Online Shopping - IGMproducts.com

New Merchant added to ShoppingBrokers.com! IGMproducts.com is now offering ShoppingBrokers.com's shoppers FREE shipping and NO sales tax on orders placed online.

Click here for more details: IGMproducts.com

Click here for Mouse Hand Warmer! A new product just in time for winter computing and gift giving. A great gift idea for all the computer geeks in your life! A warm fleece blanket to keep your mouse hand warm.

Online Shopping Brokers: Swarovski

Online Shopping Brokers: Swarovski

All about Swarovski Crystal Society

Connect to a global community of crystal enthusiasts. Benefit from unique offers, events, sneak previews, classified news and more! What better way to share your fascination for Swarovski Crystal than by joining a worldwide network of over 400,000 collectors?

Gift in style! - Packaging matters!

When it comes to gift giving, it’s not just your present that counts, packaging matters, too.With your online Swarovski purchases from November 5, 2007 to December 25, 2007, you can request a beautiful gift bag and a greeting card free of cost.Whether you have your purchase delivered to your doorstep or directly to the recipients, make sure the packaging is right. You won’t regret it!As you fill in your billing and shipping details, simply click in the box to avail the free gift bag and greeting card option.You could fill out the card by hand. Or, if you need your gift to be delivered directly to the intended recipient, simply type in a message of your choice in the box provided.An elegant way of gifting – made simple and easy!

A present to cherish -- SCS Gift Membership – a wonderful present

Whether your friends are crystal enthusiasts or budding collectors, they will absolutely love to be part of the Swarovski Crystal Society (SCS). The SCS has over 430,000 members worldwide – all like-minded people with a passion for crystal.Not only does this membership ensure up-to-date information on the latest products, it also provides ‘sneak peeks’ at new creations. Additionally, the members get to attend exclusive events and participate in activities to win crystal gifts!The much sought-after annual trilogies – among other exclusive pieces – are theirs to buy. And entry into the Kristallwelten – a whole universe devoted to crystal – is free of charge. Once there, the SCS members can saunter into the lavish VIP Lounge and pamper themselves as they feast their eyes on the Wall of Fame.Gift your friends an SCS Membership that they will cherish!

Glamour personified -- Looks that suit your style

The festive party time is also decision-time! What look suits you best? What gifts make the best presents?Here are some solutions:Be it subtle and elegant or a bit over-the-top – it’s glamour all the way festive season.You could wear the Angelic Set for a classic and underplayed look of glamour. Alternatively, watch the interplay of black beads and crystal glint and sparkle as you put on your Dauphin Necklace and pierced earrings.For subtle glamour that makes heads turn, team the Aria Brooch with the Abstract S Pierced Earrings and the Edith Bangle. Try the gold Kyrat set for just a subtle hint of style.For a more festive appearance, pin up your tresses with a Bailee hair comb and show off your elegant neck with a Bailee pendent and earrings.For a classic and all-out glamorous look, try the Donatella set – complete with the necklace, ring and earrings. Achieve yet another glamour-glamour look with the Diva set in red or crystal.And remember, what you wear is always something you can gift to your near and dear ones.

Online Shopping Brokers: Discovery Store

Online Shopping Brokers: Discovery Store

DISCOVERY CHANNEL AWARDED THREE DOCUMENTARY EMMYS
-- Discovery’s Ted Koppel Gets Lifetime Achievement Award --

SILVER SPRING, Md., Sept. 25 – Discovery Channel won three Emmy Awards at last night’s 28th Annual News and Documentary Emmy awards ceremony presented by the National Television Academy at the Sheraton New York Hotel and Towers in New York City. Discovery Channel Managing Editor Ted Koppel was also honored with the Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award for his long and distinguished career in journalism.

"It is only fitting on a night recognizing excellence that we paid tribute to Ted Koppel - the gold standard in broadcast journalism. We are thrilled by our Emmy wins. They reflect the passion, energy and vision that is Discovery," said Jane Root, President and General Manager, Discovery Channel and The Science Channel.

Discovery Channel took home awards for three of its four nominations:
-- Outstanding Informational Programming – Long Form went to KOPPEL ON DISCOVERY- IRAN: THE MOST DANGEROUS NATION;

-- Outstanding Continuing Coverage of a News Story – Long Form went to GLOBAL WARMING: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WITH TOM BROKAW; and

-- Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft – Cinematography went to DISCOVERY ATLAS: CHINA REVEALED.

Earlier this month, Discovery Channel captured four Creative Arts Primetime Emmy® Awards for its groundbreaking PLANET EARTH series.

