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Online shopping

Return fees are happening because retailers are hurting

by Kristin Schwab
Jun 9, 2022
Americans sent back $760 billion worth of stuff last year. Now higher shipping costs and rising returns are hurting companies' bottom lines.
Zara is now charging customers in the U.K. when they return online purchases via mail. With rising shipping costs, other retailers may follow suit.
Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images
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The business of Shein, the fast-fashion brand that's dominating Gen Z's closets

by Kristin Schwab
May 6, 2022
The apparel maker was recently valued at $100 billion, more than competitors Zara and H&M combined.
Katy Perry speaks during a Shein virtual festival to benefit the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for WHO on May 9, 2020.
Getty Images/Getty Images for Shein
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The pandemic drove people to buy more online, and some of those buying habits are sticking

by Samantha Fields
Mar 17, 2022
One retail category that remains popular: buying groceries online, something many people had not tried before the pandemic.
Online shopping has surged during the pandemic, according to data from Adobe, But inflation accounts for a significant portion of that growth.
David Dee Delgado/Getty Images
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Holiday sales boosted by fear of empty shelves

by Lily Jamali
Dec 27, 2021
An early picture of the all-important selling season looks decent.
With shoppers hunting for presents earlier, retailers enjoyed the strongest holiday sales growth in nearly two decades, according to the Mastercard SpendingPulse report.
Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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Online inflation catches up

by Matt Levin
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
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COVID-19

Is fast fashion catching up to real time?

by Kai Ryssdal and Minju Park
Jul 22, 2021
Shein, a fast-growing, China-based clothing brand, relies on a “real-time fashion” model that slashes the time from design to production.
Expanding Chinese clothing brand Shein prioritizes its web presence. Its "real-time fashion" model enables it to capture opportunities quickly.
Antony Jones/Getty Images for Shein
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COVID-19

Are malls and department stores really springing back to life?

by Andy Uhler
May 24, 2021
Retailers realize the pandemic has also shifted a lot of shopping online.
Retailers like Macy's and T.J. Maxx reported significantly higher sales this first quarter relative to 2020.
Joe Raedle/Getty Images
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Is shopping by livestream the next chapter of e-commerce?

by Scott Tong
Apr 15, 2021
A lot of stores, brands and internet titans expect livestreaming to soar this year. And they’re investing accordingly.
Many businesses are able to use livestreaming as an inexpensive and direct way to reach customers.
hobo_018 via Getty Images
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COVID-19

A holiday glut of packages prompts a shipping crisis for small businesses

by Justin Ho
Dec 24, 2020
Retailers are increasing shipping fees while fielding more calls from customers, asking, "Where's my package?"
Mail carriers load up their trucks at a USPS distribution center in El Paso, Texas, earlier this year.
Paul Ratje/AFP via Getty Images
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Shipping delays cause problems for small retailers

by Marielle Segarra
Dec 22, 2020
We’re expecting record online sales this holiday season, and shippers are having a hard time keeping up.
Postal workers sort, load and deliver mail outside a USPS location in Los Angeles, California, in August.
Kyle Grillot/AFP via Getty Images
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