Weird Archives - Page 13 of 25 - I Hate Working In Retail

Nov
16

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20 Weird Retail Shops You Never Knew Existed

Category: Interesting Facts, retail lists, Weird, WTF Tags: , , , , , Leave a Comment

In the retail world, we have pet retailers, wine retailers- and zombie apocalypse retailers? Here are 20 interesting retail shops that you never would have thought existed. But oh, they do.

1. Zombie Apocalypse Store (Las Vegas)

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The Las Vegas-based store sells everything from survival blankets to children’s books to educate the little ones about potential zombie attacks. To them, “zombies” can be a metaphor for many things: earthquakes, terrorists, the Government, or “anything that you think you and your family should prepare yourselves for- or against.” Intense.
Via thetruthaboutguns.com

2. Mr. Throwback (New York)

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Mr. Throwback sells vintage sportswear, sneakers, starter jackets, NBA champion jerseys, snapbacks, toys, and video games that scream nostalgia! Born out of the Hell’s Kitchen flea market in 2011, it has now become so successful that it opened up a store in Manhattan. What makes Mr. Throwback even more awesome? They use Bindo’s POS *wink*
Via mr.throwback.com

3. My Man Cave Store (Myrtle Beach)


A wife’s worst nightmare but a husband’s best friend, this store has all the tools you need to build your man cave. Whether you men mentally escape the real world by chugging beer or by listening to rock or by watching football, this South Carolina-based store has got you covered. Just make sure you treat your wife to the spa after she finds out you’ve bought a giant pool table.
Via mymancave.com

4. The Time Travel Mart (Los Angeles)

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Next time you travel back in time, you might want to buy some time travel sickness pills. Luckily, you can find them at The Time Travel Mart. While you’re there, why not pick up some robot milk or dinosaur eggs? With 2 locations in Los Angeles, this store will definitely be your go-to place the next time you run out of mammoth chunks.
Via timeout.com

5. DapperCadaver (Sun Valley)

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Ever want to buy the props you see in Pirates of the Carribbean or Breaking Bad? Just visit DapperCadaver and you can! Whether you need a sheep’s brain for a psychology teacher or more burnt bones to add to your skeletal collection, this store has it all. If it’s good enough for Lady Gaga or Ke$a (just some of the musicians they work with), it should be good enough for you.
Via bjwinslow.com

6. Wall Drug Store (South Dakota)

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When you’re driving through South Dakota, you’ll have to stop by the Wall Drug. Founded during the depression, the store is not just a drug store, but an experience, says customers: There’s a chapel, a fudge store, southwestern art pieces, postcards, boots, and a huge selection of Christmas cards. And yes, they do fill prescriptions.
Via wikimedia.org

7. NicNacs4Peanuts (Philadelphia)

Just the name of The store instantly grabs your attention. Having named her store after her two daughters, NicNac and Peanuts (yes, they’re nicknames), the storeowner sells eclectic, vintage products that you can’t find anywhere else (see the Marijuana, billions stoned sign up there?). Next time you want a unique gift, you’ll know where to go (if you’re in Philly).
Via facebook.com/nicnac4peanuts

8. Gamblers General Store (Las Vegas)

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Gambling addicts beware! The Gambler’s General Store has over 15,000 gambling products and can manufacture personalized custom chips for you, just like it did for The Soprano’s, Ocean’s 11, and Rush Hour 2. But gambling for them doesn’t just stop with cards, the Gambler’s General Store even has books on horseracing, sports betting, and bingo. Talk about a gambler’s dream come true!
Via southernaristocracy.files.wordpress.com

9. American Science & Surplus (Milwaukee, Chicago, & Geneva)

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This store’s range of eclectic products, many with a scientific or educational edge, is surely for those who are fascinated by discovery and invention- or for those who just love DIY projects. American Science & Surplus, which seems to attract both the young and old, is more than a store, says customers, it’s a total experience. They often end up spending hours in there.
Via gogobot.com

