shopping

Apple's first store in France opens this weekend

Apple's first retail store in France - and its 277th across ten countries - will open in the centre of Paris at the Carrousel du Louvre on Saturday 7 November.

The two-story shop features an entire floor "dedicated to services that have become the hallmark...

Amazon offers iPhone shopping app in UK

Amazon.co.uk has announced its Amazon App for iPhone and iPod touch, launched in the States back in 2008, is now available from the App Store to users in the UK.

The Amazon App connects customers to their Amazon.co.uk account and offers purchasing using Amazon's...

VIDEO: Inside the new Microsoft store

Over in the States Microsoft opened the freshly-painted doors on its first Microsoft store as its new operating system, Windows 7, hit general release.

The very first Microsoft store - designed to showcase both software and hardware from Microsoft and its partners...

Windows 7 beats pre-order records at Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.co.uk has revealed that Windows 7 is now the biggest grossing pre-order product of all-time, having eclipsed  pre-orders of both "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" and the Nintendo Wii.

"The launch of Windows 7 has superseded everyone's expectations,...

O2 acknowledges O2 Money cash-loading issues

O2 has admitted that its Natwest-run O2 Money pre-paid Visa cards are suffering some problems with loading cash. Customers attempting to fill up their cards are finding their payment details rejected, even if perfectly valid.

A customer support representative...

VIDEO: Orange multimedia store opens in Milton Keynes

Orange has opened its first ever "multimedia store" in the UK claiming to deliver a "completely new dimension of multimedia services to the community in the area".

Described as a "digital playground", the store features a 70-inch screen and seating, live handsets...

Daily Tech Deal: 20% off everything at PrezzyBox.com

Today is the 10th annual "World Smile Day" founded by the inventor of the "smiley", artist Harvey Ball in 1999.

To celebrate, UK gift and gadget site Prezzybox.com is offering a special discount, no doubt with the hope of causing some extra smiles.
...

Microsoft poaching Apple retail staff

It seems Microsoft is taking more than Apple's retail business model with its new high street stores - it's nicking staff too.

Reports into The Loop suggest that Microsoft is poaching Apple retail store managers to run its own retail chain, branches of which...

Apple slashes iPod prices ahead of media event

Apple has made an unexpected move and slashed the prices of its iPod range in the States ahead of today's media event, widely expected to be the launch pad for new models.

Apple usually takes its online store offline before an event only to bring it back up...

Microsoft starts work on Windows retail stores

Microsoft has started building its first retail stores in the US Scottsdale Arizona and Mission Viejo, California.

The two Microsoft retail stores will be the first of a promised many as the company tries to emulate Apple's success with the Apple Store.

Amazon offers shopping app for Android

Following the launch of an app for the iPhone, and RIM's BlackBerry devices, Amazon has now announced the launch of similar software for Android phones.

As well as plain old shopping on Amazon, the app includes the experimental "Amazon Remembers" feature that...

Money-saving InvisibleHand Firefox plug-in available now

A unique and useful Firefox plug-in has launched into beta in the UK that could save you money on your online shopping without the pain and frustration of having to visit price comparison sites.

"InvisibleHand" lets you know instantly if you can find a cheaper...

Snow Leopard goes to number one on Amazon.com pre-order

Apple has released its next operating system for pre-order in the States, just a couple of weeks after Microsoft did the same for its forthcoming OS.

Apple's Snow Leopard OS X 10.6 and Microsoft's Windows 7 will go almost head-to-head with September and October...

NSFW: Site uses porn to sell gadgets

One website has taken an interesting approach to selling boring gadgets by demoing them in front of scantily bikini clad girls in the hope that you'll be mesmerised into hitting the buy now button.

There isn't much to say about the video's or the approach to...

35% of online shopping done at work

A staggering 35% of spending at online retail sites in the UK occurs from work locations, comSore has revealed.

The data from the results of a study of UK online etail activity is based on a 5-month average to May 2009 and shows that 29.1 million people visited...

New Apple Store in Brighton now open

Apple fans in Brighton, UK and surrounding areas have something to celebrate today as the town gets a new Apple Store. The new shop is open now at Brighton's Churchill Square.

As with other Apple Stores the Brighton premises will offer a range of free services...

Orange opens "Community Store" in Wales

Orange has announced the launch of three new retail formats that it says could "change Orange’s retail presence on the high street".

As the first Orange HMV concessions opened up across the country, the new store formats include a "Community Store" opened today...

Microsoft to target Apple Stores for new shop locations

It's already officially confirmed that Microsoft is planning the launch of standalone retail stores, but where those stores might appear is making news.

A senior Microsoft executive has revealed that, in a somewhat confrontational move, those shops will be...

"Samsung Zone" to open in Essex

The new "Samsung Zone" at PRC Hi-Fi & Video's flagship outlet in Ilford is due to open on 16 July. The retail space will be one of the UK's biggest Samsung branded outlets.

Essex-based consumer tech fans should note that PRC will have "exclusive access" to new...

VIDEO: SmartSwipe personal card reader launches

Although admitting there are a number of ways to shop on line safely, if you really want protection from the "arsenal" of weapons hackers use, what you need is a SmartSwipe.

Or at least, that's what NetSecure is telling American consumers, describing as the...

O2 launches pre-paid O2 Money cards

O2 has announced that it's launching a scheme called O2 Money, to help you keep track of your finances using your mobile phone. The network has partnered with Natwest to offer "Load and Go" and "Cash Manager" pre-paid Visa cards.

Both cards are offered free...

Windows 7 tops Amazon charts

Amazon has said that "thousands" of customers have "raced" to the online retailer to pre-order their copy of Windows 7, sending it straight to number one in the software chart.

Microsoft's next operating system, due for general release on 22 October 2009, is...

AmazonWireless goes live

Amazon has made a major move into the mobile phone retail market in the States with the launch of AmazonWireless.

Currently in beta, the new website offers "cell phones" and service plans, promising American consumers an easier, free-shipping shopping experience...

Woolworths lives in web relaunch

Woolsworths lives. The retailer has been given a new lease of life online, thanks to Shop Direct, that runs the Littlewoods Direct and Additions Direct chains.

The newly launched site offers four main product categories - toys, kidswear, entertainment and party....

Virgin Media to triple retail presence

Virgin Media has announced it will be increasing its high street "footprint" over the next 3 years by opening more retail stores across the UK.

New stores in central Birmingham, Plymouth, Bromley, Leeds and Leicester have opened this year, taking the total number...