Many of the nation’s top retailers tout low-price guarantees: Someone else is advertising a lower price? No need to go to the other store -- we’ll match it. In practice, though, a price-match guarantee is no guarantee a store will match a competitor’s price. A new report by Cheapism.com compares the price-matching policies at more than half a dozen retailers and looks at how they’re applied in-store. It finds that even the most permissive retailers use careful wording and litanies of exclusions to deny customer requests. Shoppers unfamiliar with the fine print face frustration and stand to waste valuable time.

Here are some of the most common reasons a retailer may refuse to match a competitor’s price.

• The competitor isn’t local. Best Buy, for instance, confines its policy to stores that fall within a 25-mile radius. Other retailers use vague phrases such as “reasonable distance” and “same market area,” which are open to employee interpretation. Cheapism’s report on price-match policies cites an account from one shopper who says Target wouldn’t match a store a mile away because it was in a different ZIP code.
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• The competitor is an online retailer. Many companies extend their price-matching policies only to brick-and-mortar stores and, in some cases, the websites of local competitors. But until recently none included online-only competitors in their price-match guarantees. That’s why Target and Best Buy turned heads in recent months when they announced they would match prices offered by select online retailers, including Amazon, regardless whether there was a corresponding store in the same market. As Cheapism explains, however, online price matching comes with its own fine print. A bottle of contact solution was going for almost $4 less on Amazon, but Target wouldn’t match the price because it was listed by a third-party seller on the Amazon Marketplace, not by Amazon.com.
• The competitor is a warehouse club. Retailers including JC Penney and Target won’t match prices that require a club card, so forget about pointing to a lower price at Sam’s Club or Costco. Best Buy does match warehouse-club pricing, as long as the store is local, and Sears requires that customers show a valid membership card for the club store before matching a lower price.
  RELATED: Walmart vs. Target vs. Kmart
  
• You didn’t bring in a print ad. Most retailers don’t simply promise to match competitors’ prices; they promise to match competitors’ advertised prices. Not only that, many require a print ad as proof of the lower price -- a photo, photocopy, or mobile version may not cut it. At Walmart, the official policy states that you don’t have to have an ad with you (an employee may call to verify the price), but customers have found that cashiers often say they need to see an ad in order to match a price.

• The items are not identical. The lower-priced product at the other store must be the same brand, model, style, color, size, weight, quantity -- identical in every way. It also can’t be a used, refurbished, damaged, open-box, or display item. This often comes into play with appliances and electronics. A product at Home Depot might have a different model number than the same product at Lowe’s, making it ineligible for price matching. Non-branded items such as fresh produce also may not qualify, although Walmart promises to match food prices if they’re listed in the same unit of measure (e.g., per ounce).
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• The lower-priced item is … advertised as limited-time, limited-supply, or limited-quantity or part of a clearance, closeout, liquidation, or going-out-of-business sale.

You get the idea. Retailers are happy to use ad-match policies to burnish their reputations for low prices, but they’re far from eager to honor those guarantees. Still, there’s some variation in the policies and how they’re applied in practice. Cheapism has identified some of the best price-match guarantees and a couple that may not be worth the effort. If you choose a relatively lenient retailer and go in with knowledge of the rules, you could save yourself time and money.

toysrus.com

Price match guarantees aren't so simple and include a list of caveats, as seen here in the Toys R Us price-match guarantee guidelines.

More from Cheapism:
Comparing stores that price match

Getty Images stock

Yoga pant makers are increasingly making pants for women who wear larger sizes.

Yoga is a weapon in the war on obesity, but it's also a fast-growing, $10 billion business. As its popularity expands in tandem with our collective waistline, analysts say there's a potentially lucrative market for clothing companies to outfit curvier bodies. 

In a country where roughly two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese, medical experts and a growing community of health bloggers are suggesting that the answer might lie on a yoga mat. The number of yoga practitioners, which skews more than 80 percent female, jumped 29 percent in the past four years, according to a Yoga Journal study. It's become so mainstream that the White House even added yoga classes to its annual Easter egg roll last month. 

“There’s a huge target market” for plus-size activewear, said Jaime Katz, an analyst at Morningstar. “It’s significant and it shouldn’t really be ignored because it’s getting bigger as a percentage of the total population.” 

Yoga Journal found that spending on classes, clothes and other items grew from $5.7 billion in 2008 to $10.3 billion last year. Research company IBISWorld estimates that consumers will spend $332 million on fitness apparel sold in specialty plus-size women’s clothing stores this year — which doesn't include purchases of plus-size clothes at brands that also sell standard sizes, like Gap Inc.'s Athleta brand. 

