online retail

Shein promotes clothes under $30, $20 or even $5, mostly made in China and shipped directly to shoppers.

America can't resist fast fashion. Shein, with all its issues, is tailored for it

8:14am October 13, 2023

by Alina Selyukh

With clothes cheaper than a latte, built for today's microtrends, Shein courts the same young women who launched the renaissance of thrifting and resale. Legal complaints about the company are many.

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A delivery person rides a bicycle past a storefront in New York City.

National

You might still have time to buy holiday gifts online and get same-day delivery

7:11am December 18, 2021

by Alina Selyukh

More retailers are striking deals with delivery companies like Uber, DoorDash and Instacart to get online orders to shoppers within hours.

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Close to two-thirds of Americans say they've bought something on Amazon, according to a new NPR/Marist poll. That's more than 90 percent of America's online shoppers.

What Americans Told Us About Online Shopping Says A Lot About Amazon

2:07pm June 06, 2018

by Alina Selyukh

Of Americans who shop online, 92 percent have shopped on Amazon, according to a new NPR/Marist poll that shows the company creating new shopping habits and retaining a striking amount of trust.

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The Grinch, played by Jim Carrey, conspires with his dog Max to deprive the Whos of their favorite holiday in the live-action adaptation of "Dr. Seuss' How The Grinch Stole Christmas."

'Grinch Bots' Attempt To Steal Christmas By Driving Up Toy Prices

5:28pm December 05, 2017

by Samantha Raphelson

Sen. Chuck Schumer is urging retailers to stop "Grinch bots" who use sophisticated software to buy out the most popular toys of the season and sell them for a hefty markup on third-party sites.

Rewarding customers when they choose slower shipping options is one way online retailers are reacting to a recent decision by UPS to add a holiday surcharge during peak delivery days.

Retailers To Online Shoppers: Be Patient With Delivery, Get Perks

5:34pm November 22, 2017

by Rebecca Feldhaus Adams

In reaction to a recent decision by UPS to add a peak holiday delivery surcharge, some retailers are adding rewards and discounts for customers who choose "no hurry" slower delivery options.

Walmart customers will be able to place an order by simply saying it out loud, using either the voice-activated speaker Google Home (left) or the Google Assistant app.

Economy

Walmart, Google Join Forces In Online Fight Against Amazon

2:14pm August 23, 2017

by Scott Neuman

The world's largest retailer will hawk its products on Google Express for the first time, in a play to get a bigger chunk of the growing voice-enabled shopping market currently dominated by Amazon.

Peter Reynolds, owner of Blue Bunny Books in Dedham, Mass., says he hopes the unique atmosphere will keep customers coming to independent bookstores like his.

Books

As Amazon Moves In, A Local Bookseller Hopes To Thrive With A Personal Touch

8:01am March 04, 2017

by Zeninjor Enwemeka

Amazon has opened its latest brick-and-mortar bookstore — the first on the East Coast. But an independent bookseller in the Boston suburb says: "I think that we're going to be OK."