Healthy Eating on a Budget
Posted by Deborah Read on Thursday 2 February 2012 in Health and Beauty & Finance
We all know we need to eat our 5 a day, but with pay freezes, increased living costs and tighter budgets is it really possible? Fresh fruit and veg can easily add up, especially for a family of four who want to eat 20 different bits of fruit and veg a day! Luckily, we have put together a list of top tips for eating on a budget.
The iPhone 4S arrives at Vodafone
Posted by Deborah Read on Friday 7 October 2011 in Electronics
It's here... one of the most eagerly anticipated mobile phone in the UK is days away from being launched.
Summer Cocktail and Mocktail Recipes
Posted by Deborah Read on Wednesday 17 August 2011 in Home and Garden
Is there anything better than sitting and enjoying a cocktail with friends and family in the long summer evenings?
Best School Uniform Prices
Posted by Deborah Read on Wednesday 10 August 2011 in Home and Garden & Finance
It's that time where parents drag their ever growning children into clothes stores in order to get the best priced school uniforms for their little ones- but where offers the best prices?
Get Active This Summer With Red Letter Days
Posted by Deborah Read on Friday 5 August 2011 in Home and Garden
The summer is upon us and one week in, we can already hear the shouts and moans of 'I'm bored!' so how can you keep yourself and your little ones interested whilst the 6 weeks drag on?
Beauty Companies Using Ugly Tactics
Posted by Deborah Read on Thursday 28 July 2011 in Health and Beauty
Beauty company L'Oreal has been fined for airbrushing photographs in order to make their adverts more glossy and appealing.
Volcanic Ash Benefitted Rail Services
Posted by Deborah Read on Thursday 21 July 2011 in Travel & Finance
Consumers who preferred to fly experienced train travel in Europe for the first time, and actually liked it.
Chek You're Spelin
Posted by Deborah Read on Friday 15 July 2011 in Finance
More and more businesses are sending their school leaver staff on basic courses to improve things such as spelling and grammar, mathematical skills and other essentials, which they should have a grasp on.
More Tough Times For The High Street
Posted by Deborah Read on Friday 1 July 2011 in Finance
This week has seen an enormous amount of high street retailers either go into administration or close stores across the UK. What's happening?
Additions Direct merges with Very.co.uk
Posted by Deborah Read on Friday 24 June 2011 in Fashion
Fans of Additions Direct will be sad to hear that the online shopping catalogue is merging with Very, the Littlewoods brand dedicated to the young, stylish female.
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[summary] => We all know we need to eat our 5 a day, but with pay freezes, increased living costs and tighter budgets is it really possible? Fresh fruit and veg can easily add up, especially for a family of four who want to eat 20 different bits of fruit and veg a day! Luckily, we have put together a list of top tips for eating on a budget.
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[body] => <p style="text-align: justify;">We all know we need to eat our 5 a day, but with pay freezes, increased living costs and tighter budgets is it really possible? Fresh fruit and veg can easily add up, especially for a family of four who want to eat 20 different bits of fruit and veg a day! Luckily, we have put together a list of top tips for eating on a budget.<br /><br /><strong>Go cold</strong><br />Did you know that frozen fruit and vegetables have the same nutritional value as fresh and are often much cheaper. Beware though, some veggies and fruit don’t taste as nice from frozen so pick and choose which ones to go with. These are then easy to store, leave little waste as you only use what you need and keep for months. They’re also handy if you’re out of fresh veggies for a meal.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Go Veggie</strong><br />Statistics show that vegetarians are healthier than meat eaters and meat can be expensive. Choose to eat less meat or make one vegetarian meal a week. This will save some money whilst also adding extra veggies to your diet. Remember to add pulses and beans so you still get the nutrition meat would otherwise give you. Get recipe ideas <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/content/recipes/vegetarian/" title="BBC Good Food">here </a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Spot the bargain</strong><br />Some supermarkets do deals and discounts on five separate fruit and veg combinations, whilst others offer discounts on a range of veggies so if you can afford to, shop around and see where the bargains can be had. Beware of heavily discounted fruit and veg though, check their expiry dates! If you have time and transport, shop around for your groceries, getting your fruit and veg in a market, your frozen goods at the frozen food store and your meat at the butchers.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Tin Up!</strong><br />Tinned foods like fish are still healthy whilst also being less expensive. Add Tuna or Salmon to pasta and veg for a healthy, easy meal. Stock up on tinned tomatoes and pulses like kidney beans. Tinned tomatoes make a good tomato source too, which can lead to spaghetti bolognaise, a pasta source or even a pizza base.