First of all, what is Birchbox you might ask? Birchbox is one if the first and most successful beauty subscription boxes targeting women and delivering packages full off small goodies every month for just $120/year. Subscribers and non-subscribers can also shop at their website and get full size items that they like. Up until now this service was subscription only, but there are small shops opening up at Walgreens here and there.
This partnership is destined to benefit both Walgreens and Birchbox. The first one will become more of a beauty destination as it has been trying to be since 2016 with heavy beauty investments, featured brands, and added beauty staff. The second will get more exposure and new clients, not to mention some good sales. Birchbox currently has about 2.5 million subscribers and knows what people like based on reviews, so it’s easy to pick what to sell at Birchbox-Walgreens to make it work.
The stores are 400-1,000 square feet and so far there are only 11 of them, one of which in Los Angeles we were able to visit. Here is what we think:
The first impression was kind of similar to what you would feel at Sephora. It’s light, bright, modern, inviting, had old birchboxes on display, and make up stations. There is a separate register and independent from Walgreens beauty consultants. The only thing in common between the two stores is the same roof over the heads.
Some of the brands that caught our eyes are drugstore staples like Covergirl, Maybelline, and NYX. While the Birchbox space was separate from the rest of Walgreens, it was located close to its beauty department and was like a more upscale continuation of it.
Birchbox is all about little boxes full of goodies, so there is no surprise that this model is prevalent here too. We loved a cute display of sample size products that you can choose yourself and build your own box for $15. The choices included makeup items, skin care lines, facial masks, moisturizers, makeup removers, and various products for everything hair.
We were not familiar with many of those products, so found descriptions on the tables and testers very helpful. After trying quite a few items, we knew what we were taking home with us.
The next station included all best sellers, according to consumers. Those products were loved and sold online in great numbers. According to the information board next to those items, over 50,000 reviews were left about them and love was in the air for us too. Who wouldn’t want to try what other people love so unanimously?
Some brands we saw are exclusive to Birchbox as the company supports up and coming cosmetics and niche brands. We found refreshing to try and buy some brands that are not available anywhere else, at least for now.
When it comes to prices, we found them comparable to Ulta’s, which is more expensive than what you usually find at Walgreens, but cheaper than at Sephora, kind of like a middle ground. Most full size items were between $15 and $40. Many drugstore brands sell beauty supplies for about $15 while high end stuff goes for over $40, and here you will be able to truly find the happy middle.
What made the store really stand out from the environment of Walgreens is the atmosphere. We loved cute vanities for hair and makeup product testing that gave homey feeling and luxurious vibes. We did not feel like we are at Walgreens at all!
Finally, there was even a spot made perfect for Instagram with a slogan “The Bright Side”, lighting, and tropical leaves.
Deeper into the store there were wall lined with full size products that included everything a beauty savvy lady might need, from makeup, to skin care, to hair styling needs, and beyond. All shelves were well organized, tidy, labeled, and self-explanatory.
The beauty consultant told us that upcoming holidays will see a lot of gift boxes, sets, and ideas. We definitely look forward to that!
The entire set up took us from the common drug store to a beauty paradise and we left thinking that this model will really work and hopefully expand to all cities. It’s attractive to young Instagrammers, convenient to shop at, and radiates the feeling of self-indulgence and care. It turns out Walgreens and Birchbox are a match made in heaven.
First of all, what is Birchbox you might ask? Birchbox is one if the first and most successful beauty subscription boxes targeting women and delivering packages full off small goodies every month for just $120/year. Subscribers and non-subscribers can also shop at their website and get full size items that they like. Up until now this service was subscription only, but there are small shops opening up at Walgreens here and there.
This partnership is destined to benefit both Walgreens and Birchbox. The first one will become more of a beauty destination as it has been trying to be since 2016 with heavy beauty investments, featured brands, and added beauty staff. The second will get more exposure and new clients, not to mention some good sales. Birchbox currently has about 2.5 million subscribers and knows what people like based on reviews, so it’s easy to pick what to sell at Birchbox-Walgreens to make it work.
