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One hot product today is the reusable shopping bag. Currently the most popular accessory sold in the US, these bags are just gaining regular use in the US, with the west coast and northeast leading the way. While most shoppers use the bags to help save 1000 plastic bags from the landfill each year, many have switched due to municipal bans or taxes on plastic bags. As more and more towns and cities try to solve the plastic bag dilemma, reusable shopping and grocery bags sales will continue to grow.   This growth in reusable bags makes selling these bags an ideal fundraiser.

Not only is the group making money to fund projects, but they are helping the environment at the same time.   Currently, less than 2% of plastic bags are being recycled, so almost 100 billion plastic bags make there way to our landfills or pollute our environment.  When littered, it has been estimated that over a million seabirds and 100,000 sea mammals are injured or killed by the bags.

When looking for a reusable shopping bag for a fundraiser, it is recommended that the group chooses a bag which folds into a self-storing pocket. These work best for

• Step 1: Search for second hand stores, thrift stores, resale shops, garage sales, flea markets and estate sales. These are some of the best places to find great bargains. You can search in your local newspaper, in online classifieds for your area, your online search engine, your local Yellow pages and by asking for referrals from your network of friends and family.
• Step 2: Plan your day of shopping. Make a map and a schedule to maximize your time. Be sure to include the store’s phone numbers in case you get lost.
• Step 3: Make sure that you have room in your car for any purchases that you make. Nothing is worse than finding things that you want to purchase and not having the room in your car.
• Step 4: When you are at each location, search immediately for the sale items. They are typically at the back of a store or are separated in a specific area at a garage sale. You can find some really great deals on used clothing items of all kinds. When you are at each location, also ask the sales people when the best time of the month or

Thrifting has always been a shopping favorite for those who shun mainstream consumerism, but recently this has taken a turn. With such an upscale donor base, NYC thrift shops have become coveted for their designer options year-round. The cast-offs of the rich and famous land in popular shops like Housing Works (which has 11 locations around the city), and beloved Brooklyn staple Beacon’s Closet. Each area offers a varied supply of designer and well-kept clothing, at basement prices (six dollar skirts and ten dollar dresses abound). Especially if you can catch one of these venues while they are hosting sales, the savings are immense in comparison to NYC prices.

Most notably, a few times a year Housing Works has warehouse sales where $20 will get you an empty bag, and whatever you can fit into it, you get to take. With endless opportunities (new donations appear daily), and unimaginable savings, a little thrifting can go a long way.

For those who need the department store feel, discount designer stores like Loehmann’s, Filene’s Basement, and Century 21 have taken over the city. Loehmann’s website tout’s itself as an “off-price specialty retailer,” which gets its brand-name items straight

I just made my weekly pilgrimage to the local Publix, the dominant grocery chain in my neck of the woods (which happens to be Florida) to be greeted by – at long last – reusable fabric grocery bags for sale at a mere 99 cents each. I selected four bags and put them in my empty cart. They were not only incredibly roomy, but well constructed and even fairly attractive. It was such a small act, but it felt like deliverance.

You see, my husband’s been complaining about plastic grocery bags for years now. He’s become more vocal about it since the EU and later San Francisco banned them last year. He works for a French company and travels to Europe several times a year. After every trip to the home office I have to hear about our wasteful American ways, and the inevitable commentary on all those plastic grocery bags we use comes up. Despite the fact that most grocery stores offer plastic bag recycling bins, and that we use them, he remains on his soap box. But not for long.

I agree with him, and have long contemplated pulling out the seemingly self-propagating pile

If you’re an experienced entrepreneur or sales person you’re probably used to seeing different kinds of promotional products used for sales pitches. They serve as the prime attraction for any trade show ever straightened. Logo printed shopping bags can now be considered as one of those seemingly regular goods that actually hold a lot of hyping potential.

To find out how these customized shopping bags can forge a difference in a certain vending campaign, take a look at some of their benefits:

Highly Reusable Items – These bags are formed to be used over and over again so they really do deliver great purpose to the user. As the advertiser, you can be persuaded that your recipients will be able to enjoy that detailed benefit that these bags give.
Comes in Lots of Bag Breeds – They are made from different materials like plastic, paper, and even cardboard that offer array for businesses who wish to see a lot of available alternatives for their marketing tools.

