Just a few more things ...

Ah, so much for a mini-shopping ban, ay?

Thanks for all your votes on the MBMJ bag*. The Mouse won the vote and also my heart, so I placed an order with Endless on Sunday night. I also ordered a back-up pair of Asics Gel Kayano 17, can't say no when they're only $US89.95! I've never own black runners before; it'll be a nice change.

I was wondering if they would ship the parcel before Monday US time and lo and behold I received an e-mail yesterday saying that it was on its way here**. A nitpick - instead of providing a link directly to the courier company's webpage in the e-mail, I had to log in to my Endless account to access the tracking details. Endless uses UPS (I usually get parcels from DHL) and maybe that's the difference.

* When I told The Duke I was looking for a bag he asked me "do you really need another one"? I thought he was being a typical male but he told me afterwards that he was planning to buy me a crossbody bag for my birthday as I use the MBMJ Turnlock so much. Brownie points for The Duke.

** This morning I received another delivery notification from Endless, apparently the two items are shipped separately. The bag is coming via DHL. Let's see which parcel comes first.

On Sunday I went shopping with my mum. I was hoping to buy her a belated Christmas gift but we had no luck. Well actually she loved a top from Jigsaw but they didn't have any in her size, and I bought one instead. This is quite bizarre because we usually have really, really different tastes.

I can dress it up with an A-line or pencil skirt, or dress it down with a pair of skinny jeans.

We also went to Leona Edmiston. I'm a fan of her frocks and I bought my sister (who lives overseas) a few LE dresses last year. Mum said she received a lot of compliments so we wanted to get some more for her. Unfortunately LE's current collection is not that suitable for a conservative office. I had fun trying on dresses for myself though. The Isabel dress from the Ruby line fitted me like a glove.

I didn't get the dress though because I couldn't find a second dress to take advantage of the 2 Ruby dresses for $200 deal, and part of me suspects that the dress will be discounted further in a few weeks. That's what happens when retailers markdown their products quickly - no one wants to pay full price.

I had a short Monday lunchtime shopping trip again yesterday (oops...). Tried on a top and a skirt from Marcs when I was at Myer but no cigar. Myer had racks and racks of clothes with further discounts. I wonder what happens to them when the sales end?

I went into Zara again, not expecting to find anything but I came across this cute dress.

It fits, and it's less than half price! It's destiny :-D Can't wait to wear it on my day off.

P.S. I went through the Endless sale with mum and she likes the look of the Kate Spade Fanfare Brette Satchel. What do you think?

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Crossbody bag update

Thank you everyone for your recommendations in the last post. It looks like the MBMJ Bianca Jane on a Leash won the most vote. I think it's a great bag too but I was a bit concerned about the size. I don't need a big bag but it needs to fit (at a minimum):

• wallet

• key bag 

• phone
• Coach Mini Skinny for extra cards (yes I have many loyalty cards...) 
• little cosmetic bag with mirror and lipstick

And I'm afraid that the Bianca Jane is just too small. See this photo (from Pipi the Pig):

:-(

I thought about the MBMJ Petal to the Metal Pouchette too (the one with the bird motif) but I saw the Witchery copy that Em mentioned in the comments yesterday and I think the zip is going to annoy me.

I searched on Endless again for other ideas. I found a larger version of the Bianca Jane - the Bianca Poulette.

It's nice but not quite the same, and I'm not sure if I want to spend over $300 on a bag that I use when I go grocery shopping.

A little bit more digging around and I found this gem.

It's the MBMJ Preppy Leather Camera Bag. It's still a small bag but a tad bigger in all dimensions than the Bianca Jane (Preppy 6.25" high x 9.25" wide x 2.25" deep, Bianca Jane 5.25" high x 8" wide x 1.75" deep), meaning I can fit everything in.

The great news is that it's on sale at Endless - down from $US238 to $US134 (extra 25% discount at checkout)!

The big dilemma now is - which colour? In Mouse (above) or Stone (below)?

I'm leaning slightly towards the Mouse because I don't have any bags in that colour, and the Turnlock crossbody that I already have is in a light colour. I haven't made up my mind yet. Can you help me out?

