HSN to let customers shop by remote

Before we all became comfortable shopping online, commerce first came into our homes through home shopping television networks (well catalogs and direct mail did come before that — but they didn't have screens). See the product, call a number and it was yours. But with all the point-and-click shopping options on the Internet quickly taking over, what could the Home Shopping Network do to stay fresh? How about shopping by TV remote?

HSN has debuted a new service that lets shoppers buy simply by pressing a button on their remote. A quick series of on-screen menus register the selections for style, color and quantity options and you're done in under a minute (less than half the time of the automated shop-by-phone method). HSN has initially paired with the Dish Network to offer the service, and existing Dish Network remotes will work with the system. It will be interesting to see if making the shopping process nearly identical to channel surfing drives up sales over time.

Report: Men doing more food shopping, but are still confused

Men may be doing more grocery shopping, but that doesn't mean they are getting any better at it or that stores are helping men feel more comfortable in the aisles. A 2006 survey by WSL Strategic Retail found that 71 percent of men have shopped in grocery stores in the past three months (and 56 percent in the past week) but women are still seen as the primary market by many retailers.

A Reuters article points to some primary differences between men and women when it comes to grocery shopping. Men tend to shop less efficiently, zeroing on the object they want and not noticing the rest of the aisle. Also, some men may have trouble finding certain items but, as when they're driving, they can be hesitant to ask for directions. Men are also looking for convenience over price. Mandy Putnam of TNS Retail Consulting, who conducted a study on men in grocery stores, found that men are often overwhelmed by the amount of choice in grocery stores.

Our report on grocery shopping offers some valuable tips for both sexes. Shopping at one store for staples and another for fresh meat and produce may be prudent. Our top-ranked conventional supermarkets, such as Publix, Raley's and Wegman, received high marks for service and fresh foods but were generally higher in prices. Also staple items such as cereal and paper towels often go on sale at predictable times that can be determined by keeping an eye on store flyers. Another suggestion is to use  the power of the Web, not just for ordering groceries online but also for keeping abreast of promotions and sales. Our Ratings of 54 supermarkets of various types (available to subscribers) shows the strengths and weaknesses of a variety of chains to help you organize your plan of attack.

Shopping avatars mimic real salespeople

Part of the allure of online shopping is not having to interact with aggressive salespeople — but it's also one of the things that makes Internet shopping feel a little impersonal. The use of avatars — virtual characters that interact with users — on Web sites can change that. Shopping avatars can help customers find information and provide more details on a product. A company called Oddcast specializes in custom avatars that can be designed with a choice of characteristics including gender, race, hair and eye color. So far the services of an avatar are pretty limited; they can only deliver a series of pre-programmed responses. At least they're never in a bad mood.

Related: Advice for navigating the world of online shopping without the help of a friendly avatar.

Kaua'i: No more big-box stores

What do Manhattan island and the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i have in common? With the passage of a new ban on the Hawaiian island, both are now among the few spots in America largely off limits to big-box stores like Wal-Mart and Costco. While several large retailers have a presence in the Big Apple, some have downsized their stores in a bow to the realities of retailing in the densely populated, expensive city (Target expects to open its first Manhattan store next year, in an uptown location far from most of the city's leading retailers). Meanwhile, Wal-Mart recently stated that it would take a pass on opening a store in Manhattan. The new law in Kaua'i, which already plays host to Wal-Marts, Costcos and K-Marts, will ban any retail space over 75,000 square feet. Councilwoman JoAnn Yukimura, a key backer of the ban, said that it's fitting for Kaua'i's "walkable, bikeable small town communities and encourage[s] and support[s] small businesses that have been an integral part of the landscape for years." While Wal-Mart says the ban "limits consumer choice," it passed the island's city council unanimously. We assume that any Kaua'iians looking for that true big-box experience will do the same thing Manhattanites do: hop on a train or rent a car and head out of town. They do have a subway linking Kaua'i and Oahu, don't they?

Related: If you're a fan of big-box retailers and warehouse clubs, don't miss our recent head-to-head take on Costco vs. Sam's Club.

Summer shopping tips from ShopSmart

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us, and with it the unofficial start of the summer — and the summer shopping season. To help you make better shopping choices, we've locked ShopSmart's Lisa Freeman in a room with a TV camera and forced her to spill her guts to television stations across the country. Click the image above to get her advice on grills, sunglasses and more. Do it now, or we won't let her out of that room!

Brits shop for stress release, end up in debt

We already know that people in the United States love to shop. Now, a new survey indicates that British shoppers are just as spend-happy as we are. A survey of 2,500 people by research firm YouGov for the charity Retail Trust showed that a quarter of Brits, especially the young, shop to relieve stress. Those in service professions are especially likely to spend to relax.

