Tuesday, August 22, 2023
Happy Tuesday! I'm Izzie Ramirez, and here's what you need to know today:
Spotlight: It's not in your head. Shopping in person is getting worse.
In other news: Trump to turn himself in later this week, Tropical Storm Harold makes its way toward South Texas, and Hawaii's search for missing wildfire victims mounts. Have any questions you'd like to see answered in Sentences? Or feedback about the newsletter overall? We'd love to hear what you think. Write us at [email protected] or just reply to this email. |
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Stores have sucked all the fun out of shopping. Vox's money and culture reporter Whizy Kim spoke with customers across the country who bemoaned a dearth of employees in stores of all stripes. Equally aggravating: empty shelves and empty registers. The lowdown: Brick-and-mortar stores have been closing for years, long before the pandemic. Still, retail foot traffic is down, creating a chicken-or-egg problem:
- Understaffing, inventory problems, and heavy-handed theft prevention measures aren't new, but they're becoming more common.
- Terrible shopping experiences have less to do with the pandemic and everything to do with retailers being unable — or unwilling — to invest in stores.
- We're in the midst of a doom loop. Fewer shoppers mean retailers stock fewer items, which then leads to online order pick-ups, which then reinforces the cycle.
The stakes: Nearly every issue you encounter while shopping is a result of bad working conditions for retail employees, Whizy writes.
As people shop less, stores are cutting back on logistics and staffing, making the remaining employees' jobs more difficult, your shopping trip worse, and both employees and consumers frustrated.
"The question isn't 'will stores still exist,' it's just, 'how will they exist?'" Whizy told me. "Will they have much shorter hours as people visit less often? Will they have just one employee there, or just a handful of part-timers? Will they increasingly work like fulfillment centers, where customers order online and the product gets sent to the store for pick up?" The takeaway: Unpleasant shopping experiences make people shop less, which leads to companies trying to cut costs and personnel to make up for lost profit. The problem is, those measures create a vicious cycle that's bad for everyone.
"I think the best way [to improve shopping] is making sure employees aren't under so much strain, probably by hiring more people," Whizy said. "I'm always wary of how automation might come at the expense of human workers, but in theory it would be great to use tech so retail workers can spend less time doing rote stuff."
Read Whizy's full piece here. |
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Another big week for Trump |
Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images |
Here's what you need to know: - In case it's all jumbled: Here are the four criminal investigations against Trump. [Vox]
- The former president is skipping tomorrow's debate; instead, he's expected to appear in an interview with Tucker Carlson. [Vox]
- The day after the debate, Trump plans to surrender in Georgia over charges tied to alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election. [Associated Press]
- In the Georgia case, an Atlanta judge set bail at $200,000, warning Trump not to intimidate or threaten witnesses or his co-defendants. [New York Times]
- Prosecutors are given discretion when it comes to how defendants are booked and processed. Unlike in previous cases, Trump could have his mugshot taken at the Fulton County jail. [CNN]
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🎧 Listen: Why some Russians still support the war on Ukraine, even if it hurts them. Today, Explained on Russia's public opinion. |
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