Living Social sold one million Whole Foods deals in less than half a day today.  Technology is quickly beginning to disrupt our buying habits!

Fast Company has an interesting post on The University of Washington’s plans to make smart contact lenses.  Do you know what this means?  It means if this happens (and you know it will…some day), Terminators are next!   :)

“According to 2010 Sunday in America, a recent survey from Parade magazine, the majority of Americans (64 percent) like Sunday the most of any day of the week — perhaps because of the opportunity it affords them to shop for, prepare and enjoy food.  The survey found that Sunday is likely spent shopping for groceries (72 percent of respondents), cooking or preparing a meal (89 percent) and eating at home (breakfast, 91 percent; dinner, 86 percent). Additionally, 69 percent of respondents said they’re also apt to eat out at restaurants on Sunday, while 59 percent often have guests over.  Unsurprisingly, while women usually do more of the cooking than men (94 percent vs. 83 percent), men are almost as likely to shop for groceries (70 percent vs. 74 percent) or make trips to mass merchandiser/club stores (45 percent vs. 49 percent).

When they’re not shopping, cooking or eating on the first day of the week, Americans are making plans regarding food. Seventy-three percent of survey respondents say they plan which grocery items to purchase for the upcoming week. Seventy-two percent of Americans read the Sunday newspaper on a weekly basis, and nearly all of them consider it a major shopping resource. Ninety-four percent hunt through the paper for sales information in their communities, and 92 percent depend on the publication for money-saving coupons.  “This makes sense to me, because our lives are increasingly hectic,” said Brett Wilson, publisher of New York-based Parade. “People like Friday because it heralds the weekend. Saturday is less harried but often spent running errands, doing chores, and chauffering the kids to games and appointments. Sunday is the one day of the week when we have more time — for home and family and, of course, food.”

Source: http://www.progressivegrocer.com/

This is why Blockbuster stores are closing left and right and will continue to do so unless they adapt to changing consumer habits:

“More than 40% of consumers said they will rent a movie at a kiosk this year compared to 36% who said they will do so at a video store, according to a new report.  In addition more than twice the percentage (26%) of consumers will get their rentals of DVDs/Blu-ray Discs at kiosks, rather than video stores (12%), according to Market Force Information, a Boulder, Colo.-based research firm that compiled the report for ShoWest 2010, a theatrical confab through March 17 in Las Vegas.  Fifteen percent of consumers said they watch movies from their cable TV subscriptions, with 18% said they expect to increase that practice in the coming year.  The survey, compiled from more than 300,000 respondents, including 75% women, was meant to bolster the theatrical outlook in 2010.  The report stated that a higher percentage of female respondents was important since women (50% with children) are the primary household consumer purchasers.  Thirty percent of respondents said new releases prompted their movie purchases, while 25% said going out with friends guided their going to the movies.  The report also stated that subscription-based rental services such as Netflix and Blockbuster Online are being used by 27% of the consumers surveyed, and 21% said they expect that to increase by-mail renting.”

Source: http://www.homemediamagazine.com/