow them to look by heel height or by country [of manufacture]. Our site operates using proprietary algorithms, so it's teaching itself every time a customer searches for a product.

FN: How does your site teach itself?

SS: We get 2,000 to 3,000 queries per minute per day. That's when people click on a product. The site is always analyzing what people are browsing and reprioritizing what they want to see and deciding what to show [based on click rates].

FN: So does that mean that less-successful product gets pushed to the bottom and has less of a chance of selling well in the future? How do your brands feel about that?

SS: They are aware of it. They know they are always competing to get products listed higher, and the site is always reprioritizing. [But] manufacturers do like to work with us because we are representing their full catalog and a full size range.

FN: For e-tail sites, how much of a challenge is the fit of the shoe?

SS: The site flags any item that's not translating well online. We can see items with a higher return rate or negative feedback. In those cases, we know we need to either do something different - for instance, add a note to a description: "This style runs large. Order a half-size smaller" - or we need to remove the product from the site. There are some products that are just not served from being on the Internet.

FN: Would you consider moving into higher-priced assortments?

SS: We are starting to look at luxury a little. We cover about 50 percent of the footwear market with the brands we have right now. But we've had customers asking for items that are higher in price. For them to consider higher price points without seeing the product in person is a huge validation of the online model.

FN: Do you think the site would need to be more sophisticated visually to attract a luxury clientele?

SS: We've always believed for luxury we would need to do something separate. We are creating a beta site right now to explore our entry point and what luxury would look like. We would not want to go into luxury without a clear understanding of how to do it right. The look and feel will ultimately be very different from Shoebuy, but with the same functionality.

FN: What's next for Shoebuy?

SS: We continuously knock ourselves over the head not to get overzealous and go after all these other categories we think our loyal customer base would be interested in. Part of our learning is taking a deep breath and appreciating where we are. We've been in hypergrowth mode for so long - we keep hiring and we keep outgrowing our space. We are immersed in our business challenges and obsessed with our feedback. Ninety-nine out of 100 customers are happy, and it's that one unhappy customer who keeps us up at night.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Shoebuy.com Experiences Unprecedented Traffic on Cyber Monday

2009-05-12T23:43:00.001-07:00

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Cyber Monday, the Monday after Thanksgiving that many perceive as the start of the holiday shopping season online, proved to be a successful day for Shoebuy.com, one of the leading retailers of footwear and related accessories on the Internet. Traffic hit record levels throughout the day, resulting in more than a quarter million visitors - a more than 80% increase from the same day last year. The Shoebuy.com site includes more than 450 brands, more than 500,000 products and more than $3 billion in inventory.

"We were extremely pleased with the site traffic," said Scott Savitz, Founder and CEO of Shoebuy. "It not only validates our commitment to offering an incredible selection with top-of-the line customer service but is also a tremendous testament to the success of online retailing, the loyalty of our customer base, Shoebuy's well-received TV campaign, and the wonderful adoption of footwear as a category to purchase over the Internet."

Shoebuy.com, which is rated by Shopzilla as one of the top eTailers in the country for outstanding service, experiences more than 4 million visitors a month and repeat buying currently makes up more than 60% of total sales. According to a study by Forrester, 2006 sales of footwear online grew to $2.9 billion, compared to $954 million in 2002. The same study predicts footwear online sales to grow to an astounding $5.2 billion by 2010.

In anticipation of the season and the changing mindset about purchasing gifts online, the site features a Holiday Gift Center that highlights more than 10,000 great gifts, including slippers, fun children's shoes, holiday/party boots and wonderful small goods, such as wallets, watches and other accessories for men and women.

"While Cyber Monday was certainly a successful day for us, we're expecting this momentum to continue to escalate until mid-December," said Savitz. "Consumers have only just begun their holiday shopping."

The Shoebuy.com site has become a favorite shopping destination for millions of shoppers, offering free shipping, free return shipping, a 110% price guarantee and hundreds of thousands of product reviews. The site offers an enormous selection of "Quick Ship" items that, if ordered by 4 p.m. ET, are guaranteed free shipping via UPS ground the same day. Popular brands this holiday season include Crocs, Merrell, Aerosoles, Stride Rite, Sperry Top-Sider, Daniel Green, Naturalizer, Stuart Weitzman, Easy Spirit, Skechers and so much more.

"We are very proud of our selection and service," said Patrisha Sweeney, VP of Merchandising at Shoebuy.com. "It is wonderful to work with such terrific brands and to be able to put them all in one place in a way that makes it extremely convenient for the consumer."

Shoebuy also operates Bagsbuy.com, which carries more than 200 brands and represents all categories of bags including handbags, luggage, laptop bags, baby gear and backpacks.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Get New Kicks From Shoebuy.com

2009-05-12T23:42:00.000-07:00

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Get New Kicks From Shoebuy.com in Zwinky; Shoebuy.com Boutique Opens in Zwinky; users can now buy top brand name shoes from adidas(R), Skechers(R), Tommy Hilfiger(R), Dr. Martens(R) & Jessica Simpson(R) for their avatar and for themselves

Zwinky, home to 12 million avatars, today announced a partnership with Shoebuy.com, one of the leading retailers of footwear and related accessories on the Internet, to open the Shoebuy.com Boutique in Zwinky. The 11.6 million Zwinky users can now purchase brand name shoes from adidas, Skechers, Jessica Simpson, Tommy Hilfiger and Dr. Martens for their personal avatar as well as for themselves. And every pair of virtual shoes comes with something users won't find in real life: a dance power move.

Visitors to the Shoebuy.com Boutique in Zwinky can view each virtual shoe alongside its real-world counterpart, and can click through to the Shoebuy.com Web site to purchase the item. Zwinky users who purchase a pair of virtual shoes also receive a "power dance move" for their avatar. The power moves, from a simple motion to a full-out acrobatic split, can be activated when the avatar is wearing the corresponding shoes.

