Shopping your Closet Dresses

            How to make that sheath dress into a more fashionable chic outfit while staying on a budget?

            The heath style dress is a timeless classic piece. It’s one of the most fashion styles that defy time. So if you don’t own one, now is the time to buy and put it in your closet. A sheath dress is a smart investment for a budget conscious woman.

            If you have a sheath dress in your closet, you can never go wrong with your wardrobe. A Sheath dress can provide you with a good clothing staple which can enhance other outfits. This season layering continues to be a solid fashion trend. Hence, a sheath dress can serve as a good starting point in using a layering concept of style.

The sheath dress is versatile and it’s easy to take it off from work to enjoy a night out with your friends. Do you dare to go into casual? Sheath dress can perfectly be paired with a flat gladiator sandal or ballerina flat. Top it with a casual ethnic scarf and a large tote- then, you’re all set!

            If you don’t have a sheath dress, now is the time to buy one. Hopefully you’ll have a sheath dress because owning one would be a smart expenditure.

            Below are some of the basic wardrobes a woman should have in her closet:

·          

•      Cropped cardigan
• ·         Blazer
• ·         Pair of shoes
• ·         Jacket
• ·         Shawl
• ·         Ethnic scarf
• ·         Oversized handbag
• ·         Clutch handbag
• ·         A variety set of shoes

Do some closet inventory

            Do some inventory in your closet. Decide wh Now, if you have a sheath dress, great cardigan, and ethnic scarf, then go ahead and buy a pair of great shoes or a new handbag. You will still save on the item's you pulled from your closet.at clothes you can add from your existing wardrobe. Always consider what item you can afford.

            Style tip:

Kathmandu Store at Mandarin Shopping Centre

            Shawl’s can be worn in so many ways in fashion. I think a shawl would be a good purchase and definitely worth every penny.

Top Ten Holiday Shopping Tips

Having troubles in keeping within your budget when shopping? Here are the top ten tips for the Holiday Shopping:

1.       Pay cash.  Paying in cash when you shop enable you to know where your money is going to. Also, you won’t find it difficult to overspend when you see how much you really have for your shopping. If you’re out of money, then you’re out of money. Credit card payments can make you lax on your spending and prevents you from keeping on your budget.

2.       Know the enemy. If and when you’re going to pay using your credit card, use the one with the most favorable terms. hat may sound obvious, but many people carry as many as five bank cards in their wallets and don't always know what the interest rate is on each card.

3.       Keep a running tally of your credit-card spending. Always check the account balance of your credit card after a day of shopping. Subtract all that you purchased from your credit limit to see your total spending. This ensures you still have enough money to pay the bill when it arrives.

4.       Have a plan for paying off your bills. If you got loose on your spending last year, now is the time to cut back. To avoid frustrations, come up with a more realistic goal.

5.       Get easy gifts out of the way early. It’s a good practice to set aside money for the different gifts you want to give on Christmas. That way, your budget won’t be overwhelmed during December shopping.

6.       Make a list. Simple as it seems but this tip definitely helps a lot. You may write down the people you want to give gifts and the stores you’ll visit for shopping. It’s a more systematic way to get things done.

7.       Think outside the box. Don’t just go for what you used to buy. Try to scout for less expensive things and you might be surprised what you can see.  There are lots of alternatives and more fun.

8.       Be creative with the kids. When your family is up for a trip or vacation, let your kids plan their excursion or itinerary. Let them help you plan for the trip. This is really exciting for them and you’ll be surprised what they will come up.

9.       Look ahead to next year. f you came up short on cash this year, start an old-fashioned holiday-club account with a modern twist: an online savings account with a bank such as HSBC Direct or ING Direct.. You can easily set up an automatic transfer from your checking account each month, earn a competitive rate of interest, and have a tidy sum when next holiday season rolls around.

10.   Count your pennies.  We may overlook this practice after we pay something. But sometimes, there are errors in change. So count every penny as possible. Remember, every penny adds up to a dollar and 100$.

Daiso Mandarin Centre Chatswood: Not Just Another Dollar Store

Dollar stores have traditionally been one-stop shops for affordable products. They became popular among housewives, families and individuals looking for great bargains priced at just one dollar or under. Dollar stores have become popular places for finding low-priced housewares, office supplies, stationeries, decorative items and even collectibles. Unfortunately, dollar stores have gained an unfortunate reputation in some places, becoming the type of shops that people frequent when they want disposable, low-quality products. Not so Daiso Mandarin Centre Chatswood.