Analysts say it’s short-sighted for clothing companies to accept the stereotype that overweight people aren’t interested in fitness or exercise. A 2010 Gallup poll found that 53 percent of overweight people and 41 percent of obese people say these exercise three or more days per week. 

“I think there is something that can be found there... for people who want to be healthier,” Katz said. 

Despite the number of overweight people in the United States, though, plus-sized clothing in general has been what Alison Jatlow Levy, a retail strategist at consulting firm Kurt Salmon, calls an “underserved” market. When it comes to stretchy tank tops and yoga pants, that’s even more the case, she said. “Historically, that’s not where activewear has focused,” she said. 

It’s a chicken-or-egg conundrum for both brands and customers. Manufacturers don’t want to make a big bet on an unproven market, especially because are production challenges and higher costs that come with making larger sizes. 

But overweight women do want to be active — they just don’t have anything to wear, according to Deborah Christel, an assistant professor of design and merchandising at West Virginia University who wrote her doctoral dissertation on the women’s plus-size athletic clothing market. 

"There’s no clothing available for their figure they feel comfortable in,” she said. “I think plus size women aren’t engaging in exercise or going to the yoga studio because they don’t have the right clothes.” 

Athleta was a 10-year-old company when it was bought by Gap Inc. in 2008. At first an online-only outlet, Gap began opening Athleta brick-and-mortar stores two years ago — often within close proximity to stores of its top competitor, Lululemon Athletica. Although a small part of Gap’s empire, its size belies its potential impact on customer loyalty and sales, analysts say. 

Selling yoga wear in larger sizes can generate repeat business, if larger customers subsequently lose weight, as well as customer loyalty that might cross over to its growing stable of other brands. On its investor conference call in February, CEO Glenn Murphy indicated that Athleta was a gateway brand. “We're bringing new customers into the Gap Inc. portfolio and family of brands with Athleta,” he said. 

The Athleta brand includes yoga clothing in sizes up to 20. By contrast, Lululemon’s sizes top out at 12. 

“I think Lululemon needs to be concerned about Athleta,” said Jahnia Sandford, an analyst at Kantar Retail. “Activewear and yogawear is definitely an area for growth,” she said. Offering larger sizes show that a brand is “catering to that shopper’s specific needs and making it known you have these specific styles available to her."

Lululemon already faced a heightened threat from Athleta because of a manufacturing defect that affected 17 percent of its black bottoms. The pants, which cost roughly $100, were too sheer when customers put them on. 

“The lack of Lulu's core product in its stores and online could drive some customers to try competing brands,” CLSA analyst Barbara Wyckoff warned in a recent research note.

“Recent quality blunders and poor performance of new capsule collections have affected the company’s earnings results and hurt LULU’s brand equity,” she said. 

Although Athleta is considered Lululemon’s biggest competitor, there are a growing number of other brands where consumers can buy larger yoga gear. Gap’s Old Navy brand, for instance, sells moisture-wicking tank tops and stretchy yoga pants up through size 30. Nordstrom’s Zella brand offers some styles through size 24. Specialty plus-size stores Lane Bryant and Avenue also cater to the downward-dog crowd, along with boutique brands bolstered by word-of-mouth endorsements in the blogosphere. 

“I think it’s happening and it’s a trend but it will happen slowly and it’s still new,” Levy said.

This Mother’s Day, moms are getting more love than last year – sometimes even from those who aren’t their children.

Ninety-two percent of Americans plan to celebrate Mother’s Day this year, according to a survey conducted by Brand Keys. “This is your mom you’re talking about,” said Brand Keys founder and president Robert Passikoff. “There’s a very big emotional connection.”

That emotional connection is increasingly extending to more than just moms. Consumers are buying gifts also for sisters, daughters, stepmothers, mothers-in-law, daughters and friends.

“Especially in recent years, holidays have really become more sentimental than just purely discretionary celebrations,” said Kathy Grannis, a spokeswoman for the National Retail Federation. “I think, for some families, celebrating all the women in their life makes sense.”

Acknowledging those other moms means spending more. Three surveys estimate that we will spend between $17.1 billion and $20.7 billion on all our mothers this year.

“There are some overarching economic concerns, but you’ve got to take care of mom on Mother’s Day,” said Ben Arnold, an industry analyst at research firm NPD Group. “Consumers are going to find room in the wallet for that.”

Mother’s Day spending seems to have recovered from the hit it took during the recession. The retail federation predicts a jump of 11 percent over last year to $20.7 billion, but it appears a small number of shoppers are driving this increase. Roughly 58 percent of survey respondents said they plan to spend about the same as last year. Only 17 percent plan to spend more.

