Posts Tagged ‘wine’
Brand-name Gifts
Why do we buy brands? If you ask my MBA marketing professor, we purchase brands not just out of affinity or loyalty. The habit of buying brands lowers the risk of dissatisfaction. Nobody wants to get the wrong thing, so we stick with the brands we trust to deliver results.
So what brands does your gift recipient love? Chances are, buying their preferred brands (while more expensive) may lead to a delightful present. For example, I check web sites and stores for my wife’s favorite brands when considering gift ideas.
- Jewelry: Tiffany & Co.
(the charm bracelet I gave on her birthday remains a favorite) - Baskets: Longaberger
- Bakeware and housewares: Pampered Chef, Crate & Barrel and Williams-Sonoma
- Small kitchen appliances: KitchenAid
- Pottery: Little Bit of Bybee
- Chocolate: Godiva
- Perfume: Chanel Allure
- Music: Josh Groban, Michael Bublé and Jim Brickman
- Scarves: Burberry
- Wine: Chateau Ste. Michelle
- Liqueur: Baileys Irish Cream
- Slippers: Uggs
- Floral delivery: ProFlowers
The next time you’re stumped for a gift, try composing a favorite brands list for inspiration.
Tags: chocolate+candy, clothing, flowers, for her, fragrance, gift ideas, jewelry, music, wine
Yesterday I posted to Twitter about shipping my old iPhone to gadget reseller Gazelle. Within 12 minutes, the folks at Gazelle noticed my tweet message, followed my Twitter feed and sent a nice reply.
That’s a great customer follow-up use of social media. Gazelle’s prompt response made me think about other sites I frequent. How many of my favorite retailers are using Twitter? And when did they start posting tweets? I compiled the table below using Twitter’s “Find People” search and MyTweet16, which lists a Twitter user’s first 16 tweets.
Retailers Using Twitter
| Retailer Web Site | Twitter Use |
| Amazon.com #1 online retailer in the U.S. |
@amazon since Feb. 14, 2009 |
| Barnes & Noble Bookseller |
@BNBuzz since Apr. 22, 2009 |
| Best Buy Consumer electronics |
@BestBuy since Jan. 28, 2009 |
| Borders Bookseller |
@BordersMedia since Feb. 24, 2009 |
| CafePress Online retailer of custom goods |
@cafepress since Apr. 24, 2008 |
| Cooking.com Online retailer for cooks and chefs |
@CookingCom since June 19, 2009 |
| Crate & Barrel Housewares, furniture and decor |
@crateandbarrel since Apr. 25, 2008 |
| Dean & DeLuca Fine food, wine and kitchenware |
@DeanandDeluca since Mar. 23, 2009 |
| Dormbuys.com Essentials for college dorms |
@dormbuys since July 28, 2008 |
| Edible Arrangements Fruit arranged like flowers for delivery |
@DoFruit since Oct. 24, 2008 |
| Etsy Handmade crafts |
@Etsy since Jan. 14, 2008 |
| Gazelle Buys used gadgets |
@gazelle_com since Sept. 19, 2008 |
| Godiva Chocolatier Premium chocolates |
@GodivaChoc since Feb. 6, 2009 |
| JustGive.org Choose from 1.5 million charities for gifts |
@JustGiveOrg since Jan. 16, 2009 |
| Kiva.org Microlending for needy entrepreneurs |
@Kiva since July 25, 2008 |
| Kohls Department store |
@Kohls_Official since Apr. 27, 2009 |
| Lands’ End Clothing retailer with iron-clad guarantee |
@LandsEndChat since Sept. 27, 2008 |
| Levenger Gifts for reading and writing |
@Levenger since Jan. 16, 2009 |
| Nordstrom Upscale department store |
@nordstrom since Sept. 5, 2008 |
| Omaha Steaks Premium meats and seafood |
@OmahaSteaksHelp since June 17, 2009 |
| OneShare Sells one share of stock as a framed gift |
@oneshare since Feb. 4, 2009 |
| Overstock.com Online retailer selling surplus goods |
@Overstock since Nov. 20, 2008 |
| PajamaGram Pajamas sent in a hat box |
@PajamaGram since May 14, 2009 |
| ProFlowers Floral delivery |
@ProFlowers since May 5, 2009 |
| Starbucks Largest coffeehouse chain in the world |
@Starbucks since Aug. 12, 2008 |
| Sur La Table Gourmet cooking utensils and appliances |
@Sur_La_Table since June 11, 2009 |
| Teleflora Floral delivery |
@Teleflora since Mar. 6, 2009 |
| The Fruit Company Fruit basket delivery |
@TheFruitCo since Apr. 29, 2009 |
| ThinkGeek Online retailer for nerd stuff |
@thinkgeek since Jan. 26, 2008 |
| Ticketmaster Concert, show and sports tickets |
@Ticketmaster since Apr. 14, 2009 |
| Trader Joe’s Great groceries and inexpensive wine |
@traderjoes since Aug. 28, 2008 |
| Travelocity Travel and lodging |
@travelocity since Feb. 10, 2009 |
| ToysRUs Toy retailer |
@ToysRUs since Nov. 15, 2008 |
| Uncommon Goods Unusual home accessories and gifts |
@uncommon_goods since Jan. 24, 2009 |
| Urban Outfitters Clothing and footwear retailer |
