Super affordable products have enabled the Chinese online shopping apps to dominate the US market - Shein, for example, surpassed Amazon in downloads to become the top shopping app in 2021. But just how do Shein and Temu keep their price tags so competitive? And do their low prices come at a cost?
It is the season for gifts, parcels and deliveries. But to get the packages to you requires a job with long hours and a lot of heavy lifting. The Straits Times follows deliveryman Don Ng to learn the ins and outs of the job.
Foot traffic to suburban shopping malls has returned to pre-pandemic levels and high-end malls are thriving. Yelp found that 17 out of the top 25 brands driving consumers to malls are restaurants, and the dining options for visitors have moved well beyond the traditional food court that would include chains like McDonald's, Chipotle and Panda Express. CNBC visited the American Dream Mall in New Jersey to see how dining has evolved at the mall.
Federal Reserve interest rate decision can affect the cost of mortgages. But that link from the Fed to your monthly payment isn’t direct. Fed decisions affect the investors demand for debt products like treasury bills and mortgage-backed securities. The shifting demand will, in turn, affect the rates Americans pay for new mortgages. Meanwhile, the Fed is reducing its holdings of debt, which it accrued during recent economic emergencies. That reduction in the Fed's assets, particularly mortgage-backed securities holdings, could keep upward pressure on mortgage rates. The upward pressure may keep rates elevated even as the Fed reduces the federal funds rate heading into 2025.
Experts indicate that workplace trends often reflect the current job market. During the pandemic, when there was high demand for workers, the concept of 'quiet quitting' became a dominant theme. However, as the job market tightens, especially for white-collar positions, 'coffee badging' is trending. Watch the video above to learn more.
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