Brand Keys expects a more modest increase of about 5 percent. Passikoff said this is only about half the increase observed last year, perhaps reflecting dampened optimism about the economy. An IBISWorld survey indicates nearly flat spending with an increase of only 0.2 percent this year, after a 6.5 percent increase last year. At $17.1 million, IBISWorld also had the lowest estimate of the total amount shoppers will spend this year.

Wealthier moms are getting bling. According to the retail federation survey, the average amount shoppers are spending on jewelry cracked $100, but this growth is almost entirely driven by consumers with annual household incomes above $50,000.

The retail federation survey found that the percentage of moms receiving electronic gifts this year will remain relatively low — 14 percent — but is expected to rise. “We’ve seen prices in a lot of categories come down, so it’s more affordable to think about technology,” Arnold said.

Grannis said demographics also play a part. Today’s young adults have grown up with the Internet and cell phones, and are more likely to consider them when gift-giving. The retail federation found that nearly 30 percent of people between 18 and 24 plan to give electronics this Mother’s Day.

The growing number of daughters, sisters and friends receiving gifts may be driving the increase in tablets, smartphones, e-readers and other gadgets. While a middle-aged shopper might not consider a high-tech gadget, it could be a good gift for a sibling or daughter.

This year, more moms are receiving the gift of time – by themselves or with family. All three surveys found that more shoppers plan to give experiences — spa treatments and brunches — instead of stuff. In Brand Keys’ survey, the two categories that showed the biggest increases were meals out and spa services. Both jumped 10 percentage points over last year.

Conversely, IBISWorld found that shoppers gravitate toward more convenient but less personalized presents like flowers and gift cards. These two categories saw the biggest increases, roughly 2 percent and 4 percent respectively.

Even those who aim for a more personalized gift seem to value convenience, however. The retail federation found that 28.5 percent of shoppers say they’re buying online, an increase of roughly 10 percentage points from five years ago.

But as Mom would say: It’s the thought that counts.

TODAY

In a tight economy, Just Between Friends sales have become a hot tickets in many towns. People line up for a crack at the bargains – as much as 90 percent off retail – and others use it as a source of income, NBC's Janet Shamlian reports from Mesquite, Texas.

What started in Shannon Wilburn’s home 15 years ago as a small sale among friends has become Just Between Friends, franchises of locally organized consignment sales all across the country.

Shoppers might find a sale set up in a warehouse filled with just about everything it takes to raise a child, from newborn car seats to teen-age clothes.

When the doors open, shoppers like Sonia May are quick to spot a deal. “It’s really good quality items, and they’re very clean,” she said.

Sellers like it, too.

“It is a great way to clean out your house. Your kids are growing constantly,” said Delene Ephraim, a stay-at-home mom who sells off almost everything her three children have outgrown.

She also admits to turning other people's trash into money. “Baby walkers, sandboxes, slides,” Ephraim said of her curbside recovery efforts. Items sitting out with the bags of leaves get “turned it into cash. Clean it up. Hose it off. Lysol it. Sell it,” she said.

Consigners set their own prices and take home 60 percent when it sells. The average check is more than $300

Just Between Friends has 131 franchisees in 25 states and reports about $27 million in annual sales, Wilburn told The Oklahoman newspaper.

Volunteers are welcome. too.

“You hear of the average mom shopping here, middle-income America, but really what is so important to me and also our franchises, is people who really can’t afford retail,” CEO and co-founder Wilburn said. “It’s not that they’re looking to save a little bit of money. They can’t afford retail.”

There are many cool products on the market this season, but not all are equally worthy of your money.

Woman's Day has done much of the hard work for you, vetting some of the best new items out there and then recruiting readers for an extra reality check. The 30 best of the best make it to the Woman’s Day Great Value Awards.

The magazine has selected affordable finds ranging from standout newcomers to trusted go-to's in cooking, fashion, beauty, home and health categories, according to Taryn Mohrman, senior editor at Woman's Day.

Some of the Woman’s Day Great Value Awards winners:

L'Oreal Paris Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Unscented Hairspray

• $14.99 at drugstores
• Why it’s a winner: Why has this hairspray long been a photo-shoot staple? It goes on dry (with no tacky feeling) and stays flexible.It fights frizz and isn't greasy.

Old Navy The Flirt Boot-Cut Jeans

• $29.50 at Old Navy
• Why it’s a winner: These jeans have just the right amount of stretch, clean flat-front pockets and high back pockets (for a little lift!) to give sizes 0 to 20 a flattering fit.

Nordic Ware Naturals Aluminum Baker's Half Sheet Pan

• $20 at amazon.com
• Why it’s a winner: The raised rim on this pan allows you to bake or roast in it, and the handy lid helps keep food fresh.

Mrs. Meyer's Liquid Hand Soap

• $3.99 at mrsmeyers.com
• Why it’s a winner: Unlike so many eco options, these hand soaps really suds up and come in garden-inspired scents, such as  rhubarb and geranium.