@UrbanOutfitters since July 21, 2008 |
| Vera Bradley Seller of brightly patterned bags |
@verabradley since June 4, 2008 |
| Z Gallerie Home decor, furniture and dinnerware |
@zgallerie since June 14, 2009 |
| Zappos.com CEO of the online shoe retailer |
@zappos since Mar. 8, 2008 |
| Zazzle.com Online retailer for custom merchandise |
@zazzle since Oct. 24, 2008 |
Of the 40 retailers above, grocery chain Trader Joe’s use of Twitter impressed me the most. Nearly all of Trader Joe’s posts are simply retweets of customer talking about TJ’s food and beverages on Twitter. (Jargon alert: Retweets repeat someone else’s message on Twitter — crediting the author — to help spread the message to others. Often abbreviated as RT, it’s word of mouth, Twitter-style.)
Finally, as I’m writing this post, Gazelle sent me another Twitter reply. This time, Gazelle thanked me for my tweet and offered me a 5% bump in value on my next Gazelle gadget trade-in.
Tags: books, charitable gifts, chocolate+candy, clothing, coffee, college, customer service, decor, flowers, food, gadgets, gift baskets, gift sites, giftology, stock, thank you, toys, travel, wine
This year, Cupid gave bottles of wine and ballotins of chocolate. First, I chose the “Mondavi’s Cellar Selection” from Wine Country Gift Baskets. Four bottles of Robert Mondavi wine came in a gift basket stuffed with goodies like cinnamon cashews, bread twists, crackers and spicy snack mix. I’ll admit the sheer green ribbon adorning the basket doesn’t follow the red hues of Valentine’s Day. But the two red wines among the four bottles make up for it.
Next, I gave my wife the best wine opener on the market, Le Creuset Elegance Chrome Lever Model Screwpull
Finally, chocolate is a must for Valentine’s Day. I ordered online a 36-piece ballotin of Candinas chocolates. Candinas follows the Forrest Gump philosophy: “My momma always said, ‘Life is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get.’” Unlike other chocolatiers, you won’t find a map to each Candinas chocolate in the box. Candinas makes different batches of chocolates each day, a delicious chaos that makes a map impossible. These chocolates are heavenly, and we’ve learned to appreciate the mystery. And Candinas makes the chocolate fresh with no preservatives; it’s good for only 10 days. We’re up to the challenge.
Tags: chocolate+candy, food, for her, gift baskets, gift ideas, indulgences, valentine's day, wine
Defying the economic trend, the magic elves at Amazon.com scored their best holiday season ever. On its busiest day, Monday, December 15, 2008, Amazon.com processed a record-breaking 72.9 items per second. That’s 6.3 million items ordered worldwide in a single day. The online retail juggernaut also released its top three bestsellers in several categories for the 2008 holiday season.
Toys
Electronics
- Samsung 52-Inch 1080p LCD HDTV
- Apple iPod Touch (8 GB)
- Acer Aspire One 8.9-inch Netbook in Sapphire Blue
DVDs
Video Games
Sports and Outdoors
Jewelry
- 14k White Gold Journey Curve Pendant
- Platinum, Round, Diamond 4-Prong Stud Earrings
- Sterling Silver Marcasite and Garnet 18-inch Glass Heart Pendant
Watches
- Invicta Men’s Pro Diver Stainless Steel Watch
- Citizen Eco-Drive Men’s Chronograph Canvas Watch
- Movado Men’s Juro Stainless Steel Watch
Books
- The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
- Eclipse (The Twilight Saga, Book 3) by Stephanie Meyer
- Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4)
by Stephanie Meyer
Music
Home and Garden
- Oster 4207 Electric Wine Opener
- Vinturi Essential Wine Aerator
- Cuisinart CSB-76 SmartStick Hand Blender
Clothing
- Kenneth Cole Reaction Men’s Eden Wool Pea Coat
- AK Anne Klein Women’s Petite Double Breasted Peacoat With Hood
- Columbia Sportswear Trinity Bomber Jacket
Baby
Gourmet Food
- Taste of Italy gift basket
- Holiday Cheer gift basket
- Create-a-treat Gingerbread House Kit, Deluxe Model
Home Improvement
- Stanley 95-155 3-in-1 Tripod LED Flashlight
- Rockwell RK9000 Jawhorse
- Toro 38361 Power Shovel 7.5 Amp Electric Snow Thrower
Tags: books, christmas, clothing, dvds, food, for baby, gadgets, games, gift baskets, gift ideas, jewelry, music, tools, toys, wine
It’s Christmas Eve, and you just can’t break away from the 24-hour “A Christmas Story”
The solution: a last-second e-gift card. I’ve compiled a list of 43 e-gift card sites to send online now, noting which e-gift cards allow for online and/or in-store shopping.