During the grand opening of the Shoebuy.com Boutique, music from Jordin Sparks' new self-titled album will be played "in store" and can be purchased by a Zwinky user via a click through to iTunes.

"Zwinky owners want to wear brand name apparel on their virtual selves just as they do in their real lives. What they wear online says a lot about who they are," said John Park, Executive Vice-President and General Manager for IAC Consumer Applications and Portals, the parent company of Zwinky.

"Many of the leading brands are looking to connect with a younger audience, and the vehicle to reach these consumers is the Internet," said James Keller, Vice President of Marketing for Shoebuy.com. "Zwinky is a great way to showcase these brands, and if Zwinky users love the shoes for their avatar, they can purchase the real shoes by clicking from the Shoebuy Zwinky Boutique to Shoebuy.com."

About IAC CAP

IAC CAP, a wholly owned business of IAC, is a leading web developer of consumer applications and portals enabling users to creatively and visually express themselves online. IAC CAP brands include Zwinky, Smiley Central, Webfetti, Popular Screensavers, My Fun Cards, Cursor Mania, as well as Evite and the Excite, iWon and MyWay portals. According to ComScore, IAC CAP brands touch over 50 million users a month. Zwinky is part of the MyWebSearch Toolbar and easily accessible from a web browser. For more information or to download the toolbar to access Zwinky, visit http://www.zwinky.com.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Shoebuy.com Kicks Off 2008 Offering More than 500 Brands

2009-05-12T23:41:00.000-07:00

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In an ongoing effort to provide the greatest shopping experience available online, Shoebuy.com, one of the largest retailers on the Internet focused on all categories of footwear and related apparel, today announced it now offers more than 500 brands -- accounting for more than 600,000 products and more than $3 billion in inventory available for purchase. With this, the Shoebuy.com site now offers enough footwear to outfit the entire population of New York.

Only a handful of the Internet's most prominent retailers have surpassed the 500 brand milestone and even fewer offer an assortment of products that tallies into the billions. This achievement follows what has been a very successful holiday season for Shoebuy.com. During the month of December more than 5,000,000 shoppers visited Shoebuy.com, making it one of the most heavily trafficked e-commerce destinations on the Internet.

"Shoebuy.com is dedicated to offering a superior customer experience. The ability to help our shoppers easily find the products they want from one of the most robust selections online helps us deliver on this brand promise," said Scott Savitz, founder and CEO of Shoebuy.com.

"What Shoebuy.com has accomplished is truly significant and makes them very unique," said Mike Kormos with Footwear Consulting Group. "Surpassing 500 brands and $3 billion in accessible inventory is equivalent to putting 15,000 shoe stores within reach of each consumer visiting Shoebuy.com."

With a 99.6 percent fulfillment rate and an average ship time out the door of 1.4 days, Shoebuy.com has been rated the top eTailer in the country for fulfillment and is one of only three companies to win the BizRate "Circle of Excellence" Platinum Award for outstanding customer service five years in a row, which allows the company to build customer loyalty and work with the brands that resonate best with consumers.

"We are proud of our partnership with Shoebuy.com," said Eric Dauwalter, President of Easy Spirit. "The company's commitment to offering quality products and services has helped Traveltime to become one of the best selling styles in Easy Spirit's history." According to Ken Davis, Vice President of Operations for Mephisto USA, "Working with Shoebuy.com, one of the most heavily visited footwear and accessory sites on the Internet, has been very valuable to us. The company's commitment to customer service and ability to showcase our breadth of product allow them to represent the integrity of our brands and build great trust with a huge customer base."

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 500 manufacturers and represents more than 600,000 products from top brands including adidas, Aerosoles, Allen-Edmonds, Bostonian, Brooks, Clarks England, Dockers, Donald J Pliner, Dr. Martens, Easy Spirit, Fila, Florsheim, Franco Sarto, Hush Puppies, Johnston & Murphy, K-Swiss, Keds, Mephisto, Merrell, Mezlan, Naturalizer, New Balance, Reebok, Rockport, Sebago, Skechers, 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.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Cheap Chic Shoemaker Eyes New Products Amid Retail Slump

2009-05-12T23:39:00.000-07:00

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In the Cypress parking lot of shoemaker Vybe Inc. is the company's calling card: a pair of 40-foot long bright pink trailers.

Inside are booming stereos, flat televisions, sofas and racks of shoeboxes. The company uses its Groove on the Go trailers to drum up sales at tradeshows, fairs and concerts.

"People see this huge trailer, they hear the music and they're automatically intrigued," Vybe President Leo Capulong said.

Vybe also sells its shoes at Macy's, Tilly Urban Outfitters, Zumiez and Hot Topic.

Each trailer is as much a marketing tool as anything else. They give off an energetic vibe that Capulong said is designed to reflect the company's shoes.

Vybe has grabbed a small piece of the crowded shoe business with trendy, affordable shoes for teen girls and young women, men and kids that sell from $20 to $50.

The company generates about $15 million in yearly sales under the Groove, GRV and Miss Groove brands.

Vybe has found a place in what's called disposable fashion, where cheap, chic retailers such as Los Angeles-based Forever 21 Inc. and Sweden's H&M Hennés & Mauritz AB 's H&M have thrived.

Vybe vamps up flip-flops, sandals, boots, flats and sneakers with bright colors and bold prints.

Think plaid round-toe pumps, rain boots with polka dots and striped flats.

"Customers like them because they're not made with animal products and they're still stylish and comfortable," said Jackie Horrick, owner of altemativeoutfitters.com, an Internet seller of vegan clothes and accessories.

Rivals are numerous. Direct competitors include stylish, affordable shoemakers such as Rocketdog, owned by San Franciscobased Golden Gate Capital, and New York's Steve Madden Ltd.