We are an addicted nation when it comes to caffeine.

Eighty-three percent of the U.S. adult population now drinks coffee, according to a survey by the National Coffee Association of U.S.A.

We love our coffee and are willing to pay for it. But making it at home is the best option if you want to save money.

Houseware retailers such as Sur la Table have seen a double-digit increase in sales of coffeemakers and accessories over the last year.

“You can make a fantastic espresso at home, cappuccino, whatever your favorite drink is,” said Mary Janice Reisdorf of Sur La Table.
Price ranges and complexity have increased in recent years.

“You can go up towards, you know, $6,000 for these full-automatic bean-to-cut machines,” Reisdorf said. Alternatively, a manual press sells for about $35.

The true stars in the industry are the single-serve pods. Americans spent $1.8 billion on pods this year. That’s five times as much as three years ago.

“If you're really all about convenience you don't want to have to mess with any beans or grinds,” said Lisa Lee Freeman, the editor in chief of Consumer Reports’ SaveSmart site.

The pods are popular because of their ease, variety and speed. Each cup costs about 50 cents  to 80 cents.

But for a stronger cup of coffee, you will have to brew the old-fashioned way in a conventional drip pot, which requires more coffee and less water. It’s also a lot less expensive per cup when you brew your own.

"Before you choose any coffeemaker, make sure you have room for it in your kitchen, check out how easy it is to clean, and if buying a pod model, make sure you know which pods it will accept and how much they cost,” TODAY’s consumer correspondent Janice Lieberman said.

Freemen offered an overview of some of the best choices for homebrewing, based on Consumer Reports’ test of 110 models.

With a retail price of about $200, the Consumer Reports top choice overall was The Cuisinart Crystal SCC-1000 Limited Edition Perfec Temp, Freeman said.

Other options include a $40 Black & Decker CM4000S carafe-style coffee maker, which is the most economical choice for making multiple cups.

For the grind-and-brew crew, the Krups Grinder & Brewer KM7000 is a good option at  $180.

Freeman had several picks for good pod-style makers:

• Delonghi Nescafe Dolce Gusto Piccolo EDG200T - $100
• Mr. Coffee BVMC-KG5 - $80
• Starbucks Verismo 580 -  $200

Lieberman also showed off the Jura® GIGA 5 Automatic Coffee Center with Cup Warmer and Stand, which is on sale at Sur La Table for nearly $5,500.

WASHINGTON — The FTC said Tuesday that Neiman Marcus and two other retailers have agreed to settle charges that they claimed certain products were made of "faux" fur when they actually contained real fur.

In addition to the upscale department store operator, the retailers include DrJays.com Inc. and Eminent Inc., doing business as Revolve Clothing.

The Federal Trade Commission said the companies also violated federal laws by not naming the animal that the fur came from.

The FTC also charged that The Neiman Marcus Group Inc. claimed that a rabbit fur product had mink fur, and failed to disclose where the fur came from for three fur products.

The Neiman Marcus violations involved website claims related to a Burberry Outerwear jacket, a Stuart Weitzman ballerina flat shoe and an Alice + Olivia Kyah coat. Neiman Marcus also misrepresented the fur content of the shoe in its catalog, at bergdorfgoodman.com, and in advertisements mailed to consumers, the FTC said.

The FTC said DrJays.com misrepresented the fur content and failed to disclose the animal name for a snorkel jacket by Crown Holder with a fur-lined hood, a vest by Knoles & Carter with exterior fur and a New York subway leather bomber jacket by United Face with fur lining.

Meanwhile, Eminent, doing business as Revolve, misrepresented the fur content and failed to disclose the animal name for four products including fur-trimmed boots, a Mark Jacobs Runway roebling coat, a Dakota Xan fur poncho and an Eryn Brinie belted faux fur vest, the FTC said.

Under the proposed settlement, the retailers would be prohibited from violating the laws for 20 years.

The commission approved the consent order for public comment with a 4-0 vote. The deals remain subject to public comment for 30 days, after which the commission will decide whether to make them final.

Levi's

Levi's plans to turn about 3.5 million recycled bottles and other plastic waste into soft, high-quality denim.

They don’t look like they’re made from trash – and that’s the whole idea behind Levi’s new Waste-Less jeans.

The company says at least 20 percent of the material that goes into making this denim comes from recycled plastic bottles and food trays. That means about eight 12- to 20-ounce bottles are reborn in each pair.

“It’s good for people and better for the planet,” said Jonathan Kirby, vice president of men’s design at Levis Strauss.

