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It’s no secret that online shopping has become many people’s preferred method of making purchases. Global online retail sales have grown from $4.2 trillion in 2020 to $5.7 trillion in 2022. With numbers like that, it’s hard to imagine anyone hasn’t tried shopping online at least once.

Digital shopping has made the experience almost instantaneous too. Unnecessary trips to the store and endless long lines during the holidays can be avoided with a few clicks.

Google is incontestably one of the most powerful search engines in the world. From finding a new job in your area to researching the latest iPhone specs to shopping online, it has all the answers you need. However, online shopping presents unique challenges. For example, look up women’s straight-leg jeans, and the choices

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According to Michael Ward, the managing director of Harrods, the 173-year-old retailer is falling behind Paris and Milan’s luxury trade subsequent to the UK axing VAT-free shopping.

Paris and Milan are overtaking London’s luxury trade, Michael Ward warns. Speaking to The Telegraph, he claims the decision to stop VAT-free shopping has put tourists off making luxury purchases in Britain’s capital city.

European countries, such as France and Italy, both still allow international shoppers to claim VAT back, yet the UK stopped this following Brexit at the end of 2020. To combat this decline in tourism, Harrods has made efforts to source exclusive designer pieces that aren’t available to shoppers in other European capitals.

Former Chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng planned to bring VAT-free shopping back in an update during autumn 2022. However, Chancellor Jeremy Hunt went back on this.

Ward urges the government to overturn its tourism strategy as people

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Len Rome’s Daily Feature of Little Known Facts

(WYTV) — Thinking of marriage in 2023?

Men, you’ll want to present your lovely engagement ring, but how much should you spend?

Times are tough, but you can follow that old rule of thumb that you spend three months’ salary on an engagement ring.

Really? Who came up with that one?

The wedding advice website called The Knot reminds us how all the diamond engagement ring businesses started.

In the 1930s — yes, during the depression — the De Beers diamond company came up with this marketing gimmick: engagements must always come with a diamond ring, and paying a month’s salary for it was fine.

Over the years, with inflation, that eventually grew to three months. That can be a sizable chunk of money.

For most people, the amount they pay is going to be a balance between what they want, what

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2022 saw TheIndustry.fashion’s podcast channel continue to bring inspiring stories, retail insights, and conversations from fashion’s most influential business leaders. As 2023 approaches, we’ve curated a list of our top 10 podcast picks from 2022.

Erik Torstensson, Co-founder & Chief Creative Officer, FRAME

Founded out of Los Angeles by two Swedish branding experts, then based in London, with no experience in making product, FRAME doesn’t appear to make any sense at all on paper. And yet, from the moment it arrived, the denim market was shaken up for good. And for the better.

In this episode of the In Conversation podcast from TheIndustry.fashion, Erik spoke to Lauretta Roberts about how the brand has always retained clean design as part of its DNA but is now intensely focused on clean manufacturing to having recently launched a new line of denim that uses virtually no water all in its manufacturing process.

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Boxing Day footfall was up by more than a third on the UK’s high streets despite train strikes and the cost-of-living crisis.

Concerns had been raised that strikes and tightening budgets could scare consumers away from shopping destinations on the first day of the sales.

But industry analyst Springboard said data from Monday showed footfall was 38.8% higher than last year.

There were increases across all three key retail destination types compared with the same period in 2021.

On high streets it was up by 44.1%, in shopping centres by 40.4%, and in retail parks by 25.9%.

Central London, which has been hit hard by industrial action by transport unions, saw footfall more than double on Boxing Day. The figure for London was just 7.8% lower than the same day in 2019.

Diane Wehrle, insights director at Springboard, said a likely factor in the increase was that Boxing Day 2021

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(MASS APPEAL) – Lifestyle contributor Limor Suss shares unique holiday gifting ideas.

From personalized holiday cards, to shipping services and supplies, to deals on the latest technology, Staples has you covered this holiday season. They’ve got the hottest tech gifts for the holidays, like the 2nd generation Apple AirPods Pro and the Microsoft Xbox Wireless Controllers. And even better – you can bring in your old tech, and as a Staples Rewards member, you’ll receive $5 back in rewards when you recycle in-store and put that towards your holiday shopping!

Staples also have shipping services so you can save time and ship where you shop! You’ll save 50% on supplies when you stock up on 5 or more shipping boxes, mailers, or tubes – and you can ensure gifts arrive on time and in style with 25% off UPS express shipping services. They also offer fast, next-day pickup on custom

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Matalan has announced further details regarding its ongoing sale, confirming that it has “received bids from a number of interested parties”.

The company is currently assessing all the tabled bids. Discussions are also continuing with interested parties and their advisers.

The retailer said that it’s looking to complete the sales process by the end of January 2023 and will provide a comprehensive update to the market at such time.

It added that the ad hoc group of existing First Lien Noteholders, which are represented by Invesco, Man GLG, Napier Park and Tresidor, reconfirmed its commitment to a recapitalisation if necessary.

In a statement, Matalan said: “All transactions under consideration provide for a material reduction of Matalan’s debt.

“The stable and sustainable balance sheet will put the company in a position of financial strength, allowing it to execute on its business plan and deliver its growth strategy. The outcome of the

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We spoke with Mason & Greens owner Jason Marino for tips on how to be more eco-friendly this holiday season.

WASHINGTON — Going green isn’t just for the Grinch. With the holidays upon us, we visited a zero-waste shop in DC for tips on how to be more friendly to the environment while you celebrate the season.

We spoke with Mason & Greens owner Jason Marino for some tips.

If you’re throwing an ugly sweater at a party, or exchanging a white elephant gift, there are several ways to prepare your house before your guests arrive.

Marino says it can be something small like refilling soap containers.

“This is a great thing to do. Everyone has a nice soap container at home, you can bring it to a store like ours or one of the others in the area and refill it,” Marino said.

Marino also suggests picking up toilet

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Atterley, the online marketplace for premium independent boutiques, has appointed administrators and ceased trading on its website. 

In a statement on its website this morning, Edinburgh-based Atterley announced that Brian Milne and David McGinness of French Duncan have been appointed as joint provisional liquidators.

Commenting on the news, Atterley.com Holdings said: “With deep and sincere regret, staff at Atterley were informed this morning that we will be starting a formal redundancy consultation with them.

“The reason is that some of the shareholders of the business could not justify further investment. This is related to the overall economic climate and in particularly a squeeze on consumer spending, linked to inflationary pressure.

“The four main shareholders of Atterley had invested £1.8 million since April, including over half from [founder] Mike Welch. A bank was appointed to seek external funding or strategic opportunities, and we committed to that process. Last week, it

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Personal finance and style experts that teamed up with American Express
AXP
have advice for consumers who are winding down their holiday shopping. Lilliana Vazquez and Humphrey Yang offer their best tips to help shoppers optimize their holiday spending.

Gifting made simple

“I recommend making a gift list (along with a budget) and sticking to it, so you don’t end up overspending,” said Emmy-winning host and style expert Lilliana Vazquez. She suggested that when buying presents online, look for gifts that can be bought for at least three people on your list so you can earn free shipping. “It also saves you the headache of coming up with many different presents during an already

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