AliShops Blog » Miscellaneous

Who shops at 6 a.m.?

Ali — Wed, 27 Dec 2006 05:29:34 +0000

Post-Christmas sale shoppers are a calmer, quieter bunch than the crowd that hits the malls on Black Friday. These folks live by a simple credo: gift wrap and holiday decor should never be purchased for less than 50 percent off. I joined the diehards before sunrise the day after Christmas at Kohl’s, Herberger’s, JC Penney and Macy’s. Herberger’s at Rosedale was by far the busiest (my, those Herberger’s shoppers are devoted) – thanks to coupons in the paper and some 60 to 70 percent off deals. Now, we’re talking. But overall, the line at Caribou Coffee was longer than at any store. There definitely are deals to be had right now — especially if you could use a sweater or some boots (no, not the Uggs — those are still full price). Just don’t expect the discounts to be a whole lot better than they were before Christmas. And if you thought you could sleep in and still score some cheap gift wrap, you’re probably right. But you might have to settle for that unfortunate gold.

Feedback — keep it coming

Ali — Wed, 29 Nov 2006 06:40:00 +0000

Okay, yes, of course I’m excited about my new website — proud, even. Mostly, I’m delighted to find how often I use it. Now, when I’m not sure if I have time to make it to a store on my way home, I don’t bother to call — I check my website! Need a store address? I’ve got those too! But I’m not the one who counts. Which is why I can’t resist sharing this most gratifying email from local publicist Laura Oakes who I SWEAR I did not pay off:

"I just wanted you to know that my husband and I are putting AliShops.com to good use. Every year we take a day off together without our son to shop and have lunch – usually we end up at mass-produced places or the MOA. This year, we’ve plotted out our day (Friday) thanks to the great info on AliShops – Corazon, Two 12 Pottery, Gather and Wyrd Sisters so far. Thanks for the great resource -now we just need to pick a lunch spot!"

Sounds like a delightful shopping day, if I do say so myself. Oh, but wait, there’s a p.s.:

"Do you know anything about the gift shop at the Weisman Art Museum?"

Indeed I do — it’s a great place for interesting items large and small, from pottery and carved wood to handbags and jewelry. Museum gift shops are a category I intend to add to AliShops soon, so stay tuned.

Thanks to the many, many shoppers who have been checking out AliShops and telling me what’s good, what could be better, and what I’ve gotten altogether wrong. (Yes, dear reader, I promise to take another look at My Sister’s Closet. Perhaps I didn’t do this consignment/vintage shop justice, but I swear, from what I saw last time I was there, "moderate sportswear" was a fair description.)

The shopping never ends.

I’m a shopper, not a blogger, but here goes…

Ali — Thu, 09 Nov 2006 06:02:15 +0000

“Must be rough – shopping for a living,” the woman behind the counter at the post office said to me the other day. What could I say? It’s a dream come true. When I tell my boss I’ll be at the mall, she nods approvingly.

As shopping columnist for the St. Paul Pioneer Press, I pride myself on staying on top of the ever-changing Twin Cities retail scene. New stores, cool trends, hot concepts. I’m constantly impressed by the many enterprising people in town who are willing to take a risk and open a store to bring us more clever stuff to ogle. I write about such shops and products in the Pioneer Press every week.

And then the information disappears with the recyclables.
I’ve long thought it would be great to have an online resource at my fingertips to help me find the newest shops, to remind of the boutique names I can’t recall, to steer me to the best shopping within a particular town or product category. There are a million websites that tell you what to buy, but first things first: you’ve got to know where to shop.
So I created a website that will do all that – without any influence from retailers. What’s the use of a guide that says every store is wonderful? I’m not out to slam anyone (mother always told me: if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all), but I am hoping to provide some color, so you’ll know whether each store listed is your kind of shop.
I hope you’ll find this guide useful, and I hope it leads to new discoveries – because shopping is all about the hunt.