Samsung Opening 1,400 Mini-Shops Inside Best Buy Stores Across U.S.

English: Samsung Logo Suomi: Samsungin logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The next time you walk into a Best Buy store, there’s a good chance you’ll see Samsung‘s answer to Apple’s retail stores.

The South Korean electronics giant, which has been closing the gap between itself and Apple, is rolling out hundreds of mini-shops across the U.S. inside Best Buy big-box locations as well as its smaller mobile-specific retail shops.  The stores are formally called Samsung Experience Shops and will showcase Samsung products.

A couple of shops opened in March and more have opened since.  Samsung hopes to have 900 of them up and running by the end of this month with another 500 opening throughout “late spring and early summer.”

One of the primary purposes of the shops is to provide Samsung customers with assistance on their devices.  That’s no surprise considering Samsung credits its social media fans for sparking its decision to build out the shops.

Read more:  http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/la-fi-tn-samsung-experience-shops-best-buy-20130507,0,6685597.story

Reading/Berks Businesses Participate In Small Business Saturday

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Right on the tail of Black Friday, as consumers shake off their turkey slumber to start their Christmas shopping, is Small Business Saturday.

American Express began the effort in 2010 and its website boasts that more than 100 million people came out to support independently owned businesses last year.

Today’s event has several area retailers celebrating by bringing consumers extended hours, discounts, special events and the like, to encourage holiday shopping at small businesses.

Brad Eastman, owner of home specialty shop E.I. Home, 4453 Penn Ave., Sinking Spring, said he was overwhelmed by the amount of people who came out for the event last year.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=430955

Vignettes Of Black Friday

With promotions, discounts and doorbusters already well under way on Thanksgiving Day itself, many big-box retailers are making Black Friday stretch longer than ever.  The Lede is checking out the mood of American consumers in occasional vignettes Thursday and Friday as the economically critical holiday shopping season kicks off.

Shoppers waiting outside Sam’s Club in Eagan, Minn., for Friday’s 7 a.m. opening clung to free Starbuck’s Holiday Blend coffee as they endured freezing temperatures and biting winds and collected brightly colored vouchers for laptops and big-screen TVs.

The biggest draw: a 96-cent Samsung Galaxy S III smartphone.  Once inside, they also beelined for tickets for the 63 Samsungs in stock, which sold out shortly after the store opened.  Customers could make an appointment for later in the day or another day to purchase the phone, choosing from three carriers, Verizon, T-Mobile or Sprint.

“O.K., this is my last blue for Sprint,” an employee called out at 7:08 a.m.

Read more:  http://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/22/coverage-of-black-friday/?hp

First Annual Open House At Hodge Podge Unique Boutique In Boyertown

Friday, November 23rd at 11:00 am until Saturday, November 24th at 4:00 pm

The fun begins on Black Friday with Door Prizes and Specials all day.  Then, come wind down with us and share your Shopping Stories in a relaxing, no pressure atmosphere at our monthly Fourth Friday Event.  You’ll enjoy a complimentary glass of wine or iced tea along with a selection of fine cheeses – just what you’ll need to melt away the stress of the Big Box stores.

The festivities continue on Small Business Saturday! From 10:00 am until noon, meet Nadia Beck, designer and owner of the Grey Button clothing line.  Enjoy free coffee, tea and sweets as you get to know Nadia and the ins & outs of the fashion biz!  The new look of Avon arrives at noon until 3:00 pm.  If you haven’t seen what Avon’s been up to lately, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.  Avon offers so many gifts – truly something for everyone – that you can sit and shop while you snack on lite refreshments.  Door Prizes and Deals throughout the day!

Three door prizes will be awarded per day.  Need not be present to win.As Always, No Purchase Necessary.

Hodge Podge is located at 12 N. Reading Avenue, in downtown Boyertown, PA.

 

Target Steals Title Of ‘Cheapest’ From Wal-Mart

English: Logo of Target, US-based retail chain (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  There is a very good video to watch if you click on the link below.

For the first time since October, Target gas reclaimed the title  of  “cheapest” from its fellow big-box retailer, Bloomberg reported, and the gap was the biggest its been in the two years the difference has been tracked.

That’s especially important in today’s economy, as cheap is exactly what consumers are looking for.  High unemployment, coupled with rising gas and food prices, means customers are as cash-conscious as ever.  And while retail sales finally improved in July, that was one of the first good signs for the sector in months.

Both companies have thus been trying to lure in those penny-pinching customers with discounts and slashed prices. The key to Target’s success in the pricing department  came from the addition of groceries to many stores, which cut into Wal-Mart‘s advantage on food prices.  The company has also added discount incentives through its REDCard.

Read more: http://money.msn.com/top-stocks/post.aspx?post=84caede6-927a-488e-842c-322ae9654306

Pottstown Walmart Supercenter Taking Shape

Location of Pottstown in Montgomery County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

POTTSTOWN, PA  – By the end of summer, the Pottstown Walmart store is going to be a whole lot bigger.

In fact, it’s going to be super.

For the past four months, construction crews have been working on the expansion of the Walmart store in the Pottstown Center, Route 100 and Shoemaker Road, into a Supercenter. In addition to work being done inside and outside the store to grow the Walmart by 55,000 square feet into a SuperCenter – basically a Walmart that includes a full grocery store – the shopping center’s parking lot is also under construction.

That will mean 55,000 square feet of new construction will be added to Pottstown’s tax rolls after the property is reassessed when the construction is complete.

Read more: http://business-news.thestreet.com/the-times-herald/story/pottstown-walmart-supercenter-taking-shape-3/1

Best Buy To Close 50 Stores

Logo of Best Buy, US-based retail chain (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Best Buy Company posted weaker-than-expected sales for the key holiday quarter and said it would close 50 large U.S. stores, sending shares of the world’s largest consumer electronics chain down 9 percent on Thursday.

Analysts and investors expected more aggressive restructuring efforts from the chain, whose large-format stores have often been termed “white elephants.”

While most industry insiders welcomed Best Buy’s decision to reduce its retail footprint at a time when many shoppers buy their gadgets online, they expected the retailer would have done more.

Read more: http://business-news.thestreet.com/the-mercury/story/best-buy-close-50-stores/1

Williamsport Scores A New Kohl’s Store Downtown

Image via Wikipedia

Kohl’s will be building a brand new store in downtown Williamsport.  The city will once again have a major department downtown.  The store will be built at Third and Williams Sts.  Construction will begin over the summer and the store is projected to open in October. 

The City of Williamsport owns the lot and was paid $1.6 million now and will receive another $1 million after the site pad is prepped on March 15^th.  That will certainly fill the city coffers.

Williamsport, like many cities, lost much of their downtown after the Lycoming Mall opened and as strip shopping centers and big box retailers sprung up around the city and suburban areas.  I remember shopping at L.L. Stearns & Sons downtown back in the 60’s and 70’s.  Stearns was Williamsport’s big downtown department store back in the day.

Congratulations to Williamsport city officials for their perseverance.  It paid off handsomely.