10. San Francisco Sock Market (San Francisco)

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Made for financiers of the fashion world, The Sock Market mirrors “the stock market,” offering “Blue Chip” socks to the well-established businessmen and “Penny Socks” for the kids who have “tremendous growth potential.” The website boasts 3 “sock markets” that you should check out: The San Francisco Sock Market, The Las Vegas Sock Market, and The Los Angeles Sock Market.
Via roadtrippers.com

11. Alternate Reality Comics (Las Vegas)

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The reviews had me sold at Ralph. He’s the owner of the store who has been described as “nothing but nice and helpful.” Another store run by a husband-wife duo, Alternate Reality Comics not only has a wide variety of comics, but plush toys and paintings from local artists. Still, I definitely want to meet Ralph.
Via alternaterealitycomics.com

12. Requiem Oddities (New Orleans)

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If you like surrounding yourself with animal taxidermies and skeletal jewelry, you’ll find yourself spending hours upon hours in Requiem Oddities. Not to mention, this “morbid curiosity shop” has one of the kindest (and coolest!) storeowners you’ll ever meet, according to customers. Ask about her history, they say.
Via tonyromeo

13. Rainbow Feathers Co. (Las Vegas)

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Anyone a fan of feathers? If so, you’ll definitely want to visit Rainbow Feathers in Vegas. They’ve got every single kind of feather you can think of in every single color you can think of…for any kind of purpose you can think of.
Via Clay H. from yelp.com

14. The Freemans Sporting Club

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Functional and long lasting garments are not the only reason why we loveFreemans Sporting Club, or F.S.C., we also love them because they too chant the mantra, “Made Local, Buy Local.” They support what is in the essence of this whole #ShopLocal trend: handmade goods with quality and durability made by skilled artisans. Oh, and they’re also a barber shop. Neat.
Via hypebeast.com

15. Wacko Soap Plant (Los Angeles)

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Don’t let this store’s name fool you. Wacko Soap Plant doesn’t just sell wacky soaps. The LA-based store sells books, ceramics, unique jewelry, and leather jackets worn by people like Elton John and sponsored by fashion brands like Levi Strauss. With inventory of over 2 million items, you’ll probably end up spending a lot of time in this store. It looks like Paris Hilton definitely has.
Via californiafrommylens.com

16. Woolly Mammoth Antiques & Oddities (Chicago)

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Another oddities store, Woolly Mammoth Antiques & Oddities focuses on animal themed-ephemera, taxidermy, medical devices, funeral objects, circus products, and art made by the owners. They even have classes like “How To Skin a Bird” so that you can make your own taxidermy and cool videos like this, showing wacky devices that can cure baldness and arthritis.
Via woollymammothchicago.com

17. Eyes Gallery (Philadelphia)

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The background of the Eyes Gallery is almost as cool as the actual store. Having completed a 3 year stint with the Peace Corps working as Art Advisors to the Ayamara and Inca people of the Andes mountains of Peru, this husband-wife duo opened Eyes Gallery and sells the coolest vintage and folk art you’ll find in town.
Via press.visitphilly.com

18. Farmacia Y Botancia Million Dollar (Los Angeles)

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What happens when you want someone to fall in love with you but it just seems impossible? Buy love potion, obviously! You’ll find them at Farmacia Y Botanica Million Dollar, along with bath oil that quells gossip and medallions to protect children.
Via timeout.com

19. Bonanza Gifts

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If you’re going to open the world’s largest gift shop, it should definitely be in Vegas, baby! This store has over 40,000 square feet of shopping, selling virtually any “gift-shop product” you can think of. But as the storeowners themselves say, this ain’t just your daddy’s old t-shirt and postcard store!
Via lasvegas360.com

20. The Thing (New York)

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If you’re obsessed with digging through crates for old records and being overwhelmed with that feeling of nostalgia every time you come across an unexpected oldie, you have to come here. They even have “Diggin’ for Dummies” notes telling you how to dig through crates correctly. The Thing has thousands, maybe millions, of records- some going for only $2.
Via pitchfork.com

Know of other quirky stores to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below!