If you’re willing to take a stab at capitalizing customized shopping bags fore your next advertising progress, here are a few simple guidelines that can hopefully help you kick

Pop-up Messages

You can create strategic messages that pop up either when the customer first abandons his cart or the next time he enters your site. In the first case, you can include offers such as shopping discounts either online or in-store, an offer for a print catalog, or email opt-ins that will encourage him to complete the sale or shop with you later. If you want the pop-up to appear the next time the customer visits your site, you can include a link to his previous cart contents, a discount on the items he previously placed in his cart, or a summary of deals on similar items or cross- and up-sells.

Email Follow-Ups

If the customer has previously opted in to receive emails from you, send him an email that lists his cart contents along with targeted messaging that will encourage him to complete the sale. You can also send an email several days before his cart contents expire, reminding him of the abandoned shopping cart and letting him know how much time he has to complete the sale. If an item goes on sale or a current sale is about to end, create

In fact, a diet is the perfect example for how we can shop smart. When we want to lose weight and get healthy, we don’t just stop eating. We eat better. We eat more moderate portions, we take in less calories. If you’re trying to save money, but you consider fashion and style up there in your list of passions, there’s no reason you have to stop shopping. Just shop smart, and you can have both that savings account and a great wardrobe. All it takes is a bit more organization. Try to move away from the thought of shopping as being such a spontaneous activity. Sorry, but just like you can’t finish the pint of Ben & Jerry’s, you can’t just frolic from store to store on a buying spree.

• Take inventory of your pre-existing wardrobe. I know, it sounds really boring, but there are some perks. As in, you’ll probably rediscover some things you forgot you had, and that’s like getting something new – that’s why they call it “shopping your closet!” So, write down everything you own, in categories: pants, jeans, sweaters, tanks, blazers, blouses, skirts, sundresses, cocktail dresses – you get the idea.

Custom websites have been designed to make our shopping easy, simple and most of all, affordable. We have made it our mission to keep up with the hottest trends whether it’s chic, feminine or urban. Shoe websites now carry top rated shoe collections with the most vibrant hues, patterns and colors. It is now very common for most girls to be constantly drowned with flattering compliments on their gorgeous heels that can be sparkly, shiny, and or even jeweled. What more can a girl ask for? It’s safe to say that some shoe companies have perfected their style with nothing but the best. With glamorous pumps to classy wedges, ladies are guaranteed the spotlight on their night out!

For all the knock- out Fashionistas- Rocking the hottest shoes has never been this easy. With access to online shoe sites you cannot go wrong. There is an endless variety of what you can find online. Whether you are in need of sexy pumps, comfortable flats, sandals or the hottest wedges, online access gives you nothing but the best shoe options. Shoe companies have been coming out with fabulous trends season after season and even have Facebook pages sharing

Brand loyalty

A manufacturer was concerned that sales were dropping for their products in several retail stores. Mystery shoppers were used to visit the retail stores and “shop” for the manufacturer’s product. The manufacturer was able to determine if sales associates were leading customers away from their brand, and what was being said about their brand. Taking it a step further, a scenario was designed in which mystery shoppers would be interested in two products — one of the manufacturer’s and another of a competitor. Posing as undecided between the two, mystery shoppers would ask the associate for their recommendation. This allowed the manufacturer to determine which brand was being recommended and why, and how this impacted their sales at the retail level.

Breaking into a new market

A contractor service was ready to expand their business into a new market and sought out two potential markets of interest. Before making a decision, the company utilized mystery shoppers to glean competitor information. Mystery shoppers would contact similar services that already existed in each market, posing as a potential customer. Shoppers would listen to the sales presentation, gather pricing, and document policies and service procedures. Data

Abandonment is Part of the Shopping Process

Generally speaking, a company should see an abandoned shopping cart as part of the buying process. It is probably just a stepping stone in the ever complex series of actions a consumer has to take before finally making a purchase. It can also be seen as a strong indicator of consumer interest in a product or a brand. The technology that allows retailers collect and leverage online shopping cart data is going to be a worthwhile investment.

Abandoners are Still Great Sales Leads

According to data from SeeWhy, three-fourths of shoppers who have abandoned shopping carts say that they plan to return to the retailer’s website to make a purchase. Online-only retailers often face the disadvantage as they do not have multiple channels to recover the lost sales.

Re-targeting is Effective

If they want, retailers can reduce the rate of shopping cart abandonment and increase conversions. They need to streamline the checkout process and retarget shoppers with emails and calls after they’ve left the website. According to Listrak, initial emails, sent three hours after a consumer abandons a cart, average a 40% open rate and a