The One Place in Airports People Actually Want to Be
Inside the competition to lure affluent travelers with luxurious lounges
Material World
Will Americans Ever Get Sick of Cheap Junk?
We’re nowhere near peak stuff.
Tupperware Is in Trouble
We’re in a golden age for food storage. So why is America’s paradigmatic container brand failing?
Why Rich Shoppers Get So Angry About Hermès
This is what happens when wealthy consumers run headlong into actual scarcity.
What Happened to Baseball Jerseys?
Fans are doomed to keep paying more for merchandise they want less.
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Temu Is Speedrunning American Familiarity
The company’s ad strategy: bludgeon you into knowing its name.
Lab Diamonds Are Too Perfect for Their Own Good
The traditional diamond industry is thought to be under threat from lab-grown stones. But that’s not how luxury works.
It’s Just a Water Bottle
No one can truly explain the Stanley cup.
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Home Influencers Will Not Rest Until Everything Has Been Put in a Clear Plastic Storage Bin
Restocking season is getting out of hand.
The Golden Age of Gadgets for Girlies
They never died. They just became beauty products.
Is This How Amazon Ends?
An open embrace of cheap foreign products has helped Amazon take over the world. It also might guarantee Amazon’s eventual obsolescence.
This Is What Happens to All the Stuff You Don’t Want
I ventured into the belly of the holiday-returns beast.
It’s Too Easy to Buy Stuff You Don’t Want
Online shopping is too fast for good decisions.
The Junk Is Winning
TikTok’s experiment in shopping has quickly become another place to hawk products.
Your Sweaters Are Garbage
The quality of knitwear has cratered. Even expensive sweaters have lost their hefty, lush glory.
Millennials Have Lost Their Grip on Fashion
Ballet flats are back. Are you old enough to know better?
Retailers Bet Wrong on America’s Feelings About Stores
The internet was supposed to kill in-person shopping. But have you been to a Bass Pro?
Bama Rush Is a Strange, Sparkly Window Into How America Shops
Here’s my cute $20 Shein dress. And here are all of my $400 David Yurman bracelets.
Make the Collabs Stop
The world does not need Blue Bottle sneakers or Harry Potter spatulas.
Drinking Water Is Easy
Just add stuff to it.
The Perfect Service to Make Everyone at the Airport Hate You
The identification company Clear allows travelers to pay to cut in line. But you can’t buy your way out of inconvenience at America’s airports.
It Was Only a Matter of Time Before Everyone Started Dressing Like Kramer
It’s the summer of Kramercore.
Surprise! You Work for Amazon.
The retail giant is offering local businesses a side hustle delivering packages. Do we all eventually become couriers?
How the Vape Shops Won
It’s a rough time for retail stores in America. How can there be so many vape shops?
There’s No Secret to How Wealthy People Dress
“Stealth wealth” may be the next big thing in fashion. Or maybe everyone’s spending too much time on TikTok.
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The Free-Returns Party Is Over
Generous return policies lured Americans to online shopping. Now who pays?
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You Will Miss Bed Bath & Beyond
What we really lose when brick-and-mortar retailers close
How Shoppers Got Tricked By Vegan Leather
Pleather has a new name.
Something Odd Is Happening With Handbags
Where do shoppers turn when an industry built on novelty runs out of new ideas?
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Cool People Accidentally Saved America’s Feet
Millennials popularized bulky, super-cushioned shoes. Then Millennials got old.
The Real Reason Eye Cream Is So Expensive
Does eye cream do anything special, or is it just facial moisturizer in a smaller tub?
Shoppers Are Stuck in a Dupe Loop
TikTok made knockoffs cool. At what cost?
The Death of the Smart Shopper
Internet retail was supposed to supercharge the informed consumer. What happened?
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Please Look at My Metal Credit Card
Credit-card makers are ditching plastic in favor of something with much more … plunk.
Do You Really Want a New Kitchen Counter?
Everywhere you look, there are reasons to be unhappy with your house.
Yeti Coolers Are Luxury Goods for Bros
Everyone loves the guy with the cold drinks.
The HGTV-ification of America
You can’t escape gray floors.
Fashion Has Abandoned Human Taste
Stores are stocked with copycat designs. It’s a nightmare.
The Great Shoplifting Freak-Out
Why is it so hard to figure out if America’s enormous surge in theft is real?