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"Dark patterns": The deceptive arts of e-commerce

Jan 16, 2023
Emily Stewart of Vox explains how web tactics like countdown clocks and inventory trackers can create a false sense of urgency for consumers.
Many e-commerce sites use well-honed tactics to influence consumers to "buy, buy, buy." Emily Stewart advises consumers to learn about them and avoid impulsive shopping.
Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images

Online inflation catches up

Dec 10, 2021
Fading are the days when you could count on cheaper prices online.
Online shopping used to be a haven for better deals. That might not be the case for much longer.
iStockPhoto.com

There's an industry that handles our returns, and it's not pretty

Oct 19, 2021
Companies spend a lot of money processing those returns, and many items that are returned won't end up back on the shelf.
An Amazon delivery driver carries boxes into a van outside of a distribution facility in Hawthorne, California.
Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images

Why Valentine’s Day shipping delays are this CEO’s “biggest fear”

Feb 3, 2021
“There’s just a lot of it that’s out of our control completely,” says Christina Stembel of Farmgirl Flowers.
Valentine's Day shipping delays have the potential to cost Farmgirl Flowers $12 million in a worst-case scenario, CEO Christina Stembel says. Above, a Farmgirl Flowers bouquet.
Courtesy of Farmgirl Flowers

Holiday surge in e-commerce could cause delivery crunch

Nov 27, 2020
It won't be as bad as early in the pandemic, but shoppers should plan ahead.
A postal worker loads packages into a mail truck outside a USPS center in Los Angeles, California, in August.
Kyle Grillot/AFP via Getty Images

Target's winning streak slows with disappointing holiday sales

Jan 15, 2020
The retailer missed the mark on electronics and toy sales.
A Target cashier rings up customers at a Target store in Albany, California.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Indie booksellers innovate to survive the age of Amazon

Jan 7, 2020
The holiday season is the busiest time of year for many retailers, including the country's 2,500 hundred independent bookstores. Some, despite Amazon's dominance, are flourishing.
Angel and Bob Dobrow opened Zenith Bookstore in Duluth in 2017.
Dan Kraker

For public good, not for profit.

Online shopping deliveries overloading office mail rooms

Dec 23, 2019
Some employers have banned personal packages.
How to protect your packages from porch pirates? Get them delivered to your office.
Sébastien Duval/AFP via Getty Images

Getting holiday shopping done at work can boost productivity ... maybe

Dec 18, 2019
It can save time and clear your mind ... or send you down an e-commerce rabbit hole.
Do you shop online while at the office?
Matt Cardy/Getty Images

eBay aims to strengthen focus on core business as competition builds

Nov 26, 2019
The site known for its auctions has shifted to more fixed price sales, but can't compete with Amazon.
The eBay headquarters in San Jose, California in 2014.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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