buyonlineuk.org.uk

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif., May 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ – YBuy, the only try-before-you-buy online service that lets consumers touch and use products before they commit to purchase, today launched a new personalized e-commerce platform powered by a unique curation algorithm that recommends the latest electronics, home and kitchen gadgets to users.

The new platform replicates everything consumers love about the in-store shopping experience—the tips and recommendations from sales associates—with the ease of online shopping and a no-obligation in-home trial.

While typical e-commerce platforms offer extraordinary convenience, they fail to provide consumers the opportunity to “touch and feel” items before they commit to buy them. And, they fall short in delivering the personal interaction with sales associates that helps consumers find out about the latest cool gadgets and the hottest products.

YBuy’s new platform overcomes these barriers with highly curated offerings on a try-before-you-buy basis.

“People are fed up with Amazon, which offers 1,000 different espresso machines. Consumers want someone to cut to the chase and tell them not only which products are best, but also best for them and their specific needs,” said Steve Svajian, CEO and co-founder of YBuy. “Our customers tell us we’re slowly replacing Best Buy and other big box retail stores, and with this new platform, we’re able to not just replicate the merchandise offering, but also the way it’s displayed and demonstrated to the end-user, which makes all the difference.”

For just a one-time membership fee, plus $24.95 for each product trial, YBuy members can choose a product from their individually curated personal showroom to try in their home for up to 30 days. To build their curated showroom, members take a short quiz that asks about their preferences. The YBuy learning algorithm then analyzes users’ stated preferences along with other inputs unique to YBuy’s business model. For example, YBuy looks at overall buy/return patterns and customer feedback from all members. As part of the deal, each YBuy member is also assigned a personal customer assistant who provides individual attention in product selection and recommendation, which is also taken into consideration.

“Most algorithms today are too granular and don’t focus enough on selection criteria,” said Svajian. “With YBuy, the algorithm is just part of the process. It’s the interplay between the algorithm, our product curators and our personal customer assistants that differentiate our system and give the customer a truly unique experience.”

YBuy’s new learning algorithm has been developed by the company’s CTO, Monica McArthur, a Ph.D. in mathematics from UCLA with deep domain experience in predictive modeling and recommendation algorithms.

“YBuy’s unique business model gives us unmatched access to data on customer behaviors and preferences, through our product trials, that is not available to other companies,” McArthur said. “This gives us unprecedented insight to personalize our offerings to customers based on that information. We want consumers to feel like what we’re doing is just for them. Because it is.”

“We’re aggressively focused on providing tremendous value to our customers in a long-term, sustainable way,” Svajian said. “We are at the forefront of something huge, and we are leading a shift in the way people think about e-tailing. This is just the beginning.”

To start your 30-day in-home trial to try a personalized selection of the latest electronics and home gadgets, go to www.ybuy.com.

About YBuy.com
YBuy.com is the premier try-before-you-buy destination that lets consumers test drive the latest electronics and home and kitchen gadgets for 30 days with no commitment to buy. Offering a highly curated selection of both new and certified factory refurbished products, YBuy eliminates the hassle of product refunds, returns and buyer’s remorse and offers manufacturers a captive audience and ready-made sales channel for their refurbished products. The private company is headquartered in Manhattan Beach, Calif. For more information, visit www.ybuy.com.

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/ybuy-launches-personalized-try-buy-183000996.html

The Best Buy Kitchen Shop powered by Cooking.com will add thousands of new products

MINNEAPOLIS, May 15, 2012 – Best Buy Co., Inc. (BBY),  today announced that it is joining forces with Cooking.com, a leading online marketplace for cooks, to launch a microsite for customers to be able to purchase cookware and kitchenware in addition to Best Buy`s regular assortment of small and large appliances. The Best Buy Kitchen Shop http://kitchen.bestbuy.com will be operated by Cooking.com and add more than 3,000 products for the kitchen to Best Buy shoppers online.

“We are always looking for ways to enhance our customers` online shopping experience, and this partnership delivers more ways to shop when and where they want,” said Liz Haesler, vice president of Home Business Group for Best Buy. “Through our expanded offering with Cooking.com our customers now have a one-stop shop for all of their cooking needs-including a broader assortment of housewares, food and even recipes.”

Best Buy only partners with trusted third-party sellers to provide a broader selection of products and brands accessible via BestBuy.com, complementing the existing online offering.

“We are very excited to provide a complete cookware and kitchenware assortment for customers of BestBuy.com, our first major retail partner,” said Tracy Randall, CEO of Cooking.com. 

