PERSONALIZED GIFTS

New Friendgift Product Allows Consumers to Shop with Their Friends’ Money

FriendPay Enables User’s Friends to Collectively Chip-In toward Desired Product Purchases From Top Brands and Receive Rewards for Doing So

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Abandoned shopping carts aren’t just a problem for supermarkets — online retailers find that approximately 60% of website shopping carts are abandoned because consumers who add products to their shopping carts cannot afford to complete the purchase. Social rewards innovator Friendgift aims to change this with a new product, FriendPay, which enables consumers’ friends to collectively chip-in toward the cost of a buyer’s chosen products while reaping rewards for themselves in the form of special discounts toward purchases of millions of products, vacation opportunities and exciting live entertainment events.

“It’s a classic win-win situation,” said Rob Carpenter, Friendgift CEO. “FriendPay gives shoppers the opportunity to obtain the consumer products they really want but either can’t afford or can’t make a top spending priority — hot items like the iPad 2 and Amazon Kindle Fire, the latest Android smartphones and Canon digital cameras, and other electronics, video games, movies and designer clothing and accessories. By alerting their friends to their chosen products through Facebook, Twitter or e-mail, these shoppers can collect multiple contributions from their friends, and the friends who contribute get instant rewards for the awesome products and activities they themselves want. It’s a social media version of ‘pay it forward’ that solves a major dilemma for both the consumer and the merchant.”

The new FriendPay product is the latest in a series of innovations and signals a return to the company’s social reward roots. With FriendPay, consumers can shop directly for more than 10.5 million products from their favorite brands at Friendgift.com. In addition, shoppers can also set up FriendPay as a portable, personal gift registry, enabling them to acquire the items they truly want for birthdays, holidays or any other occasion rather than receiving unwanted gifts from friends and family who are guessing at their preferences.

With the private beta launch of the new FriendPay service, Friendgift is offering free shipping on almost all purchases as well as a discount of up to $50 to early adopters in return for trying FriendPay. The company also plans to expand the FriendPay service, partnering with national retailers to offer FriendPay capabilities on merchant websites so consumers can enjoy even more purchasing options.

“FriendPay could completely transform the way people shop for themselves and their friends,” said Carpenter. “It provides advantages to everyone involved in the purchasing process: Buyers get contributions to purchase the items they really want. Friends who make contributions get instant rewards for helping out. And merchants get fewer abandoned shopping carts.”

To learn more about Friendgift, visit Friendgift.com.

Celebrity Chef Giada De Laurentiis Cooks Up Customized Holiday Gift Ideas

In Tight Economic Times, Putting Together Thrifty Yet Thoughtful Presents Doesn’t Have to be Difficult

Giada suggests giving your favorite foodie a cookbook and adding a personalized touch with a favorite recipe, along with a bottle of smooth red wine, such as Bella Sera Pinot Noir.

Giada shares her customized gift ideas that make it easy to give a perfectly personal (and price conscious!) present. (Tweet this)

October 18, 2011 (Healdsburg, CA) /PRNewswire/ — Worried about gift-giving this year? Don’t stress. With a dash of creativity and a sprinkle of detail, it’s easy to whip up the perfect present with the right personal touch, says Emmy award-winning chef and cookbook author Giada De Laurentiis.

“I love to add a homemade element, whether it’s a freshly baked dessert or custom wrapping, because it makes the gift that much more unique and personal,” Giada says. “I also find that pairing a present with a favorite bottle of wine adds a delicious and elegant touch.”

Whether you’re trying to find the perfect gift for an outdoorsy friend or the host of a holiday gathering, Giada shares her customized gift ideas that make it easier than ever to give a perfectly personal (and price conscious!) present:

Movie fans will love this colorful popcorn bowl filled with gourmet popcorn, an herb-infused olive oil, a light-bodied white wine like Bella Sera Pinot Grigio, and a classic film.

For the Movie Fan
As the granddaughter of famed film producer Dino De Laurentiis, Giada knows just what a movie aficionado wants. She suggests choosing a colorful popcorn bowl and adding a bag of gourmet popcorn kernels, an herb-infused olive oil, a favorite light-bodied white wine like Bella Sera Pinot Grigio, and a classic movie on DVD. “Giving the gift of a movie night is the perfect touch for cinema enthusiasts,” Giada says. “Plus, the infused olive oil gives the popcorn a special gourmet flair without breaking the bank.”

