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What's The Deal With Happy Returns?
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (TENNESSEE VALLEY LIVING) - Ordering clothes online is always such a gamble. I am constantly asking myself "Is this going to fit correctly," "Will this pattern and color go with other things in my closet," and "Will this even look like the photo once it arrives?"
Happy Returns takes the worry out of online shopping. If you order from one of their partnering brands, returning retail items is easier than ever before.
I ordered a few things for the upcoming fall season and decided they were not for me. Instead of having to go to a mail center, pay for shipping materials, have a label printed off, and then spend the next week tracking the package to make sure it arrives, all I had to do was drop off my items at Ulta Beauty.
I simply went to my retailer's website, initiated a return, and within seconds a QR code was in my inbox. I drove to the closest return bar and the 'returnista' scanned my QR code and then packaged my items in reusable packaging. Not only does Happy Returns eliminate unnecessary waste, but it also saves me money on shipping material. I got an instant refund and an Ulta Beauty coupon for returning my items at the return bar located in their store.
Happy Returns made returning unwanted items so easy. The best part is not having to wait for my return to process to get my money back.
To find a return bar near you click here or visit here to see participating retailers!
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IMHO: Shopping At Malls Is The National Pastime Of S'poreans
I am a self-professed shopaholic and am not ashamed to admit it.
My shopaholic tendencies probably started when I was in secondary school, where I would save up a portion of my weekly allowance every month to buy an item I desired.
My habit of saving up to shop at malls carried on later in life, most notably in university when I started working part time as a tuition teacher, and after I graduated and started working full time.
While some might call me a spendthrift and wag a disapproving finger at my shopping habits, I'd like to believe that many other Singaporeans can relate to my joy and love for shopping.
After all, a 2019 survey reported that 49 per cent of Singaporeans consider shopping as a hobby while 45 per cent of respondents said that they shop because it makes them feel happy.
Here are three of my top reasons why shopping at malls is the national pastime of Singaporeans.
1) There's not much to do in hot and rainy SingaporeUnlike larger countries where people can travel domestically, Singapore is a small country that doesn't have the luxury of space.
We don't have many natural wonders or entertainment options to explore in our free time or traverse the country for.
Singapore also only has two major weather seasons: hot or rainy.
While some might prefer spending their weekends sweating it out in the heat, there are plenty of others who prefer more air-con friendly activities such as mall hopping.
Shopping at malls kills two birds with one stone by being a good escape from both the heat (or rain) and a comfortable place to spend time at.
Shopping = cardio, anyone?
2) Singaporeans prefer physical shopping to online shoppingNorth, south, east or west, there are malls at every corner of the island, making it convenient for Singaporeans all over the country to go shopping.
Most malls in Singapore also have not just retail stores but a wide array of food options and exciting activities, making the idea of physical shopping very attractive.
A 2022 survey by Sensormatic Solutions found that 75 per cent of Singapore consumers enjoy shopping or browsing in a physical store.
Additionally, about 61 per cent indicated that online shopping can never replace in-store experiences.
This was an increase from 2021's numbers, where 59 per cent of respondents felt that in-store shopping was irreplaceable.
3) Singaporeans love a good bargainWhile the overall spending power of Singaporeans has increased over the years, there has likewise been a greater penchant for sales over time.
In fact, an illustration on VisitSingapore's website claims that 80 per cent of Singaporeans cannot resist a good bargain:
Image via VisitSingapore
If you're a bargain-loving shopper, you'll be pleased to know that IMM and Westgate will be joining forces for an event with exclusive deals, rewards and experiences from Aug. 19 to Sep. 10.
IMMIMM is Singapore's largest outlet mall with more than 100 outlet stores, offering up to 80 per cent worth of discounts all year round.
These outlet stores cover a wide variety of merchandise, including designer fashion, sportswear, footwear, luggage, children's apparel and fashion accessories.
Here are some stores you can check out during the sale:
Michael Kors by BuyBye Valiram Fashion Outlet (#01-105/125)
Michael David Kors established his namesake brand "Michael Kors" in 1981.
The luxury powerhouse is world-renowned for their opulent bags, accessories and ready-to-wear clothes.
During the event period, shoppers will be able to enjoy up to an additional 25 per cent discount on top of existing deals.
Kate Spade New York Outlet (#01-109)
Crisp colours, graphic prints and playful sophistication are the hallmarks of Kate Spade New York.
Enjoy storewide sales of up to 60 per cent on bags, clothing, jewellery, fashion accessories, shoes, and gifts during this event period.
GEOX Outlet (#01-110)
GEOX is an Italian brand that specialises in selling waterproof and breathable footwear.
Their revolutionary technology provides comfort and wellbeing by eliminating moisture and preventing odours that typically develop when shoes don't ventilate, recreating an ideal microclimate to keep feet cool and dry.
PUMA Outlet (#02-06)
PUMA is a sports brand that sells performance and sport-inspired lifestyle products.
These products range from men, women and kids' apparel, sports and activewear, sports equipment and gear to soccer boots and more.
WestgateMeanwhile, Westgate is a premier family and lifestyle mall that offers a bustling city lifestyle shopping experience, featuring a diverse mix of beauty brands as well as fashion collections.
Here are some stores you can check out during the event:
Clarins (#01-26)
Clarins is a prestigious French beauty brand known for their plant-powered innovations and unique skincare application techniques.
They use over 250 natural plant extracts in their formulas, with each ingredient carefully delivered in an optimal formula to reveal every woman's beauty.
HYSSES (#02-15)
Founded by Cheryl Gan and manufactured in Singapore, HYSESS is an aromatherapy company known for their premium organic oils and scents.
