Category Archives: Shop

Walmart ditches Express and lagging stores

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There’s a big bag of woe in retail as the third major merchant in little more than a week announces store closings.

Walmart says it will close 269 stores in 2016, as the world’s largest tries to improve its finances.

imagesMost of the underperformers are sited within 10 miles of another Walmart. Of the stores on the chopping block, 154 locations are in the United States; two-thirds of those are the smaller “Walmart Express” stores, a pilot program that failed to get off the ground.

Only 12 U.S. Walmart Supercenters will close, along with four Sam’s Club stores. Most of the foreign closings will be in Brazil.

Of the 16,000 employees impacted, 10,000 work in U.S. stores. The company plans to place those workers in nearby Walmarts. Employees who don’t find a place will get 60 days’ severance and training in job hunting.

Walmart stock swooned 30 percent last year in tough times for retailers. Macy’s and Kmart also recently announced significant store closings.

Veganuary: Week Two

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veggies

I understand that giving up something we enjoy helps us to build character.

After 15 days without meat, refined sugar or alcohol, my character is well under construction.

Midway through Veganuary, I have yet to attain that higher plane where I actually prefer a menu devoid of crab cakes, creme brûlée and champagne. Still, I am managing to stay the course.

In the words of my friend Betsy: “It’s good to have a change in your diet and explore different possibilities. All three are worthy efforts…. You can do it.”

IMG_0735Audrey, a pal from Palmyra High School, suggests I try Hungarian Mushroom Soup from the Moosewood Cookbook. The next day, my friend Geri, who once cooked in a vegetarian restaurant, offers to loan me the very same book.
Soon, my kitchen is fragrant with the scent of sautéing onions and mushrooms, the base for this earthy soup, zipped up with smoked paprika and dill.
Audrey is right. The soup is delicious, a recipe I will make again when I return to the Land of Eating Whatever the Hell I Want after my month-long cleanse.
IMG_0726I also give tofu another try, pan-frying triangular wedges that I’ve marinated in soy sauce, maple syrup, rice wine vinegar and garlic. I serve the tofu over steamed broccoli and sprinkle with sesame seeds, accompanied with San Pellegrino sparkling mineral water. I eat it with chopsticks, hoping it will conjure fond memories of sushi and bento boxes.
It’s better than I thought it would be, although I don’t see tofu rising to the top of my shopping list. At least I’m getting a healthy dose of protein, a tall order on a meat-free diet.

Because I run with a witty crowd, I also am getting lots of razzing. Suddenly, I am inundated with invitations to go out for burgers and beer, often accompanied with the postscript: LOL.

My neighbor Wayne summarizes his sentiments in four words: “See you in February.”

Others are more subtle:

“You need to have your head examined.”

“No wine? What were you thinking?”

“I can’t look. Let me know when it’s over.”

Fifteen days down; 16 days to go.

Philly’s first Home and Garden Show

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I like the Property Brothers on HGTV because they are hunky and can fix things.

You can meet them in all their manly-manliness at the new Philadelphia Home and Garden Show, now running at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks.

20150955f7dfc76c2bc.jpegThe brothers, Jonathan and Drew Scott, will appear on Jan. 16, hosting a question-and-answer session–who does your hair? how many flannel shirts do you own?–and a photo opp with fans.

Interested in going green? Exhibits include a full-scale, energy-efficient smart home constructed by Rudloff Custom Builders and powered by XFINITY.

Visitors also can buy crafts, stroll through six feature gardens, and attend DIY demos and such interactive challenges as decorating a ho-hum front door.

The show runs through Sunday. Tickets are $10 at the door or $8 online. Children under 12 are admitted free.

 

 

 

Cocktail of the Hour: The OBX Old-Fashioned

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IMG_0554

Joanne Moffett has the two characteristics of a great hostess: a warm heart and a generous pour.

She shows her admirable skills as a mixologist, whipping up Old-Fashioneds for a group of friends sharing a beach house on the Outer Banks.

IMG_0553A classic cocktail, the Old-Fashioned was invented in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1886. My parents sipped them in the 1960s. My mother’s stepfather shared his Old-Fashioned recipe with LBJ.

They are a little sweet for my taste, but I am willing to give them another try. (And likely will again after I complete my month without meat, refined sugar or alcohol on Jan. 31.)

