Archive for the 'Business/Consumer' Category

Chrysler’s reGenesis Means Fewer Models & Dealerships

Jeep needs a turnover as well

Former “big three” cohort Chrysler will try to dodge (pun intended) disaster by carving out about half of its models as well as decrease its network of dealerships.

Shrinking the number of dealers will be difficult, however, because of laws in all the states protecting those businesses, analysts said. If Chrysler, with about 3,600 dealers, wants to move quickly, it likely will have to offer financial incentives.

Over the years, the automaker and its U.S. rivals, General Motors Corp (NYSE: GM) and Ford Motor Co (NYSE: F), have tried to shrink their dealer numbers, often facing great resistance. However, analysts said some dealers may be more receptive now, given the weak U.S. economy, if the offers are generous.

Reuters

Forbes recently crowned five Chrysler cars as “Automotive Turkeys” on its list of 10 Poorest Performing Cars for 2007. Those models included Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Nitro, Jeep Liberty, Dodge Caliber, and Dodge Magnum. Factors included number of recalls, high depreciation, and NHTSA ratings below four stars. Not to mention they’re all ugly, so…um…that’s probably why also. In addition to the elimination of models — some of which are ineffectually duplicated and rebadged models — Project Genesis calls for the introduction of new, competitive models. The dealerships will likely be consolidated to include all three nameplates under one roof.

If I was a betting man, I’d go all in on the idea that Kirk Kerkorian and Carlos Ghosn will both be involved in preparing a gameplan that includes Chrysler LLC.

Large popcorn please…no butter.

A “fire sale” may not be enough.

Popularity: 14% [?]

The Donald Trump Reacts To Bernanke’s Stimulus

In his interview with Neil Cavuto yesterday, The Donald reacts firmly to Ben Bernanke’s suggestion for a fiscal stimulus package. I almost became enraged at Trump’s arrogance until I saw Cavuto’s mug. Have you ever seen someone…a total stranger…and thought to yourself “I hate that guy” based solely on looks? Hey, Trump. Please get Cavuto on the next Celebrity Apprentice so can fire his ass. Sorry. Here’s the vid.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Whataburger ‘12 Days Of Whataburger’ Coupons Not Valid

I’m not a huge fan of fast food, but I do have my moments. I will say that among the fast food burger joints in any region, Whataburger is hands down the best burger. It’s the closest thing to a real hamburger (as opposed to rubbery, fast food burgers). For those of you not in the South…well, you have no clue what I’m talking about. But if you make it down here, give it a try.

This morning I received an email from a friend containing 12 coupons to Whataburger. The coupons were for a vareity of items to be given away free. They included fried pie, medium french fries, breakfast on a bun, a 20 oz drink, and a burger. While it sounds like a good deal, the coupons are not valid.

It has come to Whataburger’s attention that an unauthorized, unreleased version of a proposed internet coupon promotion called the “12 Days of Whataburger” has been circulated via email. These are NOT valid coupons and will not be honored at Whataburger restaurants.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for your understanding.

Here’s an example of one of those coupons.

Some things are just too good to be true.

Popularity: 6% [?]

Cyber Shopping Draws An Early Crowd, PayPal Offers 20% Cash Back

Nevermind waiting for the “last minute” shipping prices to kick in. According to Sunday’s comScore Black Friday press release, online sales of consumer electronics from November 1st to 23rd rose 21% from 2006. So last night I decided to visit the Amazon.com bestsellers lists. The bestselling electronics items at Amazon.com was primarily made up of GPS systems and digital cameras. Among the top items, the Top 3 included [1] the Kindle Wireless Reading device (pictured at right), [2] Garmin nüvi 660 Pocket Vehicle GPS Navigator, and [3] the Apple 4 GB iPod nano AAC/MP3 Player Silver (3rd Generation).

The same study of e-commerce spending discovered that Video Games, Consoles & Accessories increased 134% over 2006. The Top 15 Bestselling Video Game items on Amazon.comincluded the following:

1. Super Mario Galaxy
2. Nintendo DS Lite Crimson & Black
3. Wii Nunchuk Controller
4. Wii Play with Wii Remote
5. Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Official Strategy Guide
6. Nintendo DS Lite Metallic Rose with Nintendogs Best Friends (NDS Pink Bundle)
7. Brain Age 2: More Training in Minutes a Day
8. Wii Remote Controller
9. Xbox 360 Pro Value Bundle
10. Assassin’s Creed
11. Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games
12. Brain Age
13. Mario Party DS
14. Halo 3
15. Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

If none of these items whet your palette, check out this list of cool holiday tech toys.

PayPal Offers Cash Back For Purchases
Of course “restrictions apply”. But 20% cash back is well worth the effort. PayPal is offering up to $50 per PayPal account when you shop at select merchants. Click here to see which merchants are included in this special deal.

Popularity: 4% [?]

Cyber Monday Over Black Friday?

