October 14, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Some supermodels have been hot topics in the news for negative reasons, like Kate Moss for drug scandals, and Naomi Campbell with assault charges from her former maid. However other supermodels are getting attention in the press for all the right reasons, and Heidi Klum is one of them. Fans of Heidi Klum might be sad to hear that she is leaving Victoria’s Secret, but they should also be happy that she has moved on to a new gig as the face of the Ann Taylor 2010 holiday campaign. Naomi Watts was previously in the role for Ann Taylor, but now the company wants to go with Heidi Klum, who worked on the holiday campaign in 2009. The Ann Taylor 2009 holiday campaign was a success with Klum in the picture, and the company is betting on continued success for the 2010 holiday shopping season. It is rumored that popular British photographer Rankin will be shooting the 2010 holiday campaign for Ann Taylor and while there are Ann Taylor retail stores all over the United States, but as more consumers turn online, it is likely that the Ann Taylor ecommerce store could see a boost in sales this year, with a little help from Heidi Klum.

Working with Ann Taylor for the upcoming holiday campaign is just one of the many things that Heidi Klum has going on in her life. She is still the host of the popular fashion reality show, Project Runway, and is working three clothing lines. One of her new clothing lines, Heidi Klum for New Balance, is sold exclusively on Amazon.com. This clothing line received extra attention recently, when Project Runway had a competition for their designers, where the winner had their creation produced to become part of the Heidi Klum for New Balance fashion line.

October 12, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

There are literally hundreds of books on dating that men can purchase to help them improve their game when it comes to meeting women, however there is only one dating book for men written by Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino. The Situation, as he likes to call himself, is one of the most popular characters on the MTV show Jersey Shore, which features a group of young adults partying it up Jersey style. This new book from The Situation is surprisingly called ‘Here’s the Situation,’ which is the go to ‘Guide to Creeping on Chicks, Avoiding Grenades, and Getting in Your GTL on the Jersey Shore.’ Fans of ‘The Situation’ can pre-order ‘Here’s the Situation’ for only $10.12, or pick it up in stores when it comes out on November 2.

While other dating books teach a more traditional approach to attracting the right woman, ‘Here’s the Situation’ wants to educate readers with a more unique approach. One of the first things you have to do is become accustomed to utilizing the GTL, which is hitting the gym, going tanning, and always having fresh laundry so you can look your best when out at the club. Additionally you will learn about the GTL Remix, which dives into additional personal grooming that will help you to get girls who are not grenades (aka unattractive girls). All of which is intended to take your game with women to the next level, so that you can become a true ladies man. If you also want some tips on hitting the gym so you can have abs like ‘The Situation,’ then pre-order his exercise DVD, The Situation Workout.

The Jersey Shore kids are working hard to take their fame to the next level, by making their names into personal brands. The Situation has so far been the most successful in this endeavor, but over the holidays fans are expecting many more products from Jersey Shore stars to appear online.

October 7, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Amazon does not release detailed figures on their Kindle sales, but a recent update to the product page for the entry level Kindle Wi-Fi indicates that it is likely the most popular Kindle ereader device. This makes sense since it is also the most affordable Kindle, priced at only $139. It seems that sales of the Kindle Wi-Fi have been so strong, that Amazon had to implement a limit of 5 Kindle Wi-Fi ereaders per customer order. Since the new Kindle ereaders debuted, Amazon has had a tough time keeping them in stock and quickly fulfilling orders. Only over the last few weeks have we seen Amazon become able ship the Kindle Wi-Fi and Kindle Wi-Fi + 3G within a few days, or even the same day. Currently the Kindle Wi-Fi and Kindle Wi-Fi + 3G have an expected wait time of 3 to 5 days. While writing this post, Amazon actually update the product page of the Kindle Wi-Fi + 3G, which also now has a limit of 5 per customer order.