The 28th Annual News and Documentary Emmy Awards is presented by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, a professional service organization dedicated to the advancement of the arts and sciences of television and the promotion of creative leadership for artistic, educational and technical achievements within the television industry.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications is the number-one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Through TV and digital media, Discovery's 100-plus worldwide networks include Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, The Science Channel, Discovery Health and HD Theater. Discovery Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Co. (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman. For more information please visit Discovery.

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ANIMAL PLANET INTERNATIONAL LAUNCHES SLATE
Programming to Celebrate the Natural World

CANNES, France, Oct. 8 - Animal Planet International, the world’s leading animal entertainment brand, today announced the launch of an informative and engaging programming slate focused on celebrating and protecting the natural world, which will roll out on the network this autumn in more than 200 million homes across the UK, Europe, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.

The programming slate includes Animals Save the Planet, a series of humorous animated short films that feature tips from animals on how to live a greener lifestyle; Crime Scene Wild, a new series that investigates the illegal wildlife trade; Going Ape, a continuing series that highlights efforts to protect endangered primates in West Africa; and Ocean Voyagers, a landmark high-definition documentary narrated by Meryl Streep that focuses on the mysterious and rarely-seen world of the humpback whale.

“This new slate of programming brings to life what is at the very core of the Animal Planet brand, which is connecting viewers to the natural world through captivating characters and stories that inform, entertain and celebrate the planet,” said Phillip Luff, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Animal Planet International.

Produced in partnership with Academy Award-winning studio Aardman Animations (Wallace & Gromit; Chicken Run), Animals Save the World is a funny, engaging series of ten short clay animation films (20 to 40-seconds in length) that feature animals demonstrating how everyone can make a difference by living a greener lifestyle – including a penguin who discovers how much effort energy-saving light bulbs can save him, and a cow who learns about the environmental impact of his own methane gas. The vignettes will premiere on Animal Planet in all international markets in late 2007.

Crime Scene Wild is a fascinating new series that uncovers the illegal wildlife trade, which is second only to drugs in terms of volume and revenue generated. The series follows former special investigative agent Steve Galster as he uses cutting-edge forensic and DNA technology to track wildlife smugglers and catch them in the act, providing viewers with a behind-the-scenes look into this world. The six x 60-minute series is produced by Cicada Productions for Animal Planet International and will premiere in all international markets starting in 4Q07.

Going Ape is a continuing half-hour series that highlights conservation in action by profiling ongoing efforts to protect primates against loggers and bush meat traders in West Africa. Filmed at the Cameroon Wildlife Aid sanctuary in Cameroon, the series documents the efforts of Rachel Hogan and her dedicated team of veterinarians and volunteers as they work to save and rehabilitate endangered chimpanzees and gorillas in the rainforest. Produced by Tigress Productions for Animal Planet International, the first 13-episode season of the series premiered last autumn. Production has commenced on a second season of the series, which will premiere in all international markets in 2008.

Narrated by Academy Award-winning actress Meryl Streep and filmed in high-definition, Ocean Voyagers is a visually-stunning 70-minute feature documentary that provides a rare and intimate look into the mysterious world of the humpback whale and the ocean environment. The documentary tells the story of the relationship between a mother whale and her calf over an unprecedented span of five years, following the two whales as they embark on a 7,000 mile journey from the South Pacific to Antarctica. Ocean Voyagers is produced by Off the Fence and Feodor Pitcairn Productions in association with Animal Planet International and will premiere in all international markets starting in December 2007.

About Animal PlantThe world’s leading animal entertainment brand, Animal Planet reaches 300 million households in more than 160 countries worldwide with programming customized in 24 languages. Offering intrigue, adventure, humor and relationships, Animal Planet is dedicated to mankind’s eternal fascination with the creatures that share our world. Animal Planet is a joint venture between Discovery Communications and BBC Worldwide in all international markets except the UK and Italy.

About Discovery Communications
Discovery Communications is the number-one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Through TV and digital media, Discovery's 100-plus worldwide networks include Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, The Science Channel, Discovery Health and HD Theater. Discovery Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Co. (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman. For more information please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.

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JANE ROOT TO DEPART DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS; JOHN FORD NAMED NEW PRESIDENT AND GENERAL MANAGER OF DISCOVERY CHANNEL

SILVER SPRING, Md., Nov. 28 -- David M. Zaslav, President and CEO of Discovery Communications, today announced that Jane Root, President and General Manager of Discovery Channel and The Science Channel, is leaving the company to return home to the United Kingdom. Zaslav has appointed John Ford as the new President and General Manager of Discovery Channel.

