Gift Ideas

Marriage proposal aside, making a purchase as big as an engagement ring is a daunting decision—even more so if you’re doing it virtually. But in the last decade, fine jewelers have responded to the modern needs of the world and made it enjoyable (and efficient) to shop around for the best engagement rings online at a variety of price points, with peace of mind. Many have translated the in-store experience to online consultations, which is great when you’re in need of human help, and set new standards for price transparency and ethical labor and environmental practices. These e-retailers also provide comprehensive valuation reports to ensure your pieces are authentic so you can shop securely and easily.

Below, we’ve rounded up seven of the best places to shop

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

With online shopping becoming the wave of the future (if it isn’t already), it can become a daunting process trying to shift through thousands of retailers. Luckily, there’s one brand we know will stand the test of time while also offering quality items — both essential and waitlist-inducing.

QVC has been a beloved household name for years, with its flagship shopping TV show commonly played on a loop throughout the day. Its online shop is just as good, though (and just as easy to use and save).

from beauty items to kitchen grabs — including best-selling outdoor patio furniture — QVC has virtually anything you can search for on the internet, gifts included. Not to mention, its regular discounts are a nice touch.

Just for you (and with

A new retail and e-commerce report finds inflation is affecting the shopping habits of 85% of Americans, leading most to reduce their purchases and feel unhappier buying online.

In the report published Thursday, Morning Consult found that 77% of Americans are shopping less to save money. Only 41% said they enjoyed online shopping in June, down from 50% in March.

The report warns against blaming supply-chain issues for the trend. It notes that Americans, especially the millennials who make up most online shoppers, have less money to spend as consumer prices rise.

“Online shoppers are reporting fewer delayed orders, but as consumers begin deferring discretionary purchases because of inflation, shopping for fun isn’t what it used to be,” the report stated.

Many shoppers also are coping with inflation by looking for discounts and shopping at discount stores, Morning Consult reported.

Some retailers say the findings are spot-on.

“We sell pet

Retailers can bar shoppers for – in their view – returning too many items or making too many complaints, as Nannette Herbert has discovered.

Herbert told Guardian Money she has been banned by a number of retailers – including Amazon and Waitrose – for making complaints and refund requests.

Businesses are sometimes alerted when a customer displays “unusual” activity, such as requesting what might be viewed as a disproportionate number of refunds, and can block them from making future purchases.

Consumers can also be banned for making too many complaints if the retailer believes they are abusing the process.

Amazon told Herbert, who lives in London, that it was closing her account last month, saying she had “consistently requested refunds for a large number of orders”.

She says

New survey results exclusively previewed by Chain Store Age reveal limits on the effectiveness of online influencers.

According to a survey of 1,000 US adults commissioned by online expert review platform The Desire Companyinitially released to Chain Store Age, nearly all (90%) respondents are overwhelmed to some extent by volume of product information when shopping online. However, this does not necessarily translate to reliance on influencers.

In fact, a vast majority of respondents (87%) said it is likely that influencers don’t even use the products they advertise and only 11% believe that a social media influencer with millions of followers is a trustworthy source of information.

More than four in five (82%) respondents who have purchased something based on an influencer’s pitch say they have had some sort of negative experience with the product, with the most common being that the product didn’t match the influencer’s claims (41%