Vybe designs its shoes at its 30,000square-foot headquarters where it employs some 30 workers. The shoes are made in China and India.

The company has a handful of workers in China. They oversee quality control and sales abroad.

Capulong and partners Marisol Vasquez and Robert O'Hara left jobs at department stores and shoe wholesalers to start Vybe in 2004.

They started Vybe out of a 900-square-foot office in Costa Mesa. They've financed the business on their own, Capulong said.

The company started out making shoes for other clothing companies.

Vybe eventually made a push to sell its own brands including Groove, which targets teen girls and young women, and Miss Groove, a collection for young girls.

Vybe got into men's shoes earlier this year to drum up sales from fashion savvy guys, Capulong said.

"They're the counterpart to Groove," he said. "It's what the Groove girl's boyfriend wears."

Vybe's workers spend a good chunk of their time analyzing clothing and color trends. Most employees are in their 20s.

"Having young employees gives designers a fresh perspective on things," said marketing director Kristen Chocek, 23. "We're the company's target audience. We make shoes for us."

Vybe is one of several shoe companies here. Others include Irvine-based St. John Knits International Inc., Vans Inc. of Cypress, Lake Forest's Sole Technology Inc., Huntington Beach-based Quiksilver Inc.'s DC Shoes, Billabong USA's Element Skateboards of Irvine and Foothill Ranch-based Oakley Inc.

But shoe sales are slowing along with the rest of the apparel market.

More consumers are dealing with layoffs and many are less willing to spend on clothes, shoes and accessories as they're strapped for cash amid high gas, food and other expenses.

"It's really tough out there," Capulong said.

The company's inexpensive shoes could fare well in a tough economy, according to Capulong. But Vybe is feeling the squeeze from rising materials and labor costs, he said.

Often, Vybe has to eat the added costs of making its shoes because it's unable to pass them onto customers, Capulong said.

"You can't just raise the price and pass that onto buyers in today's market," he said.

Vybe is looking to other markets to generate more sales.

This year the company plans to launch a high-end line of women's shoes. The collec- tion is set to include a mix of pumps, sandals, boots, flats and other shoes for young professional women that will sell from $70 to $100.

Outsiders wonder if it's wise for Vybe to launch a pricier line. Capulong contends that consumers who can afford more expensive shoes still are buying them.

A line of clothes and accessories also could be in the works, he said.

Capulong's goal for 2009 is $17.5 million in sales, he said.

"People think I'm crazy to think that we can grow in 2009, but we're diversifying our business and being efficient," he said. "I think we can do it.'

Shoebuy.com Coupon:During lean times, more shoppers reach for COUPONS

2009-05-12T01:42:00.001-07:00

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Like many people during lean times, Betty Wiemerslage of La Crosse has been using more and more coupons when she goes grocery shopping.

"We always have used them," she said after shopping Tuesday at Quillin's supermarket in the Village Shopping Center. "We're using them more now. They do help" to stretch the food dollar.

"I've always used coupons, because of the savings," said another shopper, Lucy Harris of La Crosse. But she isn't using coupons more than before, Harris added.

Still, coupon use has increased in the past several months because of the slow economy, say the owners of area Quillin's, Festival Foods and Piggly Wiggly stores. They said coupons are available in newspapers and in their stores.

"Usage of coupons has definitely increased in all 13 of our stores," said Dave Skogen of Onalaska, whose family operates Festival Foods stores in this area and elsewhere. That's because of the economy, Skogen said. "And we're offering more coupons," he said.

"In the last few months, coupon usage has increased significantly at Quillin's," said Phil Quillin, president of the La Crosse-based chain of seven supermarkets. "That's also a national trend. Coupons are at an all-time high in redemption, because of the economy. People are looking for value, and coupons offer value."

There was a trend away from coupons several years ago, Quillin said. "There was a lot of coupon fraud," he said. "Several people were convicted of cutting and cashing in coupons when they didn't buy the product. But today, with computers, you can control them better."

Coupon use has increased since about September, said Dave Hegenbarth of rural Galesville, who owns Piggly Wiggly stores in Galesville, La Crosse, Arcadia and Sparta. "It's continued to build month after month, as the economy got bad," he said.

Hegenbarth said he has especially noticed an increase in use of coupons that are available at his stores.

Coupon use rose 15 percent in the last three months of 2008, compared with the same period of 2007, said Charlie Brown, vice president of marketing at NCH, the redemption unit of Livonia, Mich.-based Valassis, which invented the Sunday newspaper coupon sections and owns Red Plum, one of two big coupon companies.

And in a typical year, Americans redeem $3 billion worth of coupons, with fewer and fewer finding themselves too embarrassed to pull out wads of coupons or lug in baseball card albums packed with coupons for breakfast cereal and canned soup.

"There's less negative stigma attached to coupon use during slower economic times," said Ron Larson, a marketing professor at Haworth College of Business at Western Michigan University in Kalamazoo.

A recent survey bears that out. Nearly 57 percent of 3,013 consumers surveyed nationwide in December said they were once self-conscious about handing over grocery coupons but no longer care because of the money they're saving, according to a study by ICOM Information & Communications, a provider of marketing data. Twenty-two percent said they were still uncomfortable using coupons.

Forty-three percent said they've used coupons more in the past six months, it said.

Manufacturers of brand-name food products, under pressure from supermarket chains' cheaper private-label items, bought about 5 percent more coupons in the fourth quarter of 2008 to promote their goods at a time when cost-conscious American families are eating more home-prepared meals, said Suzie Brown (no relation to the NCH executive), chief of marketing at Valassis.

Stephanie Nelson of couponmom.com claims that a family of four can save $100 a week on groceries by clipping coupons. Since 75 percent of grocery coupons come from the Sunday newspaper, she recommends buying two or three copies to save dramatically and then scanning the Internet for more.