“I want to thank Jane for her passion, vision and leadership over the past three years. She has been a careful steward of our flagship brand and we are grateful that she is leaving Discovery Channel with such a strong foundation and she has built the relevance of The Science Channel – which I believe has the potential to be our next great global brand,” said Zaslav. "On behalf of the entire Discovery family, we wish Jane all the best in her future endeavors. I am confident her track record of great success will continue unabated!"

"After much consultation with friends and family, I have decided that this is the best time for me to leave Discovery and return to the United Kingdom to pursue other opportunities in the media industry. While I could not be more excited to get back home, the decision is bittersweet. I simply love Discovery and all that the brand and company represent. A big thank you to David Zaslav for his strong leadership, and to the entire Discovery Channel team for their tireless efforts, hard work and amazing creativity in programming one of the great channels of the world."

Under Root’s leadership, Discovery Channel and The Science Channel have earned double digit ratings gains in 2007 by attracting new audiences through brand-focused and innovative series such as DEADLIEST CATCH, MAN VS. WILD, and DIRTY JOBS, and worldwide programming events in EGYPT’S LOST QUEEN and Emmy Award-winning PLANET EARTH. Discovery Channel has achieved records ratings gains across Households and Persons 2+ (18% and 20%) in November versus a year ago and has delivered a Prime Median Age of 37 years old, versus 41 years old a year ago.

“John Ford is one of the best programming and operating executives in the nonfiction space, and having known him for more than a decade---he is the perfect executive to lead Discovery Channel into the future. It was important to Discovery’s long-term success to bring John’s tremendous talent to the company a few months ago and I am confident that his history with Discovery, familiarity with the brand's heritage and ground-breaking creative vision in nonfiction programming will make this great brand bigger and bolder and continue its strong growth trajectory,” Zaslav continued.

Ford rejoined Discovery Communications in September to take the helm of Discovery Times Channel and the Military Channel. Since 2003, Ford had been Executive Vice President, Programming at National Geographic Channel, where he boosted primetime ratings by 150%. Ford developed a strong slate at National Geographic Channel including NAKED SCIENCE, the popular DOG WHISPERER series, as well as specials including IN THE WOMB, INSIDE 9/11 and GALAPAGOS. For the previous 13 years, Ford was at Discovery, where he launched or expanded networks including TLC, Discovery Health Channel and HD Theater. Under his guidance, the networks earned numerous awards, including two Peabody awards and 13 Primetime Emmy nominations.

“I am incredibly honored to build upon Jane's strong track record and lead Discovery Channel into its next chapter of growth and creative excellence. Under David Zaslav’s steady management, this entire company is reaching new heights of success and I intend to make sure Discovery Channel is the pinnacle,” said Ford.

The new leadership for The Science Channel, Discovery Times (soon to be named Investigation Discovery) and Military Channel will be announced in the coming weeks.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications is the number-one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery's 100-plus worldwide networks are led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, The Science Channel, Discovery Health and HD Theater, with digital media properties including HowStuffWorks.com. Discovery Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Co. (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman. For more information please visit Discovery.

With dollar low, US is one big outlet

Europeans arriving in droves for bargains

By Jenn Abelson Globe Staff / November 24, 2007

WRENTHAM - Hours after her flight from Dublin landed in Boston on Thanksgiving, Alice Kinsella headed in a white van with a dozen relatives and friends to Wrentham Village Premium Outlets. The 36-year-old has never visited Boston, but she is bypassing the sights for an extended weekend of binge shopping that started at midnight yesterday.

For Kinsella and other Europeans, America is one big discount bin, thanks to a weak dollar that slid this week to another record low against the euro. As a result, tourists are spending thousands to travel to the United States to snag blockbuster bargains on everything from iPods to designer clothes and handbags.

By 4 a.m. yesterday, Kinsella had rung up nearly $2,000 in Christmas presents and winter clothes, including a $79 black leather jacket at Guess that she estimated would cost more than $250 in Ireland.

"The bargains for us are so great," said Kinsella, who paid $1,000 for a flight and hotel but expects to save even more on purchases here.

Kinsella is one of a record 1,000 international tourists who scheduled organized shopping trips yesterday to Wrentham Village Premium Outlets - more than double the number last year. Hundreds more were expected to come on their own, according to Beth Winbourne, the outlet's general manager.

Foreign travelers have long visited the United States to get their holiday shopping fix. After all, many design er brands like Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren, and Guess are cheaper here because sales taxes are lower and because the bigger market here allows goods to be priced more competitively.

