RedFlagDeals.com Official Blog http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/alldeals/ en alau@clearskymedia.ca Copyright 2009 2009-11-10T23:05:00-05:00 Online Shopping Coming Soon to SportChek.ca, Olympic Store Live on HBC http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/online_shopping_coming_soon_to_sportchekca_olympic_store_live_on_hbc/ SportChek.ca proudly displaying that online shopping is coming soon to SportChek.ca and HBC launching their ecommerce enabled, 2010 Vancouver Olympics Store.

If you remember far enough back, both sites actually had online shopping in the past before pulling it down. Forzani, SportChek's parent company, launched ecommerce functionality on SportChek.ca all the way back in June of 2001! Sales didn't live up to expectations though so through this Spring, Forzani's sole ecommerce presence was at SportMart.ca before they pulled that offline for further development. HBC has a similar story; a couple different ecommerce experiments before the sudden closure earlier this year.

It's good to see them both coming back in one form or another; we can't wait till they launch. Hopefully it's just the beginning of a wave of launches and relaunches from Canada's major retail players.]]> 2009-10-12T05:08:00-05:00 Newegg Announces IPO and Canadian Warehouse http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/newegg_announces_ipo_and_canadian_warehouse/ Newegg, filed for an initial public offering last Monday in hopes to raise $175 million to expand its international operations in Canada and China.

Newegg was originally founded in 2001 primarily as an online electronics retailer, but has since then diversified and now sells everything from video games to housewares. Besides having a large selection of high-tech products, they are also known for having detailed how-to information, customer reviews, and a large community of users. In a short eight years, Newegg has grown to have more than 12 million registered visitors.

Newegg using its IPO funding to expand in the Canadian market is great news for us. In fact, they have already announced the opening of their new Canadian warehouse last Friday. The warehouse is located in Mississauga, Ontario, and is expected to improve service and shipping for Newegg Canada customers. Hopefully having to report to and share profits with shareholders doesn't affect the low prices and great customer service that Newegg has built its reputation around.]]> 2009-10-05T17:40:00-05:00 Telus acquires Black’s Photo http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/telus_acquires_blacks_photo/ Telus acquired Black's Photo to expand its retail platform for its mobile devices. Once everything is finalized (probably around Christmas holiday shopping season), Black's stores will begin selling Telus wireless products and services at 113 locations across Canada. Currently already selling cameras, storage memory, and even GPS systems, it will be interesting to see if Black's will continue to expand their product line beyond their current offering.

New entrants in the wireless arena will be appearing in the next few months, bringing hope for consumers looking for choices beyond the current mobile offerings of Bell, Telus, and Rogers. There are three new, independent entrants: Public Mobile, Globalive Communications Corp.'s Wind Mobile, and DAVE Wireless. In anticipation of these new competitors, it seems expanding the number of locations where customers can buy their products and services is a key strategy for major wireless players. The move by Telus to acquire Black's actually follows Bell Canada's purchase of The Source earlier this year, which doubled the number of Bell's corporate stores to 1,450. Although it seems a little strange for Telus to buy a camera and photo services retailer to sell phones, at least it’s a sign that Telus is taking the new competition seriously and hopefully this new found competition will lead to better mobile plans for consumers. Now we are left to wonder, what's your move, Rogers?]]> 2009-09-11T14:38:00-05:00 Buy a Ford at Costco! http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/buy_a_ford_at_costco/ head over to their co-branded site, print off a coupon, and bring it into the dealership for $1,000 off - pretty cool, and a stackable discount at that. Andrew wrote up the full details here and we ended up talking about it at the office. Apparently, there are Ford vehicles being displayed at the Costco retail locations as well. I wonder if it'll work. I've never considered buying a car from Costco, but I wouldn't be opposed to it either. If it only came with that famous Costco return policy...]]> 2009-09-03T23:10:00-05:00 Canadians get some more Amazon.com Love http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/canadians_get_some_more_amazoncom_love/ Amazon Global program which means for the first time ever, Canadians will be able to have more than just books, music, and DVDs shipped to their door from the US Amazon.com website. It's only available for select products in select categories but there is a healthy list of categories to choose from including Apparel, Electronics, Home & Garden, Jewelry, Software, Sports & Outdoors, and Watches. Shipping fees are pretty reasonable according to this chart, but people are reporting that they're getting much higher shipping costs in their carts so maybe there are still some bugs to iron out.

Even with the exclusions and added shipping costs, it's certainly a step in the right direction. I don't know where else Canadians can go online to choose from over 80,000 pieces of jewelry, or 30,000 watches in a single storefront. It also is in line with the trend of US online retailers getting more aggressive in the Canadian market which is great news for us online shoppers.

PS: I know we don't update this blog often enough... we're going to try to do a better job though and fill you in on more Canadian eCommerce news. ]]> 2009-07-30T19:59:00-05:00 RedFlagDeals.com Garage Sale Section is Back for 2009! http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/redflagdealscom_garage_sale_section_is_back_for_2009/ Garage Sale Locator this year to make it even easier to find sales and to list your own sale. As always, you can list your garage sale for FREE.

