Source: http://maisonstyle.wordpress.com/2011/05/13/discount-designer-items-in-canada-yes-please-ship-away/

All the shopaholics out there are well aware that Black Friday is approaching. In other words, one day of shopping chaos including long-line ups, mobs of people, and walking into stores that are far more disorganized than your bedroom during exam time.

So why not shop online?
Steven Zussino, founder of Groceryalerts.ca, has been participating in Black Friday for years, through online shopping. He states that he feels less pressure shopping online, as he is able to “take [his] time reading the reviews and feedback from other customers”. Signing up for newsletters is also a great way to stay updated on sales. Aside from being more relaxing, online shopping helps you save money on gas and hotel accommodation (depending on how far you travel to tackle the good sales).

Source: http://www.blogto.com/city/2008/12/christmas_countdown_3_shoppers_shopping/

As much as I despise long line-ups, and big crowds at my favourite store, I would much rather prefer going to the actual store than shopping online. I think what stops me from shopping online is the fear of ordering the wrong size and then having to go through the disappointment, trouble of sending it back, and re-ordering. I think it all comes down to personal preference and what you’re willing to give up.
Read article here

Source: http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1288748–no-more-twinkies-hostess-going-out-of-business

Say good-bye to one of your all-time favourite, sensational childhood snacks because Hostess, the company that makes (or should I say made) Twinkies is going out of business.

The company’s bakers who went on strike due to a new contract imposed on them are partly to blame. However, there are other factors leading to its bankruptcy as well, such as increasing competition and changing consumer tastes; North Americans are becoming increasingly conscious about healthy eating. The company has debt of one billion dollars and two billion in unfunded pension liabilities. As a result of going out of business, Hostess will be laying off about 18, 500 workers, shutting down 33 bakeries, 565 distribution centres and 570 outlet stores.

Before you burst into tears, here’s the good news: some of the brands of the company will be bought and restarted. The 82 year old company will sell its assets to the highest bidder. However for now, the company has stated that all production will stop as of today, and stores will no longer be receiving their products. We all know what this means… pile-up those shopping carts and stock up on the goodies!

Hostess products on store shelves are being cleared, fast!
Source:http://www.news9.com/story/20122646/oklahomans-stock-up-on-twinkies-as-hostess-goes-out-of-business

Sources:
http://www.thestar.com/business/article/1288748–no-more-twinkies-hostess-going-out-of-business
http://wqad.com/2012/11/16/hostess-brands-closing-for-good/

In Class 12 and 20, the main topic we discussed was social enterprises. A social enterprise is defined as a socially mission-driven organization that applies market base strategies to achieve a social purpose. One of the social enterprises that was mentioned was Divine Chocolate. Myself, being a chocolate fanatic, I was curious to learn more about this deliciously appealing social enterprise, so I did some research.

Source: http://www.divinechocolate.com/about/default.aspx

Divine chocolate is the only fair trade chocolate company which is 45% owned by the cocoa farmers in Ghana. This allows the farmers to receive a share of Divine’s profits. The label “fair trade” in this case makes sure that farmers are getting a good deal for their cocoa as well as receiving additional income to invest in their community. The farmers, as a result, have “a stronger voice in the cocoa industry”. Divine chocolate competes with other chocolate brands in the UK which has one of the “highest per capita levels of consumption of chocolate in the world”. Hence, gaining even a small proportion of this market means a lot of benefits for the cocoa farmers. Divine chocolate was launched in October 1998, and was on store shelves by December 1998- that is pretty amazing!

To learn more about Divine Chocolate, visit their official website here!

Source: www.divinechocolate.com

For a good chuckle, check out this video by Divine Chocolate:
Would you pay to kiss this guy?
Continue reading →

Source: http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/hardware/iphone-5-apple-cuts-memory-chip-order-to-samsung-for-new-phone/articleshow/16292922.cms

In response to Yahel Jarus Hakak’s blog post regarding Apple’s suppliers.
The article that Yahel Jarus Hakak wrote his blog post about discusses Apple shifting away from its main supplier, Samsung, towards LG and AUO. Samsung also happens to be Apples biggest competitor and this may be the reason for the modification of Apples supply chain. The consequences of this shift have been shortages and long waits resulting in frustrated customers. Clearly, Apple’s new suppliers are not able to keep up with demand as well as Samsung did.

After reading Yahel Jarus Hakak’s blog post, I have to say that I completely agree with him. Apple is solely seeking other suppliers because they simply do not want to be dependant on their competitor. I do not think Apple is making the right move by shifting away from Samsung; they are jeopardizing their supply chain and are putting customers wants aside. In the long run, dissatisfied customers will switch over to other companies such as Samsung, so in a way they are helping their competition. Furthermore, after discussing the importance of having a strong supply chain, in class, I think Apple should focus more attention to this matter.

Article can be read here.

The article I read outlines the different approaches Canadian airlines and American airlines take toward obese people; Air Canada provides obese flyers with a free extra seat whereas most American airlines ask that they pay for the extra seat or wait for the next flight. Air Canada is taking “a financial hit” for every free seat they provide and other passengers may be having to pay more for tickets so overweight passengers can be accommodated. Currently, we already subsidise the costs for on-board defibrillators for patients who suffer cardiac events on planes.

Source: http://www.economist.com/blogs/gulliver/2012/11/obese-flyers?fb_ref=activity

In our week 6 tutorial regarding consumer behaviour and decision making our class discussed what we consider when choosing what airline to book a flight with. Many stated the obvious; price, availability of flights, comfort, customer service, etc. However, if you see it from the perspective of an overweight person, they will definitely look for an airline that is willing to provide them with a free extra seat. It didn’t occur to most of us that this is something that some people consider when booking a flight.
What do you think- should you have to pay more to fly so overweight people can get free second seats?

Read article here

This blog post is in response to an external blog I read.

Who would have thought that a large portion of Mitt Romney’s followers on twitter may have been purchased? Yes, according to Barracuda Networks, it costs approximately $18 to purchase one thousand fans, and a number of businesses and politicians are doing it. On eBay, there are a handful of people who are offering to set up fake profiles for people. In a recent study by entrepreneur Marco Camisani Calzolari, to find out whether a follower was human, a number of things were looked at such as the number of posts from their Twitter account and the accuracy of their punctuation in tweets. Buying fake fans, gives an “artificial boost to a business” whether it’s a start-up or a major international company. However, businesses aren’t really winning, if those followers aren’t actually engaged.

This blog caught my attention as I consider myself to be moderately engaged with social media; using sites such as “Facebook”, “Twitter” and “Tumblr” on a daily basis. I was astonished to learn that a overwhelming number of “fake followers” existed. I think it’s surprising how many people, including myself, use social media but are oblivious towards what companies and politicians are able to do to enhance their image.

See Schumpeter blog post here

http://www.facebook.com/cites