And some manufacturers are sweetening the deal. Last year, multiple-purchase requirements on health and beauty coupons dropped to 6 percent, from 11 percent in 2007. Expiration dates were lengthened, the average period rising to 2.8 months from 2.6 months, said NCH's Brown.

But the opposite was true for grocery coupons, which saw expiration dates reduced to 2.3 months in 2008 from 2.4 the year before. Multiple-purchase requirements decreased, but only by a tad, to 35 from 37 percent.

The average value of a coupon distributed today is $1.29, NCH's Brown said.

Coupon use and private-label purchases tend to rise during tougher economic times because many people look for ways to save money, said Larson, adding that consumers also might have more time on their hands to clip and sort.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Men with sole: More sport well-heeled look

2009-05-12T01:41:00.001-07:00

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WHO SAID THE FOLLOWING -- a man or a woman?:

"I love shoes. I rarely wear the same pair twice in one week."

It would make sense to guess a woman, since Consumer Reports recently found that U.S. women own, on average, 19 pairs of shoes.

But such a guess would be wrong.

That quote was from Milwaukeean Winston Sharpe, 36, who's not shy about professing his adulation for shoes.

Men may not follow in the footsteps of the women who rush to be the first at Saturday shoe sales or gush at the sight of a handsome Mary Jane. But a number of guys are as keen on shoes as female footwear fanatics.

"I like all my shoes," said David Schaefer, 45, when asked about his relationship with footwear. The Milwaukee artist sported a pair of boots by Mark Nason, a popular footwear brand that sells for $200 to $500, as he chatted about the 20 pairs of shoes in his closet.

"People notice my shoes all the time, and that makes me feel good about buying them," Schaefer said.

Men's footwear sales brought in $16.9 billion, or 44% of all footwear purchases in the past year, according to the market research firm NPD Group.

And while women's shoes consistently outsold men's shoes by about $5 billion in each of the last two years, NPD reported, the combined increase in men's footwear sales from each of those years was slightly higher than that of footwear for women.

Women love their shoes

No question, this is a woman's world when it comes to shoes, said Kate Blake, who co-owns (shoo) boutique in the Third Ward with her brother, Pat.

"Just look at my store," she said, referring to five tables of women's shoes and three smaller tables of men's items in her space. "Women have a love affair with shoes, and the market caters to that."

But a fair share of men can't resist a smooth boot, a polished wingtip or a funky slip-on.

"I will walk over . . . to the far end of the neighborhood just so I can walk by (shoo)," said Chris Van Meter, who lives near the artsy footwear boutique. "I peer in the window and go in far too often these days."

Van Meter, 49, said he is almost embarrassed to admit that he owns about 12 pairs of shoes.

It's a small number when compared with the 30 or more pairs that 15% of U.S. women own, but it's four times the number Van Meter owned prior to two years ago.

"I've gotten by on three pair most of my life," said Van Meter, a sales engineer. "A pair of high tops (sneakers) for the winter, a low-cut pair for the summer and a pair of work shoes."

So what changed Van Meter's shoe portfolio? A pair of handmade leather shoes he tried on during a Chicago shopping trip.

"I thought, 'Holy cow, there is a difference,' " he recalled.

There was also a time when he wouldn't pay more than $50 for a pair of shoes. Last week, he spent $420 on one pair of boots.

"They are grayish black leather and have all kinds of details on them as well," Van Meter said. "They work for fashion and for work as well."

All about choices

Like women, men with shoe passion enjoy the idea of having choices for their feet.

"I just like to have a pair of shoes that will match any outfit I choose to wear," said Thomas Conway, 29, the owner of 35 to 40 pairsof shoes.

Still, there are differences between male and female shoe lovers.

While many women tend to favor the look of a shoe above all else, even the most style-conscious of men weigh fit, comfort, style and purpose when selecting shoes.

"For women, shoes are accessories, but men are more practical," Blake said.

Men tend to buy one pair at a time and gravitate toward black and brown shoes with combined uses. No matter how much a man might love a pair of shoes, he's going to make sure they serve a need and a purpose in his wardrobe.

"My dad always said you'll wear your shoes down if you wear them too much, so you should have several pairs at all times," Sharpe said.

Men also don't usually spend a lot of time with the shoe-buying process. There's no oohing-and-aahing over a shoe or over-analyzing as they try them on.

"Guys, very quietly with their arms folded, scope shoes out and kind of soak it all in very methodically," said Pat Blake of (shoo). "There is even a breed of gentlemen who doesn't try on shoes -- just ask for a size, buy it and they're on their way."

Meanwhile, a woman who arrived well before the same guy will still be in the store trying on shoes, walking around in them, taking them on and off again and asking for others to try as well.

But the efficient shoe-buying style of men doesn't mean they don't care what others think of their shoes.

"For them it's about comfort first, but sex appeal is an important second," Blake said. "They are more likely to buy the shoes if a woman tells them it looks good."

Natalya Gruenewald, who works at Sweet Kicks shoe boutique on N. Franklin Place, agreed:

"They know (women) look at your butt, and then we look at your shoes."

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Program gives shoe store a leg up

2009-05-12T01:40:00.000-07:00

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It's a chilly Friday evening in mid-December, and the staff of Sensual Steps is bracing for an onslaught -- the holiday Midnight Madness sale, when everything from glittery sandals to stiletto boots is 50 percent off.

Bronzeville boutique owner Nicole Jones is wearing a hot pink "

doctor" coat, a stethoscope and furry black boots. An intern is mixing lemonade in the kitchen.

Store manager Tracey Tabb is scurrying around, hyping up the three teams that will compete to rack up the most sales.

The doors are set to open at 9 p.m., and Jones and Tabb are expecting hundreds of customers. Will they show up?