The more expensive Kindle DX priced at $379 is not having the same demand, based on the information on its Amazon product page. This is because it has no shipping delays, and Amazon has not imposed a limit of 5 per customer order. As the holiday shopping season approaches, Amazon might be trying to ensure that they have enough inventory to meet demand until the end of the year. Last year Amazon and other competing ereaders had fulfillment issues around the holiday shopping season, as they ran out of inventory and could not meet the high customer demand. The changes by Amazon could also be a sign that people are buying multiple units in hope that there will be a shortage in the near future, which would allow them to capitalize by selling them on eBay and making a profit. The Kindle has continued to dominate the ereader market in 2010, and if they can continue to meet customer demand it is likely that the Kindle will continue to be the consumer favorite.

October 7, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Over the past 24 hours, Twilight fans have taken to the Internet by the hundreds of thousands as they rush to get their hands on pre-order deals for the latest installment in the Twilight series, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.  Eclipse entered theaters near the end of June and is currently still playing in many dollar theaters across the nation.  Around September 15th, Amazon.com began taking pre-orders for the DVD, but took Eclipse out of their catalog less than 24 hours later for reasons unknown.  Now, Summit Entertainment’s The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is back on Amazon for pre-order on both DVD and Blu-ray.

Because Twilight has become such a hit among Twihards both young and old, the release of Eclipse will come in 3 forms: the regular movie on DVD, the 2-Disk DVD special edition, and the DVD/Blu-ray combo disk special edition.  The special edition is a double-sided BD-59 (Blu-ray/DVD “flipper disc”) with a “combo”-style presentation of the film included and a variety of other bonus materials letting fans get even closer to Edward, Bella, and Jacob.  The DVD and Blu-ray will be released on December 4th and anyone who pre-orders now will be able to unwrap and watch Eclipse in the comfort of their own home that day.

This release comes at a perfect time, as Twilight fans have recently been informed that the final installment, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn will not be released as soon as many fans had hoped.  Most Twihards expected Breaking Dawn to come to theaters within one year of the Eclipse theatrical release, as the other Twilight films were often released within 12-15 months of each other.  Breaking Dawn, on the other hand, is not set to release until November of 2011 and it will be shown in 2 parts.  The second part will not come to theaters until November of 2012, so Twilight fans have a long time to wait until they see their favorite characters back on the silver screen.  Luckily, Eclipse will help to keep fans busy while awaiting the conclusion to this epic tail.

October 7, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Kids and teens make up the spirit of the Halloween season, as they are almost always super excited about dressing up in a costume, going to Halloween events, and seeing awesome decorations as they trick-or-treat from house to house.  As the holiday approaches, more parents are in the mood to shop online, as it is an easy way to ensure that they get a Halloween costume for their kids or teenagers for a fair price, and without the long lines. Many parents like to dress up for the holiday as well, so it is not surprising that there are many Google searches right now for Halloween costume ideas for couples. Not only do parents like to escort their kids and teens when they go trick-or-treating, but they also end up going to Halloween parties with their friends or co-workers. Kids and teens can be very indecisive, so parents typically do not buy their Halloween costumes too far in advance, as it is quite possible that the kid or teen will change their mind more than once. However there are only a few weeks left to purchase a Halloween costume for kids and teens, so final decisions will need to be made.

In order to help with the decision making process, we have provided a fun list of Halloween costume ideas for kids and teens in 2010. The list includes some classic Halloween costume favorites, as well as some selections which are new to the market in 2010. One of the biggest benefits of shopping online for a Halloween costume is that you can easily browse hundreds of options, and then comparison shop for the best deal once you decide on a costume. Make sure to factor Halloween costume coupon codes into your decision making process, as they can help to save even more money, from the already low prices online.

CostumeDiscounters is becoming one of the more popular online destinations for parents looking for Halloween costume ideas for kids and teens in 2010. Not only do they have an extensive selection of costumes in their inventory, but they also offer great prices to help you save some big money. If you are purchasing more than one Halloween costume, then it is likely you will spend a little over $60, and if you do, make sure to use coupon code FREE60 which will ensure that you get free shipping.

