Earbuds & Apple

I went to the new Apple store in the Meatpacking last week, and while I've determined that I am truly not an earbud fan (Maybe my ears are malformed?  Maybe I am really Vulcan?  Whatever the issue, they never stay put), but I am a fan of the Apple store.  I am sure this has been written about several thousand times, but not only is Apple ahead of the curve on consumer tech goods and gadgets, they are also ahead on retail/POS.  A staff member rushed over to me, took my credit card on the spot, and emailed me my receipt.  I didn't need to wait on line, or deal with cash registers, or a paper receipt - a truly modern take on perhaps what every store should strive for.  On the spot help.  This could certainly help reduce defecting customers, or customers who come into your store, find a product, and then buy it from a competitor's website FROM INSIDE YOUR STORE like a retail horror film.
Don't give them a chance - give them stellar and immediate service!

Gift Cards and Returns and Cash...Oh My!

I asked for a red scarf for Christmas. And I got it. And then when I brought it home I thought, "why did I ask for this?" So I returned it (sorry mom) - but I got something so much better! A gold (OK, not real gold) Skagen watch. I can't get enough of these Skagen watches, I have four! Then I also had a gift card from Bloomingdale's, so I went there and bought some Laura Mercier makeup...and then with the remainder put a small dent in a Elie Tahari coat that I couldn't say no to. It is so great - the style I have been seeking, 30% off, and...IT FITS! Then I headed to the Apple store where I bought a new iPod (an 8GB Nano) that I love - they have made some vast improvements over the one I bought about a year and a half ago. And since I gave them my old one back for "recycling," I got 10% off. THEN I went to Sephora because I had another gift card (thanks mom) and I bought a bunch of other fun makeup odds and ends from Make Up For Ever, Smashbox and Stila. I swear that store is a candy store for women.

Dec. 11, 2008: SoHo Holiday Stroll To Benefit the Homeless

Shopping for a Cause: SoHo Holiday Stroll To Benefit the Homeless on Dec. 11
100 Stores, Restaurants and Galleries Expected to Participate

The Association for Community Employment Programs for the Homeless (A.C.E.) and the SoHo Partnership are hosting a shopping event to raise money for homeless men and women.

The SoHo Holiday Stroll will take place throughout SoHo on Thursday, December 11, 6:00 - 11:00 pm. Participating businesses will stay open late and shoppers will have exclusive access to discounts and promotions in each store, gallery or restaurant. Promotions will range from shopping and dining discounts to free samples to complimentary cocktails and hors d'oeuvres. The businesses participating in the SoHo Stroll will raise money to support homeless men and women.

At this time, participating venues include: AK Anne Klein, the Apple store, Alex Beard Studio, Balthazar, Barolo, Cardboard Design, Design Within Reach, Design Within Reach: Tools For Living, Esprit, Fragments, Guess, Housing Works Bookstore & Café, Hugo Boss, the Hugo store, ILORI, Kiteya, Lacoste, L'Orange Bleue, Lure, Marciano, Mimi Fertz Gallery, Molton Brown, Nine West, the PUMA store, Solstice Sunglass Boutique, Spring Lounge, Theory, Tretorn Shop and Versani (two locations).

Shoppers can check in to http://www.sohoholidaystroll.com/ closer to the event for a more complete list of stores.

To attend the SoHo Stroll, shoppers will purchase a $20 silicone bracelet, which will qualify them for discounts and promotions. A $150 V.I.P. ticket will also be available; it will grant access to the same discounts and admission to a V.I.P. after-party. Bracelets will be for sale at participating stores. For more information, call (212) 274-0550 x17.

Apple Store on 5th Avenue

OK, so I am probably the last person in the free world who didn't know that the Apple store on Fifth Avenue in the 50s is open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year! If you also didn't know, please add a comment and admit it so that I don't feel so isolated in this cold, cruel, e-world.

Anyway, I lost my iPod, which I would normally be freaking out about, but I have recently taken a new approach to life, and instead, I saw it as an opportunity to get a better one! So in another slightly embarassing moment, I didn't know that they discontinued the iPod mini, which is what I had. So I got the new and improved 4GB Nano, as pictured here. It's red. Apple donates $10 to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa (www.JOINRED.com) with every purchase of this particular model. That alone makes it worth the $215. You can even get your name engraved on it, which I didn't do because there were like 2,000 people in the store this afternoon and I didn't want to wait.

The experience was fast, but not entirely friendly. I walked over to the table of Nanos, pointed to the one I wanted, the guy ran my card through a wireless device and emailed me my receipt. Done. I'll take that kind of swift service, thank you.

These guys are unstoppable!