Store Events Features Archives

Online-only retailers have much lower merchandise return rates than other merchants. But is this because web-only merchants are better at preventing returns than other companies, or is returning items to an online retailer too much of a hassle in the first place?

Something tells us that you guys did some last-minute shopping for on Mother's Day. Well, here's hoping you don't drop the ball this Father's Day! By June 16 you should have a little something nice wrapped up for your Dad. Maybe he would appreciate a nice diamond watch, an awesome Star Wars book, or a gardening kit?

As the unofficial start of the summer, Memorial Day is typically associated with a sunny afternoon BBQ. But for in-the-know shoppers, this holiday is also an excellent time to flex that credit card; historically, Memorial Day weekend offers the best sales since the start of the year. Here's what you can expect from 2013 Memorial Day sales.

Amazon's lack of profits in 2012 are mostly a result of the company's hefty investments and overall thin profit margins. And while no experts blame customers for not buying enough, it very well may be Amazon shoppers who will pay the price to make up for lost revenue.

The Senate approved the hotly-debated Internet sales tax proposal on Monday, which means the landmark legislation is on its way to the House. And if the House gives it the go-ahead, the landscape of online shopping may be forever changed.

We're sure all of our readers love and appreciate their moms, but we'd also bet that a good number of you still haven't bought her anything yet for Mother's Day — which is now just four days away. Instead of hastily buying the first overpriced trinket you see, take a look at these hand-picked, last-minute Mother's Day deals.

YouTube is going to start charging money for access to select video channels, so we asked our panel of experts the eternal question: What would it take to get you to pay for YouTube?

The Electronic Frontier Foundation just released its annual "Who Has Your Back?" report, which offers an in-depth look at the digital companies that protect your data from the government — and its findings may surprise you. Looking at the privacy policies of ISPs, email providers, cloud storage providers, social networking sites, and more, it's become clear that not all of our online data is safely guarded.

Mother's Day is fast approaching, and it's only right that you get the woman who lovingly cared for you in her womb for nine months (give or take) a little something. But, whatever you do, try and avoid these 12 awful gift ideas.

JCPenney has changed so much in the past year, usually to the customer's dismay. The higher-ups know that shoppers are losing patience with the store, so in an attempt to make amends, JCPenney made a video apology and posted it on YouTube. Is it enough to get customers back to shopping in JCP stores?

JCPenney made news recently by announcing that it's bringing back sales — as well as the traditional high-low pricing strategy. As a result of this change though, several items now feature a significantly higher list price than they did just a few weeks ago. So where exactly are the deals?

For a lot of American consumers, the tipping game is often more a matter of guilt or guesswork than exactitude. So in everyday life, how much should we actually tip?

If you can't get paid to shop, getting free stuff is the next best thing. And the Shop Your Way rewards program offers just that! A free service, members earn points on purchases and can put them towards discounts — and freebies — down the line.

Online retailers may begin collecting state sales tax this month, which could affect how some consumers shop. But the way we see it, this just means you have to be all the more savvy with your purchases. To help you out, we've mined the dealnews archives of sales, coupons, and daily deals to guide you through the best and worst buys things to buy in May.

Will your Mother's Day gift go down in history as an all-time-great? Probably not. But, check out these historically great Mother's Day gifts — from Greek gods to Elvis — and see what kinds of gifts for mom withstand the test of time.

Consumers' brand loyalty is declining at a steady pace. But can a mascot change that? "Oh yeah!" say the execs behind the new, more human Kool-Aid Man.

Merchants big and small go to significant lengths to make the world a better place on Earth Day. And Mother Nature isn't the only one reaping the rewards, as retailers are keen to give their customers free stuff too.

Kmart released a video online to publicize its new free shipping offer, and it's gone viral; 13 million viewers have enjoyed hearing excited customers suggestively shout "ship my pants" a bunch of times. But some people don't find it so amusing. What do you think?

If you hate your taxes, just imagine how celebrities feel! They must hate them, otherwise, why are so many of them in trouble with the I.R.S. for failure to pay? Inside, you'll find a list of the worst celebrity tax scofflaws!

Many Americans dread April 15. Tax Day is no fun ... except for the bounty of Tax Day freebies available! Whether you're seeking some cheap eats or even a massage, this freebies list has the details on where to find great deals at no cost.

Taxes. They're a bummer, right? Well, it turns out they used to be much, much worse. These five ridiculous taxes run the gamut from facial hair to wallpaper, and beyond.

If death and taxes represent two of life's certainties, then articles about taxes in the days leading up to April 15 come in a close third. And in this one, we've crunched the tax day numbers with enough exactitude to make your accountant jealous. Better yet, you don't need a sharp pencil or calculator to make sense of the facts and figures — past and present — that surround Uncle Sam's mandate.

April is here, and if you're stuck indoors waiting out showers that will bring May flowers, consider it a blessing: You'll have extra time to shop around for deals! In an effort to guide you towards such savvy purchases, we dug through the dealnews archives from years past and put together our April buying guide, with advice on what to buy and what to hold off on.

Tax season is upon us! But before you throw your copy of Turbo Tax into a turbo-charged blender, remember that the I.R.S. tax code is full of little-known (yet legal) deductions you could and should utilize. We spoke to a certified CPA who shared with us seven commonly overlooked tax deductions.

It's a commonly held belief amongst grocery store chains that the further a shopper walks into a store, the more likely it is that he or she will spend more money. But as it turns out, most shoppers actually end up covering less than half the area of an average supermarket, which means grocers aim to get us to walk around even more — and our own smartphones may be helping them accomplish this end.

Lululemon announced this week that it's recalling some of its yoga pants from stores because they were made too sheer. Since it's not everyday that we encounter a product recall that's seemingly so absurd, we decided to enumerate some of the most ridiculous recalls in recent history.

With the first quarter of 2013 drawing to a close, February's retail numbers brought a surprise to many sectors. While analysts expected to see a continued dip in sales across the board — what with higher payroll taxes, sequestration, and rising gas prices — February actually saw a surprising increase in retail sales. Here's a look at what that means could mean consumers.

With more men literally bringing home the bacon (from the supermarket), are "man aisles" helpful find-it-in-one-place shopping aids for bachelors and dads alike? Or are they just a marketing ploy to selel more beef jerky and beer?

Given all the backlash JCPenney weathered over eliminating sales in favor of "everyday low prices" (a policy they've since rescinded), you could almost predict that the retail giant would have to do something risky and daring to win disgruntled shoppers back — something "fresh," if you will. Say hello to Joe Fresh at JCP.

Amazon's got its reviews section, and now the mega retailer has implemented a Customer Q&A section to help those undecided buyers become even more informed about a product before purchasing. But those user-submitted questions don't go to Amazon experts; they are emailed to actual past customers who've bought the product(s) in question. As savvy Amazon consumers, how will this affect you?

While not all Americans will receive money from Uncle Sam this year, at least 76% of our readers have some sort of tax return coming their way. And for some, that might be a substantial chunk of change. So what will consumers do with their tax refunds?