For the Travel Enthusiast
A travel-themed gift basket is perfect for any jetsetter, and Giada enjoys spicing this one up with biscotti and a favorite fruity wine like the number one selling Italian Moscato from Bella Sera.

A travel-themed gift basket is a great match for any jetsetter, and Giada enjoys spicing this one up with a little Italian flare. In a canvas tote bag, pop in a popular travel book, a portable clock, a pocket translator and a batch of your favorite biscotti. “I sprinkle green and red sugar crystals on top of my holiday biscotti for a festive garnish,” Giada says. “Also, this kind of Italian cookie pairs nicely with a crisp, fruity Italian wine like Bella Sera Moscato.”

For the Epicurean
A cookbook is a classic choice to give your favorite foodie, so why not spruce it up Giada-style? “I like to include a finished product of one of the recipes so the recipient can get a flavor of what’s inside,” she says. Pair those with a favorite bottle of wine – “You can’t go wrong with a smooth Bella Sera Pinot Noir,” Giada says – and place everything in a decorative wicker basket with a colorful ribbon, and your epicurean gift is cooked to perfection.

For the Outdoor Adventurist
A portable butane camping stove is a must-have for every outdoor enthusiast. Accompany it with cooking utensils, a sturdy skillet, a batch of homemade Italian flat bread and a versatile red wine like Bella Sera Merlot, and you’ve created the ultimate camping cookout gift. “A cooking kit is perfect for your outdoorsy friends or relatives because it contains practical items they can use for many of their excursions,” Giada says. When it comes to baking flat bread, Giada suggests brushing the dough with extra-virgin olive oil to get a crispy, shiny crust.

For the Romantic
Whether you’re gifting a hopelessly romantic friend or a newlywed couple, Giada suggests giving the gift of love with a stylish container full of freshly baked chocolate desserts. Along with it, she adds a pair of wine glasses and a bottle of dry, light-bodied red wine, such as Bella Sera Chianti. “With a delicious dessert and the zesty touch of Chianti, this gift idea is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy romance,” Giada says.

For the Holiday Gathering Host/Hostess
A bottle of wine is always a thoughtful host or hostess gift and appreciated at holiday get-togethers. “Bella Sera wines pair wonderfully with a variety of foods, so bring bottles of both red and white to a holiday party,” Giada suggests. “That way everyone can choose their favorite and truly get in the holiday spirit.”

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Related Links

Bella Sera Wines
Giada’s Entertaining Tips
Giada’s Recipes

Vow to Get Organized: The Container Store Launches The Gift Registry

Oct 3, 2011 15:30 ET

The Gift Registry includes features like “Contribute to a Dream Space” and real-time registry updates

DALLAS, Oct. 3, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — The Container Store®, the nation’s originator and leading retailer of storage and organization products, today introduces The Gift Registry, www.containerstore.com/registry, which will allow customers to easily create a registry online or in-store for any celebration that calls for a little (or a lot!) of organization, including:
A Wedding – a selection of 10,000 innovative storage and organization solutions coupled with The Container Store’s expert organization advice will help couples make the transition into their happily-ever-organized home.
A New Baby – the arrival of a baby brings a lot of new (and necessary) “stuff” into a home. But where to put it? The Container Store has thousands of solutions to help maximize space and help new parents stay organized – even beyond the baby years.
Off to College – The Container Store has been helping college students (and their parents) make the most of the small spaces in dorm rooms for more than 33 years. Giving college-bound students the gift of organization will surely set them up for great success!
Housewarming, Anniversary, Birthday and More! – no matter the occasion, The Container Store’s multi-functional solutions are always the perfect gift.

The Gift Registry’s most unique feature is Group Gifting for Your Dream elfa® Space. elfa is a premiere modular shelving and drawer system that is exclusive to The Container Store and has been the company’s best-selling product since its debut in 1978. So many couples don’t know what size closet, pantry, office or garage space they are going to have in their new home and this gives them the option to register for the organized closet, office, pantry or garage of their dreams. Guests can contribute a monetary gift that will be applied to the cost of the organized solution in the form of a special “Contribution to Your elfa DREAM Space” gift card.

“We’re the experts when it comes to helping save space and ultimately, valuable time – and who couldn’t use a little more of that, especially after a big event like a wedding, graduation or a new baby?,” said Melissa Reiff, President, The Container Store. “Our customers have been asking us for a registry program from ‘their favorite store’ for some time, so we’re thrilled to launch The Gift Registry that offers a seamless shopping experience for the registrant and gift giver alike.”