- Ale in the Mail Wine Club Gift Announcement (online only)
- Amazon.com Gift Card
(online only)
- Ann Taylor E-Gift Certificate (higher-end, polished clothing) or Ann Taylor LOFT E-Gift Certificate (more relaxed styles in an “upper moderate” price range). Online only for both.
- Bath & Body Works E-Gift Card (online only)
- BedandBreakfast.com Getaway E-mail Gift Card (select B&Bs only)
- Bloomingdale’s E-Gift Card (redeem online, from catalog and in stores)
- Blue Nile E-mail Gift Certificates (jewelry; online only)
- Coldwater Creek E-Gift Card (women’s apparel; redeem online, from catalog and in stores)
- Cooking.com E-mail Gift Certificate (online only)
- Clinique eGift Card (cosmetics and fragrances; redeem online or by phone — but not in stores)
- eBags E-mail Gift Certificate (purses, handbags, backpacks and luggage; online only)
- Gardener’s Supply Company E-Gift Card (online only)
- Kohls Department Store E-Gift Card (redeem online and in stores)
- Lady Foot Locker E-mail Gift Card (redeem online or by phone — but not in stores)
- Lands’ End E-Gift Card (apparel; redeem online and in stores)
- Lane Bryant E-Gift Card (plus-sized women’s apparel; redeem online and in stores)
- Lenox.com e-Gift Certificate (fine china, tableware and collectibles; online only)
- Liz Claiborne Online Gift Certificate (women’s apparel; online only)
- L.L. Bean E-mail Gift Card (redeem online, by phone, from catalog and in stores and outlets)
- Macy’s E-Gift Card (redeem online and in stores)
- Magazines.com E-Gift Card (annual magazine subscriptions; online only)
- Martha Stewart Crafts E-Gift Card (online only)
- Match.com Gift Subscription (online dating subscription; online only)
- NetFlix DVD Gift Subscription (online only)
- Nieman Marcus Virtual Card (redeem online, by phone and in stores)
- Nordstrom Virtual Gift Card (redeem online and in stores)
- PajamaGram Electronic Gift Certificates (online only)
- REI E-Gift Card (outdoor recreation gear and sporting goods; redeem online, by phone and in stores)
- Restaurant.com E-mail or Printed Gift Certificate (select restaurants only)
- Saks Fifth Avenue Virtual Gift Card (redeem online and in stores)
- Scrapbook.com Electronic Gift Certificate (online only)
- Sephora E-Gift Certificate (beauty products; online only)
- SpaFinder Gift Certificate with E-mail Announcement (select spas only)
- Stella Maternity E-mail Gift Certificate (online only)
- Talbots e-Gift Certificate (women’s apparel; redeem online, from catalog and in stores)
- Tea Forté E-mail Gift Certificate (gifts for tea lovers; online only)
- Uncommon Goods E-mail Gift Certificate (online only)
- Victoria’s Secret eGift Card (online only)
- Wine Enthusiast E-mail Gift Certificate (online only)
- World Market e-Gift Certificate (online only)
- Yankee Candle Gift Card (both e-mail and physical gift cards are sent)
- Zappos.com Electronic Gift Certificate (shoes; online only)
- Zazzle E-mail Gift Certificate (upload images and create custom T-shirts, mugs, posters and more; online only)
While some of these links above may apply to men, I also have a similar list for the guys: Better Than Tube Socks: 21 Last-minute Online Gifts for Guys.
Tags: bath+body, candles, christmas, clothing, for her, for mom, fragrance, gift cards, gift ideas, gift sites, jewelry, mother's day, movies, wine