Sourced from bindopost.com

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Nov
15

By

How To Steal From Whole Foods

Category: Weird, Whole Foods Tags: , , , Leave a Comment

Sodanie Chea

I have probably stolen more from Whole Foods markets than any living person; I’ve also probably spent more money there. Whole Foods is the only place I spend money. When I look at my bank statement, it is Whole Foods, Whole Foods, Whole Foods…as far as the eye can see.

When I started working on genius.com, Whole Foods was our first “angel investor” – without stealing all the food I stole from the Berkeley Whole Foods [1], I would never have been able to spend a year bootstrapping, working on the site full-time.

When genius.com got funding, I demanded comped Whole Foods before I asked for a paycheck. During Y Combinator we would get about $500 of groceries a week delivered [2] (I was addicted to gluten-free muffins at the time…).

As Genius.com grew, so did my Whole Foods appetite. When I resigned, I was in the habit of expensing $100 A DAY at Whole Foods; my co-founders would yell at me and I would get all defensive and say “well I need protein and protein costs money!”

The day before I left the company, I went to Whole Foods for one “last expense” – I got a $100 tub of probiotic green powder and 2 bottles of Veuve Clicquot. I also made 2 giant salads and went crazy at the bulk bins. It was May, but I was stocking up for the Winter of Discontent…
I got home and I had a crisis; I was like “holy shit! How am I going to survive without unlimited free Whole Foods?!”

In fact, losing my unlimited free Whole Foods is the best thing that ever happened to me. It is the main reason I am glad I’m no longer with the company. I am a lot less fat now, and I feel like an animal living in the jungle [3]. Free company meals are a bad thing – food is a pharmakon [4] and it ought to be scarce.

I’ve now cut down my Whole Foods budget to about $30 dollars a day, and I’ve been able to do this largely because of a return to stealing. $30 might sound like a lot, but I eat about 4,000 calories a day, so it is no easy feat…

Last week, some friends sent me an article on kaleandcigarettes.com about “How to Hustle Whole Foods” – the dude who wrote it is a fucking chump. His advice is to buy an avocado separately and add it to your salad. Gee, that’s great! Brilliant idea! That way I can get green avocado juice all over my hands and shit…

His article was so stupid that I decided to write my own guidebook on “How To Steal From Whole Foods,” and here it is:

BULK BIN HUSTLES: 

The code for almonds is 6269. Really, that is the code for conventional almonds ($7.99/lb) – but for me, it is the code to All Almonds. Organic ($10.99/lb). Italian ($16.99/lb). Sprouted ($19.99/lb). If it is an almond, it is 6269.
That is “bulk bin hustle 101” – the more advanced techniques take code abuse even further. In the Bay Area, because they love the environment, they only let you put bulk bin items into paper bags. You can’t see through paper bags, so – if you go to the right cashier (MORE ON THIS LATER) – in the Bay Area, your code for EVERYTHING in the bulk bins is 1819 (the code for popcorn, $1.99/lb).

Back in my bootstrapping days in Berkeley, I would always fill up bags with 2-3 pounds of $19.99/lb pistachios – or sometimes even macadamia nuts! – and 1819 it…that’s how I built genius.com [5].

But now that I live in LA, I stick to 6269ing, and you should too. If you are using other almond codes, you’re just throwing money away, plain and simple…

GO “POUND FOR POUND” AT THE SALAD BAR: 

Very simple rule. Not even a rule, more an aspiration: for every pound you buy at the salad bar, you should be eating a pound while you make the salad.
In fact, I’d say best practice is to buy a pound and eat a pound. Simple. As the rapper Drake famously said, “Buy a pound, eat a pound, that’s the motto n**** YOLO.”

Get a napkin when you enter the store and stick it into your pocket – you will use this later to clean your hands before you dress your salad and head to the register.

The KEY to this technique is to eat the bite-sized items at the salad bar: I stick to felafel balls, dolma, rosemary potatoes, beets, plantains and hard-boiled eggs [6].

