E-Commerce

E-Commerce

Self-checkout kiosks are among the most controversial advents in the grocery industry, popular for their convenience yet criticized for being difficult to use and enabling theft. These potential downsides may be why Aldi is getting rid of many self-checkout lanes, joining the growing list of grocery chains that have done the same. During the summer of 2025, Aldi customers began posting to social media about self-checkout systems disappearing from their local stores.

Look, we get it. Buying a lawn mower can feel a little like buying a vacuum or a trash can. Logically, you need one. But also, why are they so damn expensive? That's what makes October Prime Daywait, Prime Day 2.0. No that's not right either. Oh, yesAmazon Prime Big Deals Days the best time to invest in quality gadgets, gear, and appliances you need, like a lawn mower. Right now, we're seeing options discounted as high as 34 percent off.

A couple of hours before Shein opened a popup shop in Dijon this summer, the words Shein kills and exploitation, forced labour, slavery, pollution were found graffitied in French on the outside wall. Yet the fierce backlash to its series of temporary outlets in France in recent years, including in Toulouse, Montpellier and Marseille, has not deterred the Chinese-founded fast fashion brand from choosing the country for its first permanent physical stores.

The Neptune 4-in-1 Ottoman is part of Cozey's modular Neptune line, designed to coordinate with the Neptune Sectional but just as handy on its own. It measures 39 inches wide, 39 inches deep, and 17 inches high. The ottoman is available in eight colors, including versatile neutrals like Latte, Snowdrift, Fog, Basalt, and Limestone, as well as bolder shades such as Slate, Mocha, and Leaf. You can also get select colors in a performance fabric or aquaforte, the brand's water- and stain-resistant option. It features a flip-top lid that opens to a hidden storage compartment, so it's just as functional as it is stylish.

You know it's officially cozy season when Costco rolls out the massive 3.5-pound Sand + Fog candles. These candles are so huge that shoppers say they'll last you through the end of the year (and maybe into next fall and winter, too!). And this year there are new scents that are perfect for the upcoming cozy season. Last year the Sand + Fog candles came in a fairly basic cube-shaped glass vessel with a wooden top.

Back Market, the online refurbished tech marketplace, offers buyers who want to save money on electronics (and reduce e-waste) good-as-new products repaired by experts. Starting today, the retailer has taken the process to its first-ever brick-and-mortar store, where buyers can shop for secondhand phones and laptops in person -- just like at an Apple Store. The company's pilot store opened its doors on Wednesday in New York City's Soho neighborhood, inviting consumers to see and touch repaired devices before buying them.

The move marks a turning point for AppLovin, best known for placing ads inside free-to-play mobile games like Wordscapes and Clockmaker. By rebranding its advertising platform around Axon, which is the name of the AI algorithm that powers its ad targeting, the company is positioning itself as a contender in the broader e-commerce advertising market, long dominated by behemoths like Meta and Google.

But companies are able to handle the chaos, conflicts and uncertainty a little bit better now, executives said on panels recently during Shoptalk Fall in Chicago. They've gotten used to having to pivot, whether there's an issue locally or internationally. And artificial intelligence has made adapting somewhat easier than five years ago, thanks to tools that flag delays, help optimize inventory and automate tasks.

If you're into baking or know someone who is, you've almost definitely seen a KitchenAid stand mixer. They're beloved by bakers and foodies of all ages and types for being both a reliable workhorse and a cute statement piece for your kitchen counter. But at almost $500, they're quite the splurge. However, you can now get a Wallflower plug-in diffuser from Bath & Body Works that looks almost exactly like a mint-green KitchenAid stand mixer for just $19.95.

Of course. Labubu isn't just a creepy-cute stuffed rabbit-demon-elf-bear. Labubu sat front row at Milan Fashion Week. Tourists lined up at the Louvre to buy a Labubu from the pop-up store. Lady Gaga dressed as Labubu in concert. Madonna served Labubu cake at her birthday. When Labubu sold out in London once, customers started a brawl. In Thailand, where Labubu is the government's official tourism ambassador, trendy partygoers buy Labubu-shaped ecstasy pills. Even knockoff Labubus, called Lafufus, have their own devoted fans.

You don't have to wait for Prime Big Deal Days to kick off on October 7 to start saving, as the Toshiba 55-Inch Class C350 LED Smart Fire 4K TV is already down to its lowest price ever at Amazon. The LED TV is just $200 (was $400), and several other sizes are also discounted ahead of the shopping event--including nice price cuts on the 75-inch and 65-inch variants.

Online casinos offer thousands of slots, table games, and live dealer options, far surpassing land-based casinos that typically host around 50-100 slots and a handful of tables. Physical casinos face space limits, while online platforms provide unlimited libraries accessible anytime. Players can instantly switch between games online, whereas land-based visitors may face waits at busy tables or unavailable machines during peak times.

Air India last week announced a tie up with food delivery company Zomato to widen the reach of its Maharaja Club loyalty program. Users who link their Maharaja Club accounts on the Zomato app can now earn Maharaja Points on every food delivery transaction. The deal also offers a welcome bonus for new members who join and link their accounts, plus a complimentary air ticket voucher for one member every day.

As a participant in multiple affiliate marketing programs, Localish will earn a commission for certain purchases. See full disclaimer below* Halloween is right around the corner, and many retailers have already released their holiday collections with everything from jack-o'-lanterns to spooky lights to add a little festive spirit to your space. Find the best early Halloween decor items below and start to deck up your space with some spooky essentials.

If you watch one second of Thursday Night Football (available exclusively on Amazon Prime) you will be made aware about this October Prime Day-style sale. It's annoying, but the deals are actually good. And they're already here, even though the official kickoff isn't until October 7. Of course, we've been on top of it. We've already rounded up the best early October Prime Day deals on Apple products, sneakers, colognes, end-of-summer steals, swiss army knives, Legos and Oura rings.

Amazon really wants to make sure you're all stocked up for a fall full of camping, tailgating, and all manner of outdoor festivities, because ahead of Amazon Big Deals Day (we're still calling it October Prime Day, don't care) has got tons of sales on some stellar outdoor gear. It's only right that you take advantage of them all. We're going to call out a lot of stuff in this story, but one major deal

ChatGPT users in the U.S. can now make Etsy and Shopify purchases within conversations, marking a next step towards the future of online shopping - both for consumers and the platforms that control product discovery, recommendation, and payments. In other words, OpenAI might be on the path to reshaping who holds power in e-commerce. OpenAI's new "Instant Checkout" feature is available to ChatGPT Pro, Plus, and Free logged-in users buying from U.S.-based Etsy sellers, with more than 1 million Shopify merchants like Glossier, Skims, Spanx, and Vuori "coming soon," per OpenAI.