BuyCostumes is one of the biggest brands online when it comes to shopping for Halloween costumes, and they have a great ecommerce site that is really easy to navigate. In addition to a wide selection of Halloween costumes, they also have a variety of Halloween decorations and props. When shopping at BuyCostumes, you want to make sure you remember the coupon codes they offer, so that you can save money when you go to make a purchase. Coupon code Vamp10 will get you 10% off purchases of $40 or more, coupon code BOGO20 allows you to buy one costume and get the second for 20% off, and coupon code free50 will get you free shipping on orders of $50 or more.

SpiritHalloween is known by many people because of their seasonal retail stores that pop up around Halloween, and while the company did start with traditional brick and mortar stores, they have grown to have a massive online presence. The SpiritHalloween ecommerce store is a great complement to their seasonal retail stores, but only online shoppers can use coupon codes when they go to make a purchase. If you are interested in purchasing one of the Halloween costumes for kids or teens, then you will want to know more about the 4 coupon codes from SpiritHalloween. Online shoppers can use coupon code SPR65 to get free shipping on orders over $65, coupon code SPTN75 will get you $10 off orders over $75, coupon code SP15 will get you $15 off orders over $100, and coupon code SP30 will get you $30 off orders over $150.

CostumeCraze is a fun Halloween ecommerce store that has a great selection of costumes for kids and teens, but they also have a variety of cool Halloween costumes for women and men. Some of their costumes are currently part of a blowout sale, so online shoppers are sure to get a great deal. If you find a Halloween costume you want to purchase, then make sure to use coupon code GETFIVE to get 5% off of your purchase at CostumeCraze.

Amazon is an ecommerce site which you probably already shop at, so it makes sense to check out their Halloween costumes, as you can add them into a bigger order the next time you go shopping. While Amazon does not offer the traditional coupon codes that specialty Halloween ecommerce shops do, they do provide hundreds of very affordable costume options. Amazon has a section of their site dedicated to Halloween, so it can be your one stop shop for costumes, decorations, and candy for the trick-or-treaters.

October 5, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Scott Jordan did not want to carry a man purse for all his gadgets and gear, so to solve his dilemma he created a travel clothing company called ScotteVest. Recently ScotteVest ran an ad in the New York Times Travel Magazine to showcase their new Jacket, and it received a great response from people looking to learn more about this unique jacket. What makes the jackets so unique at ScotteVest is that they are designed to help people carry their essential gear and avoid baggage fees when traveling. Over the past few years, the struggling airline industry has started to impose more fees on travelers as a way to stay profitable, but many consumers are fed up and want a way to avoid paying extra money to fly. Therefore the ad slogan from ScotteVest plays to the desire of these travelers, as they message that consumers should “Beat the System.”

The New York Times had a recent article which indicated that airlines have been raking in millions of dollars this year via baggage fees, and other travel related fees. As consumers were buzzing about travel fees, ScotteVest was presented with an opportunity to appear in the November issue of Delta Sky Magazine, and they thought the timing was perfect. Since the New York Times Travel Magazine ad with the “Beat the System” message was so successful, they wanted to utilize it for the Delta Sky Magazine. So they submitted their ad to the magazine, but shortly after they received a rejection notice, as the ad touted the ScotteVest was a way to avoid paying extra fees. After this rejection occurred on October 1st, the story spread over the next 24hrs and became the hot topic for the weekend on Twitter, Facebook, and other social media sites.

While Delta may have thought that their rejection would help keep people out of the loop on the ScotteVest, it may have actually backfired as the travel clothing company and their gear has now received more attention than ever before. If you want to help “Beat the System,” then you can check out the ScotteVest ecommerce site to see what all the buzz is about. You can also follow ScotteVest on Twitter if you want to stay in the know about this trending story.

October 4, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

There are a variety of things which have to be done if a merchant wants to have a successful ecommerce store, and one of the most important pieces to the puzzle is ensuring that the site receives qualified visitors who are interested in making a purchase. However generating traffic for your ecommerce site is only one piece of a successful strategy, as you need to make sure you grab the attention of your visitors and get them excited to make a purchase. Many ecommerce sites focus on having an extensive selection of products available, which sounds great in theory, but it can be time consuming to maintain. Not only do merchants have to focus on maintaining thousands of products, but they also have to monitor them in reports to see if these products are even worth having on their ecommerce site. Therefore it is vital that ecommerce merchants adjust their strategies to ensure that they dedicate adequate time to concentrate a portion of their efforts on their best selling products.