Using the Garage Sale Locator you can find garage sales near your home on a Google Map and promote your own garage sale! You can also save sales to a printer friendly so you have something to take with you when you're bargain hunting.

You can access the Garage Sales Locator from any page on RedFlagDeals.com by clicking the Garage Sales link in the top navigation bar.

We've added some shortcuts to help you find Garage Sales in cities across Canada. Here are the links: ]]> 2009-05-01T21:11:00-05:00 Shop nude, shop new, shop at S&R before it’s too late http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/shop_nude_shop_new_shop_at_sr_before_its_too_late/ lululemon.com launched their online store in their own unique way, Canadian Tire re-launched what is essentially an online catalogue with a new, more modern, and much easier to browse design, and TheBrick.com got into the act as well with a new design (though I must admit I haven't been to The Brick's website in a while so it may have been live for a while).

A bit of sad news to go with that though; Kingston's S&R Department Store is closing down after over 50 years of Honest Ed's-style discount shopping. Those that went to Queen's University have probably been inside at least a once and may remember it for the elevator operator that took you up and down the store. The clearance sale starts Wednesday with a few months to say your goodbyes.]]> 2009-04-22T00:30:00-05:00 Get Deal Alerts on Twitter! http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/get_deal_alerts_on_twitter/ follow the user @RedFlagDeals for hourly updates on deals posted on the site! Not sure what Twitter is? You can find out here.]]> 2009-03-02T16:14:00-05:00 HBC Shuts Down Online Shopping http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/hbc_shuts_down_online_shopping/ TheBay.com, HomeOutfitters.com, or Zellers.com. HBC announced 1000 layoffs yesterday but there was no mention anywhere of ending online shopping at any of their banners. It was just last May that HBC actually relaunched their online storefronts under seperate banners and added additional products to their online inventory.

Our readers were quick to notice the change this morning. There's already a thread here asking if online shopping is coming back to HBC's stores hoping that this is just temporary. We hope that's the case as this would be another big loss for Canadian shoppers and a move that will hurt HBC in the long run as well.

UPDATE: An e-mail that some of our readers have reported receiving:

As part of a strategic review, we have decided to suspend the sale of merchandise on our banner websites - The Bay, Zellers, Home Outfitters and Hbc.com as of Thursday, February 5th, 2009. Over the coming months, we will be developing an e-commerce strategy for each of the banners and plan to re-launch in the future.

The Hbc Rewards, Hbc credit and other related sites will continue to be available as will all of the store information.

More information will follow once available.

Sincerely,

Mark Kinnin]]> 2009-02-05T15:24:00-05:00 New Credit Card Comparison Section http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/new_credit_card_comparison_section/ credit card with low interest rates can save you thousands of dollars over the life of the debt. If you don't have to carry a balance, finding a credit card with great rewards or cash back is great to have. You can visit the new section here:

Credit Card Comparison Tool]]> 2009-02-01T17:09:00-05:00 Scarlett Lounge Unveiled http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/scarlett_lounge_unveiled/ Scarlett Lounge is the newest addition to RedFlagDeals.com and aims to be Canada’s premiere online shopping community for women by women. Shoppers can see the hottest deals, get the latest on fashion and beauty from top industry experts, find green living tips, and celebrity looks for less - all with the mantra that Canadian women should always get the most for their money!

]]> 2008-10-08T18:04:00-05:00 Pictures from the RedFlagDeals.com BBQ! http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/pictures_from_the_redflagdealscom_bbq/
We've posted an online gallery. Take a look at the pictures here!]]> 2008-08-29T14:49:01-05:00 RedFlagDeals.com Job Opening: PHP/mySQL Web Programmer http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/redflagdealscom_job_opening_php_mysql_web_programmer/ By Category, Computers & Electronics, By Store, Other object oriented PHP/mySQL web programmer to help us enhance the site, add new features, and create new products and services for both RedFlagDeals.com and our sister site, PriceCanada.com.

Get all the details including requirements and compensation here.

Applications should also be sent to the link above. Definitely helps if you're familiar with both of the sites as we try to hire readers and people in the community if possible. Now back to the deals...]]> 2008-08-20T17:30:15-05:00 August 23rd: RedFlagDeals.com BBQ 2008 in Toronto!  Get your tickets now! http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/august_23rd_redflagdealscom_bbq_2008_in_toronto_get_your_tickets_now/

Time for some summer fun with Canada's largest bargain hunting community, RedFlagDeals.com!

At Polson Pier (aka The Docks) on August 23, we're throwing a party for about 750 of RedFlagDeals.com's dedicated readers.

With a $7.50 ticket you'll enjoy a sirloin burger, a jumbo hot dog, or veggy burger plus chips and a drink. PLUS free access to the rock climbing wall, mini putt, volleyball, billiards, and more!

BBQ! Fun! Prizes! And Great Deals!