The Daiso magic
Daiso Mandarin Centre Chatswood is one of the many franchises from Daiso Japan, a chain of dollar stores that is the most famous of 100 Yen shops found in Japan. Daiso can indeed qualify as a dollar store but the similarity stops there. Unlike most dollar stores that chose to sell closeout items, factory surplus or secondhand items, Daiso offers only brand new product lines. That means that each time you purchase from Daiso Mandarin Centre Chatswood, the product you buy is guaranteed new - never been used, repaired or refurbished.

But what about the quality?
The unique thing about Daiso quality is that customers are always assured that while prices are so low, they do not need to be wary of the quality of the items they buy. Daiso sources many of its products from suppliers but they have stringent requirements regarding the quality. If a product does not pass their quality specifications, it does not get sold at any of the stores. Daiso also helps keep quality up by designing and producing their own brand of goods, all produced using the Daiso standard of quality.

How does Daiso keep prices so low?
As mentioned, the products outsourced by Daiso are imported, so suppliers and producers are chosen carefully not just for the quality of their items but also for their prices. Plus, they also supply hundreds of their stores from these producers so they can readily keep prices at affordable levels by purchasing in bulk. With the high volume, the company is always assured that prices are kept at manageable levels. It also helps that since the company purchases directly from sellers, they do away with markups from middlemen. Whatever savings they get from these then gets passed on to customers.

And of course, there’s the variety. Daiso Mandarin Centre Chatswood, like the hundreds of Daiso stores around the world, offers a wide range of products from kitchenware to personal care to gardening to arts and crafts. And yes, for customers looking for Japanese products such as chopsticks, bowls, dolls, fans and decorative items at bargain basement prices, there’s no other store that can meet their needs but Daiso.

Lower Your Risk in Online Shopping

            Every year, the number of people who shop online increases steadily.  Also, the trend of shopping through a mobile device is increasing rapidly. Whatever people do, they can easily access the internet and purchase things online.  How convenient is that?

            Although there is the hype in online shopping, there are also some risks associated with it.  Number one is security. Some people, who are not used in shopping online, are worried that their purchased products will not be delivered to them or the product delivered is not the expected item shown on the website. But with today’s internet shopping revolution, more and more people are doing business online efficiently and honestly.  According to a recent research, only 1 out of 4 buyers considers the risk in shopping online.

            So, how can we minimize the risk when shopping online?

            In order to lessen or get rid off of the risk is to deal with reputable sellers. Shopping sites such as eBay, sellers are awarded as they do more successful transactions with buyers. They both give feedbacks to each other ( seller to buyer and buyer to seller). One thing to put confidence on a seller is that they have complete contact information if you want to ask for any details and clarification, they a clear return policy if you wish to return your product, have appropriate shipping policy, the seller have a set of positive feedbacks from previous customers and transactions.  And check appropriate documents regarding your product.

             Another way of minimizing the risk in shopping online is to check the authenticity of the website or store. Don’t be fooled with the enticing product presentations, images on the website.  Double check the listings of the products if they match. Most shopping sites have ways of letting the customers view the products through images and description of the products.  For the payment, check for third-party payment systems such as Paypal, Alertpay, Payment or equivalent. These payment sites have more security in payment processing than paying through credit card.

         

          With the internet revolution, comes the advent of online shopping. Virtually, you can do many businesses online. And that includes, purchasing products on the web. In order to avoid the risk of fraud, learn the simple reminders of double checking the website and before transacting with a buyer.  And eventually, you’ll get rid the risk of online shopping. 

The Beginnings of Daiso Japan Store

            Daiso Japan Store is one of Japan’s most popular and largest retail stores. It is known to be the largest 100-yen store in Japan that is owned by Daiso Sangyo Corporation. It originated in Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture. Over 100,000 products are on the store, 40% of which are imported and many of 

them are from China. But most of the products are their own brand.

            Daiso is far different from other similar retails stores because they prefer not to sell closeout factory second merchandise. Instead, they keep the prices of the products low by purchasing directly from 

manufacturers in very high volume, a strategy often compared to Wal-mart.

            The store uses store parlors such as pachinko for their retail outlets. Pachinko is a popular gaming device in Japan that resembles a vertical pinball machine. The company spends a lot of money on shelving and fixtures to come up with better marketing strategies to compete with more- high end store retailers. The stock  

of items at each store is varied frequently to in order to increase repeat customers.

            Daiso categorizes its own-brand products on sale using the morpheme za, the Japanese representation of the English word “the”. This helps in the ease of product arrangement and avoids customer confusion when looking for products.