The company plans to turn about 3.5 million recycled bottles and other plastic waste into soft, high-quality denim for its Spring 2013 Waste-Less collection. And just to make sure you don’t miss that fact, Levi’s puts a tag on each pair: “These jeans are made of garbage.”

“We decided to take something that was trash and turn it onto something that was valuable and viable,” Kirby told me. “The end goal is to get people to think a little bit differently about what they do with their waste. We want them to realize that a piece of trash can actually become something else that’s relevant to them.”

Right now, this sustainable denim is being made into jeans for both men and women, as well as the classic Trucker jacket for men. The jeans start at around $68, which Kirby calls “a very fair price for a product of this quality and value.”

How do they do it?
The recycled plastic – brown beer bottles (yes, they’re plastic), green soda bottles, clear water bottles and black food trays – is collected from communities across the country and shipped to a manufacturing plant where it is broken down into tiny pellets and spun into polyester fibers. That polyester yarn is then woven with cotton into denim.

The Waste-Less jeans are thin and lightweight, darker than some other denim. The inside of the jeans also looks different. They’re not the typical blue and white. These are more brown and blue.

“The brown bottles and the food trays give the fabric that unique shade and color,” Kirby explained. “You can actually see the recycled material in the garments themselves.”

Is this really good for the earth?
The recycling of plastic bottles has increased dramatically during the last few years. The International Bottled Water Association recently reported that 39 percent of the plastic water bottles in the United States were recycled in 2011. That’s up from 32 percent the year before.

Levi's

Of course, something has to be done with all of this waste plastic before recycling truly takes place. It must be made into new products, such as plastic lumber, carpets, new containers or clothing. Environmentalists call this “closing the loop.”

“It’s a great way to make sure there’s an end market for recovered materials,” said Darby Hoover, senior resource specialist with the Natural Resources Defense Counsel. “When consumers put plastic bottles into the recycling bins, this helps ensure that there’s a market for them to actually get turned into useful products.”

Hoover points out that this does not decrease the plastic that’s being used to make new plastic bottles – environmentalists would like to see fewer of them used – but it does help keep some plastic waste out of landfills.

“Using recycled content helps decrease environmental impacts across the board as compared with using virgin materials for manufacture,” Hoover told me.

So what does denim made with trash look at feel like?
Levi’s sent me a pair to wear for a few days.

I asked some friends and colleagues to feel the material. Most described it as “smooth”or “soft.” They were completely surprised when I told them there was recycled plastic in the denim and they all wanted to know more.

One person asked if the plastic in the jeans would melt if ironed or thrown in the dryer. The company assured me they will not.

A long-term commitment to the environment
This is not the first environmental initiative for Levi’s. The company’s Water-Less manufacturing technique introduced in 2011 reduces the water used in the finishing process of some products by as much as 96 percent. The company says the Water

“We don’t just want to reduce our impact on the environment, we want to leave it better than we found it,” said James Curleigh, global president of Levi’s brand in a statement.

Clearly, Levi Strauss believes it can be a leader in eco-fashion.  Vice president Jonathan Kirby told me he’s looking into a number of different sustainable clothing options for next year.

“It’s the beginning of something that will hopefully become a bigger initiative for us,” he said.

Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter or visit The ConsumerMan website.

Ethan Miller / Getty Images file photo

Charmaine Fobbs carries drinks at a Hooters Restaurant on Feb. 2, 2006, during the grand opening of the Hooters Casino Hotel in Las Vegas.

Hooters has always been known for tank top-wearing "girls." Now, faced with declining sales, it's wooing women — as customers.

The chain's waitresses are as buxom as ever but its sales have "flattened out," said Darren Tristano, executive vice president at research firm Technomic, Inc. Revenue peaked in 2007 at nearly $1 billion but had fallen to around $850 million last year, he estimated. (The privately-held company doesn’t release sales figures.) The brand recently announced an overhaul aimed at making Hooters more mainstream than man-cave, adding more salads to its menu, remodeling stores and rolling out a series of ads last week to tout the changes.

These efforts have only made the brand a little more popular, a new consumer survey shows.

According to market research firm YouGov’s BrandIndex, both men and women think slightly better of Hooters than they did prior to its overhaul, but men’s impression barely squeaked into positive territory, and women’s overall perception remained sharply negative. BrandIndex CEO Ted Marzilli said the small gains were encouraging for the brand, but “it’s not a brand that appeals to everyone.”

Hooters’ PR agency declined to make a spokesperson available for comment, and messages left with the company’s chief marketing officer were not returned.

The Atlanta-based chain and founder of the unfortunately termed “breastaurant” trend is trying to keep its core customer — the guy for whom the chain’s signature wings are a secondary attraction to the scantily-clad wait staff — from defecting to newer competitors like Tilted Kilt or Twin Peaks, while at the same time appealing to their girlfriends or wives.