But now American wares are even more of a bargain as the slowing US economy has weakened the dollar. Further, as the Federal Reserve has cut interest rates to boost the economy, the dollar has lost even more value, and global investors have realized they won't earn as much when they park their cash in greenbacks. As a result, the euro has shot up by 33 percent compared with the dollar since 2002, so Europeans who exchange 1,000 euros now get close to 1,500 US dollars. And the Canadian dollar is worth as much as the US dollar for the first time in three decades.

While some US shoppers are tightening their purse strings this holiday season amid rising gasoline prices, the slumping housing market, and the current credit crunch, the one silver lining for some merchants is the tidal wave of foreign dollars pouring into US stores.

"With Americans looking to cut back and conserve because of economic uncertainties, the holy grail this holiday-season year for retailers are the international travelers who are coming here in record numbers," said Patrick Moscaritolo, president of the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Online Shopping Brokers: PUMA

Online Shopping Brokers: PUMA

Puma Shoes - Sponsors Of Half The Worlds Football Teams
By Dean Forster
Dictionary meaning : Puma : A large solitary cat belonging to the feline family, having the greatest range of any terrestrial mammal and an extremely capable stalk and ambush predator.

Hardly something to be worn on your feet! No people, I am not talking about poaching and animal hunting. Like its namesake, Puma, is a German based multinational company that is equally respected in its field of expertise. One of the earliest shoe manufacturing companies, PUMA started off in 1948, just before the end of the World War II. The history of the setting up of the company is a very interesting read. Let me try to explain it to you.

Born to a worker in a shoe factory, Rudolph Dassler and Adolf Dassler were brothers with big dreams in a war ravaged Germany. Wanting to do their part for the fatherland, both brothers served their time in the army and found a small shoe factory in the back of their house in their mother's laundry. In the 1936 Olympic Games, Adolf Dassler drove to the Olympic Village and persuaded American super star sprinter Jesse Owens to put spikes on the bottom of his shoes. After Jesse Owens won 4 gold medals, the success story of the Dassler shoes become a global phenomenon.

But their success was short lived. Before the fall of Germany, tension was rife between the two brothers and after Rudi Dassler was captured, both brothers had split for good. Adi Dassler set up his company and named it Adidas, the second largest shoe manufacturing company in the world, and Rudi names his RuDa.

Later that year Ruda changed name to PUMA, and sponsored many footballers of Germany's national football team. So much so, that the scorer of Germany's first post war goal was wearing PUMA boots. Over the years, Rudi's expertise and willingness to work aid off great dividends and soon the world was wearing PUMA shoes. Football star Pele, stopped the final minutes of the 1970 FIFA world cup to tie his shoelaces thus giving the world precious minutes of his PUMA boots. These days, Puma sponsors half of the world's football teams, tons of players worldwide and sponsors a myriad of other sports and players. PUMA also specialises in creating sports apparel – football apparel, jump suits and track suits.

PUMA has since then charted success stories year after year, increasing profits and establishing base in almost every country in the world. PUMA's famous Complete series provides a wide variety of features to customers worldwide. PUMA's other famous shoes involve shoes designed for sports like running, basketball and most importantly football. PUMA has tie ups with 2006 FIFA world cup winners, Italy and are the main sponsors for the team. They are also main sponsors of Formula 1 teams like Ferrari and BMW and have released their PUMA - Ferrari and PUMA – BMW apparel series. PUMA since its inception as a small company on a hillside has Germany has come a long way but never really forgotten its roots. For PUMA, it's always customers first.

Online Shopping Brokers: Office Max

Online Shopping Brokers: Office Max

OfficeMax Incorporated (NYSE: OMX) is a leader in both business-to-business office products solutions and retail office products. The OfficeMax mission is simple. We help our customers do their best work. The company provides office supplies and paper, in-store print and document services through OfficeMax ImPress™, technology products and solutions, and furniture to consumers and to large, medium and small businesses. OfficeMax customers are served by approximately 35,000 associates through direct sales, catalogs, e-commerce and more than 900 stores. To find the nearest OfficeMax, call 1-877-OFFICEMAX. Here you'll find information about our businesses, board of directors, executive leadership, awards and recognition—and the customers we serve.

Business Description
OfficeMax is a leader in both business-to-business and retail office products, including office supplies, paper, technology products and services, and furniture.

Serving enterprise-level, mid-size and small businesses, and individual customers, we deliver an unparalleled experience through direct sales, catalogs, the Internet, and at nearly 1,000 superstores.

Our 40,000+ associates see to it that the OfficeMax difference—a relentless focus on our customers—is realized in service, superior products, time savings, and value.

