Thursday, April 23, 2009
Cafepress Slashes Royalties For Contributors by 70% While Increasing Its Own Profits by 40%.
PRESS RELEASE
CafePress Retail Platform Evolving: More Focus on Buyer Needs
Last update: 1:55 p.m. EDT April 22, 2009
SAN MATEO, Calif., Apr 22, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) — CafePress, the leader of user-generated commerce and biggest online destination for self expression through merchandise, today announced changes to their marketplace to respond to the needs of their growing customer base.
As with other companies based in user-generated content, CafePress has witnessed an explosion of design submissions (from 2 to 300 million products in just 5 years); and their customer’s needs have changed as the size of their catalogue has grown.
“Our focus has always been helping customers find unique products that allow them to express themselves. In the beginning this meant just having designs available on every topic imaginable, today it means helping customers locate the most unique and relevant design amongst millions of choices,” explains Fred Durham, CEO and co-founder of CafePress.
Over the months to come, CafePress will be rolling out changes in their marketplace to improve their customer experience for their 11 million monthly shoppers in two key areas:
1. Search Platform and Algorithm changes to ensure they better deliver the designs and merchandise their customers are looking for by bringing the best designs to the front and reducing redundant designs.
2. Pricing and Designer commission structure changes in order to offer their customers consistent and competitive prices and invest in their site experience.
CafePress’ changes to their marketplace mark a major milestone in the evolution of the very space they have pioneered. The vision for the marketplace is to become more retail-like, where innovative and quality designers are rewarded with premium shelf space and customers can consistently and easily find relevant and unique designs at a great price.
“These changes are all about listening to our customers and using their feedback to launch the next generation of the CafePress marketplace, streamlining how customers find products and investing in a quality experience,” comments Durham.
Over the months to come, CafePress shoppers will more easily find a wide selection of quality designs on products most relevant to their searches at consistent prices across the board.
About CafePress
CafePress is the leader in User-Generated Commerce and offers sellers turnkey e-commerce services to independently create and sell a wide variety of products, and offers buyers unique merchandise across virtually every topic. Launched in 1999, CafePress has empowered individuals, organizations and businesses to create, buy and sell customized merchandise online using the company’s unique print-on-demand and e-commerce services. Today, CafePress is a growing network of over 6.5 million members who have unleashed their creativity to transform their artwork and ideas into unique gifts and new revenue streams.
For more information visit CafePress at www.cafepress.com
SOURCE: CafePress
CafePress
Kimberly Youngstrom, 212-221-1713 (Media)
Marc Cowlin, 650-655-3039 (Media)
pr@cafepress.com
So tell me Cafepress…are we supposed to get excited by earning .99 cents for a bib that costs $9.99? How can you sit there and tell us that this is all about the shopping experience when your own shopkeepers are the ones who made it possible to even buy your products? Many people including myself will lose over 50% of our income because of this change and it’s not right. Many of us have purchased expensive software, fonts, marketing, etc to maintain our shops…and here we are preparing to have it all for nothing. Many of us shopkeepers took a huge blow when Cafepress changed the volume bonus program resulting in loss of income, and now this? How much money did you save by doing that Cafepress?? Oh yeah…way more than what we will earn from now on!
I sure hope that you have considered all possibilities to go along with these changes. Because it will be your loss and too late when your best and loyal shopkeepers turn their backs on you…even though some already have rightfully and understandably. Do you know the saying “don’t burn your bridges?” Well you’ve set the bridge on fire a while ago and just let it continue to burn with us shopkeepers still running across it. And if you are a shopper at Cafepress, my advice to you is to get what you like now because it may not be there in the near future.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
This songs been on repeat all day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-HlR9wnBto
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Islam, Nationalism, & Heritage
One may claim to be a devout Muslim, but how can one claim to be a devout Muslim if they are so quick to prejudge those who are different. It is contradictory to hold such a stance because marriage between different tribes and nations is seen as a way of strenghtening our Ummah. If an individual is a pious Muslim why should one reject them for marriage to your child? Shouldn't the top priority be the Deen of a man/woman when it comes to building up a criteria for prospective spouses?
This is a question we must ask ourselves. I've personally seen too many people not marry eachother because their parents will not allow marriage outside of a certain ethnicity. It doesn't even stop there, I've seen it go as far as a woman not being able to marry a man who is not from the same city as her parents. Another example seen too often is the 'Syed/Syeda' complex in which one may only marry the other.( I'll speak about this absurd nonsense in a future blog). If you're wondering what a Syed is , a Syed is someone who supposedly is a direct descendant of our Prophet PBUH or one of the Imams. The funny thing is that everyone claims to be 'Syed', but why can't we all just claim to be Muslims instead of some fabricated title?