“Restaurants can increase their base if they can negate the ‘veto vote'... Women are the driving force on our everyday eating patterns,” said Harry Balzer, chief industry analyst at research firm NPD Group. “Traditionally, when you want to appeal to more women, you’re going to bring in issues that have to do with diet. It will be salads, things that are fresher.”

“The food had not kept pace over time,” CEO Terry Marks told Nation’s Restaurant News in August. “By broadening the menu and introducing items that are better for you, we can get both new people and lapsed guests who might have outgrown our core items.”

In January, Hooters debuted its first redesigned location, which the company said gives customers “a more open and brighter appearance,” thanks to higher ceilings and lighter colors. 

“They’re moving it forward, but it’s a larger brand, so in order to move the needle, it’s going to take some time,” Tristano said.

“They developed a niche and by some standard were certainly successful  in establishing that niche,” Marzilli said, but the chain’s focus on sex appeal has some inherent limitations. “There are some women who will say it’s a sexist theme or I dont like what the brand stands for.’”

In good economic times, that might not be an issue. But the recession pummeled the casual dining sector, and Hooters’ core customer, young men, have been disproportionately affected by unemployment.

“The overall casual dining space... has been undergoing a lot of turmoil over the last four to five years,” said John Gordon, principal and founder at restaurant consulting company Pacific Management Consulting Group. “Hooters had an even more difficult situation,” he said, because ownership turmoil distracted management from reinvesting in and reinventing what was becoming a dated brand.

NPD data found that Americans went out to eat, on average, 74 times last year. That's the lowest number since the company began tracking it in 1984. "They’re appealing to a behavior that’s decreasing in this country," Balzer said.

"The question is, mathematically... how do I keep my base while growing and attracting logical new users?" Gordon said. For Hooters' management, the answer seems to be greater inclusivity.

But Tristano questioned whether catering to women is really in the brand’s best interest. "I think they need to stay true to their brand," he said. "To try to make Hooters more female-oriented will move away from what has attracted men to the concept... It may be as harmful to target them as it is helpful to bring them in the doors."

target.com

Target has launched six new online-only brands, including Too by Blu Dot, a home furnishings line.

If you’re looking to buy something from one of Target’s six new brands, you’ll need to skip the store and hit up their website instead. The online exclusive offers include everything from a collection of baby apparel designed for Target by Zutano to home décor lines.

“We’re excited that for the first time Target has developed new brands exclusively for Target.com," said Target spokesman Eddie Baeb. "We believe these new brands will further differentiate Target.com from other online retailers and help us create a great shopping experience for our guests.” 

The new brands are primarily home décor lines, an area that has long been a Target strength. Each of the four home furnishings lines has its own, distinct personality. Too by Blu Dot has a funky, retro '50s vibe, while MudHut features eclectic designs that reflect a global theme, with offerings like Mexican motif and Moroccan gem. Boho Boutique is a home line that is reminiscent of a lower-priced Anthropologie. The last of the home lines, Room 365, is the most contemporary of the home brands.

That Target would focus so heavily on home furnishings for its first online exclusive brands is not a surprise to some retail experts. “They’ve always been in home goods. They’ve been strong and leaders in that area. And, that strength has eroded in the last two to four years," said Mike Tesler, founding partner at consulting firm Retail Concepts and a marketing lecturer at Bentley University in Waltham, Mass. "They’re looking to inject some excitement in that.”

In addition to the four new home-furnishings brands, Target.com is also offering up a women’s clothing line, Labworks, and Zutano Blue, a collection of clothing, and again, bedding and décor, for infants.

Online retail isn’t new, but Target’s mammoth push into the virtual space is new. Several retail experts agreed that the new, online venture is a low-risk way for Target to test new brands and increase profit margin. “The only thing that’s really going on here is higher margins in categories that traditionally aren’t brand-sensitive,” said Rob Frankel, branding specialist and author of “The Revenge of Brand X.”

Tesler also noted that offering products exclusively online is a good way for the company to experiment with new lines. “When you test it out online, then you have confidence that it’s going to work in the stores later,” Tesler said. At present, Target has not announced that any of the lines will be introduced in stores. “There are no current plans to have these brands in Target stores, but we’re always evaluating and considering new merchandise for our stores,” Baeb said.

Although you can only buy the products online, the Too by Blu Dot collection will be featured in five Target locations in Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Westwood, Calif., through the end of January. There, guests can scan QR codes to buy the items online.

Dana Macario is a Seattle-area writer who loves to shop – both off and online.

Sometimes the turtle really does beat the hare. If you scurried out on Black Friday to buy a big-screen TV during door-buster deals, you may be kicking yourself now.

