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economy Posts

Macy’s and Forever 21 Will Cost More Next Year, but H&M Won’t: Here’s Why

Can you guess which one of these items will set you back $4.95?

The sourcing cost of clothing production is rising in China, where many retailers employ factories to create fast fashion for their stores. For smaller brands, the solution has been to move production to domestic hubs like Los Angeles, but larger retailers like Forever 21 and Macy’s, who need merchandise in big quantities that only China can offer, say they will be forced to pass the climbing costs on to consumers.

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TaskRabbit Wants to Be Your Social Service Network

TaskRabbit Wants to Be Your Social Service Network

The next subdivision of social media may come down to what a new website calls “Service Networking.” Essentially, it means networking online to outsource tasks you need done and offer individual services that you can provide.

The term was coined by a Boston couple who started TaskRabbit.com. Their site was founded based on the popular conception that there is never enough time in the day to get things done, especially all the simple, common tasks of everyday life. The site suggests things like IKEA furniture assembly, airport rides and grocery runs but current tasks range from iPod playlist updating to mowing a lawn.

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Are Shoppers Really to Blame for Factory Working Conditions?

Are Shoppers Really to Blame for Factory Working Conditions?

It’s no secret that fast fashion retailers employ factories in developing countries to churn out large quantities of cheap clothing that consumers gobble up, but now there are reports that the high demand for low-priced, trendy outfits is overwhelming for laborers in poor countries.

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Chocomize: Creating Your Own Candy Bar is the Next Big Thing in Customization

Chocomize: Creating Your Own Candy Bar is the Next Big Thing in Customization

The hottest new personalized product service is Chocomize, a New York-based Web company that offers custom-made candy bars, designed by the consumer and shipped right to their door. Chocomize offers a choice of up to five out of 90 ingredients to add to your choice of chocolate bark for over 30 million combinations to create “chocolate exactly the way you want it.”

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Marc Jacobs is the Latest to Finally Relent to the Internet

Come September, consumers can purchase directly from marcjacobs.com

The Marc Jacobs fashion label is worth an estimated $5 million, but up to this point the brand had no e-commerce store of its own. The top American fashion designer’s lack of online retail until now is actually more interesting than the recent news that marcjacobs.com will begin selling clothes this September. In any other industry, just now breaking into e-commerce would be totally unheard of, ironic, inexcusable and perplexing.

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Daphne Guinness Bats Her Purple Lidded Lashes for the NARS Fall Campaign

Daphne Guinness Bats Her Purple Lidded Lashes for the NARS Fall Campaign

Francois Nars did not just hire Daphne Guinness to be the face of his Nars Cosmetics fall campaign. He named a $23 purple eye shadow after her as well, saying purple feels right as the meaning of Daphne to him. The two recently collaborated on his 15×15 project in celebration of Nars Cosmetics’ 15th anniversary.

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The Jersey Shore Is Now 10% More Expensive: Tanning Bed Tax Takes Effect

Don't worry, Snooki already has a new fake tanning method to promote

A 10 percent tax on tanning bed services took effect July 1 to the dismay of orange-skinned indoor bronzing devotees. Salon owners and workers are also upset by the new tax, worrying their businesses will suffer and jobs may be lost. The potential for job losses is the only obvious downside to the new tanning services tax.

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Gourmet Magazine Revived for iPad Users – Just Don’t Call it a Digital Magazine

Gourmet Magazine Revived for iPad Users – Just Don’t Call it a Digital Magazine

The iPad will breathe new life into Gourmet magazine late this year when Condé Nast plans to unveil Gourmet Live, a free iPad application that will offer repackaged articles, recipes, menus and photos collected from the magazine in addition to new features such as videos, social networking tools and games.

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Race to Most Popular eReader is On As Amazon and Barnes & Noble Wage Price War

Get yourself a price gun: the war for th eReader market is on

Competition for e-reading consumers’ affection sizzled on Monday as Barnes and Noble dropped the price of its Nook e-book reader 23 percent to $199 and introduced the Nook WiFi at an even bigger bargain $149, though the latter device can only be used in a WiFi environment. Amazon, whose $259 price tag for its Kindle e-reader previously matched the Nook’s cost exactly, responded by dropping the price of the Kindle to $189.

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