Although blogs are suppose to be just statements and opinions I like to ask my readers questions also. And I want to know, whatever happened to one's faith being more important than anything else?
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
The Problem With Islamic Hip Hop & Pop
'Islamic Hip Hop' is an absolute oxymoron. I personally am a music fanatic. I play instruments, am part of a Bhangra team (Folk Dance), and listen to music all the time. I am not claiming to be a saint who adheres to my religion verbatim and I can care less with what other people do on their spare time. But to directly mix our religion with haram elements is an absolute abomination on our faith.
If most forms of music are considered haraam in Islam, how is it okay to create 'Islamic Hip Hop'. Keep in mind that the daff (hand drum) is considered halal by many. But lets be real, most Islamic Hip Hop/ Pop does not strictly use the Daff.
For anyone who disagrees on the fact that most forms of music are haraam in Islam, I will lay down some facts for you;
The Narration of Ibn Maajah :
The Messenger of Allaah said : "A people of my Ummah will drink wine, calling it by other than its real name. Merriment will be made for them through the playing of musical instruments and the singing of female singers. Allaah will cleave the earth under them and turn others into apes and swine."
This hadeeth has also been narrated by al-Bayhaaqi and ibn Asaakir, and has been authenticated by the renowned scholar of hadeeth Ibn al-Qayyim.
Narrations of Ahmed bin Hanbal :
The Messenger of Allaah said : "Verily Allaah prohibited wine, gambling and al-koobah; and every intoxicant is prohibited." Sufyan said : " I asked the narrator, Ali bin Badheemah, ' What is al-Koobah?' He answered, 'It is the drum'."
The Messenger of Allaah said : "Verily Allaah has prohibited for my Ummah wine, gambling, a drink distilled from corn, the drum and the lute; while He supplemented me with another Prayer, the witr"
These are only a few facts amongst many others that advocate the negativity of music.
So as I mentioned before, what is it with Islam,Pop Music, and Hip Hop?
Don't be so naive into thinking that these forms of 'Islamic' music are 'Halal' and all other forms of Music are 'haraam'. My friends, music is music regardless of its content. Inserting Islam into something that is already haraam, does not make it halal.
Until then,
Enjoy your Ninth Day of Ramadan :)
Salaam
Thursday, September 4, 2008
The Confusion With Halal Meat
There are several requirements that make meat halal and one of those includes being able to eat the meat of the people of the scripture.
This day are (all) things Good and pure made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you and yours is lawful unto them... (Al-Ma-idah: 5)
Growing up my family has always had to buy very EXPENSIVE halal meat from the halal store. One of the things that frustrated me was not only were these products Expensive, but many times they were Freezer burnt, old, or Stale. Than I started to even notice that you can even buy halal cheese pizzas and halal falafels that were just as expensive. Does anyone else feel like maybe us Muslims are being overcharged by these Halal Food companies?
With that said our family began to just slaughter our own meat and slowly have began to switch to Kosher Meat. I mean what is wrong with kosher meat? Its cut by the people of the book in their religious fashion thus it is lawful for us to consume. Did I mention that kosher meat tends to be of better cuts and lower prices
It tastes great, its permissible, and it doesn't hurt the wallet. I don't think Allah would want us to struggle financially just to attain meat that 100-200% than kosher meat.
Next time you begin to break the bank for 'Halal' meat , do some reading about Kosher meat :).
Until than,
Salaam
Monday, September 1, 2008
First Day Of Ramadan
So today was the first day of Ramadan. It was sort of interesting because this is my first Ramadan alone. Instead of having someone wake me up and make me a nice breakfast I just stay up all night and have a weird combo of foods for suhur.
Its a bit different, and this year I break my fast at work for the most part, so that whole Ramadanish feeling isn't so Ramadanish at all.
Not to mention Ramadan is slowly creeping its way into Summer. I remember when I was a kid iftar was at 4:30. And during those times I would hope I wasn't around for Summer Ramadans. But you know what, these Summer Ramadans aren't so bad if you keep yourself busy.
I guess this is all part of growing up.
Anyways, I hope everyone's Ramadan is going well insha'Allah.
Check back here soon.
Salaaam.