            In 2004, Daiso started selling products priced at multiples of 100 ye, such as 200, 300. 400, and 500 yen. Products vary from children’s clothing to large toys.

            The Daiso Japan has 2,500 stores in Japan alone, and over 500 branches are overseas: Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Philippines, Thailand, Canada, UAE, Indonesia, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Russia, Romania, Australia, and USA.

            In December 2003, Daiso opened a 2,400 square meter branch in Aberdeen Centre in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada. Most items in the store is sold at 2CAD$ each.

            Two years later, the store opened its first branch in the US in Alderwood Mall located in Lynwood Washington near Seattle WA. This store is much smaller than the previously opened store in Canada. All items range from 1$- 2$ only.

            A total of twelve stores in the USA: three in Washington and eight in California. The largest Daiso store in the USA opened in Union City, California. In August 8, 2007, it opened its 17,760 square foot store. A total of 15 to 20 locations are planned for the entire San Francisco Bay Area in the future. Daiso has also opened its store branches in several other California cities such as Daly City, Berkeley, Cupertino, Milpitas, Newark, San Jose, Mountain View, and San Francisco's Japan town.

Mandarin Centre Chatswood Announces the Opening of Japanese Dollar Store

The very popular Daiso Japan store chain has invaded Australia. Mandarin Shopping Centre has announced an exciting new addition to its customers' shopping experience with the opening of the new Daiso Japan branch this September. This means more choices and options for people looking for great quality at even greater prices.

Daiso Japan is a very famous chain of stores in Japan known for its focus on value-added products and services. With over 2,700 branches in Japan alone, the store chain aims to tap international markets in order to offer high quality merchandise at incredibly low prices. Most products sold at Daiso Japan stores have a price tag of just $2.80.

Daiso Japan was established in 1972 as Yano Shoten in order to provide budget-conscious Japanese with household items. From 1980 to 1986, sales offices were established in Tokyo, Kyushu and Osaka. With additional capitalization, the store chain continued to expand. At present, Daiso Japan has opened stores in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the United states and Europe.  

Daiso Japan has since risen from its humble beginnings to become the frontrunner in the 100 Yen market. In fact, 65% of the market share is dominated by Daiso. 

What can customers look forward to?
Aside from its budget-friendly prices, Daiso Japan is also known to offer a wide variety of products such as home furnishings, toiletries, makeup, garden accessories, stationeries, personal care products and even tools. The great thing about the store's line of merchandise is that they are designed and produced with an eye on function and quality, so much so that even frequent customers are surprised they are sold at such low prices. 

Better yet, most of the product lineup found in Daiso stores have been developed and specially designed in-house. As such, Daiso is able to supply products that have the same high standards of quality and design in every branch. Customers get the same top quality whether they are buying in Tokyo, Singapore, Romania or San Francisco. The fact that majority of the products are sold at the store's trademark price tags makes every purchase an unbeatable bargain. 

Another key component to the success of the Daiso chain is its approach in product placment and inventory. Daiso continuously refreshes the product lines on display so even repeat customers will find something new every time. With its friendly service, large number of choices and considerable savings, Daiso Japan is poised to change the buying attitudes of Australians for the better.

Top Shopping Destinations in Australia

Melbourne, the capital city of Australia is by far the most significant shopping location. There are two main shopping locations in the city.

The Chapel street is popularly known for shopping, dining and entertainment hub of the city.  The street offers a wide array of high end fashion boutiques and even pawnbrokers if you are looking for something old stuff.

Another popular location is the Bridge Road. It is popular for clothing outlets and shops that sell clothes made by local designers.

Sydney is the biggest city in Australia. The city offers a variety of shopping stores that tourists should visit before going home.

The city’s main shopping street is the Pitt Street Mall. You can see many flagship chain stores which include Myer, and other specialties store.  There are other shopping centres in the area such as the Westfield Centrepoint, Imperial Arcade, Skygarden, Glasshouse, Mid City Centre, Westfield Sydney Central Plaza and Strand Arcade; each of which combine to bring hundreds of individual shops within easy reach.

In Brisbane, a popular shopping destination is the Queen Street Mall to one’s shopping needs. Here, you can find the Myer Centre, and the Brisbane Arcade. You can also visit the Wintergarden for exotic shopping experience. And for a more high end shopping, visit Broadway on the Mall or the Queens Plaza.

If you are in Perth, then there is no problem in finding a place to go shopping. A good place to go shopping is the King Street, especially between Murray Street and Hay Street. You can find the high end brands such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Kookai, and many more. But if you want affordable shopping, you can go to Harbour Town which has a number of factory outlet stores.

