Friday, October 24, 2008

BRILLIANT spam from LNT!

If you cannot see the links or images in this email, click here.
Our e-mail address is changing. Please add this address to your address book: Linens-N-Things@em.lnt.com. Find out how.
Dear Daniel,

Linens 'n Things is interested in your opinions. As an e-mail subscriber, we would like to get your feedback as to how well our e-mails meet your needs.

Please complete our online survey. It should only take about 3 minutes of your time. Just click on the take the survey link below to go to the survey:
Take the Survey!

Thank you in advance for your comments. We value your opinions.

Sincerely,

Linens 'n Things


Nice timing, as LNT is out of business and liquidating its inventory.

Brilliant spam from Crutchfield

As a customer from several years ago, I received this email from Crutchfield just now. It's the smartest marketing I've seen yet related to the current economic woes.

Dear Valued Customer,

The international financial crisis is weighing heavily on all of us. As consumers, one factor that we all need to consider is the stability of the companies with whom we do business. In the current economic climate, many retailers will stumble and some will even fail. For that reason, I personally want to explain Crutchfield's unique situation.

For many years, I have been concerned about the growing credit bubble. It was obvious to me that it was unsustainable and that an inevitable day of reckoning would come. To protect our customers, our employees, and my family from the disastrous consequences of a financial meltdown, I positioned Crutchfield to withstand the worst. We became very frugal with how we spent money. We did not pay outlandish executive salaries and bonuses. We did not build fancy facilities. We did not expand our retail store operations. And we did not buy other companies. Instead, we worked extremely hard to improve how we serve our customers, while we managed every aspect of our business with excellence. Furthermore, we paid off all of our debt and accumulated cash reserves.

When shopping in times like these, you need to be certain that the retailer will be around to provide you with years of after-the-sale support. We know that you expect guarantees, warranties and promises of lifetime product support to be kept when you purchase with us - and I have positioned our company to deliver without compromise on all of these important elements. As retailers go, Crutchfield is a "Rock of Gibraltar." We have no debt, a perfect credit rating and a legacy of fiscal prudence. Therefore, we will be around to serve you as we have served millions of customers for the past 34 years and throughout the last four recessions.

Purchasing from Crutchfield today means you are choosing a company that will help you use and enjoy your purchase now and in the future. I hope that you'll give Crutchfield a chance to exceed your expectations. I thank you for your time and, most importantly, for doing business with Crutchfield.

Bill Crutchfield

Bill Crutchfield
Founder and CEO, Crutchfield Corporation

Crutchfield hit home on several points: We've got great customer service, we're financially sound, and we've weathered recessions before because we're smart businesspeople. Whether it's true or not is irrelevant. I get thousands of emails from stores a week, and I've seen no such reassurance from any other retailer. By being first, Crutchfield stands out.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Speedo Men's Warmup Jacket, Foot Locker Hoodie

I pulled the trigger on the Speedo Men's Super Pro Warmup Jacket today too ($12 via Prime). I know that I don't have enough workout gear for when the temperature drops. I didn't opt for the matching pants tho. That would be too stylin' unless I start hanging out at Satriale's.

Speaking of such cheapies, my wife loves the Foot Locker Basic Men's Hoodie ($7 shipped, expired) I bought for myself last week. She asked me why I only bought one at the time. "Because they might suck!" is always a good reason, right?

Koskin 20-Disc CD Hanger

I bought the Koskin 20-Disc CD Hanger from Meritline for $2 today. I've got a handful of wedding-related CDs and DVDs taking up room in the apartment, like our wedding video (thanks again Stuart & Brian) and wedding photo backups. Since I have a small file cabinet, this will minimize the room they'll take up.

I'd like it better if the CDs were protected from dust a bit more, though. But, $2!

Thursday, October 16, 2008