It may seem like common sense for an ecommerce merchant to focus on their best sellers, as these are typically the products which are helping them generate revenue and pay the bills. Although ecommerce merchants often focus on the bigger picture, which can mean that they forget to attack the monetization of their site. Many of the leading hosted shopping carts have robust reporting which will allow a merchant to dig deep into which of their products are really driving profits. When merchants spend the time to analyze the right reports, they will often find that they do not do a great job of maximizing sales for their best selling products. It does not make sense to spend a lot of time driving people to a product on your site which may only be purchased a couple times per year.

One great example of an ecommerce company who works hard to push their bestsellers is Internet retailing giant Amazon.com. Over the past year the Amazon Kindle has become the premier product for the company, and sales of the ereader and ebooks have been instrumental in generating revenue. This is why Amazon has positioned the Kindle on the center of their homepage for many weeks, as they want to capitalize on their success and drive even more people to the Kindle product pages to get excited about this ereader.

As the holiday shopping season approaches, it is key for ecommerce merchants to spend some time analyzing reports to determine which products are driving the majority of their revenue. Then they should create a strategy around this data, so that these bestselling products are prominently displayed on the site. While the homepage is an obvious choice to highlight the bestselling products, ecommerce merchants can also promote them via cross-sells and upsells to try and capture more sales.

October 1, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

Just a few days ago Lucasfilm™ announced the release of a rare artifact, The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of The Force, which has helped many young Padawans on their quest to become a Jedi Master. The artifact has survived throughout the centuries, and this thousand-year old text book is now available to the STAR WARS fans of this century. In all honesty, The Jedi Path: A Manual for Students of The Force, is a very elaborate book which is now being sold online in a deluxe special edition. However Lucasfilm decided for the first time to have some fun with one of their books, as they play on the concept that this is a rare manual which has been only used by Jedi Masters who are training their younger Jedi Padawan. This Jedi Path manual was created by Bellevue, Washington, based becker&mayer!, who worked in collaboration with Lucasfilm, bestselling author Daniel Wallace, and a variety of STAR WARS illustrators.

The Vault Edition of this book looks amazing, and with the simple push of a button, the doors of the vault open for the owner to see a splash of light and STAR WARS sound effects. The inner platform of the vault then rises, to reveal the exclusive edition of The Jedi Path. Currently the list price of the The Jedi Path is $99.99, but Amazon is offering a great discount so the manual is only $62.99 and comes with free shipping.  This new book is a unique gift for the upcoming holiday season, that almost any STAR WARS fan would be excited to receive. In addition to the manual, you also get a number of removable items which include a letter tracing the book’s history, a severed Padawan braid, a metal Jedi Credit medallion, a cool Jedi starfighter patch, a burned poster of the Jedi Code, a map of the Jedi Temple, a light saber diagram sketched on the back of a napkin from Dex’s Diner, and a note on the missing pages torn from the book by a Sith.

September 27, 2010
By the ZippyCart Shopping Cart Reviews Content Team

October is just around the corner, which means you cannot procrastinate much longer regarding what you want to be for Halloween. In order to help guys out with the process, we have compiled a long list of Halloween costume ideas for men in 2010. Some guys like to go with classic costumes which have been worn for decades during the Halloween season, such as a firefighter, vampire, or cowboy. However other guys go for the funniest Halloween costumes possible, or choose costumes for Halloween that reflect their favorite cartoons or comic book hero’s from childhood. Online prices for Halloween costumes for men typically range $40 – $200, but there are definitely options out there with both lower and higher price points. There are even deluxe Halloween costumes for men that can cost $695-$999, and these options are quite impressive. Examples of these deluxe costumes are Darth Vader or Storm Trooper for $695.95, which are in the list below at CostumeKingdom.