For the city of Adelaide, the Rundle Mall is the place to go shopping. Over 600 stores are lined up in the street. You can find a wide variety of products there. Indigenous retailers such as David Jones, the Myer Centre and Woolworths can be found there. There are also stores that sell specialty products aside from the larger retail shops.

In Chatswood, one of the popular shopping spots is the Mandarin Shopping Centre. It is located on the corner of Albert Ave and Victor St. in Chatswood. This favorite shopping center houses popular retail stores from the latest gadgets, popular brands of apparel, food court to entertainment and leisure center. You can also find cheap and great products from several stores. Also, lots of activities are held every month in which people enjoy.

What to Expect from the Mandarin Centre Chatswood Food Court

The Mandarin Centre Chatswood Food Court is a favorite destination for the lunch time crowd, particularly those who are looking to sate themselves on Oriental and Chinese dishes. If there is one thing the Mandarin Centre Chatswood Food Court is known for, it is authentic taste. There is also a wide range of choices from restaurants that serve Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Indonesian to those that offer fusion cuisine. So what else can you expect from the Mandarin Centre Chatswood Food Court? Here is just a small list of what's waiting for you:

Fast and easy service
Food servings are prepared in easy to prepare portions so hungry customers do not have to wait too long for their orders. This helps a lot particularly if you're just trying to grab a quick bite and have to head out someplace else.

Authentic taste
The Mandarin Centre Chatswood Food Court has a reputation for serving authentic Asian food. For great taste and variety, the Centre is an unbeatable place to be. Craving true Indonesian food with all its layers of flavor and spices? Can't wait for rice and vegetables, mixed seafood and thick, right-to-the-bite Chinese noodles? The Mandarin Centre offers plenty of choices for customers looking for traditional cuisine, gourmet food or an adventurous interpretation of an old favorite.

Atmosphere
The Mandarin Centre Chatswood Food Court is clean and organized, with brightly lit food stalls with easy to view display for their dishes. It is often crowded during lunch hour and around dinner time when people start pouring in to eat. People looking for a fine dining experience will not find it here because the Mandarin Centre is just not set up for it. However, for people who find the noisy, lively atmosphere of most food courts and the food markets of major Asian cities, the Centre is a terrific place to be, alive, colorful and inviting.

Best laksa?
Many visitors and frequent customers swear that the Mandarin Centre Chatswood offers the best laksa dish in Sydney. The popular soup made from spicy noodles and a mix of ingredients is a favorite among many lunch goers and those looking for a hot and spicy dish to warm up a hungry stomach. A popular destination? May's. The shop offers authentic Malaysian dishes that customers look forward to everyday. Their laksa is their signature dish but their nasi goreng and char kway teow (stir-fried noodles) are also excellent.

The Modern Ways of Shopping

Shopping trends for 2011 is expected to be more electronic and automated. With the growing influence of digital and computerized technology as powered by Internet connection, people can now enjoy a lot of conveniences in their daily tasks and activities. Businesses are now supporting online transactions as all of them aim to have the best web presence possible in order to attract more customers. People are now becoming more attached to computers and digital devices and so companies took their operations and marketing online to meet the demands of the people.

Shopping is now taken online and people can now acquire the things that they need anytime and anywhere they want. The competition for businesses is also taken online as proven by the different advertising and marketing techniques that we encounter every time we log on to the Internet. These make shopping more diverse and at the start of 2011, expect more advanced and convenient ways of acquiring the products and services that you need. We can name a lot of ways and options to choose from when it comes to shopping. Aside from visiting the actual location of a shopping mall, you can have other options through the use of the Internet such as social shopping, mobile shopping and online shopping.

To have an overview, social shopping, as the name suggests is possible by having connections with other people. Social networking sites play important roles in this. For instance, MandarinCentre.com.au has its own FaceBook and Twitter accounts in order to expose what it can offer to a wide variety of audiences which can eventually become potential customers and clients. Mobile shopping simply refers to the use of modern digital and electronic gadgets which are capable of WiFi or WAP connections to access the Internet. People who are outgoing and busy in their demanding jobs prefer this type of shopping. Online shopping is the general term for any acquisition of products or services using the Internet. This usually refers to the use of computers and laptops which are the most popular tools in shopping online. As smaller gadgets offer limited functionalities, computers can make online shopping more convenient and enjoyable.

We now live in the age of Information technology where information is considered as a powerful tool. Through the use of the Internet, businesses and customers can enjoy more convenient and automated transactions which are among the most important elements of advancement.

Hi everyone

This my all shopping blog. Enjoy!