Retail : NPR

Here's how inflation is changing holiday deals and shopping

A shopper browses Black Friday sales at a Macy's store in Jersey City, N.J. Kena Betancur/Getty Images hide caption

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Kena Betancur/Getty Images

Here's how inflation is changing holiday deals and shopping

November 26, 2022 • Shoppers are expected to spend a record amount of money this year because nearly everything is more expensive. There are some relative bargains, if you know where to look.

Here's how inflation is changing holiday deals and shopping

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How stores ended up with too many (wrong) clothes

Clothing stores have been cutting prices, trying to sell off their glut of inventory. Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Stefani Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images

How stores ended up with too many (wrong) clothes

November 25, 2022 • Remember when we couldn't get enough athleisure? Or pajamas? Now, the hottest question for clothing retailers is whether they've got an "inventory glut." For shoppers, this means discounts.

Come for the free cookies, stay for the shopping

Banners promote Small Business Saturday in West Reading, Pa. on Nov. 25, 2017. Jeremy Drey/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle/Getty Images hide caption

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Jeremy Drey/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle/Getty Images

Come for the free cookies, stay for the shopping

November 24, 2022 • With high inflation and rising expenses, small businesses hope to lure shoppers with food, holidays cheer, instead of deep discounts.

Will Bed Bath & Beyond sink like Sears or rise like Best Buy?

Bed Bath & Beyond is working on yet another turnaround after a series of crises and missteps. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images hide caption

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Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Will Bed Bath & Beyond sink like Sears or rise like Best Buy?

September 28, 2022 • The company has been on a rollercoaster of crises, including a meme-stock rise and crash. Its latest financial report comes Thursday.

Will Bed Bath & Beyond sink like Sears or rise like Best Buy?

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A deal to avert a rail strike is on track, but it won't fix U.S. supply chain issues

A tentative deal announced Thursday would avert a strike on the nation's freight lines with the potential to throw supply chains into chaos. Above, a CSX freight train travels through Alexandria, Va. Kevin Wolf/AP hide caption

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Kevin Wolf/AP

National

A deal to avert a rail strike is on track, but it won't fix U.S. supply chain issues

September 16, 2022 • Supply chain disruptions have eased since the height of the pandemic, but concern over a potential rail strike, which appears to have been narrowly averted, highlights how that system remains fragile.

What our shopping choices say about the U.S. economy

Macy's, the nation's largest department store chain, has scaled back its sales forecast for the year. Wilfredo Lee/AP hide caption

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Wilfredo Lee/AP

Business

What our shopping choices say about the U.S. economy

August 25, 2022 • Here's what we learned from a hectic spate of financial report cards shared by top U.S. retailers.

Binders, backpacks... and inflation are on this year's back-to-school shopping list

People shop for school supplies at a Target store in Miami, Fla., on July 27. Marta Lavandier/AP hide caption

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Marta Lavandier/AP

America In The Grip Of Inflation

Binders, backpacks... and inflation are on this year's back-to-school shopping list

August 3, 2022 • This year's back-to-school shopping season lands in the middle of the highest inflation in four decades — how will this affect spending?

Binders, backpacks... and inflation are on this year's back-to-school shopping list

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What happens when people want all the air fryers and then, suddenly, they don't

An air fryer awaits its buyer at a Kroger store in Kentucky in 2020, when the kitchen appliance became a hot seller. Scotty Perry/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption

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Scotty Perry/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Business

What happens when people want all the air fryers and then, suddenly, they don't

July 25, 2022 • Big box stores are working through an unexpected glut of inventory: TVs, kitchen appliances, hoodies and other hot pandemic items. Part of the problem is the bullwhip effect.

What happens when people want all the air fryers and then, suddenly, they don't

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Prime Day makes third-party sellers anxious

Amazon workers sort packages for delivery. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images hide caption

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Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

The Indicator from Planet Money

Prime Day makes third-party sellers anxious

July 12, 2022 • Amazon Prime Day, the unofficial holiday of the e-commerce enthusiast, is here. But for third-party-sellers, today might not be a day for celebration.