Because there are so many different directions that guys can take for Halloween, the toughest part is making a final decision as to which Halloween costume idea will come out on top. Many guys also have to take into account their significant other, as there are a lot of Halloween costume ideas for couples which can also be considered. Although not all guys want to wear a Halloween costume that matches their partner, which is why many couples pick their own costumes. This is why we also created a great list of Halloween costume ideas for women in 2010, so there could be more options to consider. Hopefully this list below will provide you with a perfect idea, or at least help you to think of an amazing Halloween costume for 2010.

BuyCostumes is a great online ecommerce store to shop for men’s Halloween costumes, as they have an excellent selection and affordable prices. In addition they also have a variety of online coupon codes that can be used when making a purchase. If you find a great Halloween costume idea at BuyCostumes, then you can use coupon code Vamp10 to get 10% off orders of $40 or more. You also have the option to use coupon code BOGO through the end of September, which allows you to buy one and get 20% off of the next costume. Some fun costume ideas for men at BuyCostumes include:

• Halo 3 Master Chief
• Iron Man 2 (2010)
• Persesus – Clash of the Titans
• Donnie Darko Bunny
• Green Lantern
• Cobra Commander – GI Joe

Spirit Halloween is a popular choice for many guys who are shopping for a Halloween costume in 2010. They have a great selection of new costumes, and almost any guy should be able to find a costume at Spirit Halloween. If you find a great costume then you should use coupon code SPRT10 to receive 10% off all orders, or maybe try AFSHIP75 which will get you free shipping on all orders over $75, and if you need to, you can utilize coupon code SPB1G1 to buy one costume and get one costume at 25% off. All of these codes expire at the end of September, so you only have a week left to take advantage of the offers like:

• DJ Pauly D or the Situation – Jersey Shore
• DJ Lance Rock – Yo Gabba Gabba
• Predator
• Mr. Potato Head
• Pac-Man
• Beer Pong Cup

Costume Kingdom is one of the go-to ecommerce sites for men around this time, as they have great coupon codes and an extensive selection of costumes to browse. Online shoppers who find a great costume they want to purchase can use coupon code Kingdom5 to get 5% off their order (Valid through Sept 30th), or use coupon code HALLOWEEN2010 to save 10% off any purchase. Be sure to review the deluxe Darth Vader and Storm Trooper costumes from Star Wars, as they almost look like the real thing. Some costume ideas from Costume Kingdom that men will like include:

• Darth Vader or Storm Trooper – Star Wars
• Ringwraith – Lord of the Rings
• Count – Seasme Street
• Jolly Green Giant
• Sumo Wrestler
• Jesus

Costume Discounters has very affordable prices for any guys shopping for a Halloween costumes in 2010 on a budget. In addition to great prices, they also have a fun selection of new Halloween costumes that just came out for this season. If you find a Halloween costume that you want to buy at Costume Discounters, then you can use coupon code FREE60 to get free shipping on orders over $60. Some good costume ideas from Costume Discounters include:

• Frank Furter – Rocky Horror Picture Show
• Lone Ranger
• Ron Burgundy – Anchorman
• Gumby
• Headless Man
• Kermit – Muppets

Halloween Express is known for having sexy Halloween costumes for women, but they also have a wide array of costumes for men.  If you find a great costume at Halloween Express and want to save some money, try and order soon, as they have coupon codes that are good until the end of September. You can use coupon code BOGO25 to buy one and get one at 25% off, or use CJ10OFF100 to get $10 off orders of $100 or more. Here are some good ideas for Halloween costumes for men at Halloween Express:

• Flying Monkey – Wizard of Oz
• Grim Reaper
• Star Wars Obi Won Costume
• Ryu or Ken – Street Fighter
• Uncle Fester – The Addams Family
• Pinhead

Amazon is the ultimate ecommerce shopping destination, where you can not only find a cool costume for Halloween, but almost anything else you want to purchase. Since it is Amazon, there are not any big coupon codes to use, but the prices are typically in line with the Halloween costume specialty shops. Below is a fun mix of Halloween costume ideas for men in 2010, which can be purchased at Amazon:

• Bigfoot
• Edward Scissorhands
• Invisible Man
• Teen Wolf
• Abominable Snowman
• BeetleJuice