“Our same-store sales are trending to be the best in company history. This strong financial performance and focus on customer service has allowed us to continue to innovate and develop new programs for our customers like The Gift Registry. Layering on this new program as we head into our the busiest time of year with the holidays will help sustain our momentum,” continued Reiff.

Consistent with the retailer’s focus on customer service, The Gift Registry will also feature elements like email updates on items with limited inventory and a real-time look at gifts purchased for the registrant. A complete list of The Gift Registry features, include:

State-of-the-Art, In-Store Kiosks and Scanning Devices for Creating a Registry: Touch-screen kiosks will be located in the front of each store and in the elfa section where customers can create, edit and print registries while having full access to The Container Store website. There will also be touch screen scanning devices that will allow registrants to easily add to their registry in the store.

Gift Packaging for Online Purchases: Items can be gift packaged if they are being shipped to a gift recipient. The cost to gift wrap each item with our specially designed gift wrap will be $5.50.

“Our Recommendations”: With more than three decades of experience as the storage and organization experts, The Container Store knows what registrants need. Registrants will find top product picks to help them get started on creating their registry for all areas of the home, including closet, kitchen, storage, office, living, travel, bath, laundry and garage.

24-Hour Access to The Gift Registry: Registrants can access their gift registry any time on our website to add or delete items and to review items that have already been purchased. Guests can access the gift registries of friends and family any time on our website to review items that have already been purchased and make a purchase. The gift registries are updated with real-time information, which eliminates gift-giving duplication.

Email Updates: Registrants can choose to receive email updates regarding the status of their registry.

Items with Limited Availability: In the event one of the items on a gift registry is discontinued, the registrant will be alerted on their registry web page so that they can make another selection.

Shipping: Registrants can provide different addresses for gifts purchased before and after their event. Guests will be able to easily ship to the registrant’s preferred address (the actual address will not be visible to the guest).

Returns & Exchanges: The Container Store is proud to offer an easy return process for The Gift Registry customers. Customers can return or exchange items with or without a gift receipt and receive a Merchandise Credit. There is no time limit for returns with gift receipts.

Special Gift for Creating a Registry: The Container Store will be giving a Translucent File Tote to registrants to help keep them organized for their event.

10% off to Complete a Gift Registry After the Event: After the event, The Container Store will offer registrants a 10% off savings certificate to help them complete their registry. This discount will be issued two weeks after the event date and will include one single-use barcode that will expire one month from the issue date.

Gift Receipts: Employees will be able to print a gift receipt on demand for any product.

Dedicated Customer Service Line for The Gift Registry: As part of The Container Store’s commitment to customer service and ensuring the registry process is organized and stress-free, the company has created a dedicated customer service line for these special registry customers at 855-827-4438 (TCS-GIFT). Organization experts will be available Monday through Saturday, 8 AM – 8 PM and Sunday, 9 AM – 7 PM (Central Time). The Container Store has also recently launched its new LIVE Chat service, providing customers with another channel to ask questions, no matter if they’re big or small, about products, order status, etc.

Now Shop Online with an Experience Curated Just for You

Sep 26, 2011 14:27 ET

NEW YORK, Sept. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Online shopping just got even better. The luxury fashion company, 72Lux.com, announced today a game-changing user experience, shopping tool. 72Lux understands that having a variety of products is incredibly valuable for its users when searching for a specific item, but when browsing, the user doesn’t want to receive 6,000 search results. Heather Marie, the CEO, explains, “one of the best parts about shopping online is you can leverage technology to make your life simpler. Offline a customer has no choice but to walk through every rack to get to the back of the store, but we don’t need to do that online. We’re now putting the tools in our customers hands to help them personalize the site so that they can cut through the white noise of irrelevant products and sizes and minimize the time it takes to discover products they love”. As of today users can access this free “Personal Shopper” by setting up an account on their website. Then, the Personal Shopper will begin to curate user data and simultaneously offer products according to their interest. Starting next week, registered users will have access to the latest designer must-haves recommended via daily or weekly emails by our Personal Shopper, exclusively for them. Over the next two months, they’ll be adding another thirty high-end retailers and over 100 more ready-to-wear designers, which will make the Personal Shopper increasingly valuable.

With customers such as busy executives and mothers, 72Lux is dedicated to simplifying their members shopping experience. 72Lux offers over 800 luxury and contemporary brands within an aggregate retailer platform with the only universal checkout that allows users to check out from multiple retailers, but all on 72Lux.com.