Stacker-Shopping

The National Retail Federation (NRF) expects Halloween spending to reach $13.5 billion in 2026, up from $13.1 billion last year. That’s roughly $115.14 spent on Halloween costs per person in 2026, which is just a touch higher than the $114.45 spent in 2025. The increase in spending is probably not a surprise to anyone, since there

Every year, holiday promotions seem to start earlier: Black Friday deals, which traditionally mark the start of the holiday shopping season, tend to appear before Halloween, and the grumbling about Christmas creep follows. Yet most shoppers want brands to start communicating about deals early. According to Sinch’s 2026 Black Friday and Cyber Monday consumer survey of

Stocking up on candy this fall is a less-than-sweet experience in the U.S. and Canada, thanks to prices rising more than twice as fast as the overall inflation rate in both countries. Why is getting your seasonal sugar fix so expensive? Supply chain complications, unlucky weather and tightening regulations account for most of the increase.

Email inboxes are already filling up with gift suggestions for the holidays. It may be hard to resist clicking on those links and going down the rabbit hole as you imagine all the smiles and warm feelings giving the perfect gift will bring.  That feeling is real, and it is part of why the holidays

A shopper stands in front of a shelf filled with nearly identical products. The ingredients may look similar, and the promises may sound alike, but one factor often shapes the final decision: values. Those priorities might include vegan or cruelty-free products, organic ingredients, sustainable sourcing, regenerative practices, biodegradable materials, recycled packaging, fair trade or palm-free

When a customer buys from an online seller, the transaction can generate economic activity far beyond the seller itself. The seller may buy supplies, hire workers, pay for services and invest in its business. Economists refer to this as the multiplier effect—economic activity generated by one business can support additional activity elsewhere in the economy. 

Shoppers have chosen who they are most comfortable buying from internationally, and the answer is right next door.   A 1,000-person survey conducted in August reveals that 83% of respondents said they’d be comfortable buying from an online seller based in Canada while 38% said the same thing about India. Additionally, nearly 8 in 10 shoppers admit

When you want to find a new local business, who do you ask? Today, 45% of Americans are turning to an AI assistant to get recommendations for local businesses — up from 6% a year ago, according to BrightLocal’s 2026 Local Consumer Review Survey. It’s a dramatic change in user behavior and shows that many

For generations, buying an engagement ring has come with some fairly specific expectations. It should be beautiful, and it should last. According to decades of advertising and popular culture, it should also cost a substantial amount of money, roughly three months of salary, per conventional wisdom. Somewhere along the way, the price itself became part

Luxury packaging has rapidly integrated across consumer goods in recent years, with the market set to hit $33.9 million by the end of 2026, before growing to $43.3 million by the end of the decade. The estimated growth from Grand View Research also identifies niches that are particular catalysts for the adoption of next-generation packaging

When an order is delayed, or a card has been charged twice, do shoppers prefer typing their question to the AI agent on the website, or do they go looking for a phone number to ask a human? For most shoppers, it depends on the question. Ahead of the busiest shopping period of the year,

A cliffside proposal at sunset. A private dinner overlooking the water. A hike to the exact spot you first said, “I love you.” Destination proposals have become one of the most popular ways to pop the question, with nearly 1 in 5 proposals now taking place during travel or vacation, according to the 2026 Jewelers

A holiday shopper looking for a gift can now describe the recipient and a budget to an AI assistant, then ask follow-up questions until a short list emerges. The retailer may enter the conversation only after much of the decision is made. This emerging consumer behavior is becoming measurable. According to Adobe Analytics, traffic from

Walk into three stores looking for a size 8, and you may leave with a 6, an 8, and a 10, all of which fit. Online, where shoppers cannot try garments on first, those discrepancies become harder to navigate. When shopping across apparel brands, including online, consulting brand-specific sizing information can help shoppers navigate differences

For the first time, more than half of newly appraised engagement rings hold a lab-grown center stone. That is the headline finding of The BriteCo Jewelry, Diamond & Watch Price Index 2026, the first edition of a new annual report from BriteCo, a leading jewelry and watch insurance provider. The index draws on real jewelry

Most people can’t recall the first time they used a drive-thru, pulled into a curbside pickup spot, or tapped through a self-checkout screen. The biggest movements in how Americans shop and eat rarely feel like milestones when they happen. They become the new normal, one renovated store or restaurant at a time. Together, the last

Food prices are a political flashpoint. In America’s most recent presidential election, Democratic nominee Kamala Harris promised to ban “price gouging” on groceries, while Republican nominee Donald Trump said he would reduce prices by fixing supply chain issues. More recently, as food prices have risen 3% in the past year, Trump has promised to address

  Online stores have spent years serving people who browse and buy, but some of the requests arriving at those stores now come from AI agents acting on behalf of human customers. In 2025, Columbia Business School researchers built a simulated marketplace to study what happens when AI agents do the buying, letting the agents

  While we’ve barely put away the sunscreen and summer gear, the holiday season “creep” is slowly making its way into stores and online. And for many people, it’s not only the most wonderful time of the year, but also the most expensive. Whether you expect to spend on gifts, holiday décor, meals, or travel,