Growing sales and turning a profit are important to Jones, who has poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into Sensual Steps. But it is just as important to Tabb, her only full-time employee. Tabb is Jones' right-hand woman, working in the store five days a week, handling Internet orders and going out on five or six nights a month in the store's Hummer to throw Heels on Wheels shoe parties in people's homes or businesses.

Tabb, 43, was unemployed when she began leaving her resume at Sensual Steps in 2005. She was looking for a job in the neighborhood that would be close to her children's schools, and she wanted a retail position because of her experience in department store sales. When Tabb saw Sensual Steps' pretty pink boutique at 4518 S. Cottage Grove Ave., she knew where she wanted to work.

"I was sure once I established myself they would love me, because I can sell," Tabb said.

Jones rewarded her persistence and hired Tabb at a rate of $8 an hour. Now she earns $13.25 an hour, plus bonuses. The job has allowed Tabb to pay for extras for her four children who live at home, including sports fees for her son. She also has become somebody important in the neighborhood. "When I drop my child off at day care, they say, 'Hi. I know you. You're Shoe Lady No. 2.'"

Jones is talking about having Tabb run a second Sensual Steps store somewhere on Chicago's North Side by mid-2009. She also is wondering whether Heels on Wheels could support a separate part-time or full-time employee.

It's a classic case of economic trickle-down.

As a black entrepreneur, Jones is helping reduce unemployment in Bronzeville by hiring local residents. But statistics show that black businesses often don't generate much in terms of employment. Of the 64,000 black-owned businesses in Cook County, only 4,000 have more than one employee, according to Urban League statistics.

That's one of the reasons the Chicago Urban League created the NextOne program, which is intended to put black-owned business owners on the fast track. Jones was one of 16 black-owned entrepreneurs accepted into the six-month pilot program.

"The reason we're focusing on entrepreneurs is job creation," said league President Cheryle Jackson. "As the number of African-American businesses grows, so do the number of African-American employees. It's a statistical fact that black-owned businesses hire more African-Americans than any other type of business."

Guidance, strategies welcome

As part of the program, the Urban League is paying for accountants, financial strategists and industry consultants. It also is giving each business owner an executive coach to help them manage the process.

Jones' coach is Francey Smith, a ginger-haired woman with a disarming manner who has worked at Bloomingdale's and has contacts in the retail industry. Smith already has made some concrete suggestions. The Sensual Steps' awning should have black letters so it is easier to read from a passing car. An in-store survey should have a space for customers' e-mail addresses. Nicole should prepare a SWOT, a grid that lists Sensual Steps' strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Some ideas are more radical, such as the suggestion that Jones pursue transvestites as a customer niche. Her sexy shoes and selection of larger sizes would be a good fit for male cross-dressers, many of whom are not price-sensitive, Smith said.

"When I suggested it, she didn't miss a beat. She recognized it as a segment of business. Her openness to accept what she doesn't know is refreshing," Smith said. "I don't perceive any arrogance or paranoia."

At a mid-December coaching session, Jones said she has been so pleased with Smith's input that she has hired an executive coach for Tabb as well. The coach turns out to be Audrey Johnson, Jones' older sister, a former IRS auditor who also has 15 years of retail experience.

Instead of helping customers and answering phones, Tabb joins the coaching sessions. "There's a whole different level of what she can learn," Jones said.

Jones and Johnson are encouraging Tabb to become more familiar with the store's QuickBooks accounting system and its cash-register software program, which tracks inventory and creates sales reports. After Tuesday, Tabb will give up her written calendar and do all her scheduling on the computer.

Jones also is hoping to free up Tabb from some time-consuming work related to the store's Internet site. Currently, the site doesn't track inventory, so when orders come in, Tabb must run to the stockroom to see if the product is there. If the store doesn't have the right size, she has to call the customer and figure something out.

"Of course, when you have to make a change, it is hard," Tabb said. "We're used to doing it a certain way."

'Madness' makes an impact

When the front door is finally unlocked, dozens of women stream in and push toward the back of the store, coats still on. Within minutes, Post-It notes start appearing on boxes, indicating they have been claimed by someone.

Women clutch boxes to their chests as they head to the lower level to investigate the rest of the offerings. A husband carrying a shoe box dutifully follows his wife downstairs. A woman balances on one foot trying on a stiletto-heeled boot in front of a giant mirror.

Linda Johnson, a friend and former employee of Jones', moves through the crowd with handbags crowded on both arms, calling out, "Beautiful purses, half price."

Within half an hour, the line at Jones' register is eight people long, even though her husband, Matthew Jones, is manning a second table for credit card sales.

Jones had ordered special inventory for the sale and had been planning on holding back snow boots because she knew she could sell them later at full price. That plan quickly goes out the window when shoppers keep asking about snow boots -- Jones tells the staff to bring them out.

Shopper Luana Love stops for lemonade before heading home. "You work up a sweat buying shoes. I need a drink before I go."

A few minutes after 10 p.m., Jones has worked up a sweat herself. "I'm tired. I'm hot, but I'm a happy camper."

By midnight, the staff is flagging, but customers are still shopping. Forty-five minutes later a few die-hards are still trying things on as employees carry unsold boxes back to the stockroom where they will be locked up for the night.

Finally, the last customer leaves, and Jones gathers the troops for a group photo. Then it's back to cleaning up and putting away, which will keep Jones and others there until 3 a.m.

No sleeping in, though. Jones has a day of financial classes Saturday that start at 9 a.m. in Evanston. Tabb is back at the store by 10:30 a.m. and spends a good part of the day calling customers to get feedback on the sale.

"Wasn't Midnight Madness mad?" Tabb croons repeatedly into the phone. Everyone she talked to agreed. "They wanted to know when we would do it again."

When the sales numbers are tallied, Sensual Steps has set a new record: 323 items were sold, including boots, shoes and purses.