This branded shopping destination at kitchen.bestbuy.com is easily accessible from navigation within the bestbuy.com online store.  A boutique experience tailored for the Best Buy shoppers online, Cooking.com handles shipment and returns, as well as a guarantee to ensure customer satisfaction with every purchase experience.

For additional information, please visit Best Buy Kitchen Shop or follow @BBYNews on Twitter for the latest news updates.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

Best Buy Co., Inc. (BBY) is a leading multi-channel global retailer and developer of technology products and services. Every day our employees -167,000 strong – are committed to helping deliver the technology solutions that enable easy access to people, knowledge, ideas and fun. We are keenly aware of our role and impact on the world, and we are committed to developing and implementing business strategies that bring sustainable technology solutions to our consumers and communities. For information about Best Buy, visit www.bby.com

About Cooking.com

Cooking.com is transforming online shopping in the food and cooking space by building innovative, entertaining shopping experiences with trusted brands. Cooking.com operates 14 uniquely branded stores including: Food Network Store, Calphalon Store, and Epicurious Store. Powered By Cooking.com delivers high touch, branded e-commerce solutions and category expertise, enabling partners to attract consumers, drive membership and build new revenue opportunities. Cooking.com offers over 60,000 products for the kitchen as well as recipes, menus, collections and a growing library of member-submitted cooking content. The company is committed to providing its customers with an exceptional experience and is the recipient of numerous awards for customer satisfaction. Cooking.com was founded in 1998 and is based in Marina Del Rey, CA. Please visit http://www.cooking.com

Contact:                                                                    
Erin Bix , Best Buy Public Relations
612-291-7965 or erin.bix@bestbuy.com

The owner of this announcement warrants that:
(i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and other applicable laws; and
(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and originality of the
information contained therein.

Source: Best Buy PR via Thomson Reuters ONE
HUG#1612495

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/best-buy-teams-cooking-com-150003460.html

SEATTLE, WA–(Marketwire -05/15/12)-
TAP America, a non-profit organization dedicated to strengthening America, Made In the USA Foundation and the American Job Alliance today announced the ‘Buy American Coalition’ to stimulate our national economy, protect our nation’s values and weaken authoritarian regimes abroad that violate human rights.

The formation of the ‘Buy American Coalition’ comes on the heels of the latest troubling news out of China. Customs officials have seized thousands of pills made from the flesh of dead babies, the product of the Chinese Communist Party’s forced abortion policy. The Chinese dissident who fled to the U.S. Embassy, Chen Guangfeng, was imprisoned and persecuted by Communist officials for protesting this inhuman practice.

TAP America Founder Mark Bloome said, “The ‘Buy American Coalition’ is of great importance to our country now more than ever. We are seeing our jobs being hollowed out in America by unfair competition from China. Working with both the American Jobs Alliance and Made In the USA Foundation, we believe that this issue is large enough to require examination by multiple organizations. We at TAPamerica.org are leading the charge.”

The China Threat
The Buy American Coalition calls on citizens to buy American and boycott China. This grassroots action sends a clear message that Americans believe that our people and our nation prosper when we adhere to traditional values of liberty and human dignity, not when we abandon them to appease foreign tyrants.

China’s authoritarian regime is critically dependent on American cash and investment to fund its machinery of repression. “When consumers buy American-made products they put Americans to work and starve the Chinese Communist Party of resources. This is a double victory — for American workers and American values,” said Greg Autry, Senior Economist with the American Jobs Alliance. “It is not possible or even necessary to completely shun Chinese-made products to have a positive impact. Even the threat of a substantial boycott would change the behavior of corporations that benefit from China’s exploited labor and mercantilist trade behavior,” Autry notes. “A 20% drop in imports from China would easily destabilize Beijing. Buying American will make U.S. firms appreciate that.”

“For decades the U.S. government has said that doing business with China would bring democracy and human rights to the Chinese people, but it is now clearer than ever that buying up their cheap prison-made goods has only strengthened the Chinese Communist Party,” said Harry Wu, Human Rights Activist and Founder of the Laogai Museum in Washington, D.C., the first U.S. museum to directly address the human rights issues in China. “This imbalanced relationship is hurting the American people too, as they see their health threatened by unsafe Chinese products, their jobs lost, and their economy undermined. If governments do not insist that the repressive Chinese regime abide by fair trade practices, then it is up to American corporations and consumers to hold China accountable for its prison slave labor, lack of compassion for other workers, and countless human rights violations.”