Which colour?

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Help me choose a crossbody bag!

I have a Marc By Marc Jacobs crossbody bag that I use to death.

After reader this post from In their Closet I thought I'll have a look around online for a new crossbody bag. And oh boy the choices out there are mind boggling. So I need your help.

In the cheap and cheerful corner (under $A100) we have:

From ASOS

From Fossil (via Endless)

With the strap

Another Fossil one

Or should I get my fourth MBMJ bag?

Via Endless

Via both Shopbop and Endless

In teal

or tan

And how about Kate Spade?

Via Endless

A bigger version

Via Nordstrom

I usually match my crossbody bag with a day dress or a cute top and jeans.

Ah, decisions decisions. Which one gets your vote?

And it was interesting to compare the four online stores. I'll write a post about it if you're interested - just say so in the comments.

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Etailers Do: Tweet me right

In previous posts I wrote about etailers that get it wrong. It's time to turn the table and give credits to those that are doing it right.

Some of you know that I'm active on Twitter (@EtailQueen). I love tweeting with like-minded people; there is a real sense of community there. Increasingly Twitter is also a channel to get in touch with companies.

A key strength of Twitter is speed. If you ask a question on Twitter you often get an answer straight away. This is fantastic for customer service. I don't have to be placed on hold waiting for "the next available customer service operator", or refresh my inbox every 5 minutes hoping for a reply. One 140-character message is all I need to get the ball rolling.

There are some positive customer service I experienced on Twitter.

• Sometime last year I went to withdraw money from a Westpac ATM. The transaction appeared to process as normal but no cash came out. I called my bank (not Westpac) but they were unable to help. Frustrated, I tweeted about it referencing @Westpac. To my pleasant surprise Westpac tweeted back asking for more details so they can investigate on my behalf. I don't remember what they did exactly (I think they hold me that they had no record of the transaction) but they were proactive and I have fond memory of their service to this day.

• I ordered this Too Faced eyeshadow pallet from ASOS. 

After waiting over 2 weeks for the parcel I received an e-mail from ASOS saying that the parcel was returned to sender due to non-delivery. It didn't sound right to me (it was meant to be delivered to my work address). At first I e-mailed ASOS and received the pro-forma reply about being in touch within the next 24 hours. I was impatent so I tweeted @ASOS_HereToHelp* and I received a reply soon after. The customer service rep was able to identify the issue quickly (error by the courier). Unfortuantely the item was sold out by then so they offered me a full refund. As an apology they gave me a 10% discount code for my next purchase with free express shipping. Even though it wasn't the outcome I wanted they did the best they could given the situation, and overall it was a positive experience for me.

*It's a smart idea for companies to set up a dedicated Twitter account for customer service, so they can distinguish regular twitter reference to the company from tweets sent by people who needs help.

As an aside, I stalked the ASOS product page for the palette hoping for the returned palette to show up and it did! I bought it with the 10% discount and it arrived quickly this time around. And I love it. The colours are great, and Shadow Insurance is da bomb.

• Before I launched The Etail Queen I sent early drafts to a few tweeps for feedback. The lovely Jade left a comment on the blog before I installed Disqus. I sent Jade a tweet asking her to repost the comment, and in a flash @disqus tweeted me the instruction to export the comment. Problem solved! I was impressed by their service - and I'm not even a paying customer!

• A while ago someone tweeted about poor customer service she received from her credit card company. I replied saying that I had a great experience with American Express' call centre. A little while later I received a tweet from @AmericanExpress thanking me for the positive feedback. Such a simple thing to do (well not that simple on their part I'm sure) and it reinforced my happy sentiments with the company.

Twitter represents a great opportunity for companies to connect directly with their customers, and those who "gets it" with timely and effective customer service will build loyalty. It may even win new customers because of positive word of mouth - it's easy to share good news with fellow tweeps, and I have made many purchasing decisions based on recommendations on Twitter.

Did you have any good Twitter customer service stories to share?

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Why we love internet shopping part 1

We know from news reports, from talking to family and friends, and from our own shopping patterns, that etailers are taking more and more business away from brick and mortar stores.