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Eat Seasonally</strong><br />Eating seasonally is a cheaper way to eat your five a day and ensures that your diet is varied so you’re getting a wide range of vitamins and minerals. Seasonal veg is cheaper as it’s in season, meaning that it’s there’s more of it around and therefore easier to transport and get hold of.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Do It Yourself</strong><br />Instead of buying an expensive lunch, make your own. It enables you to use up left overs, whilst you’re in complete control of your diet. There are loads of interesting meal ideas on the internet and in recipe books which keep your ideas fresh, your body healthy and your budget on track! Take a look at <a target="_blank" href="http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipes/tag-3332/healthy-lunch-recipes.aspx" title="All Recipes">allrecipes</a> for some healthy ideas!</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Cook from Scratch</strong> <br />Cooking really isn’t that hard and basic dishes are easy to manage. Take time to plan your meals, thinking about what ingredients you will have left over and what you can use. Also, invest in a few cook books and see what you can create. Until then, here are a few tips.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Oats are an amazing ingredient, especially for breakfast. Oats release energy slowly, keeping you fuller and stopping you from snacking. Oats are also relatively cheap and quite versatile. Eat hot as porridge or add to Greek yoghurt and honey for an awesome breakfast and great start to the day.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Pasta is so versatile that it’s a good idea to have some in your cupboards. Choose wholegrain pastas if possible as these are better for you. Add pesto, cheese source or a tomato source with veggies as a basic, simple meal.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Over Ripe Fruit are great for steamed puddings, crumbles and jams.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;">Find recipes at <a target="_blank" href="http://www.deliciousmagazine.co.uk/recipes" title="Delicious Magazine">deliciousmagazine</a>, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/loseweight/Pages/Eatwellcheap.aspx" title="NHS">NHS </a> and the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/prevention/healthy-eating/healthy-eating-on-a-budget.aspx" title="British Heart Foundation">British Heart Foundation</a></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Discover Your Green Finger</strong><br />If you have time, try growing your own veggies. This not only means you’ll eat delicious fruit and vegetables but you can be proud of your meals too. It encourages fussy children to try what’s been grown and is a very satisfactory experience. Read more <a target="_blank" href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/digin/" title="Grow Your Own Veg">here </a>on growing your own veg.</p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Final Tips</strong><br />Stick to the list- Write a list before shopping and stick to it at the supermarket, no matter what unhealthy things they have on offer.<br />Own brands- Buy own brands at the supermarket, you’ll pay less for what is essentially the same product.<br />Don’t shop whilst hungry- it’s been proven that shopping when you’re hungry means you’ll buy more items which may get wasted.<br />Tap Water- drink tap water, it’s free, cheap and excellent for your skin. If you don’t like the taste of tap water, use a cordial.</p>
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[summary] => It's here... one of the most eagerly anticipated mobile phone in the UK is days away from being launched.
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[body] => It's here... one of the most eagerly anticipated mobile phone in the UK is days away from being launched. Excited consumers are looking for the best deals online, and you can get yours on the vodafone promotional code page on <a target="_blank" href="http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk" title="VoucherSeeker">VoucherSeeker</a> We've outlined a good number of deals to choose from. Remember to <strong>pre-order before the 14th October and get £59!</strong> What makes this phone stand out from the others? Well, at first glance it looks exactly like the old iPhone 4. But, as your mother told you countless times growing up, it's not the outside that matters, but the inside. Firstly, the phone boasts an A5 dual core processor which offers consumers 2 x faster performance than the iPhone 4. It also has an improved antenna design which was a popular floor in the first design. The 8MP camera can boast an improved light capture and face recognition facility to give you even better images than you had before, whilst a new speech recognition control application has also been introduced called Siri, which enables consumers to control the iPhone using your voice- consumers can make calls, send tects and schedule meetings using this function. There's also the added extra of extended battery life which gives consumers 8 hours of 3G talk time. Impressed? the iPhone 4S has a lot more to offer, so get your hands on one and tell us what you think!
