Shopping News
News from the retail floor: shop and market openings, closures and relocations, renovation schedules for market halls, sale season dates, tax-free shopping rule changes and licensing decisions. Reports include addresses and effective dates. For readers planning a buying trip around a place that may have moved.
Store openings and closures, market relocations, sale calendars, tax-free rule changes and hall renovations, reported with dates and addresses.
The US Ended De Minimis for Mailed Goods — What It Changes for Shoppers
Parcels mailed from abroad now face duty from the first dollar as of August 29, 2025, closing the loophole that built the bargain-app era.
How Much Can You Bring Home Duty-Free From a Shopping Trip Abroad?
The personal exemption is still $800 for most trips as of August 20, 2026 — but shipping your purchases home instead of packing them now works differently.
Back-to-School Forecasts Split: NRF Sees a Record $146.8 Billion, Deloitte Sees Families Cutting Back
NRF projects record back-to-school and college spending of $146.8 billion through September, while Deloitte's survey finds K-12 spending falling 6% to $557 per student.
Amazon Moved Prime Day to June: What the Calendar Shift Means for July Deal Hunters
Prime Day 2026 ran June 23–26 — four days, the earliest ever — leaving mid-July without its usual anchor sale and shifting the summer deal calendar.
May Retail Sales Beat Expectations: Spending Up 0.9% as Prices and Volumes Both Rose
The Census Bureau's May report, released June 17, showed retail sales up 0.9% month over month against forecasts near 0.5% — with gasoline and online categories leading.
Malls in 2026: Fox Run Goes Dark While Others Add Tenants — the Split Continues
The Mall at Fox Run closed permanently on January 31, 2026, and its demolition began in May — even as centers like Burlington Mall add tenants and ICSC projects closures easing.
Department Stores Split: Kohl's Guides to a Smaller Year While Nordstrom Rack Grows
Kohl's reported Q4 net sales down 3.9% on March 10, 2026 and guided fiscal 2026 sales lower, while privately held Nordstrom's off-price Rack chain posts double-digit growth.
February's Late Retail Sales Report Showed Spending Up 0.6% — and Slower Post-Holiday Momentum
The Census Bureau's February advance report, released April 1 after a schedule slip, showed retail sales up 0.6% month over month and 3.7% year over year.