shopping

Latest News

O2 launches pre-paid O2 Money cards
"Load and Go" and "Cash Manager" 15 July 2009 10:47 GMT
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
Beats 17 weeks of Vista sales in 8 hours 15 July 2009 9:59 GMT
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
Online giant takes bigger step into mobile phone retail market 10 July 2009 11:14 GMT
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
Pic'n'mix available online 26 June 2009 8:44 GMT
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
More high street stores to open 1 June 2009 9:38 GMT
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...
Daily Tech Deal: Marks and Spencer's Penny Bazaar
Money saving deals, offers and innovations 20 May 2009 13:00 GMT
Today's tech deal sees 2 million items being sold for just 1 pence each.

Marks and Spencer is holding a "penny bazaar" in 300 of its main stores to celebrate the 125 years that it's been around.

With items including jewellery, knickers, beach balls...
Play.com launches a credit card
With PlayPoints reward scheme 20 May 2009 11:53 GMT
Play.com has announced the launch of the Play.com credit card, claiming "competitive (15.9%) rates of interest and balance transfers" plus a reward scheme for use on the Play.com website.

Provided by MBNA, paying with the the Play.com plastic gets "PlayPoints"...
Boots to trial contactless payment
London'n'Liverpool stores to offer Mastercard PayPass systems 14 May 2009 15:03 GMT
Boots is the latest retailer - and arguably one of the largest to date - to announce it is to trial a contactless payment system.

The high street chain is teaming up with MasterCard and RBS WorldPay for 15 stores in London and six in Liverpool to let MasterCard's...
Tesco till tech fails
Pocket-lint staff affected by checkout glitch 11 May 2009 16:27 GMT
This morning, during a routine IT infrastructure upgrade, Tesco's till system went belly-up leaving queues of unhappy shoppers snaking around its stores.

As a result, 67 of Tesco's 2184 UK stores had to close. Luckily, the self-service checkouts were immune...
John Lewis to open standalone electricals stores
30 locations being looked at for new format shops 7 May 2009 13:23 GMT
Retailer for the middle classes, John Lewis, has revealed plans for standalone home and electrical stores.

30 locations are currently being considered for the new, smaller stores in a £6 million investment plan, reports Retail Week.

It seems the...
Orange "show and sell" spaces coming to HMV stores
Retail partnership announced 29 April 2009 14:38 GMT
Orange and HMV have announced that Orange products and services will now be sold in selected HMV stores across the UK.

A first for Orange, the agreement will see Orange "show and sell" spaces in HMV with a focus on music, games and video handsets and services.
Blackwell gets Espresso book printing machine
First ATM for books launches in the UK 24 April 2009 0:01 GMT
Blackwell has unveiled an "Espresso Book Machine" at its flagship store at 100 Charing Cross in London.

The first bookshop installation of its kind within the UK (the New York Public Library got an Espresso back in 2007), the machine prints books on demand...
Rent-to-own electronics co BrightHouse doing well in downturn
Hire purchase makes a comeback 23 April 2009 16:35 GMT
In the current economic climate, those who don't want to go without the latest consumer electronics are discovering an old-fashioned alternative to buying products up front.

In seems BrightHouse, a company which offers rent-to-buy schemes on electronic goods...
Amazon launches Xbox LIVE store
First retailer to offer codes for downloading games 9 April 2009 16:24 GMT
In the States, Amazon has launched the Amazon Xbox LIVE store in beta, the first time that codes for downloading Xbox LIVE games have been available from a retailer.

As you would imagine from the name, the store offers US consumers the chance to purchase and...
Blu-ray discs hit National Statistics' basket of goods
The UK's typical shop gets techie 23 March 2009 14:42 GMT
The UK's typical "shopping basket", as decided by the Office for National Statistics, has seen a tech-themed update for the second year in a row.

This time last year USB flash drives were added to the basket, which supposedly represents what a typical UK adult...
Best Buy delays launch of UK shops
Retail assault pushed back 4 March 2009 11:16 GMT
American retail chain Best Buy is to delay its entry to the UK market.

Best Buy has pushed back the launch timescale for its retail assault on Blighty, postponing the opening of shops from their original summer 2009 schedule.

In a joint venture...
Zavvi.co.uk relaunches with 10% off promo
Acquired by The Hut Group 3 March 2009 11:08 GMT
After going into administration last year, the Zavvi brand has been saved by The Hut Group and will relaunch online.

The Hut Group has officially announced the acquisition of Zavvi, and the resulting 100 jobs to be created over the next 12 months at the company's...
DSGi plans Best Buy-beating Currys super megastores
Be afraid 2 March 2009 15:42 GMT
DSGi is due to reveal plans for Currys "megastores", described as "very large format".

Although Currys already offers what most would call large shops, usually in out of town purpose built retail centres, the new, bigger shops are said to be "designed to combat...
Richer Sounds acquires Empire Direct
Brand and website bought from KPMG 19 February 2009 16:55 GMT
Richer Sounds, a UK retailer of hi-fi and home cinema goods, has announced that it has acquired the Empire Direct brand and website from the bankrupt company's administrators.

In a statement, the 30-year-old company says that despite "challenging times", its...
Dell Download Store launches
Music and games available from "online software superstore" 17 February 2009 12:03 GMT
Dell has announced the European launch of the Dell Download Store, an online software "superstore" where consumers can download music and software titles, including games.

Powered by Nexway, Dell says the store "builds on Dell's heritage of value, and direct...
Microsoft's roll-out of retail stores confirmed
Exec hire makes brand-boosting shops plan official 13 February 2009 9:44 GMT
We previously reported that Microsoft was to open "brand-boosting" retail shops, and that scheme has got closer to lift off as the software giant has announced an exec hire to make it happen.

Microsoft has announced that David Porter will join the company as...
Woolworths to re-launch online
"Much-loved brand" will get new lease of life come the summer 2 February 2009 10:20 GMT
Woolworths, the high street chain that closed down last month when it failed to find a buyer after going into administration with over £300 million debt, is to be re-born in the UK.

Woolworths will re-launch as an online-only store after the brand has been...
Apple opens second-hand store in China
Pile 'em high, sell 'em cheap 20 January 2009 16:43 GMT
Apple has launched an online shop selling second-hand Apple products in China, apparently in an attempt to "beef up" its business in the country.

The products on offer are refurbished so have been previously sold and returned to Apple and then have undergone...
Amazon shipped 6.3 million items over Christmas
Selling 72.9 items per second at peak time 29 December 2008 11:33 GMT
Amazon has announced the 2008 "holiday season" finished as its best ever, with over 6.3 million items ordered worldwide on the peak day, 15 December, with a record-breaking 72.9 items sold per second.

Shipping to over 210 countries, the etailer has released...
Carphone Warehouse's "biggest ever" sale
Save up to 50% on phones and laptops 26 December 2008 0:05 GMT
The Carphone Warehouse is seeing in the New Year by offering up to 50% savings on laptops and mobile phones.

Starting on Boxing Day, the "credit-crunch-busting" sale sees discounts on popular handsets as well as a cheap Eee PC.

The Samsung Soul...