Markets Served
OfficeMax serves enterprise-level, mid-size and small businesses, and individual customers in the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Mexico and Canada.

OfficeMax Retail
OfficeMax Retail distributes office supplies, paper, technology products, office furniture and Print & Document Services. Our retail segment has operations in the United States, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, as well as a 51%-owned joint venture in Mexico. Products are purchased from outside manufacturers or industry wholesalers.

Online Shopping Brokers: Jos. A. Banks

Online Shopping Brokers: Jos. A. Banks
Joseph A. Banks

Jos. A. Bank is not just another menswear retailer. What makes us unique is also what has attracted customers to our stores for 102 years; a heritage of quality and workmanship, an extensive selection of beautifully made, classically styled tailored and casual clothing, and prices typically 20 to 30 percent below our competitors'. Add to that an expert staff of sales professionals who prize service and customer satisfaction above all, and you get the idea.

PHILOSOPHY
We couldn't have built a successful business without loyal customers, so at Jos. A. Bank our products are unconditionally guaranteed. Whether you shop online, at our stores, or through our seasonal catalogs, you'll find that at Jos. A. Bank, service isn't just a concept, it's an everyday occurrence.

To keep prices low, Jos. A. Bank has eliminated the middleman by working directly with some of the world's best factories and workrooms. That means we can pass significant savings along to customers. But that doesn't mean we scrimp on quality. Our buyers scour the globe for the finest fabrics with the richest textures and colors. Our tailors keep a close eye on every detail, adhering to the highest standards of fabric, fit and construction.

BANK NOTES

• Over 400 stores nationwide with a full selection of men's tailored and casual clothing, footwear and accessories
• 4 seasonal catalogs mailed internationally with toll-free ordering in the US 24 hours a day 7 days a week
• 100% guarantee of satisfaction behind every item we sell
• A heritage of 102 years of quality, value and service

Online Shopping Brokers: FTD Flowers

Online Shopping Brokers: FTD Flowers

Online FTD Florists

By Steve Valentino

The Internet flower industry is booming, and there is great competition. There is no guarantee that the flowers you will order will be high quality or fresh when delivered. Most floral vendors online are genuine service providers, but there are a few who do not meet the industry standards. It is much better to shop through a trusted and reputed florist. FTD is the logo to look for.

FTD is the largest international floral service provider synonymous with quality and trust. FTD (Florists Transworld Delivery) connects about 20,000 retail floral vendors in North America alone and has a delivery network of more than 50,000 affiliated florists worldwide. The FTD logo confirms that the flowers you order will be the freshest, and the delivery will be on time. FTD florists have a definite edge over other florists online with more than a 95% consumer awareness and satisfaction guarantee.

A few key features of FTD flowers are that their delivery is on the same day of ordering, and the quality of your product is never compromised. Most FTD florists use the latest technology available in the industry, which makes their service supreme. This efficiency leads to complete customer satisfaction.

Many FTD florists stock a large variety of flowers including exotic plants, artificial flowers and other gift items. Some even boast of in-house designers catering to individual demands. All FTD florists offer a money back guarantee if the floral arrangement received does not meet their quality standards. Just remember that ordering early does not guarantee anything, since flowers are delivered fresh.

Online Florists provides detailed information on Online Florists, Online FTD Florists, Best Florists Online, Cheap Online Florists and more. Online Florists is affiliated with Florist Delivery.

Online Shopping Brokers: Brylane Home

Online Shopping Brokers: Brylane Home

About BrylaneHome®

BrylaneHome® was created in 1998 to make it easy for you to decorate your home with today's latest styles, colors, and designs - at year 'round White Sale prices. We don't think you should have to wait for a sale when you can shop with us and know that you'll always get the best prices every day of the year!

BrylaneHome® consists of two divisions: BrylaneHome® and BrylaneHome Kitchen®.

BrylaneHome®, known in the industry as "America's White Sale Catalog", is filled with everything from Fashion Bedding and Home Accents to Housewares and Bath Shop items. We've also added Window Treatments, Slipcovers, Floor Covering, Vacuums, Sewing, Cleaning and Ironing categories to the mix to round out your home shopping experience.

BrylaneHome Kitchen® was created in 2000 to bring our customers an impressive collection of hard-to-find kitchen and home essentials. If you love to serve up a great spread, but hate to spend a lot of time in the kitchen - this is the place for you! We can show you how to make such tasty desserts as Checkerboard Cake with a minimum of effort. You'll also find a great collection of Cook's Tools, Bakeware, Cookware, Tabletop & Entertaining, Appliances, Storage & Organization, Home Improvements, Kitchen Essentials, and much more in our catalogs and online.

