The past few years of economic turmoil have been a boon to dollar stores, which have proven to be a strong draw for shoppers seeking cheap gifts, clothes, and household goods. Man and woman cannot live on inexpensive tchotchkes and laundry detergent alone, though. For a dollar store to be a truly one-stop shopping experience, it’d need a …
food
Condimania! The ‘New Ketchup’ and Other Hot Condiment Trends
If your refrigerator door is stocked with just two bottles of condiments—one Crayola yellow, the other Crayola red—and you use them only in strict traditional fashion (mustard on hot dogs, ketchup on French fries), then your …
For the Best Fast Food Bargain, Don’t Look to the Drive-Thru
A mammoth quarter-pound hot dog and a 20-oz. fountain soda for a grand total of $1.50? It’s hard to beat a bargain like that, unless you’re preparing meals at home. You won’t find this deal at McDonald's, Taco Bell, or Nathan’s …
Who Wants to Play ‘Food Stamp Challenge’?
Come on down! This week, all comers are welcomed to be “contestants” in a challenge simulating what it’s like to live on food stamps, or SNAP benefits as they’re now called. Elected officials and everyday citizens in one U.S. city are trying to get by with a food budget of just $5 daily, which is the average individual benefit.
Why We’re Eating Fewer Happy Meals
Kids are less likely to order kids meals now. For the past five years, there has been an annual decline in the number of fast-food child meals that come with toys. In 2011, Happy Meal and other child meal sales were down 6%, from …
What’s Hot, New, Weird, Delicious, Refreshing, and Exciting in Pizza and Beer
Two classic staples for Friday night, or any night really, are getting makeovers. Among the newest options for consumers are beer that doesn’t taste like beer, frozen pizza that doesn’t taste like cardboard, and gas stations that …
Daily Deals to Go: LivingSocial Launches Takeout & Delivery Service
For the most part, restaurant deals from the likes of Groupon, LivingSocial, and other sites have come in the dine-in-only variety. Starting Thursday, though, LivingSocial is offering takeout and delivery services at restaurants in 26 U.S. markets, with the rest of the country to soon follow.
Ski Bums at Soup Kitchens: Warm Winter, Hard Times in Mountain Towns
Months of unseasonably warm weather have given the economy quite a boost: Mother Nature has been pointed to as the reason for increased spending on construction, restaurants, and home-improvement supplies, among other goods and …
Where’s the Beef? Expect Less Meat, Higher Prices at Steakhouses
For steak lovers, this is like a knife to the heart: Thanks to soaring meat costs, it’s growing common for steakhouses to raise menu prices at the same time they’re decreasing portion sizes. In some cases, even appetizers are …
Game Changers: 5 New ‘Next Big Things’
Imagine if you could pay for parking with a few taps of your phone, and that you’d never have to pay for more time than you used. Imagine if, after you’re done eating a bag of chips or drinking a carton of juice, you could scarf …
Coupons for Snobs? Expansion of ‘Groupon Reserve’ Continues
Apparently, affluent foodies like getting deals as much as the next person. Groupon’s “Reserve” daily deal program, which focuses on fancy tasting menus and other luxury offerings, is spreading to its fourth U.S. city, Los Angeles. When considered alongside similarly high-end offers from Gilt City and LivingSocial Gourmet, the rise of …
The Art of Making Leftovers Edible
How much food is bought and brought into your home, only to wind up in the trash rather than your belly? One estimate says that about 25% of food purchased by Americans is wasted, adding up to $100 billion annually. Another …
