This file photo shows a southbound CTA Red Line train in Chicago.  (WTTW News)This file photo shows a southbound CTA Red Line train in Chicago. (WTTW News)

With Black Friday coming next week and the holiday shopping season approaching, Chicago police and transit officials are offering tips to help keep bus and train riders safe while they shop.

The Chicago Police Department’s public transportation section held a public roll call Tuesday morning at the Clark & ​​Lake CTA station to highlight an increased security presence along transit routes across the city.

“We’re trying to increase our visibility and presence on mass transit,” CPD Public Transportation Section Commander Joe Bird said. “We want to let the riders know that during the holiday season as the ridership increases, that we’re out here to serve and protect them.”

Safety tips offered by the CPD include: being aware of your surroundings, securing wallets and phones in zipped pockets, keeping shopping bags close to you and keeping headphone

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Every time I decided to do something vaguely useful with my life, the universe conspires against me. Last week, for example, I decided I was going to get into gardening. Growing stuff seemed a healthy sort of way to cope with the disintegration of American democracy and the rapid rollback of civil rights. It’s certainly healthier than my usual coping mechanisms: drinking wine and complaining.

Now, I don’t know very much about gardening but I do know that you need soil, so I ordered a couple of large bags of the stuff online. The soil took a couple of days to arrive and just minutes to be stolen by porch pirates. Two guys dressed like delivery men scurried over to my doorstep and hauled it off in their car. Instead of spending that evening cultivating my garden, I drank wine and complained.

You may have spotted a porch pirate

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For years Google has been stalking Amazon in e-commerce with little to show for it in ground gained. Now, just as Amazon stock may get a further lift from a logistics-based initiative, Google stock could be poised to benefit from a turnabout in its online shopping strategy.




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On the prowl for new revenue streams, Amazon.com (AMZN) is offering its massive distribution network to outside merchants. No longer will Amazon’s army of warehouse robots, delivery trucks and drones be only at the disposal of those who sell goods on its website and app. Merchants who do not sell goods on Amazon.com can use the e-commerce titan’s product fulfillment services for delivery and returns as part of a program called Buy With Prime.

“What Amazon is doing with Buy With Prime is a pretty dramatic move,” Evercore ISI analyst Mark Mahaney told Investor’s Business Daily. “We’ll probably see a

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Facebook is shutting down its live shopping feature on October 1 to shift its focus to Reels, the company announced in a blog post. After this date, you will no longer be able to host any new or scheduled live shopping events on Facebook, the company says. The social media network notes that you will still be able to use Facebook Live to broadcast live events, but you won’t be able to create product playlists or tag products in your Facebook Live videos.

Livestream video shopping became publicly available on Facebook two years ago, following a series of smaller trials and beta tests. The feature was designed to give creators and brands an interactive way to sell items, connect with viewers and potentially gain new customers. However, Facebook says it’s now shifting away from live video shopping to focus on Reels.

“As consumers’ viewing behaviors are shifting to short-form

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Still life of a small shopping cart and red computer mouse on turquoise background - stock photo

the_burtons via Getty Images

When COVID-19 pressed pause on the world in 2020, many Americans embraced the beauty that is online grocery shopping. 

Personally, I’d been doing grocery pickups at Walmart regularly since 2017, but 2020 gave me the push to use grocery delivery, which I still use weekly today. However, there are extra costs associated with online grocery shopping, like delivery fees and driver tips, that can add to the financial pressure many of us are under right now. 

As a budget-conscious shopper, I saw savings on our groceries of an average of $50-$100 a week since switching to ordering online. Walmart, for example, doesn’t charge extra fees for grocery pickups, so it was my top choice when looking for the most cost-conscious option. 

Also: How to create a grocery budget

According to Intuit, a suggested monthly grocery budget for a family of five people averages right around

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The time has finally come to buy a new suit, and while shopping in person can be less risky for some, there are a lot of perks to buying a suit from an online retailer. Buying a suit online entails a lot of considerations, thanks to the seemingly endless options available, but we’re here to make the whole process a tad less intimidating.

Before you start browsing, you need to make sure your measurements are correct, first and foremost. Even the smallest discrepancy can affect how a suit looks on you, which can then distort your true size range on the retail site or result in an ill-fitting made-to-measure suit. Second, determine what dress code your suit needs to comply with. Are you shopping

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CHICAGO — Amazon is adding another Prime Day to the calendar, CNN reported.

The company announced Monday that the sale, called “Prime Early Access Sale,” will take place Oct. 11-12. The 48-hour event is only for members of its Prime subscription program and will feature discounts on “hundreds of thousands” of items.

“Prime Early Access Sale” will be available in 15 countries including Canada, China, France, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Amazon is following its rivals in getting a jumpstart on the holiday shopping season. Walmart announced last week that it will start its holiday sales as early as next month, and Target said its shopping kickoff, called “Deal Days,” will be held Oct. 6-8.

SEE ALSO | How you could lose money if you respond to a call claiming to be from Amazon about an order

Launching holiday shopping sales in October will help attract budget-conscious

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New York
CNN

It all started with a knock on the door four decades ago. It was 1982 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Patricia R. Miller was stopping by to introduce herself to new neighbor Barbara Bradley Baekgaard.

“I happened to be the welcoming committee of one,” Miller told CNN Business with a laugh. “Barbara answered the door draped in wallpaper — because it was their new home and she likes to wallpaper new homes — and I said, ‘Welcome.’ And that was it.”

The women quickly became inseparable. A few months later, coming home from a joint-family trip to Florida for Barb’s mother’s birthday, a layover in Atlanta changed everything. The duo, known to friends as “Pat and Barb” looked around at passengers’ luggage and noticed it all looked rather dull, in shades of beige and black.

The idea for Vera Bradley, named for Barb’s mother, is now

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Have we reached the tipping point?

Tipping culture is a part of our everyday lives — but TikTok users are saying it’s gone too far after an audacious ask from an online furniture store.

A TikTok user, who goes by @spookyweinershared a shocking discovery she made while making a purchase — a payment page which asked if she would like to tip the company.

“I’m purchasing an office chair online, and they’re asking me if I want to leave a tip,” the user says on the app in disbelief.

The image behind her showed a screenshot of her online checkout process, asking if she’d like to leave a tip for the “team,” giving her the option to leave a 1% tip of $2, 3% tip of $6, or 5 % tip of $10.

The woman was shocked she was asked to tip for an online order.
The woman was shocked she was asked to tip for an online order.
TikTok / spookywiener
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BENTONVILLE, Ark., Sept. 22, 2022 — Walmart is ready to serve its customers this holiday season, offering better value and more convenience than ever as customers start their holiday shopping. More than half of Walmart customers will start their holiday shopping research in October1 and Walmart is prepared to meet their needs and help them make the most of the season with an exceptional experience no matter how, when or where they want to shop.

Today, the retailer is announcing price investments for even deeper savings, three new and expanded returns options, a broader assortment with more top gifts, a new community giving platform and an enhanced omnichannel shopping experience to deliver for its customers all season long.

“Saving our customers time and money is in our DNA, and I am proud of how we’ve innovated to offer exactly what our customers need this holiday – deeper savings across

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