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Online shopping

What's with all the retail store closings?

by Kristin Schwab
Dec 16, 2024
Closures and bankruptcy filings have ticked up this year despite relatively steady consumer spending.
The Container Store is preparing to file for bankruptcy, making it one of nearly 50 U.S. retailers to do so this year.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
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50% off! Cyber Monday deal today only! (Kidding!)

by Kristin Schwab
Dec 4, 2024
The frenzy of Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales now lasts for weeks, and the constant deals are making the dates less meaningful for shoppers.
Cyber Monday has extended its pitch to shoppers. Is it coming from an anxious place?
Scott Olson/Getty Images
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Online retail sales rose nearly 8% in August over last year

by Justin Ho
Sep 18, 2024
Analysts say there's still room for growth in the category, though most purchases are still made in person.
Tools that help shoppers visualize the fit of clothing or how furniture might look in their homes is helping fuel online retail sales.
lucadp/Getty Images
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Stealth shopping — hiding purchases from spouses — is on the rise

by Kristin Schwab and Aleezeh Hasan
Aug 6, 2024
As online shopping has become the norm, some people's spending habits have become stealth missions to keep from their partners.
More people are shopping from home, but larger spending habits have become secrets to be kept from significant others.
Mario Tama/Getty Images
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Inside a UPS warehouse that prioritizes super-fast shipping

by Kristin Schwab
Jul 15, 2024
UPS' Velocity in Louisville, Kentucky, has more robots than workers.
At Velocity, robots are constantly moving through the facility, reprioritizing items that are trending.
Kristin Schwab/Marketplace
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Online retailers lean into secondhand shopping surge

by Meghan McCarty Carino
Jun 17, 2024
As consumers become more thoughtful about spending, many are turning to used goods when they need to shop.
"eBay was the OG of all of this," said retail analyst Sucharita Kodali at Forrester. "They're trying to introduce themselves to this new generation."
Justin Sullivan / Getty Images
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Department stores like Macy's rely on an old shopping model. Can they change?

by Kristin Schwab
Feb 27, 2024
In the age of globalism and online shopping, the department store’s strength — as a place for everything — has became its weakness.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
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Freight railroads want to let companies track shipments to compete with trucking

by Henry Epp
Feb 15, 2024
But so far they've only added GPS tracking to less than 1% of the nation's railcars.
Brandon Bell/Getty Images
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Non-store retail sales grew more than 10% since last November

by Elizabeth Trovall
Dec 14, 2023
$1.2 trillion was spent outside of brick-and-mortar stores this year — much of it online. Here's some of the trends shaping e-commerce spending.
Non-retail sales — mostly online shopping — grew by more than 10% year-over-year, according to the Commerce Department.
Poike/Getty Images
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In California’s Inland Empire, the warehousing industry’s growth comes with consequences

by Justin Ho
Apr 19, 2023
Many worry that the industry’s growth has put the local environment and economy at risk.
Above, a massive processing and distribution center in Los Angeles. Warehouses have boomed in California’s Inland Empire over the past decade thanks to the growth of online shopping.
Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
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