Unfortunately, all that shopping isn't quite so stress relieving in the long run. Personal debt is steadily increasing with some workers in the supermarket and retail industries reporting that they owe close to their annual income in debt. And it's not just the ladies; men are actually more likely to be in debt than women, with 32 percent of them owing up to 20 percent of their income.

Related: Read these tips from Consumer Reports Money Adviser for some ideas about controlling your debt.

Clothing tops computers for online shoppers, but one size doesn't fit all

For the first time ever, online shoppers are spending more on clothing and accessories than they are on computers. That's the result of a recent annual industry study, which shows that online sales of apparel, accessories and footwear reached $18.3 billion last year and could hit $22.1 billion this year. The Shop.org survey conducted by Internet research firm Forrester Research shows that computer hardware and software, long the leader for nontravel online sales, is now in second place at $17.2 billion, followed by sales of autos and auto parts ( $16.7 billion) and home furnishings ( $10 billion).

Part of the reason for the rise in online clothing and accessories shopping is the fact that new technology offers consumers the ability to mix and match clothing and zoom in on a pattern. However, it's not always as seamless as shopping in real life. We recently tested out a new shopping Web site, Zafu.com (pictured above), which promises that women looking for jeans can answer eight questions about their shape, typical size, and preferences in fit and brand and receive a free list of recommended pairs and links to retailers that sell the pants. Three women with different body types ordered jeans in three price ranges from $30 to over $60 based on Zafu recommendations. The result was that while all three testers found the site fun to use, two were dissatisfied with two of their three pairs.

Six ways to debloat your debt

Bulging balances? These six debt-busting moves from the editors of ShopSmart magazine will help you cut your balances, pronto.

1. Demand a better deal. The longer you’ve had the card and paid your bills on time, the more likely your credit card company will cut you a deal. In a study sponsored by the Massachusetts Public Interest Research Group, 50 people asked their card companies for a rate cut, and 56 percent were successful on their first try. Rates dropped from 16 to 10.5 percent on average. 
2. Card shop. To search for a better deal, check out BankRate.com and CardRatings.com. Just make sure that the advertised rate won’t jump sky high after a short “introductory” period. Also look for cards that don’t charge fees to transfer balances. 
3. Try a beensy bit harder to save. Yes, paying just a little more than the minimum each month can make a difference. Say you have a $2,000 balance on a card that charges 18 percent. Pay the minimum each month ($40 initially) and it’ll take you almost 31 years to work off your balance and you’ll have to fork over a painful $4,931 in interest. Up your payment to $100, and you’ll shell out just $396 in interest and be debt-free in two years. 
4. Pay off the right cards first. Say you owe $2,000 on two credit cards with 18 and 10 percent interest rates and you can afford to pay off $400 a month. If you send the 18 percent card $300 a month and the 10 percent card the other $100, your interest will total $320 by the time you pay them off. If you flip that equation and send the lower-rate card the higher amount instead, your interest will total $462. 
5. Spend the green stuff. If you keep charging, interest continues to pile up. That’s because interest generally begins building on new purchases as soon as the charge posts to your account. Even if you have a low introductory rate for a transferred balance, your card might charge a higher rate on new purchases. 
6. Raise your score. Increasing your credit score can decrease your interest rates. Up the number by applying for new cards sparingly, using old ones regularly, and paying all bills on time.

You can find out more about ShopSmart and read excerpts from the latest issue here.

ShopSmart: Women spend 1.2 hours per week shopping online

How much time do you spend shopping online? The team at the Consumer Reports National Research Center conducted a survey for ShopSmart magazine, and came up with some interesting results. Among the data they uncovered:

• Most online shoppers (57%) do both their product research and shopping online.
• Women spend an average of 1.2 hours per week shopping online.
• Nearly one in five (18%) working women admit that they do most of their online shopping during work hours.
• Despite the amount of time women are spending online, one-third (32%) of women who have shopped online in the past year said they had a negative experience.
• On average the most ever spent for an item online was $397 and 15% have spent $1,000 or more.

You can find more info about the survey here. Also available now: ShopSmart's complete guide to online shopping.

There's still time to shop for Mother's Day

Yes, we've looked at the calendar, and we know there's less than a week until Mother's Day. But if you're resourceful (or if you're prepared to skip work for a few hours — don't worry, we won't tell your boss), there's still plenty of time to find the right gift. To make it easier, we've put together a Mother's Day Guide, complete with our top picks among perennial favorites such as chocolate and flowers, along with the latest high-tech gifts like digital picture frames and cell phones. We've even rated some of the top mail-order flower companies, most of which are still guaranteeing Mother's Day delivery for purchases made today.