Progress, but glitches remain

By the end of December, the NextOne program is half over. Accountants have spent more than 60 hours reorganizing Sensual Steps' books so that a financial strategist can analyze them to find out, among other things, how profitable the store really is. But the books still aren't ready yet because the accounting intern assigned to the store went into early labor and there was a delay in finding a substitute.

"We can't get to a lot of things until the financials are in place," said executive coach Smith.

Other things haven't been completed either, such as figuring out how to get the store's mobile credit card reader to communicate directly with the cash-register software.

Jones isn't complaining. In August and September, business was so slow she was afraid Sensual Steps would end 2007 with lower sales than it had in 2006. She feared the store might not survive.

"I was at my wit's end. I didn't know how we would recuperate," she said. Now, after the operational and marketing boost she has gotten from the NextOne program, 2007 sales have exceeded those in 2006. Jones already is brimming with promotional ideas for 2008.

Among her ideas are an early-morning breakfast for Mother's Day shoppers and a float in the South Side Bud Billiken parade.

Tabb said she was never really afraid that Sensual Steps wouldn't make it.

"I know we have some really, really faithful customers. I know how our customer service differs from other people," she said. "And there's my faith in God.f I know how good God is. I truly wasn't worried.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Brown Shoe; Brown Shoe Forms Footwear Partnership With Music, Entertainment Superstar Fergie

2009-05-12T01:39:00.002-07:00

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Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter and actress Fergie can add one more credit to her lengthy list -- shoe maven. Brown Shoe (NYSE:BWS) (http://www.brownshoe.com/) has signed with the multi-platinum artist to create her namesake shoe brand, appealing to fashionistas and Fergie fans alike.

"I have always loved fashion because it's a great way to express your mood. And I'm definitely a shoe lover," said Fergie. "The right pair of shoes can change the feel of an outfit, and even change how a woman feels about herself. A woman can wear confidence on her feet with a high stiletto, or slip into weekend comfort with a soft ballet flat."

Brown Shoe product developers are collaborating with Fergie to capture her style sensibilities in a debut collection for spring 2009. Retailers can take a sneak peek at early designs at the June 2008 Fashion Footwear Association of New York (FFANY) shoe show. Plans for the launch of Fergie footwear include a dedicated web site and personal appearances.

"We envision the Fergie consumer as a woman who is chic and fashionable, loves to wear the latest trends, and looks for distinctive details when shopping for shoes to add to her already considerable collection -- much like Fergie herself," said Brown Shoe Wholesale President Gary Rich. "Women around the globe know and love Fergie for her music and her bold style. Through this footwear partnership, we can establish another way for Fergie to connect with her fans."

The partnership was facilitated by Fergie's marketing agents at Wilhelmina Artist Management. "When representing a talent like Fergie, who was the biggest selling female artist of the past year, we have one mandate, and that is to find partners and brands that are the most successful in their category and representative of the true essence of the artist," states Sean Patterson, President Wilhelmina Artist Management. "With her sense of style, her talent, and her core interests, we are pleased to partner Fergie with Brown Shoe."

Fergie is a three-time Grammy Award winner with four number one singles, including three from her six million-selling debut solo album The Dutchess. She was named Best Pop/Rock Female Artist at the 2007 American Music Awards and Best Female Artist at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards, and performed at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards in February. Fergie's recent projects include a song for the Sex and the City: The Movie soundtrack, "Labels or Love," which features the television show's recognizable theme music, and a collaboration with rapper Nelly. In addition to the movie soundtrack, "Labels Or Love" will also be one of four bonus tracks on the deluxe new edition re-release of The Dutchess.

Brown Shoe's roster of entertainment brand partners includes legendary musician Carlos Santana, country music superstar Reba McEntire and television personality Gretta Monahan.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Boots With Soul

2009-05-12T01:39:00.001-07:00

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Irish Setter has developed a womenspecific Ladyhawk hunting boot line, giving women superior fit, comfort and performance and benefitting the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The Ladyhawk boot is based on a shoe mold specifically shaped and detailed to provide superior fit for women. From a lower volume heel cup and adjusted arch support to a more accommodating collar, the detail in these boots is geared toward higher performance and comfort for the serious sportswoman.

In other words, Irish Setter didn't just take a man's boot and put some pink camo on it - they completely refit the line for women.

The limited edition La- dyhawk features abrasion- resistant pink camo and brown leather with a camo- wrapped EVA midsole. Irish Setter is also in- troducing an en- tire women's Ladyhawk hunting boot line in standard finishes.

The Irish Setter Lady- hawk series consists of three 7" boots with ScentBan and UltraDry waterproof membranes. There is a non-insulated version with Realtree Ail-Purpose HD nylon and brown leather, and a version with 600 grams of Thinsulate Ultra insulation and brown-onbrown leather/nylon uppers.

A final version of the Ladyhawk is designed to keep women warm in the worst conditions with 1,000 grams of Thinsulate Ultra insulation in a Mossy Oak Break Up Camo/Brown leather package. The camo versions include a camo-wrapped EVA midsole. The boots are available in women's sizes Medium 5-11.

Five dollars from the sale of each Irish Setter Pink Camo boot and two percent of profits from the rest of the Ladyhawk line are donated to the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Kudos to Irish Setter for creating a boot truly designed for women, and for supporting a worthy cause.

Shoebuy.com Coupon: Tips For Cold Weather Runner

2009-05-12T01:38:00.001-07:00

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Running in winter requires two things: proper clothing and common sense. (OK, non-participants will argue that running outside in frigid conditions on bad footing when it's often dark is proof positive that common sense has nothing to do with this, but that's another issue.)

"It's all about preparation," said Mike McCollow, owner of Gear Running Store, 4406 France Av. S., Edina. "If you've lived here long enough, you realize that you can handle anything if you prepare properly."

