FLASH: Spring is probably the best time of the year to travel. In Asia, Spring is particularly beautiful, with the cherry blossoms welcoming a new season. This massive continent has some incredible cities that you’d be wise to visit during spring. You’ll get the feeling of being in a continent that is growing really fast, […]
We have all set our sights set on destinations well beyond our budgets. And often dream holidays can often seem frustratingly elusive, and cannot be turn them into realities. But, your next trip might not be as expensive as you think. As many exotic destinations are actually surprisingly affordable when you look into the details. […]
Dream holidays often seem elusive, and can never be a reality. But, your next trip might not be as expensive as you think, as many exotic destinations are actually affordable when you look into the details. Even flights can be less expensive than you imagined. Below are a few destinations that you may not have […]
Year 2018 will go down as the year when lab-grown diamonds, made for decades as an inexpensive alternative to mined stones for industrial purposes, cracked the consumer market, largely thanks to millennials’ evolving shopping tastes. The entry of new actors in the synthetic sector, particularly giant producer De Beers and its Lightbox brand, has created even […]
Planning a Vacation in 2019, Consider These Super Destinations When planning a vacation in Y 2019, consider some destinations that are not overly traveled. Experience the South Africa, ancient Cambodia or holiday in Dubai, the City of the Future. Forget the chaos of London and Paris and check out these destinations for your Y 2019 […]
‘Black Friday’ Merging with ‘Cyber Monday’ for Record Sales The buying and selling pace that was set Thanksgiving Day carried over into Black Friday as consumers continued to open their wallets at a record-setting rate, according to the latest data. We learned that Friday evening that consumers had spent $4.1-B as of 8:00p ET, which […]
Retailers Vs e-Commerce This Holiday Season $AMZN, $TGT, $LOW, $KSS, $JWN, $KSS The Big Q in this strong US economy this holiday is: Will retailers may have to spend heavily to win? Steep discounts are as familiar during the holidays, but this year retailers are after a piece of the e-Commerce market as Amazon.com Inc. […]
Strengthen Gratitude, Boost Happiness In this piece there are an array of practices, recommended by various experts and researchers, that can boost our gratitude and happiness quotient. You can also get more ideas from Robert Emmons’ lecture below, take the time, it a over an hour, and it is worth the listen. Mr. Emmons, a […]
The Most Expensive Cities in the World Budget travelers these 5 cities are not for you. But, for those who have got money, they will be all set to enjoy the delights these destinations have to offer. Asian cities have long dominated this list but European counterparts are now making their claims for the title. […]
The Cost of Bank Consumer Loans is Falling $JPM, $C, $WFC, $BAC, $V, $MA. $GS Readers are asking the Big Q: Why when interest rates tick up are consumer loan cost ticking down? The Big A: When interest rates tick higher, consumers carrying too much debt start to default, that is the assumption, but Americans […]
| Singapore has been waiting for its day in the Sun, it is here! Over the past 10 years, the nation has been building up its infrastructure along with a sparkling reputation for modern innovation and high-class luxury. Now, the City-State is getting its due, proving itself a star among Asia’s finest for travelers of […]
Americans are Shopping, Retail Sales Up Sharply in July $M, $WMT, $COST, $AMZN Americans shopped at a healthy pace in July, buying more cars, clothes and appliances, evidence that confident consumers are helping drive strong economic growth. The US Commerce Department says retail sales rose at a 0.5% annual rate in July, after a 0.2% […]
Fully 50% of American’s That Shop on Line are ‘Drunk” $AMZN A new survey from rehab facility Archstone Recovery Center found that when people log on to Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN)while hitting the bottle can incur a financial hangover, too. The amount people spent tended to vary based on their preferred type of alcohol, check this out: […]
DJIA Off, Amazon Falls on Taxed Shopping Concern $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX US stocks fell Thursday, with the DJIA (DIa) marking an 8th straight decliner, as industrials softened again on trade concerns while Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and other online retailers weakened after a US Supreme Court ruling on state sales tax collection. Amazon dropped as […]
Amazon’s (NASDAQ:AMZN) Online Retail Gunship is Destroying the Shopping Experience $AMZN Empty space in regional shopping malls has risen to a 6-year high in Q-1 of Y 2018, as the retail apocalypse expands. The vacancy rate in big US malls increased to 8.4% in Q-1, up from 8.3% in Q-4 of Y 2017, and the […]
US Pending Home Sales + 3.1% in February $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Americans are signing contracts to buy homes, and the pace is + 3.1%, rebounding from a drop in January. A continuing shortage of homes on the market continues to weigh on the housing market. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) said Wednesday that […]
Best of Bangkok: Mozza by Cocotte Based on the same principles as Cocotte Farm Roast & Winery, Mozza By Cocotte offers a great selection of premium Italian products. Pasta and Pizza but also cheeses and cold-cuts. Comfort food oriented, the venue brings back the memories of a typical Italian cuisine “come la faceva la nonna” […]
America’s Confident Consumers Post Record Breaking Holiday Spending $AMZN, $M, $MA, $TGT, $FDX, $UPS The US Holiday shopping season is on track to break sales records on the back of rising consumer confidence presenting an unexpected “boom” for retailers and the delivery companies they rely on. The Christmas Holiday shopping season, a Key period for […]
