Grand openings in New York are usually something to avoid at all costs, but yesterday, I had promised my 2-year-old a trip to the park and it was raining. So we all packed into the car for a 5-minute trip to the new IKEA in Red Hook, Brooklyn to check out their indoor play land.

In other towns, the opening of a big-box store might not be so game-changing, but IKEA has been controversial from the start because it is so not Red Hook, where even the shooting of "The Sopranos" was squashed by locals. A Fairway supermarket snuck in, just a few blocks away, but with its fresh produce and artsy feel, it has not engendered any bad feelings.

IKEA, on the other hand, is a giant blue and yellow monstrosity the peeks out from between abandoned factory buildings and loading dock cranes. It's parking lots cover wide swaths of shoreline and are ringed by low-slung townhouses in disrepair -- the gentrified converted lofts and luxury condos are still a few blocks over.

Judging by the crowd on opening day, it's going to be a huge success and a huge nightmare at the same time, just like the few other big-box stores in Brooklyn. Any time you mix huge volumes of people with discount merchandise, you're going to move a lot of product off the shelves and it's going to be messy.

The daily deal for May 23, 2008 is the the Mossimo zebra tankini bathing suit, Target, $19.99.

I was flipping through In Style magazine and an article on the latest styles in summer swimsuits caught my eye. Normally, these articles are disheartening to read this time of year because my body is so pasty. Besides, the pre-summer exercise program has gotten off to a slow start. When you add the shock of what women's bathing suits costs these days, reading an article about swimsuit fashions can be doubly depressing.

This story was different: mixed in with the designer bathing suits upwards of $200 were several cute swimsuits from Target, priced in the $20 to $30 range. At your typical department store, it's hard to find a decent bathing suit for under $50, even if you wait till the July 4^th sales.

When I went to Target's web site, there were so many bathing suits to choose from, it took a while to find any of those I admired in the magazine. After a while, I went back to the home page, clicked on women, then swim shop, which brought me to a page where I could choose the preferred style. It seems that most of the swimsuits featured in In Style were sold out, no surprise, but there are plenty of others still available, mostly for about $19.99, and I haven't even checked out the store yet.

Also, if you spend $50-in any department-you get free shipping.

When Wal-Mart first lowered the price of certain generic prescription drugs to $4 for a 30-day supply, consumers wondered how they could do it. Wouldn't they lose money? Of course they would lose money on the prescription, but the master of merchandising knew they'd more than make up for those losses on what you'd purchase while you were waiting for your prescription.

Now Wal-Mart has announced that it's going to make even more drugs available for $4 (30 day supply) or $10 (90 day supply). These aren't your newest, fanciest drugs. But they are common generics that many people take daily. They will now have over 1,000 prescription drugs available at bargain basement prices.

And there's another bright side for consumers: Even if you don't shop at Wal-Mart, you might benefit. Consumers filling their prescriptions at Target also receive the same bargain pricing, in an effort to compete with Wal-Mart. And I'm sure there are other chains that have also followed suit, giving consumers several options for extremely affordable prescription drugs.

Tracy L. Coenen, CPA, MBA, CFE performs fraud examinations and financial investigations for her company Sequence Inc. Forensic Accounting, and is the author of Essentials of Corporate Fraud.

Attention all Target Shoppers: You can get some great deals at the popular discounter, but because of the haphazard way the store marks down its merchandise, there had better be some method to your madness.

This Wisebread blog post provides the key to the puzzle. Among other tips, shoppers are advised to understand the daily markdowns; Target marks down different segments of merchandise on different days of the week.

To wit:

• Monday: Electronics, Kids clothing and stationary (Cards, gift wrapping paper, etc.).
• Tuesday: Domestics, women's clothing, pets and Market (food items,etc).
• Wednesday: men's clothing, toys, lawn & garden, health and beauty items.
• Thursday: House wares, lingerie, sporting goods, shoes, music, DVDs, books and luggage.
• Friday: Auto, cosmetics, hardware, and jewelry.

For the best deals, get there early the day of the markdown. And be sure to make liberal use of the in-store scanners to find deals that haven't been otherwise marked...that's another Target retailing puzzle that can work in your favor.

Daily Deal: Target is having a sale on baby gear. It seems they have one of these every few weeks. I get regular emails since I bought a few items in the past year following the birth of my son. And, I have to say, Target really does have a great selection and terrific prices on all things baby.

Now the stuff is on sale, plus you get free shipping if you spend more than $50, which is easy to do on baby gear. Check it out if you are in need of a baby gift or if it's time to upgrade your stroller.

The glider and ottoman shown here is now on sale for $199, $30 off the full price. Having it shipped for free is a nice bonus, especially for all you 9-month-pregnant moms who are probably so done with shopping for furniture about now. This is one item you are unlikely to get as a gift. A glider, while not the most beautiful piece of furniture in the world, comes in very handy when there is a newborn around. Before you buy this one, though, check Craig's List in your area to see if you can pick up a used one for $50 or less.