Retail covers the stores themselves: how they set prices, how loyalty programs actually pay out, what a return policy permits, and which markdown tactics mislead. Coverage names retailers directly. Useful for readers who want to buy somewhere that takes an item back without a fight.
"30-day return policy" doesn't mean what you think at every store. Here's what three major retailers' own return pages actually say about deadlines, shipping costs, and what voids your refund.
Federal rules cover when you get your money back after a canceled order; almost everything else about returns is store policy.
The National Retail Federation's 2026 back-to-school surveys show K-12 families budgeting an average of $858.07, with clothing at $250.29 per family and many shopping early to get ahead of tariff-driven price increases.
Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974 caps the current import surcharge at 150 days, putting a July 24, 2026 expiration date on the tariff that has been pushing clothing prices up since February.
New York's Legislature ended its 2026 session without voting on the Fashion Act, leaving shoppers without the mandatory due-diligence and anti-greenwashing rules the bill would impose on large brands.
The April 2026 Consumer Price Index, released May 12, 2026, showed the apparel index rising 0.6 percent for the month, continuing a string of above-average clothing inflation.