US Consumer Confidence Up in Blue Counties Since Trump’s Victory Surveys that question respondents about their political affiliation have generally shown that consumer confidence among Republicans has soared since the US elections in November 2016, whereas Democrats have lagged. When the data are broken down by which way a county voted it is the Democratic […]
EU Property Giant Bets $16-B on US Shopping Malls $UNRDY, $WFGPY, $AMZN Europe’s biggest property firm Unibail-Rodamco (OTCMKT:UNRDY) is to buy US and UK mall operator Westfield Corp. (OTCMKT:WFGPY) for $16-B, a defensive move to create a global leader in a sector grappling with the online shopping challenge led by Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN). The transaction gives […]
Stocks Run to Fresh Record Highs on Powell’s Comments $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Wall Street indexes moved to fresh records Tuesday after Fed Chairman nominee Jerome Powell’s comments on interest rate hikes and deregulation fired inspired investors. JPMorgan (NYSE:JPM), and Bank of America (NYSE:BAC) up about 2%, setting up the S&P financial index for its […]
US Consumer Confidence Climbs to 17-Year Highs Holiday shopping started strong and the data suggest that will continue. US Consumer Confidence marked a 17-year high in November, with optimism ticking higher for the 5th month running, according to a monthly survey released Tuesday. Consumers’ outlook about jobs and the business environment edged upwards, adding to […]
Thanksgiving Consumers Shopped by Smartphone $ADBE, $CRM, $TGT, $M, $KSS, $JWN Adobe Analytics (NASDAQ:ADBE) reported that nearly 50% of the $3-B’s spent on Thanksgiving Day was spent by consumers on their couches shopping by Smartphone. “The big story this holiday season is in mobile shopping,” Mickey Mericle, the vice president of Adobe’s Marketing and Customer […]
Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) a $1-T Company Within Year $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX, $AMZN Morgan Stanley (NYSE:MS) says it believes online giant Amazon.com Inc. may reach a 2,000/share price in the next 12 months. “Amazon’s high margin aka revenue disclosure speaks to the $1-T (2,000/share) sum of parts Bull case.” Morgan Stanley reiterated its overweight rating for […]
Mantra Samui Resort Launches New Spa Featuring Home-Grown Botanicals Opening special “A Mantra for Mantra” package combines treatments, meditation and yoga With a new natural spa and the launch of a wellness experience “A Mantra for Mantra,” the all-new Mantra Samui Resort is attracting spa-goers to its peaceful perch overlooking the Gulf of Thailand. […]
Travel: Holidaying in Hanoi The Vietnamese capital offers an eclectic mix of culture, food, atmosphere and history on the banks of the Red River Despite often being described as a calmer alternative to buzzing Ho Chi Minh City to the South, Hanoi can certainly take your breath away. Whether it’s the hustle and bustle of […]
BudgetBusinessTravel.com to Launch in Bangkok BudgetBusinessTravel.com is a new membership-based online booking service that caters especially to the savvy independent business traveler. What sets this website apart from other online travel agents (OTAs), is that it not only has the most current rates and deals on hotels and flights but also provides excellent personal service […]
Travel Thailand: Bangkok Luxury Shopping Hits a New High with Central Embassy Central Embassy is Bangkok’s newest luxury mall located on the most exclusive intersection where the prestigious Wireless Road meets Ploenchit Road. Its grandeur is awe-inspiring, with contemporary architecture displaying influences of Thai art and culture whilst reflecting the cosmopolitan features of the country’s […]
Emaar Malls’ Souq.com Bid to Limit Amazon’s Regional Growth $AMZN Emaar Malls has submitted an $800-M bid to acquire Souq.com Emaar Malls’ “competitive” bid for UAE-based e-Commerce retailer Souq.com could help the traditional retailer prevent Amazon’s immediate entry into the regional market, according to an analyst. Dubai-listed Emaar Malls confirmed Monday that it had submitted an […]
The Art of Letting Things Go: Love People, Use Things Minimizing our belongings is often easier said than done, people often struggle when it comes to “S-Canning” certain things One of the Key reason people get emotionally attached to things is because of the “endowment effect” people add value items once they own them. Once something is […]
Holiday Shopping Price War Ramps Up $AMZN, $TGT, $WMT Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (NYSE:WMT), Target Corp.(NYSE:TGT) and other brick-and-mortar chains are counting on heavier discounts and a bigger online selection to help keep up with Amazon.com (NASDAQ:AMZN). this Holiday shopping season. As Black Friday ushers in the year-end shopping rush, chains are touting larger price cuts […]
S&P 500, DJIA Hit Record Highs on Black Friday $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX The S&P 500 and the DJIA marked record highs on Black Friday, helped by gains in consumer stocks at the start of the month long Holiday shopping season. Friday’s action has the indexes up 3 day’s running this week. The small cap […]
Holiday Shopping Expects the “Trump Bump” Retailers Happy $ADBE Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving that’s been the traditional kickoff to the holiday shopping season, now it is no longer a 1 day event. The WS-J reported Thursday shoppers have already spent $27.2-B between 1 and 23 November, a 4.3% hike over the same frame […]
Cut Down on Food Waste, Start at Home A new survey on household food waste in the US shows that more than 68% of Americans had thrown away food because it was past the expiration date and the believe that eating it could cause food poisoning. This is a major misconception, as although it’s possible […]
Best Weekend Getaways Before Summer Ends Searching for an end-of-summer-sixteen adventure that won’t break the bank? Booking.com, the global leader in connecting travelers with the widest choice of incredible places to stay, has revealed its list of customer-verified getaways for travelers living in or near New York, Los Angeles, Miami and Boston. These top-notch picks […]