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Consumerism

Vox’s coverage of consumer culture.

There’s never been a better time to buy a used phoneThere’s never been a better time to buy a used phone
Technology

Buying refurbished devices saves you money — and helps the planet.

By Adam Clark Estes
The surprisingly selfish reason people give terrible gifts
How to get through the holidays without going broke

And what to do with presents you just don’t want.

By Whizy Kim
Why so many families are “drowning in toys”
How to get through the holidays without going broke

America is in toy overload, and it might just be ruining fun.

By Anna North
Can we grow the economy without making more useless junk?
Future Perfect

We buy stuff. We throw it away. There’s a system to stop this toxic cycle.

By Izzie Ramirez
The surprisingly subdued resurrection of Abercrombie & FitchThe surprisingly subdued resurrection of Abercrombie & Fitch
Consumerism

How the once-maligned retailer quietly became a closet staple — and a stock market giant — once again.

By Amanda Lewellyn
The hidden cost of your Prime Day purchasesThe hidden cost of your Prime Day purchases
Labor

For Amazon workers, the bevy of sales reinforces the human toll of “same-day delivery, lifetime of injury.”

By Sam Delgado
Prime Day isn’t just for Amazon anymorePrime Day isn’t just for Amazon anymore
Money

Is Amazon’s big made-up shopping holiday past its prime?

By Whizy Kim
The glorious return of the skortThe glorious return of the skort
Culture

How skorts became cool again, as explained by Challengers and Taylor Swift.

By Rebecca Jennings
America’s obsession with hot dogs, explained
Food

The strange ways we do (and don’t) consume glizzies.

By Whizy Kim
This tiny doll is making everyone so happy
Culture

Sonny Angels, from TikTok trend to SNL sketch fodder, explained.

By Alex Abad-Santos
The little-known but successful model for protecting human and labor rightsThe little-known but successful model for protecting human and labor rights
Future Perfect

How a worker-driven initiative is filling in the gaps left behind by corporate social responsibility programs.

By Sam Delgado
The golden age of retail loyalty programs is hereThe golden age of retail loyalty programs is here
Money

Why every store wants to give you something for (almost) nothing.

By Whizy Kim
How the self-care industry made us so lonely
Even Better

The commodification of an activist concept turned a revitalizing practice into an isolating one.

By Allie Volpe
How lip gloss became the answer to Gen Z’s problemsHow lip gloss became the answer to Gen Z’s problems
Culture

In times of economic uncertainty, small luxuries reign supreme.

By Kyndall Cunningham
The endless quest to replace alcohol
Culture

From kava to “sleepy girl mocktails,” can anything ever take the place of booze?

By Rebecca Jennings
Are Skims campaigns the new Vogue covers?
Celebrity Culture

The internet loves Kim Kardashian’s shapewear company. But it loves its ads even more.

By Kyndall Cunningham
The Baltimore bridge collapse is only the latest — and least — of global shipping’s problemsThe Baltimore bridge collapse is only the latest — and least — of global shipping’s problems
Today, Explained newsletter

From drought in the Panama Canal to the Houthis in the Suez to pirates off Somalia, we’re all paying the price.

By Caroline Houck
Mascuzynity: How a nicotine pouch explains the new ethos of young conservative men
Politics

Stimulants, hustle culture, and bodybuilding are shaping young men’s drift to the right.

By Anna North
Why there’s lead in Stanley water bottles — and the real reason that’s a problemWhy there’s lead in Stanley water bottles — and the real reason that’s a problem
Culture

Consumers are probably safe, but that doesn’t mean lead-laden cups are a good idea.

By Alex Abad-Santos
The bland allure of Hailey Bieber
Culture

Explaining Gen Z’s reigning beauty queen.

By Kyndall Cunningham
The greenwashing of wool, explained
Future Perfect

Big Wool wants you to believe it’s nice to animals and the environment. It’s not.

By Marina Bolotnikova
What makes a good cat?
Features

Maybe your cat loves you. Maybe it would kill you if it could.

By Emily Stewart
It’s just a tip
Money

You can say no to the tipping tablet. That doesn’t mean you should.

By Emily Stewart
Why Diet Coke got so expensiveWhy Diet Coke got so expensive
Money

The economy, explained by Diet Coke, kind of.

By Emily Stewart
The annoying — and hard to solve — problem of stolen packages
Money

A thoroughly modern nuisance for consumers, shippers, and retailers alike.

By Whizy Kim
America’s shoplifting problem, explained by retail workers and thieves
Money

Retailers would rather complain about shoplifting than invest in fighting it.

By Emily Stewart
“Going shopping” is dead
Money

Why going to the store sucks now

By Whizy Kim
You’re not imagining it, brands are texting you way moreYou’re not imagining it, brands are texting you way more
Money

What you give and what you get when a company has your phone number.

By Emily Stewart
The surprising reason luxury goods are boomingThe surprising reason luxury goods are booming
Money

From $1,000 sneakers to $450 bakeware, our lust for expensive things has hit new highs.

By Whizy Kim
You may never eat inside a fast food restaurant againYou may never eat inside a fast food restaurant again
Food

As diners increasingly turn to delivery, the future of fast food may be one with no human interaction at all.

By Whizy Kim
The era of impossible subscription cancellations is nearing an endThe era of impossible subscription cancellations is nearing an end
Technology

The FTC wants to make it easier for you to cancel that gym membership, among other things.

By Sara Morrison
The history of dating reveals how consumerism has hijacked courtshipThe history of dating reveals how consumerism has hijacked courtship
Science

Dating was tedious long before Tinder and OkCupid.

By Eliza Barclay
Online shopping is terrible for the environment. It doesn’t have to be.Online shopping is terrible for the environment. It doesn’t have to be.
The Big Idea

Give your business to companies that promote slower delivery and consolidated shipments.

By Miguel Jaller