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[body] => Is there anything better than sitting and enjoying a cocktail with friends and family in the long summer evenings? But which are the best cocktails to make and how expensive are they? Well, with <a title="VoucherSeeker" href="http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/?caref=VS-blog-17/08/11-VoucherSeeker" target="_blank">VoucherSeeker</a>, not that expensive!
All of the cocktails below serve 4.
Alcoholic
<strong>The Michelada
</strong>
A Mexican Beer cocktail which is both refreshing and really simple to put together. It's great if you have beer in the fridge and unexpected party guests, or if you just want to spend your time with your friends, not chopping fruit in the kitchen!
4 tbsp sea salt
the juice of 6 limes
<a title="Asda Lager" href="http://asdastore.at/merciless?LID=blog-17/08/11summercocktails&DURL=http://groceries.asda.com/asda-estore/search/searchcontainer.jsp?trailSize=1&searchString=lager&domainName=Products&headerVersion=v1&_requestid=248003" target="_blank">Corona or Mexican lager
</a>Tabasco source
Pour the sea salt onto a plate
Dip your drink glasses into the juice of the 6 limes
Dip your drink glasses into the salt (around the rim)
Add ice to each glass
Divide the remainder of the limes into it
Top up with lager
Add a dash of tabasco source
<strong>Vodka and Cranberry Blush</strong>
Another simple cocktail which will go down a strom. The cranberrys offer an extra crispness to the drink to ensure it's instantly refreshing.
200 ml/7fl o2 of Vodka
200 ml/7fl o2 of of cointreau
<a title="Tesco Cranberry Juice" href="http://clkuk.tradedoubler.com/click?p=898&a=1134585&g=14074016&epi=blog-17-08-11summercocktails&url=http://www.tesco.com/groceries/product/search/default.aspx?searchBox=cranberry%20juice" target="_blank">600ml cranberry juice
</a>400ml orange juice
the peel of 2-3 limes
crushed ice
Put the vodka and Cointreau into a jug
Add the cranberry and orange juice and stir
add the peel of the limes
your drinks glasses with tthe ice, add the cocktail
Bottoms up!
<strong>Mojito
</strong>
Where would our summer be without a classic Mojito cocktail? Here, we give you the recipe so you can make your own- yummy!
5oz Spiced Rum
<a title="Sainsburys Mint Leaves" href="http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=2339&id=57984&caref=VS-blog-17/08/11summercocktails&p=http://www.sainsburys.co.uk/sol/global_search/global_result.jsp?bmForm=global_search&GLOBAL_DATA._search_term1=mint+leaves&GLOBAL_DATA._searchType=0&bmUID=1312800360796" target="_blank">50 mint leaves
</a>4 tbsp of sugar
2 oz lime juice
8 oz soda
Into a contained add:
crushed ice
spiced rum and sugar
lime juice
shake well.
Place the mint leaves at the bottom of a glass add the mixture and enjoy!
None alcoholic
For those who want a good cocktail without the alcohol, check out:
<strong>Strawberry Mocktail</strong>
<a title="Strawberry Yoghurt" href="http://asdastore.at/merciless?LID=blog-17/08/11summercocktails&DURL=http://groceries.asda.com/asda-estore/search/searchcontainer.jsp?trailSize=1&searchString=strawberry+yoghurt&domainName=Products&headerVersion=v1&_requestid=248507" target="_blank">4oz Strawberry yoghurt</a>
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
1 cup cold milk
1/2 cup crushed ice/ ice cream
honey to sweeten
Mix all ingredients together
stir well and add to a glass
add crushed ice
voila!
Enjoy your summer drinks responsibly, and check out <a title="VoucherSeeker" href="http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/?caref=VS-blog-17/08/11-VoucherSeeker" target="_blank">VoucherSeeker </a>for discounts!
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[summary] => It's that time where parents drag their ever growning children into clothes stores in order to get the best priced school uniforms for their little ones- but where offers the best prices?
[image] =>
[body] => It's that time where parents drag their ever growning children into clothes stores in order to get the best priced school uniforms for their little ones- but where offers the best prices? Together with <strong><a title="VoucherSeeker" href="http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/?caref=VS-blog-10/08/11-VoucherSeeker" target="_blank">VoucherSeeker</a></strong>, you're bound to get a great discount on items.
