Expanded Holiday Shopping
E-commerce gives more choices, remember couponing
When you’re a kid, Santa (insert your giver) brings the surprises. As a parent/spouse/sibling/child (insert your companion) in modern America, holiday gifts are a hunt for something unusual. And with the gush of e-commerce, there’re tons of dotcom choices. We’ve deliberately left out Amazon because, well, you know about it. For example (based on a TOTI Media micro-survey):
MEN GROOMING Dollar Shave Club ignited razors by mail. Those guys got rich. Today, there’s Harry’s, Gillette (insert any brand name), ShaveMOB and a few others such as Birchbox Man, The Body Shop, Wet Shave Club and The Personal Barber. Surf for what suits you best. ATTIRE/BEVERAGES, ETC. All clothing retailers have web services. But some specialize. And men today get the same perks as women in so-called fashion clubs or memberships― for a fee, you get a box of stuff, either to keep or rent. Cool digital spots include Five Four Club, Trunk Club (Nordstrom), Bombfell, Stitch Fix, SprezzaBox, Paul Smith … and, etc. But there are, of course, a zillion places to click for themes such as sun/eyeglasses (Warby Parker), booze/cigars/beach/ cookouts (bespokepost), gourmet/pantry (trytheworld), biking/ running/tri (therunnerbox), craft beers (mobcraftbeer/tavour/ bestdamnbeershop/craftcity), stronger spirits and recipes (tastetrunk/mashbox/flaviar). WOMEN COUTURE CLUBS Remember that many subscription sites feed off one another, or are large retailers working the web craze. But there are a million club subscription, rent and/or exchange start-ups to explore, including Rocksbox and Switch ( jewelry), Bootaybag and Adore Me (lingerie), Love Goodly, Ipsy and Julep (personal care) LeTote, Rent the Runway, The Ms. Collection, Gwynnie Bee, Poshare and, etc. Other great subscription platforms for dress and accessories include Nadine West, Fabletics (workout), Box of Style, Wantable, Cratejoy, Frock Box, Hanee21, Threads Monthly and much, much more!
CHILDREN Web stuff for kids is more interactive, can vary from educational sites to puzzles, science projects and activities. It’s about need (and careful evaluation). But some intriguing sites include PBS Kids, duolingo (language/learning), edX (higher-ed), ScratchJr (coding literacy), Hooda Math and, etc. Clothing sites are dicey, as most are pass-throughs such as an Orbitz is for booking rooms. But a few kid sites package clothing or outfits based on web surveys; sites such as Kidpik, Zulily, Sense Organics, Pulla Bulla and Mia Belle Baby are highly rated.
REMEMBER COUPONS Coupons are essential in saving money. Cash back, price matching and points or credits allow you to thrift shop; sites such as Ebates, Swagbucks, FatWallet, BeFrugal and Ibotta are among top digital-coupon sites.