Consumer Reports is a magazine we think highly of, but really only turn to when there's a major new electronic purchase to be made.
It's useful when you need an unbiased opinion on the best DVD player, but since ours works just fine right now, we'd rather not slog through a whole article about them.
So truthfully we didn't even know the mag had a sister publication, aimed at women, until we spotted its kitchen-themed issue on the stands this month. ShopSmart's May 2008 issue is full of practical advice on the best new kitchen gadgets, tips on deciphering food labels, and when it's worth spending more on food.
The May 2008 issue of ShopSmart will be on stands for just a little while longer, but you can read some of the stories on their website:
• When It's Really Worth Spending Extra on Food. What does "Fair Trade Certified" mean? Who decides if something is "Cruelty Free" and when does it really pay to shop at farmers markets?
• The Hottest, Newest, Trendiest Kitchen Stuff Love the look of sleek built-in cooktops and vanishing vent hoods, but not sure you can afford it? This article shows you what's hot right now in kitchen design, warns you of some of the drawbacks, then suggests some more affordable alternatives. The accompanying box on cool new countertop appliances does leave something to be desired - we've had our artisan series KitchenAid stand mixer for years now, and already knew about the other products they recommend.
The other kitchen stories from the April/May issue are not online, but we also appreciated this archived story:
• Hidden Savings at the Supermarket
NoteAll are pdf format. You'll need Adobe Acrobat reader in order to view them
Do you read ShopSmart magazine? Or subscribe to Consumer Reports on-line?
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I subscribed to CR online for a year, but found that too little was available to make it worth my while (they don't duplicate copy between the magazine and online). I've read ShopSmart a few times, but haven't really been impressed.
What makes you say this "sister publication" is "aimed at women"? Is that in their editorial statement?
Last night I saw this at a bookstore, so I picked it up to flip through. I cannot tell you how much it angered me! Yes, this is definitely a "sister" puiblication aimed at women, complete with happy pink and orange colors everywhere and cutesy illustrations. In my quick flip-through, I saw reviews of chocolates, cleaning supplies, and kitchen gadgets. Notice a pattern there? Why the over-emphasis on stereotypes? I know a lot of men who eat chocolate, clean the house, and cook in the kitchen, so why not include the reviews of those products in the regular Consumer Reports? Why this need to take us back to the '50s? Personally, I find it insulting & I'm considering never renewing my subscription to the regular CR because of it. I hope ShopSmart fails miserably.
Look along the top of the cover page where it says it's the "The Quick & Easy guide from Consumer Reports". What? Because women are too stupid to understand the regular CR? I also just love how "Quick & Easy" are in pink. See, ShopSmart is Quick and Easy ... just like you! Ugh.
I believe I read it in their press materials. Nevertheless, a quick perusal of their article archive shows that they are particularly targeting women. The current issue features a lengthy article on bra shopping. Previous issues covered women-focused articles like tampons, or women's shoes.
i'm not familiar with shopsmart, but the regular consumer reports within the past month or so also had a blurb on bra shopping, btw. i also recall seeing quite a few things in consumers recently about different kinds of chocolate, what "organic" really means, cleaning supplies, slice-and-bake cookies, etc...so while shopsmart is marketed differently, is it really *that* different from the regular consumers?
This makes me angry, because it's offensive that a publication aimed at women has to be pink (and oh, by the way, did you notice that not one but two cover articles were related to being fat or getting in shape?), and because the companion assumption is that the stuff reviewed in Consumer Reports is male. Women buy cars, vacuums, wine, grills, computers, dishwashers, too.
v in boston: well said!