<strong><a title="Marks and Spencer School Uniforms" href="http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=1402&id=57984&clickref=blog-10-08-11schooluniform&p=http://www.marksandspencer.com/School-Uniform/b/43629030?ie=UTF8&intid=gnav_School-Uniform&pf_rd_r=0EJWC9HSR7X3HM3F4ANV&pf_rd_m=A2BO0OYVBKIQJM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_i=42966030&pf_rd_p=225097887&pf_rd_s=global-top-8" target="_blank">Marks and Spencer</a></strong>
Think M&S will be more expensive? Think again! Marks and Spencer have some items for just £1.50, whilst jumpers and cardigans are just £2. They sell a range of products from skirts and shirts to shoes and underwear so they have all bases covered.
<strong><a title="Debenhams School Uniform" href="http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=2194&id=57984&clickref=blog-10-08-11schooluniform&p=http://www.debenhams.com/kids/school-uniform" target="_blank">Debenhams</a></strong>
Debenhams is offering school uniforms for £3. This means that each item costs from £3 and the range includes knitwear, trousers and shorts, shoes, blouses, sportwear, underwear, polo shirts, dresses and skirts and school bags.
<strong><a title="George School Uniforms" href="http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=2925&id=57984&clickref=blog-10-08-11schooluniform&p=http://direct.asda.com/george/school-uniform/010,default,sc.html?cm_sp=grghome-_-panel3-_-Schoolwear040811-A" target="_blank">George, Asda</a></strong>
Asda has a range of products available, from footwear to knitwear, which range in price from £10 to £2. However, consumers can buy a jumper, two polo shirts and a skirt or trousers for £9.
<strong>Very</strong>
Very has items such as shirts, trousers, skirts, knitwear and shoes but they're a bit more expensive. However, they do have some sale options such as a pack of 2 skirts for £10. It's worth checking out these items in case there is a sale, going online for discounts. There is also a buy now, pay nothing for 12 months option available but this is only if you place an order of £50 or more.
<strong>Littlewoods</strong>
As above, items such as blouses, knitwear and shoes are more expensive than you can find in supermarkets. However, on certain items there are sales, for example a 2 pack of boys v neck jumpers are now £9.60 so it's worth checking out. There is also a buy now, pay nothing for 12 months option available but this is only if you place an order of £50 or more.
Hopefully you'll now be able to spot a high street bargain and be able to kit your kids out for less.
Found a better bargain? Let us know!
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[summary] => The summer is upon us and one week in, we can already hear the shouts and moans of 'I'm bored!' so how can you keep yourself and your little ones interested whilst the 6 weeks drag on?
[image] =>
[body] => The summer is upon us and one week in, we can already hear the shouts and moans of 'I'm bored!' so how can you keep yourself and your little ones interested whilst the 6 weeks drag on?
Red Letter Days has plenty of ideas and activities to keep your little ones busy this summer. Plus, you can get an extra <a title="Red Letter Days" href="http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/voucher-codes/9349/red-letter-days-voucher.html?caref=VS-blog-04/08/11-redletterdays" target="_blank">10% off</a>- <em><strong>Exclusive to VoucherSeeker!</strong></em> Events such as entry into the Eden Project can even be educational and fun for the whole family plus it costs as little as £10, hardly breaking the budget?
Top attractions such as Madame Toussauds, zoo trips and <a title="Red Letter Days Alton Towers" href="http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=1257&id=57984&caref=VS-blog-04/08/11&p=http://www.redletterdays.co.uk/Experience/Ref/MEGAC/The-Alton-Towers-Resort-Child-Ticket?method=SectionHomeSelected" target="_blank"><strong>Alton Towers</strong> </a>are also cheaper with Red Letter Days and ensure that families can get out and about for less.
Try something a little more adventurous for the whole family and visit a <strong><a title="Red Letter Days Tree Top Adventure" href="http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=1257&id=57984&caref=VS-blog-04/08/11&p=http://www.redletterdays.co.uk/Experience/Ref/ICNTE/A-Family-Treehouse?method=SectionHomeSelected" target="_blank">tree top home</a></strong> for two nights. Here you can sleep high up in the treetops but still be 100% comfortable- a real family adventure!
If you want to give your kids a more adrenaline filled day, there's plenty of activities to choose from- from a tour of the Emirates Stadium to <strong><a title="Red Letter Days Scuba Diving" href="http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=1257&id=57984&caref=VS-blog-04/08/11&p=http://www.redletterdays.co.uk/Experience/Ref/XSDKD/A-Kids-Discovery-Scuba-Dive?method=SectionHomeSelected" target="_blank">scuba diving</a> </strong>or even driving experiences.