You should obviously try to eat fast, but never put so much in your mouth that you can’t just stop chewing and feign normalcy if the security rolls up.

SOUP CONTAINERS – NOT JUST FOR SOUP:

You can put anything into the soup container and pay for a soup. Think about it….
This seems like an opportune section to introduce a sub-theme to everything related to the salad bar: be mindful of weight! Don’t ever buy beets, or tomatoes – think of the weight/calorie ratio! The reverse is true as well: cilantro at the salad bar is in fact a tenth of the price of cilantro in the produce section [7].

THE SECURITY GUARD IS YOUR HOMIE:

There are two kinds of Whole Foodses: those in which the security guard is a homie, and those in which the security guard is not a homie at all. Unfortch, the best Whole Foods tend to have asshole security whereas the more “ghetto Whole Foods” (especially “college town / college campus” Whole Foods) have friendly security.
RULE OF THUMB: the younger the security guard, the more he is your homie. I used to roam around LA, going to all of the different Whole Foods, because variety is the spice of life (see my article “Review of Every Whole Foods in Los Angeles” – the fruits of my Whole Foods wanderlust). Nowadays, as I get more desperate, I am sticking to my home base, WHOLE FOODS WESTWOOD, because the security guard is my homie and he’ll let me do whatever I want…

FRUIT HUSTLES:

Since I am paleo, I have an important rule: I never pay full price for fruit! It is sweet poison. The Ur-fruit of thieves is the grape. Every Whole Foods has grapes year-round, and it is an unspoken rule that you’re allowed to eat the grapes without paying. The only thing is: other customers get mad if you make the bushel look untidy, and they will rat on you, so it is better to simply take a whole cluster of grapes, and cleanly sever it from the mother, rather than pluck your grapes one-by-one.
Figs are pretty easy to steal too, when the season is right. Apricots are also doable, but you have to split them down the middle, so it works much better with unripe apricots.

Apples and pears are pretty much impossible to steal – but – if you’ve noticed, most Whole Foods put apples and pears in a complimentary “kids’ bin” at checkout. I figure I am a “child at heart,” so I always take one of those [8].

If a certain kind of apple is on sale, you can also change tags to get the cheaper price on other apples. If you want to be really aggressive, you can put a cheap apple sticker on an expensive organic peach (you’ll only get away with this if the cashier is truly a homie, however…)

CHOOSE YOUR CASHIER WISELY:

the worst thing in the world is a Nazi cashier! They have the power to thwart certain hustles…
I don’t care if I have to wait in a long line, I will bide my time for a sympathetic cashier [9].

Sorry to get all sexist/racist here – I love all people, I swear it – but, in case you’re at a new Whole Foods and you don’t know who the cool cashiers are yet, the most sympathetic cashiers are young, male minorities. Women, old-timers and whites are far, far more likely, in my experience, to fuck with your shit.

FALSE OLIVE BAR / SALAD BAR DICHOTOMY: 

Olive bar is more expensive than salad bar. If you ever get anything from the olive bar, you’re a chump. Just put the olives in your salad dogg!

CONCLUSION:

I didn’t state the most important rule, which is you should never leave Whole Foods hungry! What you ate while you were shopping: that was your meal. What you bought is your next meal. Makes sense, no?

I call it “The Whole Foods Diet.”

 

Sourced from thoughtcatalog.com

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Nov
4

By

Guy Dresses Up As A CVS Receipt, Wins Halloween.

Category: CVS, Just Funny, Weird, WTF Tags: , , , Leave a Comment

Is your CVS receipt as tall as you are?

Reddit user Lord_Nugget’s practically was, and it inspired a brilliant Halloween costume.

“Dear CVS, thank you for giving me a 3 foot long receipt when I bought some TicTacs,” he wrote. “It was the inspiration for my Halloween costume.”


LORD_NUGGET/IMGUR

Super-long CVS receipts have been a topic of discussion for years. They’re full of ads and coupons and seem incredibly wasteful — that is, unless they lead to a stroke of Halloween genius.

Sourced from huffingtonpost.com

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