The Online Shopping Guide for the Trendy Online Shopper

For the average online shopper, designer clothing sites are pocketed in the “wishful thinking” category. However, with sample sale websites and their incredible insider discounts and daily boutiques at up to 80% off, high fashion doesn’t have to mean high cost. Here at STELLAService, we love a stylish steal as much as the next person, but top quality customer service still tops our list. For your convenience, we have investigated 5 of these “secret sale” companies to give you an idea of which sites to hunt down and which to steer clear of. Hopefully this guide will make your shopping experience as dapper as your new threads!

Shipping and return policies can make or break a shopping experience. Free shipping and pre-paid return labels are just a few of the perks that give one company a leg up over the other. In some cases, the fine print of these policies can go unnoticed before you press “confirm purchase”. We are here to be your personal magnifier with tips such as who will refund your credit card and who will hand you a “store credit only” certificate. Read on!

If your only spare time to shop is on a weekend and you find yourself having a few questions, who is capable of offering you a live CSR rep to assist you? Who can you be confident in that will provide you with a knowledgeable CSR representative? Live customer support and services are a very important aspect of each company…so who holds them at the highest standard?

Hopefully, this guide will spark your inner fashion flame and have you dying to land some affordable designer apparel. However, all of these sites (except ShopBop.com) are by invitation only. Thankfully, you are only a click away from becoming an exclusive member yourself (if you aren’t already!) Click the links below to become a member and enjoy!

• Gilt.com
• RueLaLa.com
• HauteLook.com
• Ideeli.com

McDonald’s Free Friday Frappe’s

Here’s something to look forward to Friday, July 2nd from 7am-7pm-a free sample size of McDonald’s Frappe’s, caramel or mocha. In the name of alliteration, I’m a felicitous fan of any free frozen fluid.

Visit here for more information.

Must-Read for Bike Commuters and Competitors

Whether you cycle to work every day or compete in cycling races internationally, customer service is vital if you purchase your gear online. Bicycle parts can be heavy and costly to ship, parts my not fit correctly, and what is with that European sizing?!

Before you buy cycling products online, whether for the mountains or the roads, check out the STELLAService Online Shopping Guide.

The STELLAService Online Shopping Guide for Cycling-Click to visit the full guide!

Top Daily Deal Websites

Good deals are like ice cream, everybody enjoys them.  So how would you react if we revealed that there are websites that not only serve up deals on a daily basis, but the deals are also for compelling items?  Wouldn’t that be akin to serving one mind-blowingly delicious flavor of ice cream at a ‘depth’s of the ocean’ low price each day?  Yes, it is.  As you read this, there are websites in the universe doing just that.  Below we’ve ranked three of our favorites.

1) Woot.com

The mother of all daily deal websites, Woot.com typically sells one item per day.  The item is usually electronic or gadget related.  In addition to Woot.com, there is Kids.woot.com (specializing in kids items) and Shirt.woot.com for t-shirt enthusiasts.

2) Midnightbox.com

Every day of the week, three new  deals are launched at Midnight Eastern Standard Time and run for a 24 hour period or until sold out.  The difference between this site and Woot is that if an item doesn’t sell out, you can still purchase it on their website.

3) Yugster.com

Y.U.G. = Yours Until Gone.  Hence, Yugster.com.  Yugster offers one item a day and once it’s gone, it’s gone for good.  The difference between Yugster and other daily deal sites is that you can register to become a ‘Yugster’. By becoming a Yugster you gain access to deal in advance of them being posted on the website.

The Impact of Virtual Reality-How Department Stores Are Responding to Their Online-Only Competitors

With the e-commerce market steadily on the rise, traditional brick and mortar stores have realized they need to rethink their business strategies to further incorporate their e-commerce platforms. One of the greatest advantages virtual outlets hold over classic department stores is their ability to guarantee a wider selection of brands, products, colors and sizes always in stock for the customer. While department stores have acknowledged it is impossible for them to offer such a diverse variety in each individual store, some have made great efforts to gap the bridge between their inventory and the customer.

The J.Crew "Red Phone"

J.Crew for example has had the “Red Phone” for years. In every store, tucked away on a blonde wooden table with a catalogue and a pencil was this phone. If the exact item you wanted wasn’t available in the store, the “Red Phone” immediately connected you with a CSR who helped you locate your desired purchase and send it to your house for free. (Remember, free shipping was a shocking upgrade back then!)

However wonderful the “Red Phone” might seem, it still required you to awkwardly stand in the middle of the store for several minutes listing off item numbers, phone numbers, credit card digits and addresses to finalize your transaction. Macy’s recently tried to cut out a few of these steps with their new high-tech cash registers that automatically fine-tooth their inventory for the customer’s convenience and the cashier can make the purchase for you. This eliminates a great deal of effort for the shopper, but is it enough to beat the online bazaar?

An online kiosk at Kohl's allows customers to locate a product at Kohl's stores across the country

The latest answer to the call of technology for department stores has been the “online kiosk.” These tall booths have recently been revealed in chain stores such as JCPenney and Kohl’s. When these stores can’t provide the customer with exactly what they need, instead of directing them to “check online” from their home computers, they can lead them to the kiosk! These kiosks search the chain’s website directly and let the customer make a purchase right then and there. Another win for department stores!