What makes online shopping such a compelling proposition?

If you listen to the likes of Gerry Harvey, it's all about the price. It is certainly a big factor (and there will be a long post about that) but to me it is not the #1 reason.

It's about WHAT we can buy.

The world is our oyster

Before internet shopping became a reality, we were at the mercy of what Australian department store buyers and retailers chose to stock. With a relatively small population, only a fraction of the brands and products available internationally made their way to our country. And if you didn't fit into the mainstream, your choices were severely limited.

With the birth of online shopping, both our awareness and access to products expands exponentially.

Instead of getting what is good enough, we can get the best.

We can now buy a wide range of designer goods at renowned international department stores such as Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue and Bergdorf Goodman. There are great pure-play etailers at all price points, from Net-a-Porter to Shopbop and Revolve Clothing to ASOS. And of course a whole range of local and international designers and chains stores are selling directly to us online.

Without online shopping I wouldn't have bought this Michael Kors bag (Net-A-Porter)

or this A Wear dress that wins complements everytime I wear it (ASOS)

or this lovely Kate Spade bag (Nordstrom)

All the above etailers ship to Australia. But even if an e-store doesn't offer international shipping, we can use one of the many parcel forwarding services available to get our hands on what we want.

Niche markets (retro, vintage, goth, you name it) are well serviced by etailers such as Modcloth and Mame Clothing.

Online shopping is especially great for those living in regional areas, who can now shop for brands and products available in capital cities and beyond.

One size does not fit all

It's not just about brands and designers, it's also about size and fit.

I once went with my MIL to the plus size section at Myer and the options suitable for young people were few and far between. Now there area a myriad of websites catering for that market (Dream Diva locally and Baby Phat Plus Size internationally for starters).

I was completely uninspired by the "fashion" available during my pregnancy. They were either matronly, or overly expensive, or both. If only I knew about ASOS's maternity range back then. I could have been a more stylish mum-to-be!

The internet also brings Australian shoppers access to different fit options such as shoe widths and pants lengths that are traditionally unavailable here.

Custom made

To me, one of the best things about shopping on the internet is getting in touch with independent designers directly.

Websites like Etsy and Madeit are in effect global arts and crafts markets, providing fantastic reach to both designers and shoppers. I've purchase items from Etsy sellers in the US, Canada, France and right here in Australia. The service I received from the sellers have been exemplary without fail - the passion for their creations really shone through. In a few cases I was able to purchase items that were either made to my specification, or were designed with my input. It would have been next to impossible to do this before the internet without paying prohibitive prices for the privilege.

The seller named these earrings after me!

I gave the seller an idea and she came up with a design way beyond my expectation.

So even if the Australian dollar devalues by 50% against the US dollar and the British pound tomorrow, we are not going to stop shopping online, because now that we know what we can get our hands on with a few clicks of the mouse/trackpad, there's no turning back.

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A grand day out

Yesterday was my day off (I work 4 days a week). took TLP into the city and we had a fantastic time. Before I go on-topic (yes I came home with a few bags of goodies) I thought I'd share a few photos from the day.

We went to the Wildlife Sydney in the morning and TLP had a ball seeing all the animals, including the mighty croc Rex.

Lunch was at Sky Phoenix. Thumbs up to the waitstaff - the service was excellent.

 

In the afternoon we went to the Sydney Tower Eye. It was a beautiful day.

After lunch TLP dutifully fell asleep in the stroller so I had a chance to shop more support the Australian economy ;-)

I'm quite convinced I've lost my sunglasses again so that was my main shopping goal. Luckily I found a pair quickly.

You can tell by the O on the side that they're from Oroton. At half price ($115) it was easy to say yes.

What do you think?

I also picked up these beauties at Oroton.

I love earrings and I love Art Deco designs so the Ornee drop earrings (on sale at $45) are perfect.

With the right outfit I should be able to wear them to work. Or I have to nag The Duke to take me somewhere nice for a date.

My next purchase was from FCUK. I don't visit their stores often but one of the dresses on display caught my eye.