The days leading up to Super Bowl Sunday are traditionally the best time of year to snag a deal on a super-sized set. Most retailers run promotions to cash in on the action and clear out old inventory.

The price-watchers at dealnews.com found the best deals on sets that are 55- and 60-inches. For a 60-inch name-brand set, expect to pay around $900. But you can find 60-inch LCD TVs from off-brand manufacturers for as low as $688.

“Big-screen televisions are about $200 cheaper than they were last year at this time,” said Louis Ramirez, dealnews.com senior feature writer. “And 3D sets have really come down in price.”

What can you expect from a new TV?

“In 2012, we saw evolutionary, not revolutionary changes,” said Jim Willcox, senior editor and TV expert at Consumer Reports. “Later this year, we’ll see two new types of TVs: ultra-definition sets that have four times the resolution of standard TVs and sets with OLED technology (Organic Light Emitting Diodes).”

OLED sets should start arriving this spring or summer, and they’re going to be pretty expensive, probably $10,000 or more.

I spoke to Willcox at length about buying a big-screen TV. This is a major purchase, one you’ll be living with for a long time, and price is only one factor to consider.

Q: Manufacturers have come up with some pretty innovative things on their TVs. Which ones should we be looking at when we go to the store?

Jim Willcox: Internet sets are the cool thing. TVs now have full web browsers, so you’re able to access social media sites or see how your eBay auction is doing.

Internet capability seems to be more popular than 3D which was the buzz a year ago. With Internet sets, there’s just so much content now going into the TV that manufacturers had to figure out a good way to present that material and organize it to enable viewers to find the stuff that they want.

There are some novel ways to control the TV using gestures. LG has a magic remote that you use sort of like a Nintendo Wii controller. Last year, Samsung introduced high-end sets that give you the ability to use hand motions to move through menus.

And some remote controls now have near field communications technology. People like to display the content they have on a cell phone or portable device on their TV. With Sony’s new remote, you tap your phone to the remote control and whatever’s playing on your phone magically appears on the TV.

Q: The biggest decision most buyers will have to make is the technology. Do they want Plasma or LCD? How do you decide?

J.W.: In recent years, manufacturers have dealt with one of the weaknesses of LCD (liquid crystal display) sets: motion blur during fast-moving scenes – something that’s obvious with sports. We see 120 Hz and 240 Hz technology addressing that.

The one issue that LCD hasn’t addressed especially well is viewing angle: Those who watch at an angle don’t get the same great picture as those who are in front of it. There are some sets now, for example from LG, Vizio and Panasonic, that use what are called IPS panels (In-Plane Switching technology), that have wider-than-average viewing angles for an LCD.

LCD TVs tend to do better in brightly lit rooms. So if you can’t control the brightness in the room, an LCD may be a better choice.

Plasma has unlimited viewing angles and very good black levels for high contrast, if that matters. So in a lot of ways plasma is very good. A couple of years ago, people were counting plasma out, but certainly in the bigger-sized TVs, plasma is more affordable then comparably featured LCD TVs. Right now, we’re seeing some great deals on plasma TVs.

The bottom line: LCD technology has gotten better. So for a lot of people if performance is relatively equal, it comes down to price.

Q: All the sets look good at the store. In many cases, they’re tweaked to look their best. With that in mind, what do we do when comparing sets?

J.W.: It is very difficult to compare. First, it’s not a great environment, there are probably huge fluorescent lights, but it will give you an idea of the TVs reflectivity. So if you have a bright room at home and you’re having a hard time watching that TV in the store, chances are you’ll have the same issue if you bring it home.

Again, viewing angle is still an issue with a lot of LCD sets. So I’d suggest that you move off to the side of the set and see if the picture starts to look washed out. That could be an issue if you have a lot of people over to watch TV or if you don’t have a sweet spot in front of the TV where most people sit.

And don’t forget about the sound.  As sets get ever thinner there’s less cabinet space for companies to install good sound systems. If you don’t plan to use an external sound bar or sound system, you may want to crank the sound on that set to a level that would be comparable to what you would have in your house. Does it sound good? A lot of them don’t.

Q: Once you get the set home, there are things you can do to get the best-looking picture possible. Can you help with that?

J.W.: Sure, and that advice has changed recently. TVs used to be set for the retail environment. You brought them home and they were in “torch” mode. The picture was too bright and the colors were over-saturated. Now almost the opposite is happening because all the TV manufacturers want to hit the Energy Star standards. So the picture may be too dim.

Check the setting. Normally, one says “retail” and the other says “home.” Click the home setting. If the set is in the “eco” mode, which is the energy-saving mode, put it in one of the more natural-looking presets. Typically that’s “movie,” “cinema,” or if the set has it, the “THX” setting. In our testing, we found that THX is the most accurate.