Prime Day makes third-party sellers anxious

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Revlon files for bankruptcy amid competition and supply chain stress

Revlon is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy amid heavy debt, competition from newer competitors and supply chain fluctuations. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images hide caption

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Business

Revlon files for bankruptcy amid competition and supply chain stress

June 16, 2022 • Cosmetics giant Revlon has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. It has struggled to keep up with competition from newer brands and tackle supply chain problems caused by the pandemic.

Too many slices in a full loaf of bread? This program helps find half-loaves for sale

Prashant Baid's search engine finds stores selling half-loaves of bread, in some of India's largest cities. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images hide caption

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Technology

Too many slices in a full loaf of bread? This program helps find half-loaves for sale

April 24, 2022 • Prashant Baid created halfloafnear.me for himself; he hates throwing out bread that's gone bad. But now, he says, the program has struck a chord with other people seeking to reduce food waste.

Once a retail giant, Kmart nears extinction with the closure of a New Jersey store

While many shelves are empty, furniture and fixtures are on still on sale at the Kmart in Avenel, N.J. Seth Wenig/AP hide caption

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Seth Wenig/AP

Business

Once a retail giant, Kmart nears extinction with the closure of a New Jersey store

April 11, 2022 • The number of Kmarts — once in the thousands — will be down to three in the continental U.S. and a handful of stores elsewhere, in a retail world dominated by Walmart, Target and Amazon.

Amazon shuttering its physical bookstores and 4-star shops

People walk by an Amazon Books store at the Westfield Garden State Plaza shopping mall in Paramus, N.J., on Jan. 10, 2022. Ted Shaffrey/AP hide caption

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Ted Shaffrey/AP

Business

Amazon shuttering its physical bookstores and 4-star shops

March 3, 2022 • The move comes as Amazon.com's overall revenue growth is slowing, and it's looking for new ways to reignite sales.

From living rooms to landfills, some holiday shopping returns take a 'very sad path'

A postal worker carries packages through the snow on Jan. 3 in Washington, D.C. Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images hide caption

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Sarah Silbiger/Getty Images

Business

From living rooms to landfills, some holiday shopping returns take a 'very sad path'

January 12, 2022 • It's peak season for returns, which are setting a new record. Some end up back on shelves or get resold to other merchants, and some wind up in landfills or sail overseas.

From living rooms to landfills, some holiday shopping returns take a 'very sad path'

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Buy now, pay later and online returns are just a couple of the hidden costs of holiday shopping. the_burtons/Getty Images hide caption

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It's Been a Minute

The hidden costs of holiday consumerism

November 19, 2021 • A lot of consumers are worried about supply chain delays this holiday season — but there are also other issues to watch out for when shopping. Guest host Ayesha Rascoe talks about the hidden costs of holiday consumption with The Atlantic staff writer Amanda Mull and The Washington Post retail reporter Abha Bhattarai. They discuss the potential downfalls of buy now, pay later services and where online shopping returns really go. Then, they play a game of Who Said That?

The hidden costs of holiday consumerism

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Saturday November 26, 2022

Here's how inflation is changing holiday deals and shopping

Friday November 25, 2022

Thursday November 24, 2022

Wednesday September 28, 2022

Will Bed Bath & Beyond sink like Sears or rise like Best Buy?

Friday September 16, 2022

Thursday August 25, 2022

Wednesday August 3, 2022

Binders, backpacks... and inflation are on this year's back-to-school shopping list

Monday July 25, 2022

What happens when people want all the air fryers and then, suddenly, they don't

Tuesday July 12, 2022

Prime Day makes third-party sellers anxious

Thursday June 16, 2022

Sunday April 24, 2022

Monday April 11, 2022

Thursday March 3, 2022

Wednesday January 12, 2022

From living rooms to landfills, some holiday shopping returns take a 'very sad path'

Friday November 19, 2021

The hidden costs of holiday consumerism