Wearing the right clothing will help keep you healthy, and following a few winter-running procedures will help keep you safe. Should you fail to heed this advice, experts warn, you could be headed for "a Pat Miles."

Miles, the former Twin Cities TV anchor and radio host, is the stuff of urban legend when it comes to winter-running horror stories. While running around Lake of the Isles on a snowy day, she slipped on the ice and broke 11 bones in her ankle. Lore has it that she sprawled there for hours, waiting for help. In fact, it was about half an hour, but that's still plenty long, especially with the extent of her injuries.

"My foot had flipped over backwards so my toes were pointing the wrong way," she said. "I went into shock."

Whether you are going out for a long-distance run or just a quick jog around the neighborhood, here are some helpful tips to help you put in miles rather than pull a Miles:

-- Borrow the buddy system from swimming. Many people find that exercising with a partner has advantages under any circumstances, but pairing up with another runner has added safety benefits when you're dealing with treacherous footing.

-- Keep in touch. If your schedule dictates that you must run alone, keep other people informed. Carry a cell phone. Tell a family member the route you'll be running, and advise them when you expect to return. The latter is especially important if the lengths of your runs vary widely, from half an hour one day to two hours the next.

-- Carry ID. It doesn't have to be fancy. An index card on which you've written your name, address and phone number is enough.

-- Make a scene. With winter's short days, a lot of running is done in dusk or darkness, and when it comes to being seen in the dark, subtlety is not a plus. Start with light-colored clothing, and then add a reflective vest; don't assume that the small reflective strips on your running shoes or shell are enough to keep you safe. Many experts recommend carrying a small flash light. Running stores sell head lamps that resemble miniature versions of the ones miners wear. Not only will the light help catch the attention of drivers, it comes in handy when you need to navigate poorly lit stretches of sidewalks. Another helpful device: Small blinking lights like you see on bicycles.

-- Assume that drivers don't see you. Most of the time, you'll be right. Keep in mind that winter drivers face challenges of their own, from frosty windshields to cold fingers. Even in broad daylight, their concentration is likely to be more fragmented than it would be in summer.

-- Be extra vigilant. Your concentration is stretched thinner than usual, too. Instead of looking around, enjoying the scenery and being aware of what's in their periphery, winter runners spend a lot of time focusing on the terrain on which they are about to step. Furthermore, hats, earmuffs, scarves, hoods and face masks all interfere with your ability to sense what's going on around you. The car you hear approaching from behind in July can sneak up on you in December.

-- Think "wick." For clothing, you want fabrics that will draw the sweat away from your body, a process called wicking. "The No. 1 rule when running in the winter is don't wear cotton," said Robin Brandt, manager of the Uptown Running Room, 2801 Hennepin Av., Minneapolis. "It act likes a sponge and traps all your sweat next to your body. And you do sweat when you run in the cold." In fact, the average person generates so much heat that, as a rule of thumb, experts recommend dressing as if it's 20 degrees warmer than the actual temperature.

-- If the shoe fits, keep wearing it. Although running stores sell special shoes for winter running, most of them don't consider them a priority. "Runners are particular about their shoes," Brandt said. "Instead of buying winter-running shoes, buy winter-running socks, which have the same properties of blocking out the wind and are waterproof." Kurt Decker, the store manager at Gear, agreed. "Some people switch to trail shoes in the winter, but you're fine sticking to your regular shoes," he said. If you're worried about ice, you can buy slip-on rubber covers that have little carbine tips on the soles. "We sell a lot of them to people who use them for walking," he said.

-- Keep moving forward. "The hardest part about running in winter is just getting out the front door,

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Safety tips for cold-weather runners

2009-05-12T01:36:00.002-07:00

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If the shoe fits, keep wearing it. Although running stores sell special shoes for winter running, most of them don't consider them a priority. "Runners are particular about their shoes," [Robin Brandt] said. "Instead of buying winter-running shoes, buy winter-running socks, which have the same properties of blocking out the wind and are waterproof." Kurt Decker, the store manager at Gear, agreed. "Some people switch to trail shoes in the winter, but you're fine sticking to your regular shoes," he said. If you're worried about ice, you can buy slip-on rubber covers that have little carbine tips on the soles. "We sell a lot of them to people who use them for walking," he said.

-- Make a scene. With winter's short days, a lot of running is done in dusk or darkness, and when it comes to being seen in the dark, subtlety is not a plus. Start with light-colored clothing, and then add a reflective vest; don't assume that the small reflective strips on your running shoes or shell are enough to keep you safe. Many experts recommend carrying a small flash light. Running stores sell head lamps that resemble miniature versions of the ones miners wear. Not only will the light help catch the attention of drivers, it comes in handy when you need to navigate poorly lit stretches of sidewalks. Another helpful device: Small blinking lights like you see on bicycles.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Brown Shoe buys rights to new name

2009-05-12T01:36:00.001-07:00

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The Clayton-based shoe retailer and wholesaler will be able to rename its 23 local stores as Famous Footwear after 15 years of using the Supermarket of Shoes name locally in order to avoid a trademark showdown, according to a deal signed Friday, Brown Shoe, with sales of $2.47 billion last year, has acquired the rights to the Famous Brand Shoes name from Famous Brand Shoes Inc., a private company based in University City. The companies declined to disclose financial terms of the deal.

The value of the deal rests in Brown Shoe's new ability to extend its Famous Footwear brand into the St. Louis area. The Famous Footwear division had 999 retail stores in the U.S. and Guam as of Feb. 3, and accounted for more than half the parent company's sales last year. Famous Footwear's business is based on brand-name, lower- priced footwear.

Local Supermarket of Shoes stores will be renamed this month, and the upcoming opening of a new Famous Footwear store in Dardenne Prairie will bring Brown Shoe's St. Louis area Famous Footwear stores to 24.