In 2005, BrylaneHome.com and BrylaneKitchen.com were combined into BrylaneHome.com. In short, two great websites became one. Customers can access everything they need from one site: home fashions, home decor, kitchen essentials and great gifts - at unbeatable prices.

BrylaneHome® is also the newest division of Redcats USA - "America's Specialty Catalog and e-Commerce Leader," with 10 catalogs and 8 websites. In 2004, Redcats USA mailed over half a billion catalogs in the United States. BrylaneHome is not affiliated with Lane Bryant Inc. or Charming Shoppes, Inc.

If you haven't already done so, take a minute to register for our emails. There's always something special going on at BrylaneHome.com - web-only sales, special offers, and much, much more!

Online Shopping Brokers: Chef's Catalogue Online

Online Shopping Brokers: Chef's Catalogue Online

The Irreplaceable Chef's Knife

By Peter Boston

If you could only own one kitchen knife professional chefs would almost unanimously agree that your one kitchen knife should be a chef's knife. The chef's knife is also called a cook's knife, and for good reason.

The chef's knife is the workhorse of the kitchen. The go-to food preparation tool that professional chefs use in every session. Have you ever seen Rachel Ray use anything other than those orange handled vegetable chopping beasts? She sells them under her own brand.

Chef's knives come in blade lengths from 5 to 12 inches. The standard blade length is 8 inches and that is the size you will find in most culinary schools and professional kitchens. Keep in mind that most professional chefs are men so the more diminutive among us will do just as nicely with a 7 inch blade or maybe even one an inch or two smaller, depending on personal preferences.

The shape of the chef's knife is what makes it so versatile and so desirable. The tip is pointed and just flexible enough to cut around bones. The wide blade is designed for chopping, slicing and mincing vegetable bunches. The better designed chef's knives are slightly rounded towards the tip so that you can use a continuous rocking motion for chopping and dicing. The heel is extra thick and rugged and can be used like a cleaver for chopping through bone or for splitting a raw turnip. The wide, flat side of the blade is used for smashing garlic. Even the flat, non-cutting edge of the blade has a purpose and is used to tenderize cutlets.

Quality chef's knives are made from high-carbon stainless steel, which can be sharpened to a razor's edge and which is easy to keep clean without rusting. The very best chef's knives are forged - individually hammered from a single piece of steel. Quality chef's knives are also stamped or punched out of sheet steel. You can tell a forged knife from a stamped knife by the hump or shoulder on the forging where the blade meets the handle. Forged knives are heavier and are generally reputed to have better feel and balance. Forged chef's knives are the most expensive ($75 to $100) but if not sorely abused a forged chef's knife will last for decades.

Handles are 1/3 to 1/2 the length of the blade. They are made from wood or hard composites. The most important handle characteristic is how it feels in your hand. Professional chefs have a strong preference for handles that are riveted through the back end of the blade. If nothing else the rivets impart a sense of strength and permanence.

Heft or weight is important. You want the heaviest chef's knife that you can work without discomfort. If this seems counterintuitive consider that the heavier the knife the more gravity contributes to the work. A light chef's knife requires more work from you to chop through a thick parsley bunch or to pound out a cutlet.

(c) 2006. Peter Boston. Shop for kitchen cutlery, cookware and the most popular kitchen gadgets.

Online Shopping Brokers: BARNES & NOBLE

Online Shopping Brokers: BARNES & NOBLE

Best Online Bookstores

By Kelly Liyakasa and Kelly Staller
Shopping for books online sure beats browsing the bookshelves at your local Barnes and Noble. Not only can you narrow your search results down by title, author, category or price, but many online bookstores have great specials on shipping.

According to an industry study, a slew of surveyed shoppers cite shipping costs as their biggest frustration when shopping on the Net. Finding low shipping rates and affordable, diverse titles doesn’t have to be a chore. Consider these key points when buying your books online:

• Selection-Go for an online bookstore with a title collection in the millions. Amazon is the perfect pick for all categories imaginable: from bestsellers and nonfiction to technical books and sci-fi.

• Shipping-Barnes and Noble provides shipping options on 3 days or less delivery, as well as free shipping on orders of over $25 or more. No need to break bank, as more online bookstores are considering their at-home shoppers.

• Search Functions-We all know that finding the right book isn’t a 1-2-3 process, and sites like Amazon and Barnes and Noble allow you to search most popular lists, author names, keywords, titles, and even item number to find that book you had in mind.

