WASHINGTON — U.S. consumers increased their spending by a sluggish 0.5% last month, the weakest rise since April, when the pandemic first erupted, and a sign that Americans remain wary with the virus resurging across the country and threatening the economy. The October gain reported Wednesday by the Commerce Department...
US Consumer Spending Rose a Moderate 1.9% in July
WASHINGTON — U.S. consumers increased their spending by 1.9% last month, a dose of support for an economy struggling to emerge from the grip of a pandemic that has held back a recovery and kept roughly 27 million people jobless. The July gain marked the third straight monthly increase in...
California May Require Beverage Makers to Handle Recycling
SACRAMENTO — Lawmakers are considering upending California's struggling bottle and can recycling program by requiring beverage distributors to create a new system to take back their own containers, similar to one that has been successful in neighboring Oregon. A state Senate committee is set to consider the proposal Wednesday as...
Ikea to Pay $46m in Boy's Dresser Tipover Death, Lawyers Say
PHILADELPHIA — IKEA has agreed to pay $46 million to the parents of a 2-year-old boy who died of injuries suffered when a 70-pound recalled dresser tipped over onto him, the family’s lawyers said Monday. Jozef Dudek, of Buena Park, California, died in 2017 of his injuries, and his parents...
On the Money: Tips to Make the Best of Post-Holiday Shopping
NEW YORK — Holiday shopping doesn’t end with Christmas. Shoppers can take advantage of fatter discounts on clothing, home decor and other items between Christmas and well into January. In fact, a National Retail Federation survey of nearly 8,000 adults conducted Nov. 27 through Dec. 5 found that 68% of...
California Fines CVS $3.6 Million for Failing to Recycle
SACRAMENTO — California is fining the nation's largest pharmacy health care provider a record $3.6 million for failing to redeem deposits on bottles and cans at some of its locations, regulators said Monday. The California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery, better known as CalRecycle, said its investigation found that...
Millennial Money: 4 Must-Do's if Your Order Arrives Damaged
NEW YORK — Nowadays, consumers shop online for just about everything. So you've likely experienced the stinging disappointment when a TV, piece of furniture or something else you ordered finally arrives on your doorstep — damaged. Here's what you should do if your delivery comes in less-than-optimal shape. 1. Examine the Item...
UPS Gets Government Approval to Become a Drone Airline
DALLAS — UPS has won government approval to operate a nationwide fleet of drones, which will let the company expand deliveries on hospital campuses and move it one step closer to making deliveries to consumers. Many regulatory obstacles remain, however, before UPS — or other operators who are testing drones...
Marijuana Vaping Product Sales Sink Amid Lung Disease Scare
PORTLAND, Ore. — Vaping products, one of the fastest-growing segments of the legal marijuana industry, have taken a hit from consumers as public health experts scramble to determine what's causing a mysterious and sometimes fatal lung disease among people who use e-cigarettes. The ailment has sickened at least 530 people...
7 Tips for Becoming an Ethical Shopper
Sustainability, labor conditions, politics and other issues prevalent in the news have left many consumers wondering how to be socially responsible. For some, this seems like an impossible task. "Trying to create a perfect world or be a perfect consumer is not at all realistic," says Dr. Ellis Jones, author...