JCA Blog Mentioned in NYT {yeah!}

A big "thanks!" to Roxy (in this post) & Lee, who let us know about the following article from the New York Times (click here to read in its entirety) with a special shout-out to a certain little blog...

Click Wisely to Shop, and Enjoy the Pie
By Claire Cain Miller
November 21, 2012

Some people may be looking forward to leaving Thanksgiving dinner before the pie is served to join the Black Friday rush, which will begin during dinnertime Thursday, earlier than ever, at stores like Sears, Walmart and Lord & Taylor.

But for those who prefer to stay for the pie course, ...there are just as many deals to be found online this year, especially for smart shoppers.

Last year, online shoppers spent $816 million on Black Friday, an increase of 26 percent from the year before, and an additional $2.3 billion over Thanksgiving weekend and Cyber Monday, according to comScore. It expects online spending to rise this year.

...To find your way around those problems, here are some tips from online shopping pros, retailers and shopping bloggers.

...SHOP ON TUESDAYS One of the secrets of online shopping is that prices change by the second. To maximize your chances of getting the best price year-round, shop on Tuesday, a variety of e-commerce experts say. For whatever reason, Tuesday is when most e-commerce sites, ...post discounts and new items.

No matter the day, online retailers often start sales in the wee hours, so shop early.

As for the time of year, women’s clothes, shoes and accessories are discounted most in January, February, August and September, according to Shop It To Me, an online shopping search site. For consumer electronics like laptops, shop in midsummer and late September, before and after the back-to-school rush, according to Decide.com, a price comparison site.

NEVER PAY FULL PRICE Online holiday shoppers should use 40 percent off as a benchmark for a good deal... Expect discounts that are about 5 percent better from online-only retailers than from those that also operate brick and mortar stores, she said.

...Google, Amazon and even flash sale sites like Gilt.com do not always have the lowest prices. You might check small shopping blogs dedicated to your favorite brands, like Grechen’s Closet for contemporary women’s clothes or J.Crew Aficionada. ...

WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE Procrastinators might benefit during the holidays. Electronics sold online are least expensive in the week before Christmas, according to Decide, especially TVs, laptops and cameras. ...

NEVER PAY FOR SHIPPING... Nine of ten retailers will offer free shipping on certain purchases this holiday season, and a third will offer free shipping on all purchases, according to the National Retail Federation.

...Many companies, including Gap and J.Crew, also let you return an online purchase to a local store. And until Dec. 31, PayPal will cover the return shipping cost if the merchant does not, as long as you pay with PayPal and make the return within 30 days.

...BE DILIGENT No one has time to read 50 e-mails a day from retailers. But for your favorite e-commerce sites, it is worth signing up for e-mails, as well as tracking them on Facebook and Twitter, where they often post exclusive deals. Many online shoppers have more luck hunting for items than trusting services to send alerts, ... "It is the thrill of the hunt that gets us going, after all,” she said.  

I love the tiny shout-out to the JCA Blog. {yey!} The article also gave some good tips. My big tip for any J.Crew shopper: wait it out! I know J.Crew won't appreciate this, but everything goes on sale eventually. And more often than not, it goes on sale early. (Especially considering those universal 25% promos that have been recurrent these past few weeks. Just imagine the post holiday sales!) 

If you happen to buy full retail price, make sure it is a piece you absolutely love. Then you will never regret getting it at any price. :)

What are your thoughts on the article? Did you agree or disagree with any of the points made?