Sunday, December 2, 2012
When shopping for wine, visit a local wine shop where experts are on hand to help you select the perfect vintage.
Patch asked three local wine experts what they would recommend for holiday gift giving and was suprised to get the same answer. “What do they like to drink?” In the world of wine, there’s no one perfect bottle. The best gift wine is given with ample thought towards the recipient. Do they like sweet dessert wines or a bold Cabernet Sauvignon? Would they like a bottle from a far away land, or one from their favorite local Missouri winery? When pushed, wine experts will reluctantly give a few recommendations. But they’d much rather talk with you in person where they can show you around the shop and point out popular or underappreciated wines. Straub’s (Clayton, Webster Groves) “The hottest category in wines are pinot gris from Oregon,” said …
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
With the giving of gift cards ramping up for the holidays, the Missouri Treasurer's Office reminded residents that they never actually expire.
If you're like many Missourians, you probably can expect to receive a gift card or two for Christmas this year, perhaps to one of your favorite stores or just an all-purpose pre-loaded debit card. If you're also like many Missourians, you probably have some of these cards left over from last year, ones that were never used and are now expired. However, those out-of-date cards might just turn out to be an unexpected holiday gift. That's because gift cards and certificates never actually expire in Missouri and may end up labelled as unclaimed property by the Missouri Treasurer's office. State Treasurer Clint Zweifel offered some tips on how to redeemed expired cards in a recent press release. "It is important to remember that even if …
Monday, November 26, 2012
Patch is looking for experts who can talk electronics and share their expertise this week.
It's the season of giving and chances are, you probably have some fancy technology to cross off your holiday shopping lists. Patch wants to help find the answers to all your questions about Blue-ray players, iPads, smartphones and television sets, but we need a little help. In the latest edition of "Ask the Patch Pro" we need local experts who can answer readers' questions and offer advice. If you are a local techie or consider yourself an expert and can answer these questions and more, let us know two ways. One: You can leave a comment on this post. Two: You can send an email to jordan.lanham@patch.com. We need experts to answer questions on Thursday, Nov. 29. Curious as to what we are looking for? Take a look at some of our previous …
Are you gearing up to let your fingers do the walking on Cyber Monday?
Wentzville residents who didn’t want to brave the crowds on Black Friday or Small Business Saturday still have one more big chance to save courtesy of Cyber Monday. Similar to the two other major shopping events, Cyber Monday differs in that consumers don’t have to leave the comfort of their own homes (or offices) to take advantage of some pretty big pre-holiday deals. All the bargains laid out for Cyber Monday are for online shoppers only. So how can you find the best deals online this Cyber Monday? While most major retailers that have an online presence aren’t tipping their hats on their online deals just yet, many have splash pages set up that they're inviting shoppers to bookmark in advance of the Nov. 26 shopping holiday. Here are …
Thursday, November 22, 2012
Do you participate in the "Super Bowl of Shopping?"
It’s the Super Bowl of shopping, the Oscars for retailers. It’s a time when below-the-radar soccer moms and soft-spoken grandpas take to the shopping cart raceways, weaving in and out of the throngs in search of the Holy Grail, that larger-than-life bargain. There’s a game plan, an emergency plan, and lots of coffee. It’s Black Friday! Black Friday hype increases every year, and this year, retailers are upping their game by opening earlier than ever. While Black Friday has traditionally begun the day after Thanksgiving, Wal-Mart was the first to announce they would be opening at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving to accommodate those shoppers looking for both great deals and a social experience. Now Target and Kmart have followed suit, opening Black …
A large number of stores will open at midnight at the St. Peters mall.
WBlack Friday is coming to Mid Rivers Mall in St. Peters. Several stores at the mall are opening their doors at midnight for the first big shopping day of the holiday season. The stores that will be open at midnight are:
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
The retail giant will be open all day in Wentzville and Lake Saint Louis on Thanksgiving Day, then Black Friday sales begin at 8 p.m. Here's what you'll find, plus how the store plans to handle security.
Holiday shoppers get ready! The holiday shopping season is getting underway. Walmart is beginning its Black Friday deals at its earliest time ever this year. St. Louis area stores will be open all day on Thursday and will begin running "Black Friday" sales at 8 p.m. on Thanksgiving Day. As the world’s largest retailer prepares for one of the most popular shopping days of the year, Patch got a sneak peak at some of the deals the store will offer shoppers, including the Wentzville and Lake Saint Louis Walmart stores. (View some of the deals in the photo portion of this article). Walmart staff said the store is offering its best Black Friday assortment ever during three in-store events that begin Thursday night. At 8 p.m., Walmart will kick…
Tuesday, November 20, 2012
Start your holiday shopping at locally owned stores during Small Business Saturday.
Small Business Saturday is on Nov. 24 this year, two days after Thanksgiving. It is a day for everyone to support the small businesses that their community thrives on. American Express founded the day in 2010 to help small businesses get exposure during the holiday season, when they might be otherwise overlooked. With retailers buzzing around the holidays, it is important to support local small businesses that rely on their neighbors in order to continue prospering and building the local economy in the Wentzville/Lake Saint Louis area. “The Western St. Charles County Chamber of Commerce encourages all residents to shop local this holiday season!” said Tony Mathews, President/CEO. “When you shop local you are supporting local business …
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Yes, it's still a little early to think about Christmas shopping. I understand. But it's coming up soon. And we all know that one person who is extremely hard to buy for. What do you do?
I will make no apology for this edition of our weekly "Conversation Starter." I'm selfishly motivated by the need for your help. And I don't care that Halloween is still three days away. Or that Christmas is still nearly two months off. We need all the time we can get. See, here's the problem: My father is in his early 70s; my father-in-law is in his early 80s. If anything, they're trying to get rid of things. What do you buy for the hard-to-buy-for? What do you do to make the Christmas merry for the folks who seem to have everything, don't need anything or who won't let themselves get pinned down? Here's another stumper for you: My son is 17. He's a drama kid, a singer, a World of Warcraft fanatic. He is every bit as hard to buy for as my…
Joe Balsarotti
12:33 pm on Thursday, November 29, 2012
Joe Balsarotti, has over 30 years of computer industry experience, reaching back to the days of the Apple II. His career began at the age of 15, when he was already being paid as a computer consultant. At 16, he began work at Computer Country, the local computer chain where within two years he was installing school computer labs throughout the region. While attending College in the morning, Joe … more ›