AI is changing the way we shop. Here's how retailers from Walmart to Sephora are experimenting with it.

Tech Insider : Business, Technology
Sephora sign
Sephora uses AI to recommend skincare products.

Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images

Amazon, Walmart, Target, and more are offering extended returns for holiday purchases — but exceptions and fees could apply

Tech Insider : Business
kohls amazon return
An Amazon return center inside a Kohl's department store.

Kohl's

Forget Target. This year's last-minute holiday shoppers flocked to a lesser-known — but fast-growing — bargain outlet

Tech Insider : Business
Cars sit parked outside of an Ollie's Bargain Outlet store as customers walk in and potting soil sits in bags outside of the front doors. Above the entrance, a red-and-black sign reads:
Ollie's Bargain Outlet plans to more than double its store count in the coming years.

Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

I compared TJ Maxx and Marshalls this holiday season. I would only recommend one.

Tech Insider : Business, Sports
tj maxx and marshall's
I went to a combined TJ Maxx and Marshalls in New York City during peak shopping season.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

This Target in Alaska is where Santa would shop if he shopped at Target

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
Target's northernmost location in Wasilla, Alaska
Target's northernmost location is just north of Anchorage, Alaska, in the city of Wasilla.

Matt Hage/AP Content Services for Target

After holiday shopping at Five Below, I was surprised by how many items cost more than $5

Tech Insider : Business, Travel
$7 five below
It's not all Five Below anymore.

Gabbi Shaw/Business Insider

Target is experiencing a major system outage in the final week of the holiday shopping rush

Tech Insider : Business
Target Corporation logo is displayed on a smartphone screen, with the company's latest stock market performance and candlestick charts visible in the background.
Target's app outage comes at an especially inconvenient time.

Cheng Xin/Getty Images

I turned ChatGPT into a personalized gift planner, and it changed my holiday shopping

Tech Insider : Business
Headshot of a woman wearing a white blazer, black heels, and gray pants.
Rashel Hariri created a three-part gifting framework for her ChatGPT project.

UliB Photography

I did my holiday shopping at Walmart and Target. One retailer left me feeling more festive and impressed.

Tech Insider : Business, Style
Composite of photos of Terri Peters taking a selfie outside of target next to her taking a selfie outside of Walmart
I didn't see a huge difference in pricing between most items on my list at Walmart and Target, but there's one store I'd rather shop for gifts at.

Terri Peters

3 holiday shopping rules I swear by after two decades investing in small businesses

Tech Insider : Business
A woman uses a computer and iphone to shop and looks down at a credit card to pay.
Slow spending, gift cards, and reviews are the keys to helping small businesses stay viable after the holidays.

Nicholas Shkoda/Getty Images

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