Shopping News

Digital technology brings color accuracy to smartphones By Tim Sandle The company X-Rite has brought color measurement accuracy to smartphones as well as for online shopping, with its Color-Eye solution. This is designed to improve what consumers actually view.

Amazon launches 'The Hub,' a parcel locker for apartment blocks By James Walker Amazon has announced a new parcel delivery option that helps residents to receive large packages without waiting in all day. 'The Hub' is a modularised version of Amazon Lockers that's designed for residential spaces.

Amazon could let you try on watches, clothes in augmented reality By James Walker Amazon is investigating how it could use augmented reality technology to let you "try on" clothes and accessories before you buy. A new patent filed by the company details how a phone app would let you virtually "wear" items from Amazon's product pages.

Shopping-weary Chinese find refuge in souped-up man caves By AFP Shanghai - It's a familiar sight in shopping malls around the world -- weary-looking men dutifully following their wives from store to store. But China may have the solution: so-called "husband rest booths".

A slice of luxury: Hong Kong's high-end fruit fad By AFP Hong Kong - It might be a healthy food choice, but Hong Kong's latest fruit fad is doing serious damage to shoppers' wallets. From luxury supermarkets to outdoor stalls, expensive premium produce is increasingly on show and sought after by customers.

A slice of luxury: Hong Kong's high-end fruit fad By AFP Hong Kong - It might be a healthy food choice, but Hong Kong's latest fruit fad is doing serious damage to shoppers' wallets. From luxury supermarkets to outdoor stalls, expensive premium produce is increasingly on show and sought after by customers.

A slice of luxury: Hong Kong's high-end fruit fad By AFP Hong Kong - It might be a healthy food choice, but Hong Kong's latest fruit fad is doing serious damage to shoppers' wallets. From luxury supermarkets to outdoor stalls, expensive premium produce is increasingly on show and sought after by customers.

Psychology explains what retail therapy is all about By Tim Sandle When people are unhappy they often go out and buy something in order to make themselves feel better. One of the drivers for this, psychologists report, could be a fundamental unhappiness with personal relationships.

Pope's new mission: buying his own shoes By AFP Vatican City - Pope Francis was the toast of social media on Wednesday after successfully completing his latest groundbreaking mission: popping out of the Vatican to buy himself some new footwear.

Mobile wallet use to rise during the upcoming holiday season By Claudio Buttice Mobile payments have been around for some time, but in the United States, they're expected to triple in 2016 to over $27 billion in mobile payment transactions, according to eMarketer.

Moscow bulldozes 100 'illegal' shops By AFP Moscow - Moscow city authorities early Tuesday bulldozed some 100 buildings housing small shops and cafes which they said violated municipal law, putting thousands of people out of work.

Black Friday crowds smaller, calmer in stores across the country By Nathan Salant New York - Smaller crowds and fewer unruly bargain-hunters made the start of the holiday shopping season seem almost civilized, reports from around the country appear to indicate.

Give your loved ones and yourself a holiday gift with Reveli Commissioned By Brett Wilkins It’s that time of year again. Holiday shopping season is upon us, and once again, millions of Americans will reach into their wallets for their credit cards.

Op-Ed: Plastic bag use rises in Britain for eighth year running Special By Tim Sandle London Colney - The British population’s love affair with plastic bags shows no sign of abating. Unlike most countries around the world, the U.K. continues to use more and more plastic shopping bags.

Facebook working on a shopping assistant dubbed 'Moneypenny' By James Walker Facebook is apparently working on creating its own digital assistant. Unlike Siri, Cortana or anything else, "Moneypenny" will not be focused on productivity but rather something else entirely: shopping.

Sugar, flour, rice: Panicked Greeks stock up on essentials By AFP Atenas - Greeks were hoarding cash and food Saturday amid mounting fears the economy could collapse, cracking open their wallets only to stock up on essentials and stripping supermarket shelves in the process.

Amazon's reviews system is now intelligent and able to learn By James Walker Amazon has launched a refreshed reviews and ratings system which will make the overall customer consensus on a product clearer. The intelligent system will be able to give ratings priority depending on certain factors, creating a better average.

Technology has killed the classic jewelry store By Robert Lawson Online shopping and the demand for high tech gadgets has replaced the need of new and existing jewelry stores. While not yet completely gone, jewelry stores could soon become a thing of the past.

Google's 'buy buttons'will let you shop from search results By James Walker Google is reportedly testing new "buy buttons" that would sit alongside adverts in its usual search results and allow you to order products without leaving the page. The payment would be handled entirely by Google using stored card information.

Here's how companies really resist negative comments online By James Walker With news stories freely accessible to read online all the time, consumers can easily learn about all the latest events at companies. But what if the latest isn't actually very positive?

Nearly all consumers don't feel safe with new domains By James Walker A new survey of 10,000 people has found that the vast majority are not comfortable with the new top-level domain names now available to use online. Many have concerns about how safe the new domains are and what content they are used for.

High school basketball star goes to prom with Down syndrome girl By James Walker A star of a Kentucky school's basketball team has asked a girl with Down syndrome to be his prom date, proposing to her with a sign and bunch of flowers that referenced Taylor Swift, the girl's favourite singer. The news has since gone viral online.

Christmas day sales to hit $690k a minute online By James Walker A new study has shown that rather than taking part in the festivities or helping with the cooking this Christmas, many will be taking to their phones to participate in an online shopping frenzy as the sales open throughout the big day.

Sears Canada names new acting-CEO By Nicole Weddington Sears Canada Inc. named Ronald Boire of the American-based Sears Holding to replace Douglas Campbell as acting president and CEO. This is not the first time that the Canadian-based company has recruited from its American partner.

The story of fashion trucks, the new American shopping craze By James Walker Walking along Manhattan's Fifth Avenue on a Tuesday or Thursday lets you experience a new, growing all-American trend: fashion trucks. Parked by the side of the road, you can find a full boutique and dressing room inside. Here, we look at their success.

Op-Ed: Money-saving tips for back to school By Alyssa Sellors Labor Day marks the unofficial end to summer, and of course, also back to school season. While school supply lists seem to grow, there are smart ways to save money on back to school shopping, especially on and just after the Labor Day weekend.

Luxury U.S. retailers court Canadian consumers By Nicole Weddington After years of being left out in the cold, Canadian consumers of upscale brands will now see big changes. Luxury retail is making its way north in a move to boost bottom lines and satiate a hungry market.

Kildonan Place undergoes rarely seen ownership change By Nicole Weddington In a move to help strengthen alternative investments in its retail portfolio, Ivanhoe Cambridge announced the sale of Kildonan Place to H&R Real Estate Investment Trust.

Luxury retailers drive Canadian mall expansions By Nicole Weddington The Canadian market continues to exhibit strong interest in luxury retail, indicated by an explosion of renovations projects to expand on existing shopping malls.

UK supermarkets lose battle with German chains By Laura Wolf Aldi and Lidl are the winners of the British supermarket industry this year. Morrisons, ASDA, Sainsbury's and Tesco are losing ground.

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