The stores are 400-1,000 square feet and so far there are only 11 of them, one of which in Los Angeles we were able to visit. Here is what we think:
The first impression was kind of similar to what you would feel at Sephora. It’s light, bright, modern, inviting, had old birchboxes on display, and make up stations. There is a separate register and independent from Walgreens beauty consultants. The only thing in common between the two stores is the same roof over the heads.
Some of the brands that caught our eyes are drugstore staples like Covergirl, Maybelline, and NYX. While the Birchbox space was separate from the rest of Walgreens, it was located close to its beauty department and was like a more upscale continuation of it.
Birchbox is all about little boxes full of goodies, so there is no surprise that this model is prevalent here too. We loved a cute display of sample size products that you can choose yourself and build your own box for $15. The choices included makeup items, skin care lines, facial masks, moisturizers, makeup removers, and various products for everything hair.
We were not familiar with many of those products, so found descriptions on the tables and testers very helpful. After trying quite a few items, we knew what we were taking home with us.
The next station included all best sellers, according to consumers. Those products were loved and sold online in great numbers. According to the information board next to those items, over 50,000 reviews were left about them and love was in the air for us too. Who wouldn’t want to try what other people love so unanimously?
Some brands we saw are exclusive to Birchbox as the company supports up and coming cosmetics and niche brands. We found refreshing to try and buy some brands that are not available anywhere else, at least for now.
When it comes to prices, we found them comparable to Ulta’s, which is more expensive than what you usually find at Walgreens, but cheaper than at Sephora, kind of like a middle ground. Most full size items were between $15 and $40. Many drugstore brands sell beauty supplies for about $15 while high end stuff goes for over $40, and here you will be able to truly find the happy middle.
What made the store really stand out from the environment of Walgreens is the atmosphere. We loved cute vanities for hair and makeup product testing that gave homey feeling and luxurious vibes. We did not feel like we are at Walgreens at all!
Finally, there was even a spot made perfect for Instagram with a slogan “The Bright Side”, lighting, and tropical leaves.
Deeper into the store there were wall lined with full size products that included everything a beauty savvy lady might need, from makeup, to skin care, to hair styling needs, and beyond. All shelves were well organized, tidy, labeled, and self-explanatory.
The beauty consultant told us that upcoming holidays will see a lot of gift boxes, sets, and ideas. We definitely look forward to that!
The entire set up took us from the common drug store to a beauty paradise and we left thinking that this model will really work and hopefully expand to all cities. It’s attractive to young Instagrammers, convenient to shop at, and radiates the feeling of self-indulgence and care. It turns out Walgreens and Birchbox are a match made in heaven.
Nordstrom is a beautiful place, no doubt about that. It’s also not a cheap place – common knowledge. So what do we do when we love that stuff that is not necessarily cheap? We find ways to achieve our shopping goals without going bankrupt, and trust us – there are ways to do that even at Nordstrom.
Yes, you might have to employ a few strategies, go as far as getting Nordstrom credit card and scouting internet for coupons, but it’s all worth it if you never lose that end goal.
We’ve heard so many success stories of people saving money that we just have to share those savings tips with you. Imagine buying 3 pairs of jeans from JAG, NYDJ, and Kut, 2 tops, and a jacket for just $14 from Nordstrom? That’s a $300 value for $14 – something that can definitely put a smile on your face!
We need to think about cost per wear first, think long and hard. If you buy a $10 dress and have it hanging in a closet all the time, it becomes more expensive than a $30 dress that you wear every week.
Even when you buy a bargain, you still have to love it, otherwise it becomes a waste of money even after all the discounts and coupons. Apparel shopping is not about stockpiling, and Nordstrom is not Kroger. Spend a bit more on jeans or sneakers, but love it, wear it, and appreciate the quality.
So while you don’t want to waste even $3 on unneeded stuff, we understand that any amount is important and that you want to save as much as you can. This is where our strategies and tips come in. Most of them work with every department store that you might go to, but today it’s all about Nordstrom:
The first step to real savings is signing up for Nordstrom credit or debit card and getting on their email and mailer list for free. Both card holders get points for their purchases, which will eventually become free money in the form of gift cards. As always, be careful and mindful with your credit cards and pay them in full every month – APR is not your friend when you are trying to save.