• Pricing-Many online bookstores, Abe Books for instance, provide discount pricing on their inventory. Many titles can be purchased used, which cuts costs by a long shot.

While the traditional bookstore experience, complete with dusty bookshelves and the wafting aroma of coffee may still ignite nostalgia in many of us, online bookstores are much more convenient for many readers. Receiving unbeatable discounts and recommended purchases are features that cannot be matched. It’s also possible to find out-of-stock books you’d inevitably have to put an order in for at the bookstore. The only difference is-your book will be sent straight to your doorstep.

Online Shopping Brokers: Ace Hardware

Online Shopping Brokers: Ace Hardware

Across the country, some regions experience milder winters than others. Regardless of where you live, however, we all can relate to the changes in our habits brought on by cooler temperatures and shorter stretches of daylight. For many of us, this is a time when we "nest." Our outdoor projects are done, our homes are winterized, which makes this a perfect time to take care of other indoor projects we may not have gotten a chance to tackle when the weather was nice.

A visit to the Ace Hardware Projects and Solutions section of acehardware.com is the perfect first step in your project planning process. You can research products, plan your budget, determine which supplies you'll need and find expert tips.

If you have odds and ends to take care of around the house, you'll find Acehardware.com has great offers on many of the items you need at just the right time to complete the task. Take advantage of weekly featured items, browse our clearance area, find rebates and check for other special offers. In most cases, you'll receive free shipping when items are sent directly to your neighborhood Ace Hardware store for pick up.

While Acehardware.com is a great resource, there's no substitute for the expert advice and recommendations the knowledgeable associates at your local Ace can provide. Ace retailers focus a great deal of time and effort to design helpful stores, train helpful people and stock helpful products that few online experiences can match.

So whether you turn to us online or in-store to plan out your projects, the folks at Ace are here to help you get the job done right.

Online Shopping Brokers: Baby GAP

Online Shopping Brokers: Baby GAP

It was the summer of 1969: Man took his first walk on the moon. Nearly 450,000 people gathered in upstate New York to witness the historic Woodstock concert. And Doris and Don Fisher opened the first Gap store in San Francisco. Today, Gap Inc. is one of the world's largest specialty retailers, with more than 3,100 stores and fiscal 2006 revenues of $15.9 billion. We operate four of the most recognized apparel brands in the world — Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Piperlime. Every day, we look for new ways to connect with customers around the world, provide value to our shareholders and make a positive contribution in the communities where we do business.

Gap Inc. is a brand-builder. We create emotional connections with customers around the world through inspiring product design, unique store experiences and compelling marketing. Our purpose? Simply, to make it easy for you to express your personal style throughout your life. We have more than 150,000 passionate, talented people around the world who help bring this purpose to life for our customers. Across our company and embedded in our culture are key values that guide our success: integrity, respect, open-mindedness, quality and balance. Every day, we honor these values and exemplify our belief in doing business in a socially responsible way.

How Our Clothes Are Made
From a design concept born in New York by our product designers to an in-store display in one of our more than 3,100 stores around the world, each Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy product goes through a multi-stage process before reaching our customers. At any given time, our teams are working on our merchandise assortments, whether that's designing for the holiday season, creating production samples of the summer collection, or merchandising and marketing for the spring assortment. This work generally consists of five phases:

Phase I: Design and Merchandising
Great clothes often begin with a feeling, a vision, a memory ... perhaps a song lyric or a scene from a classic movie. Always looking for fresh ideas, our designers and merchants visit the world's fashion and cultural capitals — New York, Paris, London, Milan and Tokyo, for example — taking in the fashion shows, shopping new stores and observing the everyday fashion of people on the street. Then they translate their ideas into drawings, patterns, swatches and color palettes. Once concepts have been developed, it's time to turn them into real clothes. Our merchants and designers work closely together to translate inspiration into product assortments we believe our customers will want to wear. Working from designers' drawings, our patternmakers create rough sample garments. Samples are then carefully edited into focused product assortments for our brands and our customers

Phase 2: Planning and Sourcing
Once designs are set and an assortment has been chosen, planning and distribution specialists help merchandisers decide how many units of each new style to order and to which stores those units should be sent. A plan is created for each style. Buying plans in hand, it's now time to select the manufacturing facilities that can fulfill our production needs — and comply with our Code of Vendor Conduct. (Learn more about our process for selecting and approving factories.) Buyers work with factory owners to understand every detail of production, from materials, quantity and price to packaging and delivery.

