Not about sales but about shopping

To buy generic brands or not?

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When I was in the UK, I noticed that most of the supermarkets had a few categories of items - branded, luxury generic, mid-priced generic and cheap generic. As a struggling student, with there being quite a price difference between the branded and generic brands I used to buy generic but would splurge on the branded stuff once in a while.

Later, I found out that some generic items or “own-brand” items were actually manufactured by branded manufacturers but just repackaged into the generic packaging. For example, ABC brand of biscuits would retail for GBP1 but Tesco Choice would retail for 60p. However, the actual biscuits were actually manufactured by ABC so you were getting similar quality products but at a cheaper price if you buy generic.

The point of it all is that generic is not necessarily of a lower quality or worse than a branded product. In fact, you may find yourself saving money buying generic brand items.

I would buy generic brands for items where it doesn’t make much of a difference:

  • Toilet rolls or tissue paper
  • Sugar and salt
  • Bottled water
  • Stationery like files or envelopes
  • Cotton pads and cotton buds
  • Some better quality shower gels

I would not buy generic brands for:

  • some food stuff because I’m picky
  • sanitary pads
  • cleaning detergent
  • most shower gels and all shampoos
  • cosmetics

So, would you use generic brand items and if you will, what will you use and what won’t you?

September 25, 2007 | Filed Under Discussions | 5 Comments 

Star Buy: Easy Spirit shoes at a 60% discount!

I popped into Isetan for their pre-sale which was on Friday. It was for one day only and only for the Isetan card members. There are benefits to being an Isetan card member and this is one of them.

One of the benefits is the extra discount for members and that was translated into the 60% discount off Easy Spirit shoes. For non members and after the one day presale, it will be 50% off. Still a hefty discount off the usual price of RM339 each.
Here are the 2 pairs of shoes I picked up:easyspirit
The first is a Dea sandal wedge. I’ve been wanting to get a pair of comfortable wedges for ages and this fit the bill. It felt very comfortable to walk in and the heel isn’t so high as to make it uncomfortable to go shopping or out for fun. The base had a springy feel to it which made it nice to walk in.

The second is a pair of Pioniere ballet flats with a mesh suede upper. I liked the unique look and design of the upper part of the shoe and it is very soft and flexible. I’d been wanting a pair of ballet flats for ages but this is the first time I’ve found something that fits and looks nice on my feet.

Easy Spirit has very comfortable shoes that are slightly more expensive than Clarks shoes. I usually can’t afford them but at 60% off, its definitely a star buy! The 60%/50% off is for a very limited range only so its a matter of whether you find anything that catches your eye. In my case, I did and I love my new shoes!

September 22, 2007 | Filed Under Fashion, Sales, Star Buys | Leave a Comment 

Star Buy: Kanebo cosmetics at a discount

There is a cosmetics and fragrance sale going on at Isetan Lot 10 (The Gallery on the 4th Floor).

This picture of the flyer is courtesy of ShoppingnSales.

I went to see what was there, and lo and behold! They had my beloved Kanebo Blanchir skincare at about 50% off! Granted, there are only selected items, but if you are a user of the line or want to try the line, this is a good time to do so.

The reason for the hefty discount is because the Blanchir line has been revamped with better ingredients supposedly, and the packaging has also been changed. So, they are getting rid of the old version.

I checked the manufacturing date and they were dated more or less around October 2006 for the Milky Conditioner and Night Conditioner. I think that’s fresh enough because most skincare have a shelf life of about 3 years from manufacture.

There are also some limited T’estimo makeup and Kate makeup. I saw some Kate eyeshadow trios and lipsticks as well as the Kanebo Freshel skincare line. All worth checking out.

This sale is only from September 21-25 at Isetan Lot 10 only.

September 21, 2007 | Filed Under Beauty, Sales, Star Buys | Leave a Comment 

Some tips and tricks to learn from

I previously participated in the Daily Blog Tips Tips and Tricks project and here are 5 tips submitted from various categories that I thought were quite interesting.

The other tips submitted are no less interesting than the 5 I picked up, but we were asked to choose and so I chose. The rest of the tips can be found at the Blog Writing Project. See which ones work for you!

September 21, 2007 | Filed Under General | 2 Comments 

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