All card holders get fresh offers and special sales invitations before anybody else does via an email. And you don’t have to be personal friends with Nordstrom executives to get those invitations. All you need is a card of any kind from Nordstrom and time to read an email. If you have a friend that you think might benefit from a Nordy debit card, bring her in, let her open an account, and get $20 just for that. Your friend will also get awarded with $20 – a win-win for both.
Shop only when some discounts are happening. Also shop when you initially sign up because that’s the day when you can get $20 in Nordstrom Cash.
Nordstrom also gives points for every dollar spent. Once you get to 2,000 points, you will receive $20 gift card to spend at the store or online. 2,000 seem like a lot, but keep reading and breathe.
Always check when Nordstrom holds its double or triple point days and then and only then head to the store to shop. Don’t make a mistake to shop on any random day if you want to get some benefits from reward points.
Once you used up your initial sign up gift of $20, the next freebie will come after you get to those pesky 2,000 points. Don’t get that number to intimidate you and as mentioned above, shop on triple point days.
Follow Nordstrom on social media and learn about their sales, giveaways, and discounts via Facebook and Twitter – you are there all the time anyway, so you might as well reap some benefits. You can also find out about Sample Saturdays and what is free on those days before heading to the mall. This will give you an extra reason to get to the mall and enjoy some retail therapy.
Many websites claim that they have Nordstrom promo codes, but do they really exist? Well, we have never seen a 20% off your order kind of code form the retailer, but the codes do exists – codes for free gifts to be exact. Even if you have to purchase something to get to those codes, you still are getting something free. And who doesn’t like that?
You can choose one of four available Tom Ford full-size Pen Sprays (0.33 oz), when you purchase a Tom Ford Private Blend Fragrance (1.7 oz or larger). That’s a $55 value and can be obtained with a coupon code:
I am on a serious diet testing bender as of lately, and today it’s South Beach Diet’s turn. I have tried Nutrisystem, South Beach Diet, and Medifast so far and can say a lot about each one of them. Every one of those diets has something positive and definitely some negative points, but today let’s focus on South Beach Diet.
The diet was created by a Miami area cardiologist Dr. Agatston who was concerned about his overweight patients and their struggle to lose weight. He believed that our bodies need good carbs and fats, low calories, lots of lean protein and veggies, and smaller portions. His book became a bestseller in 2003 and then the diet meal delivery service followed to a great success.
Overall the diet is very similar to Nutrisystem and Medifast. It delivers meals that are ready-to-eat and frozen, dieters can choose between a few plans, and it is low on the glycemic index, but one main difference is that South Beach Diet doesn’t eliminate all fat and encourages supplementing with veggies and fruit a lot more than others.
But let’s take a look at it deeper and from the beginning:
I signed up for all these diets not because I am overweight, but because I want to have a backup for my home-cooked meals, a little way to reset my body, because who doesn’t need that once in a while, especially with all the holiday indulgences? Finally, I would like to have healthy snacks handy and ready-to-eat meals for days when I have no time for elaborate home-cooked meals.
I am a cook from scratch kind of gal, and that is hard to reconcile with all the frozen microwavable delivered diet food, as it turns out. This aspect is the hardest for me; I simply don’t think I could go for weeks and months just with this delivered food day in and day out.
Overall South Beach Diet looks and sounds very legitimate and I believe it really works. I love the fact that it’s simple and dieters don’t have to do any calorie counting, cooking, and thinking. All they have to do is make up their mind, get this diet, stick to it, and see the pounds come off.
South Beach Diet is designed to work in stages of phases. The first phase is the strictest and the hardest because it takes some strong will to change the lifestyle and overhaul the diet to go from whatever calories you consume to just over a 1,000 per day. But this step is essential for weight loss, which comes off fast. Seeing is believing, and dieters definitely see the results during those first two weeks. During this stage people stick to low calorie, lean protein, and healthy fats diet, supplemented with their own veggies. Dieters don’t get many carbohydrates and can’t touch fruit, juice, starches, whole grain, sugar, and alcohol.
Second stage introduces some good carbs and fruit. This stage lasts as long as needed to reach the weight loss goal. Dieters don’t experience rapid weight loss, but instead they have 1-2 pounds come off every week.
Third and final stage is a lifelong way of healthy eating and active lifestyle. Hopefully by this time dieters have learned how to eat healthy and don’t want to go back to how they lived before.