The coalition will explore the foundations of America’s chronic joblessness and rising underemployment with the goal of finding actionable solutions. Important issues under consideration include: international trade, geopolitics, currency devaluation, product safety and compliance, human rights, resource availability, and consumer interest in American products. The coalition is already experiencing broad, non-partisan support from many individuals and organizations. It does not endorse any political party, candidate, union, trade association or corporation.

The ‘Buy American Coalition” is comprised of:

• Mark Bloome, Founder of TAP America
• Richard Tso, Executive Director of TAP America
• Greg Autry, Senior Economist for the American Jobs Alliance
• Curtis Ellis, Communications Director of American Jobs Alliance
• Joel Joseph, Founder of Made In the USA Foundation

“Our organization is all about creating jobs for Americans,” said Curtis Ellis, Communications Director with the American Job Alliance. “Forming this coalition aligns our organization with TAP America so that we can tackle the issues preventing job creation in the United States. High on the list are the predatory trade practices of the Chinese Communist regime. We can put our money where our values are by buying American at every opportunity. Our ancestors built this great country by doing what was right, not what was easy. We must follow their example to rebuild the country.”

“There are three main causes of our trade deficit: trade with China, imports of automobiles and imported oil,” said Joel Joseph at Made In the USA Foundation. “The deficit with China is the most dangerous because many Chinese industries are owned by the People’s Liberation Army, and American consumers are thus funding a military force that poses a significant danger to the well-being of the United States.”

TAP America recently announced their TAP Certified Merchant program to encourage stores to stock at least 20% of U.S. goods and to increase their American-made inventories by just 1% per month. As incentive, businesses who sign up are featured in news articles, included in the TAP online business directory, and are featured in a Groupon-like service called AmeriCoupon that helps people find deals on products made in America. TAP Merchant Filson was recently awarded the TAP America Loyalty to America Award for its commitment to keeping over 70% of manufacturing in the United States.

Since launching in January of 2011, TAP has created national awareness campaigns aimed at promoting tolerance, encouraging people to stay physically active, and to purchase products made in America. For more information about TAP America, to volunteer or to make a donation, please visit www.tapamerica.org.

About TAP America
TAP America is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to revitalizing and strengthening America and its citizens. Founded in 2011, TAP embodies what it means to be American by promoting patriotism, tolerance and Americanism through education and multimedia educational programs. The tenets of TAP encourage people to be physically active, embrace equality and support the American economy by purchasing products made in America. TAP America Founder Mark Bloome created the organization out of love for his country and its people and a desire to promote patriotism, free from political and economic self-interest. For more information about TAP America or to volunteer please visit www.tapamerica.org.

Media Contact
Richard L. Tso
Pseudosound Consulting LLC for TAP America
Email Contact
650-862-7952

Article source: http://finance.yahoo.com/news/tap-america-american-job-alliance-115300654.html

A lot of our consumers don’t own credit cards

No but I’d wager that most of them have a debit card.

I’ve spent more money on games online since the ‘PSN hack’ but only when they
a) represent a quality product
b) are not available in physical format
and/or c) represent a considerable saving vs buying the physical format, while taking into consideration the potential sell on/trade value of the item.

Following this logic I’ve spent 1.99 on EA digital products, I purchased the Dead Space 2 Severed DLC in a PS+ sale.

In conclusion, Electronic Arts, drop your prices, improve the quality of your games and improve the online distribution service you offer and people may wish to buy your product.

And while your at it a HD re-skin of the original Road Rash wouldn’t go amiss either.

Article source: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/352/f/4737/s/1f3c8692/l/0L0Seurogamer0Bnet0Carticles0C20A120E0A50E10A0Eea0Egamers0Estill0Eafraid0Eto0Ebuy0Eonline0Efollowing0Epsn0Ehack/story01.htm

Watch stocks you care about

The single, easiest way to keep track of all the stocks that matter…

Your own personalized stock watchlist!

It’s a 100% FREE Motley Fool service…

Click Here Now

The high-end retail segment did well throughout the recession, and continues to do well today. Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN  ) in particular has beaten the market by 12% since 2007. But another player recently entered the arena — one that’s up almost 500% in that same amount of time, and is known for taking over any industry it sets its sights on. I’m talking, of course, about Amazon.com (Nasdaq: AMZN  ) , but for once, I don’t think its competitors have anything to worry about.

Another headline about the death of big-box stores
Most investors at this point are familiar with Best Buy‘s (NYSE: BBY  ) downward spiral. Once a leader in its industry, the company has struggled ever since Amazon started selling electronics, DVDs, and video games at much lower prices.