Jo starts with this basic recipe, then puts her own special twist on the drink:

Ingredients

3 dashes Angostura Bitters

1 orange slice

1/2 oz. simple syrup (make your own or buy ready-made)

2 1/2 oz. bourbon

Optional splash of club soda

Maraschino cherry

IMG_0555Mrs. Moffett makes a posh Old-Fashioned. She uses Woodford Reserve, a small batch bourbon. And she doesn’t make do with perching an orange slice on the rim of the glass. She places rounds of fragrant orange peel in the bottom of the glass and muddles it to release the essential oils.

“This is a very important step,” she advises. “We want our Old-Fashioned to be fruity.”

IMG_0562Now it’s time to start pouring. Forget the jigger.

“I just eyeball everything,” she says.

“I’ll watch,” I say. “Very carefully.”

Into the glass go our ingredients, with lots of ice. We can’t decide if we want our Old-Fashioneds with or without the optional splash of club soda. So we decide to try both. After all, we are on vacation!

IMG_0560I take a sip. I like this Old-Fashioned. The oil from the orange peel adds a layer of freshness and complexity. And the premium bourbon also is a treat.

After meticulously researching both cocktails, I pronounce that I prefer my Old-Fashioned with a splash of soda. But if there isn’t any soda handy, I could cheerfully do without.

A few extra special ingredients–salt air, the rolling surf and good company–make this an especially  memorable cocktail. Cheers, Jo.

Blue lights going dark at Kmarts

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Attention Kmart shoppers:

Dozens of stores are closing as the retailer in cutting its losses. So far, Kmart is planning liquidation sales at stores in California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Ohio, South Dakota,  Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin and Hawaii, with more to come.

Kmart in Washington Township is one of more than 100 Kmart and Sears full-line stores that will be closed following an announcement from Sears Holdings in December.

Kmart in Washington Township is one of more than 100 Kmart and Sears full-line stores that will be closed following an announcement from Sears Holdings in December.

“Store closures are part of a series of actions we’re taking to reduce ongoing expenses, adjust our asset base and accelerate the transformation of our business model,” says  Howard Reifs, director, corporate communications, for Sears Holdings, Kmart’s parent company. “These actions will better enable us to focus our investments on serving our customers and members through integrated retail – at the store, online and in the home.”

It’s part of an initiative announced by Sears to shutter at least 100 Kmart and Sears locations in the U.S. after ice-cold holiday sales in electronics and apparel. The announcement comes days after Macy’s revealed it would close stores in response to lackluster sales.

Customers with layaway contracts at Kmart have the option of paying off the contract early or transferring their layaways to a neighboring store or online. Store staffers will receive severance pay and can apply for positions at surviving Sears or Kmart stores.

A farmers market, 365 days a year

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I like to shop at farmers markets that sprout in a designated place one special day a week, then disappear until the next time the following week.

But often I missed my chance because the market’s schedule did not coincide with my own.

This afternoon I shopped at the 7 Day Farmers Market that opened in December in a former Pathmark on Lancaster Pike in Wilmington.

IMG_0722There’s no website and no promotions besides the big banner on the store. Still, shoppers are flocking to the store, which is open from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday.

What you will find is a wide variety of fresh produce, ethnic foods, and dried herbs in bulk,  in addition to the traditional canned goods and frozen foods shoppers would have bought at the old Pathmark.

A number of former Pathmark employees found new jobs at the market and offer friendly, helpful service. Witness Scott, the enterprising and pleasant staffer who rounded up various options in quinoa from the organic and grains sections for me to compare. The  cashier invited me to take a free bag of clementines with me as I exited the store.

I enjoyed the variety of fresh produce, popping a container of hard-to-find Matari mushrooms into the cart. There are mounds of cactus leaves, bushels of beets and such mysterious vegetables as gray squash.

Prices on fruits and veggies trend lower than at traditional grocers. I paid 49 cents a pound for sweet potatoes, compared to $1.99 a pound at Acme. That said, some prices for non-perishables are higher. Costco wins hands down for the least expensive quinoa around.

 

Best things to buy in January

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exercise-equipment-dubaiThe first month of the year is traditionally associated with White Sales.

But there are better bargains to be had than discounts on sheets and towels, says DealNews, a tracker of online retail.

January is the best month to flex your buying muscle for fitness equipment. That’s due, in part, to the boomlet of consumers who have vowed to exercise more in 2016. Gyms and fitness centers also are offering healthy savings on memberships. (And if your local gym isn’t advertising a deal, don’t sweat that detail. Be proactive and ask for a discount.)

