Over the weekend, I took a walk past a new shopping center in my neighborhood. It’s slated to open in about a month, and will include the first real grocery store that people in this area can get to without crossing the river. The scene looked just like what you’d expect from an almost-finished commercial […]

I’ve noticed something strange on my last few airline trips: it’s becoming very difficult to find simple things like milk on the beverage menu. While I haven’t studied the matter in detail, there seems to be no shortage of sodas and other sugary drinks. Perhaps that’s what most customers want, but it’s still a discouraging […]

During a recent trip to the airport, I came across a rather infuriating escalator situation. There was a single escalator located next to a steep staircase, but it was programmed to move downward. In other words, everyone had to carry their bags by hand up the stairs, which can be a real pain even for […]

If my experience is any indication, the typical shipping box from an online retailer is filled with a seemingly random assortment of packing material. Sometimes, you get those air-filled plastic bags, while in other cases it’s bubble wrap or brown craft paper. Many of these materials can be recycled, so I usually fold them up […]

Several weeks ago, I booked an airline ticket for a trip in early August. However, my plans changed, so I had to push the trip back to a later date. Everything went fine with changing the ticket, and I even received an email confirmation with all the revised details. A few days later, the airline […]

About a week ago, I bought a piece of clothing online that I’m really happy with. So, I decided to check which other colors it comes in. The item I have is a dark gray, and the product line appears to include a light gray and a black option. However, there’s no way to tell […]

I go through a lot of raisins, so it makes sense to buy them in bulk. Not too long ago, I placed an order for a few large bags, and they arrived in good shape. Fast forward a few months, and the retailer only carried the same product in “can” form. The price was about […]

Every time I place a grocery delivery order, there’s one part of the process that feels a little bit off. Specifically, when the driver gives me the receipt and asks for a signature, it takes me an uncomfortably long time to verify that the amount matches what I was expecting. I finally figured out what’s […]

When you’re shopping for clothing in a retail store, it’s fairly easy to try on an item to make sure it’s the right size. Since online shopping lacks this physical component, you generally have to make the same decision based on your prior experience with the brand, other customers’ reviews, and a very low-tech companion: […]