Best Buy’s most recent quarterly filings reported $1.7 billion in losses, leading the company to close more than 50 stores and lay off nearly 400 employees. It seems to be following closely in the footsteps of its long-lost competitor, Circuit City.

The case for showrooming in the digital age has been made, and Amazon has absorbed most of the blame. But what’s true for retail in electronics might not be true for high-end apparel.

Selling an experience
Taking into account things like customer service and the shopping environment, Nordstrom recently ranked No. 1 in the 2012 Luxury Consumer Experience Index survey conducted by New York’s Luxury Institute. Customer loyalty was also through the roof, with 96% of shoppers saying they planned to shop there again, and 94% recommending the store to their family and close friends.

Milton Pedraza, CEO of the Luxury Institute, pointed out that “retailers, especially in luxury, are selling experiences to customers more than they are selling any particular good.”

This is the one thing Amazon hasn’t yet found a way to compete with. While shopping online is an enjoyable experience all its own, it isn’t luxurious. It’s quick and convenient, but you have to pour your own champagne, and the computer screen’s glare is much less flattering than the fitting rooms’ carefully chosen lighting.

Another thing Nordstrom has going for it is a better reputation with brand manufacturers. For example, Bonobos, currently the largest U.S. clothing e-tailer, recently signed a deal to sell its clothes with Nordstrom. In contrast, it chose not to sell its clothes through Amazon, because the look of the site doesn’t match the experience it wants customers to associate with its clothing.

However, Best Buy’s hands-on experience with the latest and greatest gadgets wasn’t enough to beat out Amazon’s pricing, so why would Nordstrom’s fate be any different?

Because there is room for everybody here
Bottom line: Best Buy was about the products and Nordstrom is about the experience. And that experience has actually helped it succeed online as well. Nordstrom owns Hautelook.com, another flash-sale site; Nordstrom Rack, a discounted version of its namesake brand; and an extensive online store at Nordstrom.com, which offers free shipping as well as free returns, online or in store, no matter what.

These sites would seem to sneak up on Amazon’s backyard, especially considering that Amazon owns Endless.com, a popular online shoe shop; Shopbop.com, a popular fashion apparel site selling designer brands; and MyHabit.com, a flash-sale apparel site, similar to Gilt. But Nordstrom still sees growth from its online site outpacing its namesake store.

All of this matters because both companies have been able to grow revenue simultaneously in this segment for years. There is plenty of room for all of the above.

And there will continue to be plenty of room for high-end fashion within both Amazon.com and Nordstrom because they will attract different types of loyal, and fashionable, customers — those looking for convenience versus those looking for a luxurious experience.

Investing in retail the smart way
What matters most for investors, then, is simply choosing the type of company in this sector that they want to invest in. Amazon is a growth company with an eye toward the long term. This makes some investors uneasy, because Bezos is willing to sacrifice a lot for the end goal.

Alternately, if you take a look at the graph below, you can see that Nordstrom has been a more stable stock — but one still offering growth and market-beating returns for its investors.

JWN data by YCharts

The retail segment can be a tricky one to invest in. You want an Amazon, not a Best Buy, but making that distinction is easier said than done. Luckily for you, some of our top analysts think they’ve found it, and have outlined the retail superstar in a special free report. If you want to read everything you need to know about it in “The Motley Fool’s Top Stock for 2012,” then click here now.

<![CDATA[
.eCapForUnregisteredUsersTestCell_eCapReplacement { background: none repeat scroll 0 0 #FFFFFF !important; border: medium none !important; } #content div.ecap, #content div.ecapReplacement { background: none repeat scroll 0 0 #FFFFFF !important; border: medium none !important; } #smalltext { font-size:11px; color: margin-top:0px; } ]]>

The Steve Jobs Betrayal
You may already know that in the final year of his life, Jobs revealed a stunning betrayal — and told his biographer, “I will spend my last dying breath… and every penny of Apple’s $40 billion in the bank to right this wrong.” What was it that made Jobs so irate — and why could it make a few in-the-know investors some major profits over the coming months and years?

Enter your email address below to find out what made Jobs so enraged!

Article source: http://rss.feedsportal.com/c/34518/f/631681/s/1f44dc31/l/0L0Sfool0N0Cinvesting0Cgeneral0C20A120C0A50C110Ccould0Enordstrom0Ebe0Ethe0Enext0Ebest0Ebuy0Baspx0Dsource0Fehesitrf0A0A0A0A0A0A1/story01.htm