Vox Sentences - Why going shopping sucks now

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.

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"Going shopping” is dead 

Hoi Chan for Vox

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.

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] 

🎧 Listen: Why some Russians still support the war on Ukraine, even if it hurts them. Today, Explained on Russia’s public opinion.

• Hollywood’s historic double strike continues, but it affects more than just writers and actors. Money reporter Emily Stewart chronicles the significant ramifications for thousands of workers and businesses whose lifeblood depends on entertainment. 
  
  

• An unlikely match: how housing activists and unions found common ground in California. Historically, the top priority for unions was ensuring any new housing would be built with unionized workers, which sometimes delayed projects. But a sea change is happening, explains policy reporter Rachel M. Cohen.
  
  
• The case for reimagining the nuclear family. A new book by Kristen Ghodsee called Everyday Utopia offers some interesting answers to the questions we have about the future. Sean Illing, host of The Gray Area, interviewed Ghodsee about how to think about how we define family.
  
  
• Pro tip: Divide your life into semesters, even if you aren’t going back to school. You can apply that same focus on targeted aims for clearly defined periods of time, inching you closer to your larger goal in the process, advises Even Better reporter Allie Volpe. 

• Tropical Storm Harold inches closer toward South Texas. Yes, another storm is happening this week. And it’s bringing heavy winds and possible tornadoes. [CNN]
  
  

• Sha’Carri Richardson forges a comeback as the fastest woman on Earth. The track star was poised to compete in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but was disqualified for marijuana use. Her 100-meter world title win yesterday signals a shift. [NPR]
  
  
• Ukraine gains a foothold in a strategic southeastern village, its defense minister says. The country’s revitalized counteroffensive against Russia continues. [The Guardian]  
  
  
• At least 850 people are missing after Maui’s wildfires. People are flying in, trying to find their loved ones after the deadliest wildfire event in modern US history. [NBC News]

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