How about something for yourself? Red Letter days has a range of relaxing experiences for you to take some time out for a while- whether that's a <strong><a title="Red Letter Days Spa Experience" href="http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=1257&id=57984&caref=VS-blog-04/08/11&p=http://www.redletterdays.co.uk/Experience/Pampering" target="_blank">Spa experience</a></strong> or theatre breaks. Alternatively, get your adrenaline pumping with some more adventurous experiences- from <strong><a title="Red Letter Days Paintballing" href="http://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?mid=1257&id=57984&caref=VS-blog-04/08/11&p=http://www.redletterdays.co.uk/Experience/Ref/XPABD/Paintballing-For-Eight?method=SectionHomeSelected" target="_blank">Paintballing</a></strong> to Orbing.
Whatever you get up to this summer, ensure you make the most of it with <strong><a title="Red Letter Days 10% off!" href="http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/voucher-codes/9349/red-letter-days-voucher.html?caref=VS-blog-04/08/11-redletterdays" target="_blank">Red Letter Days- get 10% off</a></strong> Exclusively with VoucherSeeker!
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[summary] => Beauty company L'Oreal has been fined for airbrushing photographs in order to make their adverts more glossy and appealing.
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[body] => Beauty company L'Oreal has been fined for airbrushing photographs in order to make their adverts more glossy and appealing. Watchdogs found that the images were therefore misleading and stopped them from being used.
This is not the first time L'Oreal have had adverts pulled. An advert for mascara featuring Penelope Cruz was pulled as it emerged that she wore fake eyelashes in the advert and therefore the effects were not just the mascara.
So why do beauty companies use airbrushing for their images? The beauty industry is a very glamorous one, its models need to be flawless in order to attract consumers. Pictures of influential and powerful women are often used and these women need to look their best.
L'Oreal did argue that the images used were touched up, but that the products could achieve the results they promised.
Glossy magazines are famous for using air brushing and touch up techniques in order to make celebrities and models look thinner, prettier and altogether better. Consumers are bombarded by these images daily. Whilst most consumers know that images are airbrushed, do they realise that adverts are too?
When it comes to adverts, it pays to read the small print. In many mascara adverts for many different beauty brands found in magazines, there is small print stating that 'lash enhancers' were also used. This small print is often tucked almost into the spine of the magazine so many consumers do not check it.
The other thing is not to believe what you're looking at. Most images are airbrushed nowadays, it's a simple fact of life. Find beauty products which work for you and stick with them, and take advertising campaigns with a pinch of salt.
Get <a title="Beauty Vouchers From VoucherSeeker" href="http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/voucher-codes/886/beauty.html?caref=VS-blog-27/07/11-beauty" target="_blank">Beauty vouchers</a> here!
What do you think about air brushed images? Send us your thoughts!
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[summary] => Consumers who preferred to fly experienced train travel in Europe for the first time, and actually liked it.
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[body] => Whilst air companies were flapping about (or not) as Iceland's volcano's pumped ash into the atmosphere, passengers were trapped abroad unable to get home and generally the travel system seemed to be in chaos, there was one mode of transport that has managed to profit.
Tales of people's transport nightmares were all over the media, with people hiring cabs for £2,000 for trips home, whilst others took trains and boats in a bid to get home.
And that's where the main winners are- the trains. Consumers who preferred to fly experienced train travel in Europe for the first time, and actually liked it.
Train travel enables consumers to relax on their journey. They can get up and walk around or just enjoy the journey. Consumers can work on the trains, and do not have to check in three hours early for flights.
Consumers who experienced train travel for the first time during the ash cloud have since become regular customers, as their experience was more positive than negative.
So where does that leave the airlines? In a tough economic climate airlines are still suffering as consumers are tighening their belts and cutting back on things such as holidays. Plus two volcano eruptions haven't worked in the airlines' favour. However, flying to destinations is still generally quicker than taking trains, and this may just be the clincher for holiday goers.
VoucherSeeker has a range of <a title="Rail Travel" href="http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/voucher-codes/12281/rail.html?caref=VS-blog-20/07/11-rail" target="_blank">Rail</a> and <a title="Train Travel" href="http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/voucher-codes/88297/trains.html?caref=VS-blog-20/07/11-train" target="_blank">Train</a> vouchers for whether you're travelling abroad or in the UK!