What: RedFlagDeals.com BBQ 2008

When: August 23, 12:00 pm - 4:00pm

Where: Polson Pier (aka The Docks), 11 Polson St., Toronto, Ontario, M5A 1A4
We have space reserved indoors in case of rain!

We will be running a free shuttle bus between Polson Pier and Union Station throughout the event. Paid parking is available onsite.

Get your tickets now! Tickets sold out within 3 days last year!

]]> 2008-08-11T21:19:00-05:00 A RedFlagDeals.com Reader in Paris http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/a_redflagdealscom_reader_in_paris/

(Click for larger image)


Looks like he had a great time! Be sure to check out the other contests running on RedFlagDeals.com right now!]]> 2008-07-14T18:21:00-05:00 RedFlagDeals.com Job Opening - Web Designer (1 Month Contract) http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/redflagdealscom_job_opening_web_designer_1_month_contract/
Details of the job can be found here!

Applications should be sent through that page or send your application to hr@redflagdeals.com . As always, we prefer to hire from the RedFlagDeals.com community, but if you have a friends or family with web design experience, please forward the job listing to them!]]> 2008-06-13T16:15:00-05:00 Download the RedFlagDeals.com Toolbar for Firefox! http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/download_the_redflagdealscom_toolbar_for_firefox/

We're happy to announce the release of the RedFlagDeals.com Toolbar for the Firefox Web Browser! You will never miss a Canadian deal or coupon with the RedFlagDeals.com Toolbar!

Search RedFlagDeals.com from Anywhere
The Search Box allows you to easily search RedFlagDeals.com right from your browser. Search RedFlagDeals.com’s database of Deals and Coupons, the forums, or search for a specific product with the Shopping Comparison search.

Get Notified of Coupons
If you’re browsing a retailer’s website and there is a coupon available, the RedFlagDeals.com Toolbar will notify you so that you never pay more than you have to!

Monitor Your Private Messages
Waiting to hear back from another RedFlagDeals.com member? The Toolbar let’s you know when you have a new Private Message!

Quick Links
Quickly jump to the major sections of RedFlagDeals.com from anywhere on the web!

Download the RedFlagDeals.com Toolbar for Firefox verisons 1.5 to 2 now!

If you have any comments or suggestions for the future versions of the toolbar, please post them in this forum thread!]]> 2008-03-03T18:10:00-05:00 Valentine’s Day Contest Winners! http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/valentines_day_contest_winners1/ Thanks for all of the great stories!

The winners have been chosen and contacted! They should have their prizes by tomorrow!

From the forum:
mjl_toronto
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=547667

ArmedWithATude
http://www.redflagdeals.com/forums/showthread.php?t=546263

And via the entry form, Donna from Toronto with this story:
Our Valentines Day from Hell started innocently enough.

My husband and I decided to celebrate our first Valentines Day as a married couple by inviting both sets of parents to our home for dinner. My parents are very traditional Chinese, and my husbands parents, very old fashioned Italians, were just visiting from their small village in Italy.

We had just adopted an adorable puppy from the local pound who was addicted to chew toys. Before our guests arrived, we hurriedly tidied up and threw the puppy's toys into the closest cupboard.

After dinner, my mother was helping me clear the table, when I heard a crash, as she suddenly dropped the large dish of food that she was carrying. My eyes followed her horrified stare to see my father-in-law playing Frisbee with our puppy in the living room. The Frisbee was my old DIAPHRAGM that the puppy had dug out of a cupboard while looking for his chew toys! My in-laws had no idea what the frisbee really was but my parents did.

That unforgettable and embarrassing scene has haunted us every Valentines Day since!

The winners have each won one of the following prizes from ICE.com: ]]> 2008-02-13T21:11:00-05:00 A very busy Christmas/Boxing Day for RedFlagDeals.com! http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/a_very_busy_christmas_boxing_day_for_redflagdealscom/
Here's a quick recap of December 2007's traffic:
  • Visits: 4,860,053
  • Unique Visitors: 1,748,766
  • Page Views: 38,123,461


Peak Day: December 24, 2007
  • Visits: 292,761
  • Unique Visitors: 185,843 (peak uniques was Dec. 25 - 189,165)
  • Page Views: 3,439,458
And here's a graph to help you visualize what sort of spike the servers have to deal with. The first graph shows visitors:
RedFlagDeals.com Visitors

This graph shows the daily pageviews:
RedFlagDeals.com Pageviews

Thankfully, it's a fairly predictable spike, so we were able to upgrade our hardware this Fall and rent a few extra servers during December to handle the flyer downloads. We served nearly 6 million flyer pages this year!]]> 2008-01-15T19:57:00-05:00 RedFlagDeals.com Readers Raise over $3300 for Daily Bread Food Bank! http://www.redflagdeals.com/deals/main.php/blog/comments/redflagdealscom_readers_raise_over_3300_for_daily_bread_food_bank/
Keep the drive in mind for next year!]]> 2008-01-02T18:43:00-05:00