Phones, cash registers and kiosks are all great tools in the battle for business, but in the long run…can they really out-do a three-click-purchase from your living room (with free overnight shipping)?

Don’t Get Burned This 4th of July

With the 4th of July just around the corner it’s time to start stockpiling some serious fireworks for your own personal light show extravaganza!  Buying fireworks, however, can be quite an intimidating task.  With giant bundle packs and aggressive names like “Texas Rattlesnake” and “Flak Attack” how are you supposed to know what each individual firework will do?  Also, how can you be sure the mortar tubes you’re thinking about buying aren’t going to blow the roof off of your house?

The Texas Rattlesnake and a bundle pack may intimidate those who are unfamiliar with fireworks, but a virtual fireworks show-builder and elaborate safety tips on the website make users more comfortable with fireworks

FireworksSupermarket.com offers a quick fix to all of your fireworks frights and offers video clips of exactly how each firework will look when ignited.  Never again will you light a firework not knowing exactly how to prepare for the effect and to execute the display safely.

Speaking of safety, CEO Mike Ingram serves on the boards of the American Pyrotechnics Association and the American Fireworks Standards Lab.  In addition to offering a list of safety tips, safety links, and a robust satisfaction guarantee, FireworksSupermarket.com ensures that you will be satisfied with your purchase AND be able to enjoy the display safely and effectively.

FireworksSupermarket.com offers a wide variety of options ranging from multi-effect aerials to roman candles to novelties and sparklers – all enjoyed on whatever scale desired.  In addition to stocking a plethora of fireworks, FireworksSupermarket.com offers a cutting-edge tool – titled “Build Your Show” – which allows you to drag specific fireworks into a show queue.  The show queue is then rendered into a video demonstrating what your show will look like in real life.

Given its superior functionality, safety tips, and competitive prices, we make FireworksSupermarket.com our shopping pick to avoid “getting burned” this 4th of July.

10 trends we hope stay on our screens & off our streets

Given the shrinking barriers to entry and the hundreds of thousands of e-retailers already out there, companies are continuously searching for ways to differentiate themselves online. At STELLAService, we spend hours everyday analyzing websites and as a result we’ve seen more than our fair share of unique product offerings. For your entertainment, we’ve compiled a few of the latest ideas that have “wowed” us (and not in a great customer service kind of way). We imagine that it would take a lot of guts to buy these, so let’s hope these companies deliver great customer service along with their one-of-a-kind products.

by Ariel & Kelsey

1. When we think of “cute little fur balls” we think of puppies. Not literal fur balls pasted on to a blinding yellow hoodie.
2. The “Kayne West” shades were cool a few years ago – well sort of. But these? Gladiator helmet-sunglasses will never be in style.
3. Surely PETA had a field day with this one…
4. We think someone at Karos Shoes got a little too excited about Valentine’s Day.
5. Half animal, half shoes…? $1400.
6. Louis Vuitton put a $150,000 price tag on old water bottles and cigarette boxes. Hey, at least they’re recycled!
7. We can’t imagine dentists like other people’s teeth enough to wear them as jewelry.
8. We can now cover our eyes with what appears to be disposable sunglasses by designers Azumi & David. We suggest throwing them out before ever wearing them.
9. Who ever said you can’t wear socks with flip flops? With the Sanuk Tube Flops, you get a pair of flip flops with a tube sock sleeve attached, so you actually can wear both at the same time. We hope you still choose not to.
10. Floral prints were a hit this spring, but we’re happy to report that floral printed denim, however, was not.

Hey Man, Nice Pants

I already used the Father’s Day Online Shopping Guide to buy my dad a designer laptop sleeve he can’t find anywhere else besides eBags.com (it’s so wild!), but his birthday is arriving soon. I’m trying extra hard to avoid the Father’s Day equivalent of the “My Birthday Is Close To Christmas So I Get Shafted” Syndrome, so I ventured out into the world of pants on Bonobos.com…

Like the wild laptop case I purchased from eBags, these pants are nearly as wild! I plan on buying a more neutral trouser.

Yes, I know pants are VERY difficult to buy for someone, but getting a pair of slacks that fits like a glove shows that the gifter has put some serious thought and possibly some serious risk into their gifting. However, with a free shipping AND free returns policy, Bonobos eliminates the risk factor and encourages everyone to try them out.

I’m not worried about having to return the pants I buy though, not with the ease of finding the perfect pair on the website! Bonobos claims a better fit, fabric, and style. Users can narrow by fabric, cut, style, color, and even climate! When in trouble, their “ninjas” can help you find the right size and style to ensure the perfect fit. With its excellent customer service, free shipping, and free returns, you really can’t go wrong with Bonobos.com. That is, of course, unless you want to buy women’s slacks. They don’t yet sell any women’s apparel, but when they do, I know where I’ll go for my trousers!

Multiple narrowing options refines your search for the perfect pair