If you want to tweak the picture from there, go into the manual settings and fool around with the brightness, contrast and color controls.  You can play around all you want and no matter how badly you screw it up, you can hit the “default” or “restore” button and get back to the original factory settings.

Q: When it comes to a new TV, size does matter. You may be disappointed with a set that’s too small if you can afford more. But it can be unpleasant to watch a set that’s too big for the room. Run down the guidelines for us.

J.W.: For a big screen TV you probably don’t want to sit closer than about seven or eight feet. As a general rule, eight to 12 feet for a 50 to 60-inch set is a good.

Some of the new Ultra HD sets that are coming out have ultra-high resolutions. You can put your face almost next to the TV and not see the pixel structure, so that technology is going to let people sit a lot closer than they do now, if they want.

Remember, you want to have the whole TV in your field of vision. You don’t want to be panning and scanning the picture because you’re sitting to close to a set that’s too big. 

To make your shopping easier, the editors at Consumer Reports put together a list of their Top TV picks for Super Bowl XLVII.

More Info:

• Dealnews: Super Bowl HDTV Buying Guide
• Cheapism: Top High-Def TVS for low budgets

Herb Weisbaum is The ConsumerMan. Follow him on Facebook and Twitter or visit The ConsumerMan website. 

The image of the 11-inch Subway sandwich marketed as "Footlong" that ignited an online chuckle-fest last week has now sparked a lawsuit.

Citing "false, deceptive" and "misleading affirmative statements of fact," two New Jersey men, John Farley of Evesham and Charles Pendrak of Ocean City, sued Subway on Tuesday to regain losses of 5 to 8.3 percent on the several "Footlong" sandwiches they bought from the sandwich store -- about $.41-$.54 per sub, depending on whether it was the $5 or $6.50 kind. The lawsuit, which is seeking class-action status for anyone who bought a sandwich in New Jersey from January 22, 2007 to the present, asks for triple damages. That comes to a grand total of $1.23-$1.62, which is not even enough to buy yourself a new sub. The lawsuit specified one date in December Farley bought a Footlong, and three dates between December and January that Pendrak bought Footlongs, along with "various other dates" on which each bought Footlong sandwiches.

After Australian Matt Corby, having a bit of fun, last week posted a photo of a "Footlong" Subway sandwich next to a measuring tape showing it as only 11 inches long, the picture went viral and kicked off a media pig pile. The two approached lawyers after reading the short sandwich news coverage, their lawyer Stephen DeNittis told the New York Post. Online commenters identifying themselves as Subway employees speculated that the consumers were receiving exactly the same dough as others who got 12-inch subs but that the dough, which arrives frozen at franchise locations, hadn't been properly tugged, pulled and "proofed" before it was baked.

Because the legal action is still pending, Subway spokesperson Les Winograd declined to comment on the case specifically.

Matt Corby

Matt Corby uploaded a photo to Facebook of a Subway sandwich advertised as a "Footlong," next to a measuring tape showing it as 11 inches long. The caption read, "subway pls respond," and, after the image went viral, Subway did.

"We regret any instance where we did not fully deliver on our promise to our customers," Winograd told TODAY via email. "We freshly bake our bread throughout the day in our more than 38,000 restaurants in 100 countries worldwide, and we have redoubled our efforts to ensure consistency and correct length in every sandwich we serve. Our commitment remains steadfast to ensure that every SUBWAY® Footlong sandwich is 12 inches at each location worldwide."

Stephen DeNittis, the lawyer for the plaintiffs, told TODAY that his firm had "Footlong" sandwiches from 14 different Subway locations measured, and each fell short. 

DeNittis shrugged off the suggestion that regardless of the sandwich length, consumers were still getting the same amount of dough in their loaf, saying, "If they were selling by net weight, that would be a good argument."

The case is worthy of the court's time, DeNittis said. "It's no different than if a wireless company is profiting on a 14-cent hidden fee."

DeNittis, an experienced class-action lawyer, is familiar with the criticisms of his trade, such as class actions profit the lawyers with big fees while consumers walk away with coupons. DeNittis said class-action courts were set up to deal with consumers with small-damage cases. Any fees lawyers receive are court-approved, he said, and are based on the "hundreds of thousands of hours" they can take to prosecute, as well as factoring for the risk the lawyers take on when they accept the case. 

"If you believe it's OK to shortchange consumers on little fraud ... if you think it's only OK to go after companies for big fraud," then you probably won't think this case measures up, he said.

The case is about "holding big companies to deliver what they promised," said DeNittis. "When you expend it over millions of sandwiches, it adds up." He added that his firm "will be investigating to find out if Subway intentionally made sandwiches smaller to profit unfairly off consumer deception."