Famous Brand Shoes stores in the St. Louis area will be renamed as EJ's Designer Shoe Outlet. Famous Brand Shoes has been renamed EJ's Shoes Inc., according to a filing with the Missouri secretary of state. Bob Brennan, chief financial officer of EJ's Shoes, said the effect of the change should be light.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:How To Buy the Best Walking Shoes

2009-05-12T01:35:00.000-07:00

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The best walking shoes are the ones that fit your feet best for your style of walking.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: 15 minutes

Here's How:
The Best Walking Shoe Store: Find a local running shoe store that caters to serious runners and walkers and takes the time to fit people right.

Test Drive The Walking Shoes: Go out and walk your usual distance, to give your feet a chance to swell in your shoes as they will when walking.

Socks: Wear a pair of the socks you will be wearing with the shoes, so that you are trying them with the same thickness, padding, etc.

Bring Along Your Old Walking Shoes: Wear or bring along your present pair of walking shoes so the clerk can see how they have worn.

Give Vital Stats: Tell the clerk your usual distance, speed, and frequency of walking.

The Right Size: Ask for shoes that are a size to a size and a half larger than your dress shoes.

Twist The Shoes: Twist the shoe. It should be flexible rather than rigid.

Bend the Shoes: Bend the toe towards the heel - the shoe should flex at the ball of the foot, not the middle of the foot.

Rock the Shoes Place the shoe on a flat surface. When you poke the toe down, the heel should rise off the surface.

Are the Shoes Flat?: The heel should not be much higher than the sole at the front of the foot.

No Flare: The heel should not be flared. Runners need flared heels because they land mid-foot, but walkers land on the heel and a flared heel just gets in the way.

Lace Shoes for Fit: Have the clerk assist you in lacing it for the best fit and heel retention.

Walk and Observe: Walk with the shoe at your regular walking pace. See how it feels, ask the clerk to observe for overpronation or other problems.

How Does the Fit Feel?: Your foot should feel uncramped with adequate room in the toe and no irritating ridges.

Don't Think You Will "Break Them In": Do not buy an uncomfortable shoe expecting it to get broken in.

Tips:
Walking Shoe Life Expectancy: Replace your shoes every 500 miles.
Rotate Your Walking Shoes: Buy a new pair of shoes after 300 miles and rotate it with your older shoe so you can recognize when the older pair has lost its cushioning and support.
Mix it Up: Some walkers like to alternate brands and styles of shoes to keep your feet and muscles from adjusting to one style. But others believe in sticking with one that works.

Shoebuy.com Coupon:Before You Buy Walking Shoes

2009-05-12T01:33:00.000-07:00

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Your single required piece of equipment for walking is a pair a walking shoes. You need to take the time to select the right walking shoes for your feet, which means getting fit by an athletic shoe expert, not just buying what is cheapest or the most popular. You should also stray from the walking shoe aisle to the running shoe aisle, as the best features for walking are put into running shoes.

The Right Shoe For Your Stride
The type of shoe you need breaks down into a few major categories. Lightweight performance trainers are great all-around walking shoes for those who don't need motion control. If you walk very long distance, a cushioned shoe might be more comfortable. Stability shoes are for midweight people who do not have severe motion control problems, but who want a stable and durable shoe.

Motion Control for Overpronators
If you overpronate, and especially if you are a heavy person who overpronates, you may need the correction and support these firm and heavy shoes provide. Overpronators can prevent injury by wearing these shoes. Have your gait analyzed at the best running shoe store in your area to determine whether you overpronate and need motion control shoes.

Walking Shoe Fit
You must locate the best athletic shoe store in your area, the place where the serious runners go to buy their shoes. That is where you will find the fit experts who will take the time to fit you into the right shoes. Don't trust your walking comfort to a salesman who doesn't know pronation from prunes. Get fit right, and after that you can buy similar shoes online or from discounters.

Flat and No Flare
Walking shoes should not have a high heel, the heel should be no more than an inch higher than the sole under the ball of the foot. Walkers strike first with the heel and roll through the step, while some running shoes have a built-up heel for the runners who strike mid-sole. Walkers also do not need flared soles. These give some runners stability but get in the way for heel-striking walkers.

Flex
Walking shoes must be flexible or your foot will fight them as it rolls through each step, leading to shin splints. Twist them - they should twist. Bend them and they should bend at the ball of the foot, not in the middle of the arch. Set them down and poke the toe - it should rock as the toe should be slightly off the ground. If it passes these tests, it may be ok for walking.

Price
An appropriate pair of running shoes will cost from $60-90 US suggested retail. If the usual price is less, you are buying the mass market knock-off shoes without the comfort features. If you pay more, you are paying for style. Shop for sales and close-outs on the good shoes.

Going Fast
For racewalking, you will want the most flexible and lightweight shoe possible. Some of the performance trainer shoes work well for racewalking, but others turn to even more specialized shoes or even to custom shoes.

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

2009-04-28T06:46:00.004-07:00

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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

2009-04-28T06:46:00.003-07:00

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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

2009-04-28T06:46:00.002-07:00

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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

2009-04-28T06:46:00.001-07:00

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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

2009-04-28T06:46:00.000-07:00

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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

2009-04-28T06:43:00.000-07:00

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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

2009-04-28T06:11:00.000-07:00

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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

2009-04-28T06:10:00.002-07:00

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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

2009-04-28T06:10:00.001-07:00

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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

2009-04-28T06:10:00.000-07:00

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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

2009-04-28T06:08:00.000-07:00

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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

2009-04-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

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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

2009-04-26T09:26:00.001-07:00

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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

2009-04-26T09:20:00.000-07:00

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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

2009-04-26T09:12:00.000-07:00

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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

2009-04-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

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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

2009-04-26T08:54:00.000-07:00

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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

2009-04-26T07:44:00.000-07:00

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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

2009-04-26T07:28:00.000-07:00

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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

2009-04-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

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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.