The Pina Colada is a lightweight, 100% cotton dress with a vibrant print. Great for a day at the beach (we just need some beach weather in Sydney!). The price was marked down from $99.95 to $49.95, I must have missed the "further reductions" sign because I only paid $39.96. Always a nice feeling when you pay less than expected.

Then we went to SA Hair to pick up a hair brush for blowdrying my new, shorter do. The SA was so friendly and informative I ended up buying a few extra items. Memo to retailers: good salespeople = more sales.

The other item on my list of things to buy was a hat for TLP. I liked the look of the Honolulu hat ($29.95) at Country Road but TLP was asleep when I saw it so I couldn't check for size.

I went to the kids' section at Zara after TLP woke up but they didn't have any hats. I bought this fun long-sleeve tee for him instead (on sale for $7.95). It was my maiden Zara purchase in Australia!

Next up was Myer so TLP could play in the toy section for a while. No hats but I went through the "extra 25% off discounted prices" racks and bought these in the next size for summer 12/13.

Five tees and a pair of shorts for $70 ($70/6 = average $11.67) is great value, but by comparison the Zara tee has a RRP of $12.95. It goes to show that Zara's pricing is a big threat to other retailers.

A few observations:

• The SA at Veronika Maine told me her name and asked for mine before I went into the change room. It was so much nicer to address each other by name rather than "hey you".
• Postage for FCUK is $14.95 (for registered post) - a bit steep? One day I may do a tally of postage cost by major fashion etailers.
• The Oroton website plays music. One word = NO.
• I cannot provide the link to the sunnies from Oroton's website because the women's sunglasses page came up blank. I don't know if it was deliberate or if it was an error. If it's the latter they need to have a stern word with the webmaster.
• The Oroton earrings were $45 at the store however the website has them at full price ($95). The SA mentioned that the sale ends yesterday, however I wondered if they deliberately left them at full price on the website. Inconsistent pricing between stores and online is definitely a Etailer Don't in my book. 
• This is no surprise but Myer is chronically short-staffed. How can they expect to increase sales when their level of service is so low?

I think this blog is making me shop more! I still have to write about my second Shopbop order this year(!) and an ASOS order. Maybe it's time for a mini-shopping ban...

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Monday lunch time shopping

The official reason was to buy some new face towels, but it didn't take much to get me into the stores and check out the "final reductions" sales. I'm a big fan of online shopping (hence the blog!) but it is nice to touch and feel the clothes and shoes, to try them on, and of course to buy what I like and take them home straight away.

Before I write about my haul, here are a few "near-buys".

From SABA, the Samantha skirt. It looked cute on the hanger but didn't work with my "well-proportioned" hips.

As an aside, I like it when designers give names to their garments. So much nicer than "that brown dress with an elastic waistband".

From David Lawrence, a white and blue wide striped dress (see what I mean about names?)

I've seen this dress on their website and liked it but I wasn't prepared to pay the RRP ($299). I tried it on and it was lovely but unfortunately too big for me, and they didn't have any stock in smaller sizes. It is not available online any more. Should I go to DJs and Myer to try my luck?

Now onto the purchases.

Midas Lundy flats:

Again, I've seen them online before going into the store. The raffia weave is cute and the shoes are very comfy. I'll pair them up with a summer dress or a t-shirt and skinny jeans.

Here are the shoes modelled by yours truly.

Interestingly these shoes are "rebranded" - they didn't come with a teal Midas box and it looked like they peeled off the original label and stamped "Midas" on the inner sole.

Remember the dress from Events? I finally paid the store a visit. The dress had sold out at the store (still available online in some sizes) and I tried on a skirt with the same print. It fitted like a glove so it was an easy decision to make.

I searched for the stock photo on the Events website - do you find it strange that the model is topless?

For the record, I bought the face towels too.

A few general observations before I sign off:

• I didn't receive any customer service worth blogging about. The SAs were ... adequate.
• SABA prominently promoted their e-store and has a "return item purchased online to a store" policy. I expect this to become a standard for click-and-mortar retailers.
• I went to Zara and felt blah about the merchandise on display. Did not try on a single thing.
• I love the dresses at Hugo Boss but I cannot justify the price tag.

What bargains did you snap up in the last few days?

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