In the last couple of weeks, the price of newly released console games has been consistently dropping. With Invisible Hand’s Price Alert feature it’s a really easy way of keeping track of online prices.

The Quantum of Solace on the Wii now costs £29.35 down from £39.99 when it was first released.

Wii Music is down to £28.46 from £39.99.

Mirror’s Edge on the PS3 on the 13th of November now costs £30 from £39.99.

Resistance 2 on the PS3 now costs £34. 25 down from £40.50.

Rock Band on the PS3 now costs £34.99 down from £39.99.

So what’s the moral of this post? Well it pays to wait a little while before you fork out on a new console game. It is a cut throat industry and some of the year’s best games have been released in the last two months, the consequence of which is that prices are plummeting. The above games are all very recent releases and the average price drop is about ten pounds within a very short time. So next time you’re tempted to buy the latest release, set up a Price Alert with Invisible Hand and we’ll alert when you price starts to drop, it wont be a very long wait.

For today only Apple is offering a one day sale with great discounts on iPods, iPhones, Macs and software.

We all know the feeling. It’s 12 you have to go work the next day and you’ve just been watching a box set of your favourite TV show. You could go to bed or you could watch just one more episode. What do you do? You watch it of course. In fact you keep watching it until you can barely stay awake. You watch so many that when  you close your eyes you hear the theme tune endlessly looping round your skull and your dreams revolve round the central characters.

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They may be big, ugly, and make you look like you’ve got plants pots for legs but they’re still as popular as ever. The Ugg is back on top of the Christmas list for 2008.

Blighty’s more shopping wars and central heating than Arctic winds and frozen tundra so we’re not really in need of 100% lamb’s wool boots to keep out the perma frost. That, it seems, doesn’t matter.

When Ugg opened their first European store in Westfield a few weeks ago they had to limit the shop floor to a one in/one out customer policy to prevent violence and mobbing. When the Covent Garden shop opened a month later they had to do something similar. You can’t argue with that.

Whatever your thoughts on Australia’s biggest export, bar Neighbours and Home and Away, there’s no denying their popularity.

So if you’re after a pair don’t go to Westfield or Covent Garden, get them online and avoid the queues/fights/burly security guards.

Woolworths has been a staple on the British high street for almost 100 years even though it started life as an American import. The first UK branch was opened in Liverpool in 1909. The main problem with Woolworths in recent years is that it lacked a specific brand identity: as a cut-price retailer it was undercut by the supermarkets and £1 shops and as a seller of CDs, DVDs, home wares and toys it was out performed by specialist retailers like HMV, Waterstones or Toy R Us. It became a jack of all trades and a master of none. The only reason people went to Woolworths was to nick pick n’ mix and buy really small cans of coke.

Typically Woolworths made 80% of its yearly profits in the run up to Christmas, now with the British economy in the doldrums, the high street is suffering. With Woolworths’ business model in such a precarious state, all it has taken is one bad year for it to go to the wall.

Woolworths might still prevail now it is in the hands of administrators. The BBC is interested in acquiring  Its DVD  and CD distribution business while Hilco a specialist restricting firm are looking at options for taking over the day to day management of the branches.

The failure of Woolworths may precipitate a price war as the administrators, desperate to claw back some money, sell off Woolworths’ stock in massively discounted sales.  This would force other retailers to reduce their prices which may affect their own profitability during the festive period. Instead of being an isolated event, the failure of Woolworths might have a domino effect on the British economy affecting jobs and businesses alike.

Building on the success of their Aspire One netbooks, Acer hopes to release a larger screened version of the portable PC as early as February of 2009 according to the president of Acer Taiwan, Scott Lin.

The current model has enjoyed great success amid the netbook boom, with the cute stylings and 8.9 inch screen of the Aspire One series appealing to many.

Whilst the specifications of the new model are relatively scarce, the screen size will be increased to 10 inches, with the natural advancements of increased RAM and improved battery life and some 3G connectivity aren’t beyond the realms of possibility.

Whether this means an imminent price drop for the current Aspire One will be interesting to follow…or do you just wait until next year to get one?

Source: CNET News

Although the new rate of VAT does come into effect till the 1st of December, these retailers are already passing on the discount to their customers. How nice.

Amazon - Enter LOWERVAT in the discount code box at the check out

Currys To claim your discount enter VATNEW in the promo code box at the check out

Dixons All the prices are at the previous level of VAT but once you go to the check out, you will receive the new discount

PC World All the prices are at the previous level of VAT but once you go to the check out, you will receive the new discount

This Christmas is going to be a bloody one for retailers. There will be a price war this Christmas as retailers are desperate to get consumers to spend money in their shops. Expect retailers to employ aggressive, competitive tactics to attract business. Expect special offers, one off deals and all matter of bargains this Christmas on the high street and online.

Grab Disney Pixar’s robo rom-com at Argos for £9.97, that is surprisingly cheap even for the cut price catalogue retailer. Check it out here.

Currys are already advertising their new savings on offer after the reduction in VAT from 17.5% to 15%. A woman questioned on News Night last night seemed thoroughly unimpressed when asked about the discount. “That’s only £2.50 in every £100,” she said. However for expensive items such as white goods, cars and furniture this reduction will represent a nice saving. Although the VAT reduction starts on the 1st of December, Currys are already offering the discount to their customers.