Customs officials struggle with the uptick in volume of goods shipped into the U.S.

Dec 28, 2018
A 2016 law that allows goods from abroad to enter the U.S. duty free as long as they are valued at $800 or less has opened up the door to more counterfeiters.
Customs officers in the DHL warehouse at JFK Airport.
Ashley Milne-Tyte for Marketplace

The path left by your online purchases

Dec 27, 2018
You might have done a lot of online shopping this holiday season, and you’re not alone — more than 1 billion items were shipped for free in the United States this holiday with Amazon Prime, the company reported. And with the rise of online shopping comes a lot more warehouses popping up in rural communities […]

Digital Day discounts draw in consumers

Dec 27, 2018
Amazon’s third annual Digital Day officially launches on Friday — though some discounts have already been spotted on the website. The company is offering deep discounts on content — digital books movies and games — the sort of thing you can use on its Kindle, Fire TV and Echo devices. The race to get you to buy proprietary […]
An Amazon logo is seen inside the Amazon corporate headquarters on June 16, 2017 in Seattle, Washington.  
David Ryder/Getty Images

Retailers offer online discounts because they want consumers to click to shop

Dec 25, 2018
And companies are getting more than just your money.
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Target's investments in online shopping are paying off

Nov 26, 2018
Target missed earnings expectations for the third quarter, yet the company is maintaining its forecast for the whole year. The reason? The retailer’s investments in its online segment are weighing down on its profit margins, but those investments are getting some traction as online sales jumped 49 percent in the latest quarter. Click the audio […]

Why retailers love it when you order online and pickup in store

Nov 23, 2018
Big box and department stores have invested heavily on making it easy for customers to pick up stuff they order online at the store. That’s because research shows that most of those pick-ups actually become shopping trips, where the customer buys more than just what was in the online cart. That’s a growing Black Friday […]

Attention holiday shoppers! Deals are pretty much everywhere

Nov 15, 2018
Why is your in-box already overflowing with sale alerts and discount codes?
People walk past a shop advertising 'Black Friday' discounts.
Rob Stothard/Getty Images

For public good, not for profit.

Abandoned carts are a big problem for online retailers

Nov 12, 2018
About 70 percent of sales die before consumers hit "buy."
In this photo illustration, electronics retailer Best Buy advertises Cyber Monday sales on the store's website in 2012. Limited sales can be an effective way to replicate the conditions that lead to impulse spending online.
Scott Olson/Getty Images

July sales are pressuring the shipping industry like it’s the holiday season

Jul 16, 2018
Today is Prime Day, Amazon’s annual day of discounts that the retail giant hopes will rack up sales and lure new subscribers to Prime. Walmart, Target, Macy’s and other retailers are also getting in on what’s being dubbed Summer Black Friday. With all those packages on the move, the shipping industry is ramping up to […]

Most people don't pay taxes when shopping online. That could go away.

Apr 16, 2018
The Supreme Court will hear a case that could determine who collects online sales tax.
A UPS driver makes deliveries in San Francisco.
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