Phase 3: Production and Marketing
The factory makes product samples and, using mannequins and models, we confirm the fit. Once approved, the factory begins production. Now our Marketing team steps in to meet with the merchants and look at factory samples. Based on this preview, the team develops an appropriate marketing plan to communicate the assortment and key products to our customers. Meanwhile, the factory puts the finishing touches on the merchandise, it's tested to ensure it meets regulatory standards and we conduct final quality assurance.

Phase 4: Distribution
All merchandise, samples, plans, fixtures, props and in-store displays are packed, inspected and readied for shipment to our distribution centers. Once the product arrives at the distribution centers, every single box gets checked in. Cartons are counted, quantities are confirmed and random audits are performed. As merchandise is added to inventory, it's designated for delivery to a specific store according to size, color and quantity. The distribution centers then move the merchandise to the appropriate stores.

Phase 5: Sales and Analysis
Every major seasonal delivery requires a brand new floor setup in the stores. Merchandise is placed following the guidelines of our Visual Merchandising team. Finally, our sales associates sell the merchandise to our customers. As each unit is sold, the transaction is registered for analysis by our planners and distribution analysts. These analysts monitor weekly sales trend reports and determine which stores need to be replenished with which products. Replenishment shipments typically occur one to three times per week. At the end of each season, we assess our performance, gather customer feedback, look for improvements and begin the cycle all over again.

2000s: A Decade's Highlights
2000
Oldnavy.com launches.
Gap launches its Gap Maternity collection on gap.com.
2001
Old Navy makes its debut outside the United States, opening 12 stores in Canada.
Banana Republic launches petite sizes online.
2002
Paul Pressler is named Gap Inc. President and CEO. Millard Drexler retires after 19 years of service.
2003
Gap Inc. Founder Don Fisher announces decision to step down as Chairman of the Board.
2004
Bob Fisher is named Gap Inc. Chairman of the Board.
Gap Inc. issues its first Social Responsibility Report.
2005
Gap Inc. relaunches gap.com, BananaRepublic.com and oldnavy.com, offering customers a more convenient and interactive shopping experience.
The first Banana Republic stores in Japan open in Tokyo and Yokohama.
Gapinc.com, Gap Inc.'s corporate website, is honored with a WebAward by the Web Marketing Association.
2006
Gap Inc. launches its first online-only brand, Piperlime, offering a fresh shoe shopping experience.
Gap Inc. expands its global presence with the first Gap and Banana Republic franchise store locations in the Middle East and Southeast Asia.
1990s: A Decade's Highlights
1990
The babyGap line is born, debuting in the GapKids store in San Francisco, Calif.
1992
Gap becomes the second-largest selling apparel brand in the world.
1993
Gap enters France with a "store" within the Galeries Lafayette department store in Paris.
1994
Old Navy opens its first store in Colma, Calif.
Gap Outlet stores open their doors as part of the new Gap Factory Outlet division.
1995
Millard Drexler is named President and CEO of Gap Inc., succeeding founder and Chairman Donald Fisher.
The first Banana Republic store outside the U.S. opens in Canada.
1996
Gap opens its 20,000 square foot flagship store in the Shibuya shopping district in Tokyo.
1997
Old Navy sets a retail record, reaching $1 billion in annual sales in less than four years of operation.
Gap opens its Online Store at gap.com.
Gap Inc. is named "Marketer of the Year" by Advertising Age Magazine.
1998
Gap opens its first store in Alaska, now operating in all 50 states.
Banana Republic surpasses the $1 billion mark in annual sales.
Gap Inc. launches its formal ethics code, the Code of Business Conduct.
1999
BananaRepublic.com launches.
1980s: A Decade's Highlights
1983
Millard ("Mickey") Drexler joins the company as President and COO of the Gap division.
Gap Inc. acquires Banana Republic — then a two-store safari and travel clothing company.
1986
The first GapKids store opens in San Mateo, Calif.
1987
The first Gap store outside the United States opens in London, England, on George Street.
Gap Inc. annual sales reach $1 billion.
1988
Gap introduces its award-winning "Individuals of Style" advertising campaign.
1989
The first Gap store in Canada opens in Vancouver, British Columbia.
1970s: A Decade's Highlights
1970
Sales reach $2 million. Gap's second store opens in San Jose, Calif.
1974
Gap's "Fall into the Gap" advertising campaign debuts.
1976
Gap goes public, offering 1.2 million shares of stock on the New York and Pacific Stock Exchanges.
1977
Gap Foundation — Gap Inc.'s nonprofit charitable arm — is established.
The Beginning
1969
Founders Doris and Don Fisher open the first Gap store in San Francisco, Calif.

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