Spring has arrived. And you know what that means? It’s prom season. The night all lowerclassmen wait for, the night the upperclassmen enjoy, and the night all parents worry about. All in all, it is a night that can change your high school life. Prom is something you do not want to miss out on.
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The holiday season is always filled with the hustle and bustle of angry shoppers trying to get the best deals on items. To beat the rush I decided to do my holiday shopping early this year. So at the end of November I snagged great deals on items for all of my friends. The best part of it is now I have a stress-free holiday season. Last season I wasn’t prepared at all and the deadline for gift giving snuck up on me. The Friday before my friends leave for winter break is when I do my gift giving. Last year I waited until Thursday night to go and buy everything and wrap it. But this year I’m much better prepared. This Thursday before break, I’ll only be wrapping gifts and adding finishing touches.
I’m a high school senior, which means this will be the last Christmas I’ll be spending as a kid at home. I want to live every moment to the fullest and make the most of my time. It will be my last Christmas with all my friends at home and I know it will be sad, but it’ll also be fulfilling.
Happy Holidays!
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BROOKLYN, NY -- The days of hanging out at the mall after school are gone. At least in Brooklyn at the Atlantic Terminal mall. Security guards will not allow groups of four or more people under the age of 21 into the mall at once, if unaccompanied by a parent, according to the New York Times.
This is the mall’s new policy, in response to a flash mob incident that happened last year. A flier was apparently posted on a social networking site, which resulted in thousands of teenagers showing up at the Buffalo Wild Wings. Deputy Inspector Anthony M. Tasso, the commander of the 88th Precinct, told the New York Times that the flash mob got out of control, and there were two shootings and one stabbing in the streets nearby.
A spokesperson for the Atlantic Terminal Chuck E. Cheese said he has not really noticed the new policy in effect. “We’re on the third floor, and we don’t allow in anyone under 18 years old who isn’t accompanied by an adult anyway,” he said.
Target also said they were not affected by the recent policy changes. This could be due to the fact that school just started, and social groups are forming and re-forming. Or maybe the effects only fall on the students. The Times reports, “Students said they had noticed a zestful enforcement of the policy since the school year began.”
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If money equals power... then the youth in China are holding the power. According to enovate, 80 percent of China's "wealthy consumers" are under 45. Companies are focusing on how to reach this money pocket: the Chinese youth consumer.
However, young Chinese consumers will not be easily manipulated. A phenomenon called "group shopping," or Tuan Gou, is growing rapidly throughout Asia, but also spreading throughout the world. It was listed as one of the 2010 Youth Trends to follow, in a report put out by Youth Research Partners, and shoppers are using it to lower prices of expensive items.
Group Shopping is when several consumers, all looking for the same thing, communicate with each other online and lobby for a lower price. This shows just how powerful online social networking can be. It's possible to connect with people you don’t know just to buy, buy, buy exactly what you want!
A helpful example is explained on the China IWOM Blog. Let’s say you are looking to buy a car for a certain price. The first step is to put this information online. Then you wait for people to join you with similar purchase requirements. Then, the leader of the group approaches the company, and works to get the best deal for the group. In today's economy, car companies are usually willing to bargain. Then, the group meets with the dealer to make the purchase.
You may have read the previous YMI post by Brianna Gaxiola, about being a Shopaholic. If you identified with Brianna, then maybe it's time to form a Shopaholics United, and go group shopping!
By: Brianna Gaxiola
Shopping has evolved into a hobby for most young people worldwide. It is an activity that most partake in. Some people do it in groups while others do it alone. I personally love to shop; it stems from my love for fashion I've held since I was born. Now in my teenage years I must ask myself the question: Has my love for shopping turned me into a shopaholic? I love to shop and if I could I would all the time.
The word reeks of someone with a problem. Like alcoholics have a problem with alcohol. I wouldn’t call my shopping a problem BUT isn’t the first step in admitting you have a problem denial?
The Dictionary defines shopaholic as "a compulsive shopper," while a teen slang site, Urban Dictionary, cleverly states that it’s a slang term to describe oniomania. A disorder that describes peoples urges to shop till they drop. People, who have been diagnosed with the disorder, experienced significantly negative life changes. They spend money until there is nothing left to spend. They can not stop-even if they try. A lot of people with oniomania can directly link their shopping habits to their emotional situation. If you’re sad ... buy a bag? Not the healthiest way to deal with depression but many say that it does indeed help to spend cash to make them feel better.