As I mentioned above, my mission was never strict following of this diet or any other, I just wanted to see what it is, and by trying various foods I can say I now know how it works and would it work for me.
I ordered some samples of South Beach Diet foods. I got them all with a coupon and saved 20% off, which I liked very much, as this plan is not very cheap, especially when it would be only for me, separately from my family, who need to be fed regular diet. In fact, South Beach Diet with snacks could set you back by over $300 per month.
I ordered some frozen breakfast muffins, bars, non-frozen dinner and lunch entrees, and also got a bonus palm tree laminated tote bag that was on a small size.
I like the fact that my order came quickly and part of it was packed in Styrofoam box with dry ice to stay cold, and another part in a separate box. I didn’t like that some items in the Styrofoam box were to be kept frozen, while others didn’t need to be frozen. I only saw a couple of items there that didn’t mention keeping frozen and assumed that they all are that way, so kept them all room temperature. Then I accidentally noticed that some said to keep frozen and now think that I might’ve gotten some muffins spoiled, but on the other hand, how can you get a muffing spoiled? Some clear directions would be nice.
Packaging seemed solid, but the big Styrofoam box is not recyclable. All meals are wrapped in individual plastic wraps, again, not recyclable.
I have to admit that I didn’t try all the meals yet, but I tried a few. They are all edible, but not a single one was a wow:
As we can see from these short descriptions, all foods were edible, but either too sweet or too salty for my taste. Others might feel differently about this matter. I imagine all those meals and entrees would be normal tasting for people who buy frozen foods from grocery stores. I like low calories and abundant protein in all of them, but not the taste.
In conclusion, I can eat South Beach Diet meals from time to time, but I would have huge trouble eating these foods all the time. I suppose veggie and fruit supplementation would help, but home cooked food is irreplaceable for me, until my kids are in college and I am totally lazy to cook, that is. On the other hand even in that case I would not like to eat frozen and dry foods like that all the time.
While its physical doors might be closing for now, GameStop is happy about increasing business. We are all kept at home by novice corona virus and by government orders with sometimes little to do. When work and homeschooling is done and no parties or events are taking place and social connections are limited to the immediate family, what is one to do? Maybe game a little? Many people seem to think so bringing business to GameStop and similar retailers.
GameStop has closed most of its physical stores around the world, but that doesn’t mean that game buying got completely dried up. On the contrary, online sales are surging keeping bored people sane. Customers flocked the stores right before the closings in anticipation of boredom at home and they are continuing to order online more than before.
Europe closed earlier, but before then GameStop has seen 2% increase in sales when compared to the same period in March of last year. People are adjusting to life at home and are happy to have some entertainment. Part of March success was the release of Doom Eternal and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Those two games were highly desired and anticipated. Some experts say that 2% growth with those two games and before home isolation is not as impressive as it should’ve been, but it is still growth.
The impact of all European and US stores closures is not going to be reflected right away. It remains to be seen if online sales will help offset the losses at least partially. Most closed stores are still operating and are open for curbside delivery or in their case delivery to the door. Such stores are operating with just one employee because it is enough and it is safer that way for everybody involved. Employees mostly volunteer to do this duty and thus don’t feel unhappy.
Sadly, most likely, a difficult year is ahead. The trouble started way before the corona outbreak. Winter holiday sales in the last quarter of last year were down 26% and overall 19.4% down for last fiscal year.
The company closed down 320 stores in 2019 and is looking to close about that much this year. Before the closures, GameStop had about 5,000 stores worldwide. According to company’s CEO George Sherman, the closures were planned as part of “de-densification” program and are not affected by recent low sales. He says the new strategy is going to leave only the most profitable stores operational to reduce cost and improve profits.
Due to corona’s impact on global economy, projections are impossible to make for all businesses and GameStop is not going to project immediate future earnings. 2020 is going to be difficult and transitional year. Sales might not pick up until late fall when new consoles are going to be launched. So far there are no indications that new Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5 will be affected.
Hopefully the economy will be in the upswing by the end of the year. The positive impact of new game consoles remains to be seen, but there are voices that say that after this is over, people might just be used to downloading new titles from home without visiting physical stores of GameStop and similar. One thing is certain – we all will be changed in some ways, but hopefully for the better.