They began with a simple wish of sharing nature's gifts with the world through essential oils and natural aromatherapy products.
Dyson (#01-K4)
The Dyson Demo Zone at Westgate offers a full range of its products, and allows you to explore, test and experience their newest technology while you're at it.
Sephora (#01-23/24)
A trailblazer in the beauty industry, Sephora is a one-stop solution for all your makeup and skincare needs.
Take a trip to the Sephora outlet at Westgate and be immersed in an interactive shopping experience like no other.
Food and RewardsBesides shopping, Westgate customers can enjoy alfresco dining options at The Courtyard or head over to the Gourmet Paradise at Basement 2 for a variety of food selections.
There will also be exclusive rewards for every trade category at both malls:
Click here to find out more.
This sponsored article by IMM and Westgate allowed this writer to justify her love for shopping malls.
Top images via CapitaLand
Grocery Stores Used To Be My Happy Place. Then They Started Locking Up The Detergent
Some people seek a bar or nature hike when they feel low. I go to the supermarket.
My spirits lift as I stroll the aisles. I bop along to easy listening music. Exchanging pleasantries with cashiers lessens my loneliness. I celebrate the small wins — I procured broccoli (OK, and ice cream) — and leave with renewed purpose.
As someone with depression, I find that brick-and-mortar businesses help me avoid isolation by providing a space to be alone with others. But my happy places — supermarkets and pharmacies — say they have seen increasing theft and violence.
Locked glass cabinets safeguarding merchandise are now ubiquitous in chains like Target, Walmart and Walgreens. Asking clerks to retrieve detergent and baby formula is demoralizing enough, but businesses are implementing more severe security measures that erode customers' spirits and our social fabric, even though it's unclear whether shoplifting has become the national crisis that some retailers claim.
A grocery run shouldn't feel like visiting a prison, but that's the vibe shoppers get from extreme anti-theft measures at a Safeway in Oakland's Rockridge neighborhood. Reddit users have described them as "jarring" and "hostile."
At the Rockridge Safeway, sad lettuce sits behind 4-foot-high bars surrounding the store entrance. A guard presides over an automatic gate that opens upon approach and alarms sound if you try to exit the same way. Similar barriers at each register pen in customers. And don't toss that receipt at self-checkout — you'll need to scan it before you can leave.
Is this the grim future of grocery shopping? I hope not.
Safeway has since expanded these security measures to other locations in Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose. While tactics such as these are intended to uphold the norms against stealing, they in fact threaten community morale, trust and social cohesion.
With mental distress and loneliness on the rise, social disconnection poses health risks as deadly as smoking. To counteract this, the U.S. Surgeon general urges investments in social programming, the built environment and neighborhood places such as libraries and parks. Sociologist Eric Klinenberg similarly argues, "Social infrastructure is crucially important, because local, face-to face interactions — at the school, the playground and the corner diner — are the building blocks of all public life."
Under hospitable conditions, we transform seemingly mundane retail spaces into community "third places." Eating areas, public restrooms and benches facilitate such "placemaking," and research shows third places promote greater social cohesion and neighbor interaction. Ideally, they embed us in webs of supportive connections. For example, when I couldn't reach my 94-year-old friend who lives alone and has memory problems, a supermarket pharmacy clerk passed on information picked up through the neighborhood grapevine that helped me track her down in a nursing home, where she had ended up after a fall.
Grocery stores feed our bodies but should also nourish sociability, not strip our dignity. Companies claim the new security measures make customers feel safer, but they risk molding us into more anxious, suspicious people. This psychic weight has unequal consequences — those with money and tech savvy can just shop online. Others who rely on in-person shopping face disproportionate dehumanization.
Organized retail theft and smaller-scale shoplifting are complex problems that require multipronged solutions. But it's unclear if beefed-up security measures are actually helping to solve these problems. And without addressing socioeconomic conditions such as inflation, poverty and opportunity deficits, the help they do provide serves merely as a Band-Aid. Short- and long-term investments in our social safety net, including restoring SNAP benefits slashed for millions in March, and ensuring access to high-quality education, job training and a living wage, will alleviate economic desperation.
One powerful law enforcement tool to assist merchants is the bipartisan Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, currently pending in both houses of Congress, which would give federal prosecutors the authority to fight money laundering connected to large-scale theft and establish a federal coordination center to ease information sharing among investigators at all levels of government and affected businesses.
Informal observations of supermarkets I frequent, including Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Cardenas, Nob Hill Grocery, Smart & Final and numerous smaller grocers near my home in East Oakland, confirm that extreme security like that at the Rockridge Safeway remains the exception for now.
Rather than create fortresses that inspire dread, many beloved grocery chains have fashioned their stores into attractive destinations where superfan customers spend significant time and money. Self-proclaimed "Wegmaniacs" wax poetic about exceptional in-store cafeterias, high-caliber customer service and the mini-village feel of different departments. Stew Leonard's theme park-like atmosphere has received Disneyland comparisons for its petting zoos and musical, animatronic displays. During a recent Utah trip, I became a repeat customer at Harmons Grocery, charmed by its colorful dining area with couches and brimming bookcases. Such business practices lift people and profits.
Businesses can also help those in their communities by partnering with nonprofits to connect customers to SNAP and WIC benefits. They could emulate public libraries that have invested in social workers to help meet patrons' more complex needs.
Businesses, in supplying social contact, need our support. But they also bear social responsibility. Those that make their customers pay a psychological cost every time we purchase a gallon of milk will lose money as we start shopping elsewhere.
Stacy Torres is an assistant professor of sociology in the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences at UC San Francisco.
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