Retail
How online returns actually work — and what the law requires
Federal rules cover when you get your money back after a canceled order; almost everything else about returns is store policy.
Retail
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.
Retail
Families plan to spend 858 dollars on back-to-school shopping
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.
Retail
The 15 percent clothing tariff expires July 24 unless Congress acts
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.
Retail
New York's Fashion Act stalled again, so green claims stay unverified
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.
Retail
Clothing prices climbed again in April, latest CPI report shows
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.
Retail
Why a 15 percent tariff can raise a price tag by 30 percent
The Section 122 tariff that replaced the struck-down IEEPA duties took effect February 24, 2026, and the math of retail markups means shoppers see the cost multiplied at the register.