Did you get stuck abroad? Did you use train travel to get home? We want to know about all your experiences, so drop us a line!
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[summary] => More and more businesses are sending their school leaver staff on basic courses to improve things such as spelling and grammar, mathematical skills and other essentials, which they should have a grasp on.
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[body] => More and more businesses are sending their school leaver staff on basic courses to improve things such as spelling and grammar, mathematical skills and other essentials, which they should have a grasp on.
Now Charles Duncombe, and online entrepreneur has stated that just one misspelling on a website could cut online sales by half.
This is big news for an emerging industry, where time is of the essence when getting a site up and running. Often spelling mistakes can creep in, unseen by people who have already spent six months working hard to bring the website online.
So what does a misspelling tell customers? Often customers are put off by misspellings as it says that the site is less professional than other sites. This in turn, makes customers wary about buying items from the site. Consumers are still jumpy when it comes to buying items from the net and will look for little things like spelling as a clue.
However, this could raise further questions for internet professionals. What if your keyword is a misspelt word? You want to put it in your content to increase your rankings, but then if it means consumers won't buy from your site- what do you do?
General grammar and spelling mistakes need to be addressed, as these basic skills are still needed in the workplace. Until then, sites may find that sales decrease dramatically.
Check out the latest vouchers from <a title="VoucherSeeker" href="http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/?caref=VS-blog-15/07/11-voucherseeker" target="_blank">VoucherSeeker</a>
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[summary] => This week has seen an enormous amount of high street retailers either go into administration or close stores across the UK. What's happening?
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[body] => This week has seen an enormous amount of high street retailers either go into administration or close stores across the UK. What's happening?
When the recession first hit, we all saw the damage to the high street. Woolworths was one of the first casualties, along with stores such as Coffee Republic and many more. The first recession Christmas was the harshest, many retailers seeing sales down from the previous year.
What we didn't expect, was a new wave of stores closing. Jane Norman has gone into administration, followed by Habitat and Moben. Meanwhile, Carpet Right and Thorntons have said they will be closing stores around the UK. Surely the high street was showing signs of recovery? The economy is growing (very slowly, but growth none the less).
So what's changed? The average UK worker has seen their take home pay decrease, making them financially worse off than thirty years ago. They have pay freezes imposed on their pay packets for potentially years to come. This will have a knock on effect on high street stores as consumers stop spending money on things such as furniture, clothing and treats like chocolate.
The Royal Wedding boosted the high street but the retail industry is still stuggling to entice consumers to spend, who are also seeing the prices of food and fuel rise. Many consumers are ditching their cars all together in order to save money on petrol. All in all, it's still bleak.
Consumers are also turning to online sites such as <a title="VoucherSeeker" href="http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/?reflushCache=true?caref=VS-blog-01/07/11-voucherseeker" target="_blank">VoucherSeeker </a>in order to get their discounts when shopping online, a neat little trick to ensure that they save money on more expensive items.
The high street will continue to struggle until consumers are better off they won't start spending again.
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[title] => Additions Direct merges with Very.co.uk
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[summary] => Fans of Additions Direct will be sad to hear that the online shopping catalogue is merging with Very, the Littlewoods brand dedicated to the young, stylish female.
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[body] => Fans of Additions Direct will be sad to hear that the online shopping catalogue is merging with Very, the Littlewoods brand dedicated to the young, stylish female.
Very was born a few years ago, being rebranded from Littlewoods Direct. The store was launched as the new place for women between 16 and 30 to shop, aiming to bring them stylish clothing and tap into an emerging market.
Holly Willoughby and Fearne Cotton quickly came on board, designing their own clothing ranges to ensure that Very became a huge hit.
Additions Direct, meanwhile, waited in the wings. Originally Argos Additions, the store was created in order to give consumers extra products. It was bought by Shop Direct who instantly added extra product lines to ensure that Additions Direct had a vast bounty of products to offer consumers.
So what's next for Very? Merging with Additions Direct will ensure that more products can be added to the site, whilst extra resources are given to updating the sites.
Get <a title="Very Discount Codes" href="http://www.voucherseeker.co.uk/voucher-codes/214431/very-discount-codes-2011.html?reflushCache=true?caref=VS-blog-24/06/11-very" target="_blank">Very.co.uk Discount Codes</a> from VoucherSeeker.
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