Other opportunities to save include:

  • Jewelry and chocolates, the goodies most often associated with Valentine’s Day. After Feb. 1, the price of romance takes a seasonal spike.
  • Tax software. Early filers get their refunds sooner. They also get the best deals on software. (Make sure your package includes whatever you will need to file your state tax return.)
  • Holiday decorations. Christmas is so over and Santa’s helpers at Lowe’s, Home Depot, Target and Pier 1 are marking down ornaments and other glittery goods up to 70 percent.

Veganuary: Week One

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cow-faceAfter one week with no meat, no refined sugar and no alcohol, I don’t feel especially virtuous.

Still, it’s clear that animals like me better, really they do. As I stroll through this peaceable kingdom, cows amble up from the meadow, just to lick my hand. Pigs squeal with delight as I pass by. Roosters crow their greetings. Salmon leap from streams and give me a finny high-five.

I feel more productive, plowing through work, then tackling jobs around the house. I confess a slight sense of accomplishment. And I’m bored.

IMG_0719Specifically, I am bored with my food. Whole wheat penne with pesto; pizza with spinach and roasted red peppers; black beans with salsa; hummus and flax crackers; baked sweet potatoes sprinkled with granola; the seemingly endless vat of homemade navy bean soup with tomatoes, carrots and kale.

And I wonder: am I getting boring, too?

I must decline an invitation from an Italian restaurant to sample new dishes and wines they are adding to the menu. I take a raincheck when a neighbor asks if I would like to share the venison she is roasting for dinner. I join a friend who is having a few people over for wine and cheese. I’m OK with my club soda and crackers. But I would prefer a buttery Chardonnay with brie.

On Day Eight I realize that I need to summon enthusiasm for the fare I’ve committed to for 31 days. As an adventurous eater, I ask myself: why do I embrace sea urchin yet turn up my nose at tofu? Perhaps it’s because I have tasted both and sea urchin is wild, creamy and sensual and tofu reminds me of a plastic bag distilled into squishy cubes.

So tomorrow I will buy a small container of tofu and marinate it. I will do my best to create a dish that is healthy and delicious.

If I still don’t like it I never have to eat it again. So there.

Day Eight. Twenty-three days to go.

Macy’s to shutter 40 stores

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After a cheerless holiday shopping season, Macy’s announced it will close 40 of its worst performing department stores.

550px-Macys_dep_storeMacy’s has been disappointing investors for five consecutive quarters. So why are shoppers putting less in those bright red bags with the big white stars?

Analysts say middle- and upper-end department stores are lagging the field, while speciality retailers, such as Barnes and Noble, are faring better than expected. Meanwhile, TJ Maxx and other discounters are ringing up sales that traditionally would have gone to Macy’s.

Weather and tourism also were factors. Sales of outerwear swooned in a balmy autumn and winter. And the stronger U.S. dollar discouraged European tourists from loading up on clothes and accessories, especially at Macy’s flagship store in New York’s Herald Square.

Macy’s operates more than 900 stores under its Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury marquees.

Cashing out your cluttered closet

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A lot of New Year’s resolutions involve losing weight–and not necessarily around our hips.

It’s also a time to reduce clutter by shedding excess layers in our closets.

The result is a January boomlet for resale shops, according to the folks at Clothes Mentor, a nationwide network of stores, including a location at the Shoppes at Dilworthtown Crossing on Route 202 in West Chester.

Resale shops have an edge over traditional consignment stores because the sellers are paid immediately. When clothes and accessories are consigned, the sellers get a check when and if an item sells, sometimes after several markdowns.

19557_1330164701423_3357406_nSo, how to get started? Here are a few tips:

  • If you’re not sure what to get rid of, Clothes Mentor experts suggest you use the six month rule. If you haven’t worn it in six months, let it go. (I say, don’t do it! Hang onto those skinny pants, your favorite sweater from college, the most excruciatingly adorable shoes in the whole world for at least two years after the last wearing–or until your house burns down.)

  • That said, make sure your items have been in style in the past few years. Resale shops only buy items that will resonate with customers and turn over quickly.

  • Don’t bother trying to sell clothes that are stained, torn or otherwise damaged. Toss them. Straightaway.

  • Most resale stores require a valid ID in order to make a sale, so don’t leave home without it.

  • I’ll add an extra tip. Resist spending your newfound cash on future clutter. Before you buy, ask yourself: Do I need it? Do I have room for it? And that said, do I really, really want it?