Online Shopping

Bloomberg reports on Phia, the price comparison app launched by Bill Gates’ daughter:

Starting July 1st, small parcels valued at less than €150 (about $171) that enter the EU will be subject to a fixed €3 (about $3.42) customs duty. This temporary measure aims to protect local businesses by reducing competition from foreign low-cost retailers like Temu and Shein, while the EU works out a permanent solution.

A major case surrounding lookalike products (“dupes”) came to a close this week, in which Deckers, the maker of UGG boots, sued direct-to-consumer brand Quince, alleging it had knocked off its shearling ankle boot. A jury found that Quince’s version was indeed substantially similar to the design patent for the UGG boots — but also that the patent itself was invalid in the first place.

The deal is valued at $100 million according to Puck, and would add a US-based brand to Shein’s portfolio after President Trump ended the de minimis exemption on cheap imported goods. If true, that’s a notable pivot for Everlane, which until now has built its brand around sustainability.

PR people look out for the brand that pays them, but in this case, they’ve only increased public awareness of a quip with an unintended Streisand effect.

Sephora is partnering with Korean beauty retailers Olive Young to bring more K-beauty products to international consumers in-store and online. In the last decade, K-beauty has had a meteoric rise outside of Korea; the industry has especially thrived in the TikTok social media era, where new products and releases are used to relentlessly drive beauty trends. Now US retailers are in an “arms race” to cash in on the popularity.

Small businesses told Modern Retail they were shocked to find their products for sale on Amazon without their consent as part of a “Buy For Me” feature the retail giant announced in 2025. Some sellers actively choose not to associate with Amazon; others found errors in listings on the platform, or that Amazon was selling out-of-stock items.

After going a year between his first and second videos investigating the PayPal-owned shopping extension, MegaLag didn’t make us wait long for part three.

Beyond part one’s exposure of affiliate revenue hijacking, MegaLag digs into Honey’s “extortion” by adding limited-use “friends and family” type discounts and lying to the store owners about never removing codes for unaffiliated businesses while trying to sign them up as partners.

Europe wants to tax the flood of cheap packages from Chinese retailers like Shein and Temu, just like Trump did. From next July, a €3 charge will apply per item type to parcels below €150, a temporary fix while the bloc works on removing the exemption altogether.

Nearly a year ago, I wrote that impending tariff policies seemed poised to turn American consumerism upside down. In the months since, many people have said that Donald Trump’s tariffs — and the higher costs passed on to shoppers — could force people to buy less stuff they didn’t need in the first place. But as the Wall Street Journal reports, even sky high tariffs might not be enough to break the habit for good.

Just when you thought you had heard the last of Labubus, Tim Cook gets a custom one. Kasing Lung, the artist responsible for the viral sensation, gifted Cook a doll wearing glasses and holding an iPhone. But is it really a Labubu if you didn’t spend hours trying to buy one?

Or would you? Smucker’s is accusing Trader Joe’s of ripping off its Uncrustables and creating “copycats” that infringe on the shape of the sandwiches and packaging. Trader Joe’s whole thing is that they make in-house versions of popular products — not just food but also things like skincare. But as I’ve written, the legal status of dupes is more complicated than it might seem.

The de minimis exemption — a previously unknown trade policy that is now all over the news — is officially dead for US consumers starting today. That means all your purchases coming from abroad (not just China!) will be subject to important taxes you previously avoided.

Walmart Plus, Instacart, and your local grocery store have more competition now that Amazon is delivering perishable groceries in more places, with free delivery for Prime subscribers on orders of $25 or more.

If you’re Cassey Ho, AKA Blogilates, you get a few design patents and do some good old public shaming. I chatted with Ho about the world of online dupes for this Tuesday’s Vergecast episode.

Reuters tracked a sampling of Shein prices from April to July and — surprise! — items are now more expensive. Prices spiked in April following Shein’s pre-announced price increase and then dipped slightly, Reuters found. Now they’re creeping back up: a $31 order in April would have cost $69 last week.