I’m obsessed with Black Friday. Not the shopping part, but the consumer habits part. It amazes me how many people sit outside of a Best Buy (NYSE: BBY) and wait for only about a dozen super deals. Some Best Buy employees think its hilarious. Many stores have started to roll those savings into the weekend.

This weekend, I purchased a Canon 7.1 MP PowerShot SD1000 Digital Elph Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom for $149.99 from Circuit City (NYSE: CC). By the the end of my shopping experience, I walked out about $212 poorer, but with a new camera, a 2GB SD card, a camera case, and a 24-month warranty. Not bad. But I took the lures, and chomped down hard.

According to comScore, Black Friday spending is up 22%.

More than $9.3 billion has been spent online during the season-to-date, marking a 17-percent gain versus the corresponding days last year. Online retail spending was strong on both Thanksgiving Day (up 29 percent to $272 million) and “Black Friday” (up 22 percent to $531 million), outpacing the season-to-date growth rate.

The sale of video games, consoles, and accessories is up 134% from last year. While flat panel TVs received the hype last year, this year has clearly been video game focused. Regardless of the focus, Black Friday is always the benchmark for retailers. It has historically been a fairly accurate forecasting tool for Cyber Monday and the rest of the holiday shopping season. comScore Chairman Gian Fulgoni believes that Cyber Monday spending will exceed $700 million. At a 22% clip, he might be right.

Some think the name Cyber Monday is dumb (I do). Other seasoned online shoppers actually believe that Cyber Monday is a joke. Not likely. The trend so far suggests that online retailers will have the last laugh.

Walmart.com Turns Cyber Monday Into Cyber Week
Walmart.com (NYSE: WMT) is extending its Cyber Monday sale through December 1. While this may not be a trendsetting move, certainly it will keep consumers’ attention. Huge Cyber Monday Savings at Walmart.com will turn into a week long shopping spree. Last year, Walmart.com pushed its toy promotions with $0.99 shipping. However, with all of the toy recalls this year, toy safety is a huge concern and are expected to affect toy sales this year.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Mattel Recalls Another 773,900 Barbie® & GeoTrax™ Toys

It looks like Barbie toys continue to put a bad taste in our mouth…make that our children’s mouths. Add one more recall to the list (i.e. Sesame Street, Dora, and Diego and Thomas The Tank Engine) due to Chinese-produced toys with lead-based paint. Yesterday, Mattel voluntarily recalled a variety of toys to include Big Big Worldâ„¢ 6-in-1 Bongo Band toys, GeoTraxâ„¢ Locomotive toys, and Barbie® Accessory Sets. I’m happy to know that my son doesn’t have any of these toys; but for those of your kids that do, here are the details. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 2% [?]

A Good Review Can Go A Long Way

Reviews on Derrich.com are primarily paid reviews. There’s no secret there. But sometimes, I feel the need to publish a review for an exciting new product or service that I’ve used. Before I make purchases, particularly of electronics, I always search for reviews by an end user. While it’s nice to read a review by an editor, or a manufacturer’s explanation of their product, reviews by consumers are first on my list. Recently, I wrote two reviews that have earned some noteworthy attention.

Infiniti G37 Coupe Review
I had the opportunity to test drive an Infiniti G37 Coupe about 2 weeks ago. I wrote all about the experience and included some pictures. Since then, my review has been linked on numerous G37 and Nissan forums. I have received a little over 1,000 hits (1,005 as of late last night) from Google searches on some variation of “Infiniti G37 Coupe”. Last I checked, my post was in the Top 10 search results for many of those variations…and #1 under “G37 test drive”.

Meguiar’s Ultimate Quik Detailer
I have virtually zero bad things to say, if any, about Meguiar’s Ultimate Quik Detailer since I wrote my review over a week ago. I snapped a couple of photos of its “Hydrophobic” effects on my car, which simulate the beading qualities of a fresh wax.

Shortly after I posted the review, I decided to forward the link to Meguiar’s. Within a day, I had received the following email:

Dear Derrich,
Let me be the first to thank you for taking the time to send in this link. That is a great write up, and if you do not mind I will be passing this on to other departments within Meguiar’s. If you have any other questions please feel free to contact me anytime. Have a wonderful day!

Thank you very much,
Ash Erickson

Shortly after I replied with an email just short of “Heck, yes!”, I received an email from its public relations company, that also represents other auto-related manufacturers. To my surprise, I was congratulated with a good amount of sample products from Meguiar’s and a variety of other manufacturers. My camera is kaput and I’m in the middle of changing phones (more on that later), so I can’t offer you pictures of these items. But the moment an opportunity arises, I’ll get that up.

There are only a handful of bloggers that write thorough AND interesting reviews worth reading. I’d like to include myself in that category, but that’s for readers to decide. Whether or not the review is sponsored, a good review (in my opinion) includes photos for depth and focus on the main characteristics on the product or service…and how those features benefit the user. And don’t hesitate to point out any fallacies. Those are the things that help consumers decide whether a product is right for their needs.

Popularity: 6% [?]

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