That most definitely does not sound like me. First of all, I can only spend if I do indeed have the money to do so. I personally can walk into a store and successfully walk out with nothing purchased, something a shopaholic would not be able to do. While shopping makes me happy it is not the first thing I do when I am upset. Shopping has only brought me joy and happiness; it has never negatively effected me in any way. I don't think we can blame the misconception of the word shopaholic, I mean we do live in a consumer society.
The word shopaholic can be defined as a "woman's" problem. I think we can all agree that Women enjoy shopping more than most men. But men generally enjoy "collecting" things, be it cars or tools or even stamps. Isn’t this just buying a lot of something? So can I label myself a collector of shoes and clothes? It sounds so much better than a shopaholic. I shop a lot but as far as having a clinical disorder, I do not believe I have gone that far.
From a shopping lover to another, here are some tips on how to avoid excessive shopping. One, Pay in cash. You’ll be more aware of how much you are spending then just using credit. Two, Make a shopping list. Only buy what's on the list and nothing else, I mean nothing else. Three, window shop. You'll enjoy browsing the latest things while keeping your wallet in a safe place.
Apps are taking over the way people function—at least when it comes to shopping. There is an app for Black Friday. For just $2.99 you can have a map of your favorite mall on your phone—making your Black Friday shopping much easier.
“Mall Maps - You Are Here, a portable database of mall floor plans, store lists and other information intended to help shoppers avoid some headaches this holiday.” via CNN Money
The app has maps for 1,000 malls nationwide. Your shopping experience will not be the same. But this isn’t the only app that can help you during Black Friday. Dealcatcher.com recently launched a new free iphone app called TGI Black Friday.
“The app, which boasts over 8,000 Black Friday deals from major retailers, is aimed more directly at bargain hunters.”
There is one more app that caught my eye—this is the one I would use. It’s free and it’s using Google’s Android mobile operating system—it’s a price comparing app:
“The app allows users to scan the barcode of an item with the phone's camera. It then pulls up listings for that item at competing retailers with prices and reviews.”
The number of people shopping this Black Friday is expected to increase by 16 percent. A study done by the National Retail Federation reports that 57 million people are expected to make their way to the stores to compare to the 49 million people last year. The survey also mentioned another 77 million people who will wait after seeing the weekend deals.
If economists were praying for a teen-led consumer spending surge this Holiday season, the October retail numbers have surely shaken their faith. Analysts are calling the teen apparel numbers for October- a traditionally slow month, admittedly- a "big disappointment". Preppy icon Abercrombie & Fitch reported a 39% drop in profit, and is bleeding market share to most cost concious retailers like Aeropostale.
Digging into the numbers reveals a bit of a jumble. Same store sales are up over last year in many cases, but analysts warn that those numbers are up from the economic abyss that was last October- when the country was still reeling from the credit crunch and the Presidential election was still on the line. In short, things are better than last year, but that's like saying a hernia is better than loosing your leg to a great white shark attack.
The worst part is that for a minute there, it looked like things were going to be okay. From Bloomberg:
U.S. consumer spending in September dropped for the first time in five months, according to Commerce Department data. Spending fell 0.5 percent after a 1.4 percent jump in August. Consumer confidence in October also declined. The jobless rate reached a 26-year high of 9.8 percent in September.
After the jump, video games bring a bright spot... sort of...
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Now that we going back to school, we are trying to find the stores with the best values. I don’t think people care about brands as much anymore as long as they can find something to cover up with. I have been to a lot a stores lately, especially at the mall, and they all are advertising so-called “specials.” But how much are you really saving?
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Tonight, Oakland is throwing a massive street fair right at our back door: Uptown Unveiled. It's a celebration of the rebirth of the Uptown district- home to the newly renovated Fox theatre, a bazillion condos, and... that's right: Youth Radio.
We'll be out on our back stoop, listening to the music, doing a little mingling, and doing a little sonic experimentation like we did at Maker Faire a few weeks back.
The party is on from 5PM until 10PM tonight.
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