It’s time for another news roundup!
Dollar Tree Officially Raises Prices
There are dollar stores, and then there are dollar stores. Places like Dollar General and Family Dollar operate as variety stores that focus on low prices on common necessities, cool trinkets, and essential groceries. But over the years, these modern day five-and-dime stores have expanded their merchandise…and their price points. But unlike its competitors, Dollar Tree kept its products at $1 (or less).
Due to rising prices, though, Dollar Tree had been experimenting with adding over $1 products. They are still planning on having more stores sell items for a few bucks, but if there’s anything you’ve been thinking about picking up at Dollar Tree, you might want to do it soon. That’s because by the end of April, products there will cost $1.25 instead of $1.
This is a permanent price increase, and Dollar Tree hopes to bring back some products because of it.
The fact Dollar Tree is moving away from its $1 roots isn’t shocking. It may be a little unexpected they’ve announced a whole-store increase versus pricing things individually, especially since they’re trying out more stores selling products for as much as $5.
So if the goal is to eventually be more in line with their sister chain Family Dollar, it may be a little surprising they aren’t starting to separate products a little more. Like, Blu-rays for $1.50, but loaves of bread or some seasonal trinkets for $1. But since Dollar Tree had to stop selling some items, I guess they’re going to let some of those less good deals make up for the better ones.
Poshmark Allows Electronics
With the pandemic, more and more people have turned to making some extra cash by selling online. There are no shortage of platforms for private sellers and budding businesses to sell on: eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Poshmark, Mercari, and more. Each has their own fees and rules, and they also tend to have their own niche. Mercari, for instance, is designed for more personal use rather than business. Facebook Marketplace does allow for shipping, but it’s the more known for local and in-person sales. Poshmark launched as a platform for selling clothing and accessories, and over the years, it opened up to categories like home décor and pet products.
Poshmark had an initial public offering of its stock this January. It was trading for about $100 a share at debut, well above its $42 opening. However, Poshmark’s stock price has tumbled, with it selling for under $25 within the past month — and under $20 in recent days.
So obviously, Poshmark wants to turn things around, and it has made a big change. Now, electronics are allowed on the platform.
Although Poshmark has expanded since its launch in 2011, for years, it had resisted moving away from its fashion-based foundation. Electronics, including media like movies and video games, have been prohibited.
However, it usually wasn’t too hard to find listings that broke the rules, and I guess Poshmark finally decided if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. This means you now can officially buy and sell your anime boxsets and JRPGs on Poshmark. Poshmark may never be the go-to marketplace for such items, but at least it’s another option besides the quintessential eBay. The fees are higher on Poshmark, but it may be a solid choice for heavier items, as up to 5 pounds ships for about $7.50 on Poshmark.
Books are still limited on Poshmark, so manga may still be harder to find. There are categories for artbooks and coffee table books, so if computers and tablets are allowed, I would imagine all books will soon be allowed.
Target Says No Thanks to Opening on Thanksgiving
For some people, Thanksgiving is celebrated by heading out to the stores to score some bargains. But of course, for a store to be open, others must spend their holiday operating checkout lanes and sweeping up the aisles. But Target has announced while they skipped opening on Thanksgiving last year and this year, this is their new policy going forward.
So while that gives employees a day off they can plan for, if you need any last-minute trimmings for your feast, you’ll need to look elsewhere.
Venmo is a Go on Amazon
When you go shopping online, some stores only process payments themselves. So that means you give them your credit card information. You may also have to register an account. As we all know, the more places you give out your info, the higher the chance there will be a data breach that will affect you.
Which is why payment processors like PayPal and Amazon Pay have risen in popularity. Stores get the minimal information necessary, having transactions in one place can be convenient, and shoppers may also have a cash balance they can use instead of a card or bank account.
Venmo is one such payment app, and it’s owned by PayPal. Recently, PayPal announced that Venmo will soon be accepted on Amazon.
It is a fairly big deal, as Amazon has its own payment service. Venmo is more oriented toward person-to-person transactions (like repaying a friend) versus the more business-focused PayPal and Amazon Pay, but it’s still a big addition to Amazon’s marketplace and a win for PayPal/Venmo. Not having a card has been a big obstacle to getting more people to shop online, and this deal will reduce the number of people who have no way to place an Amazon order.
PS5s Get Even Harder to Find
Want a PlayStation 5 for Christmas? Well, get ready to flex those fingers to hit Add to Cart even faster: Sony is expecting 1 million fewer PS5s due to difficulty obtaining parts. Sony already predicted there to be shortages of the PS5 into 2022, but now, the supply is going to be even tighter.
If you want one, make sure you are subscribed to emails from places Amazon and Walmart for alerts, and perhaps sign up for programs like GameStop Pro Rewards to limit the competition when PS5s (or Xbox Series X|S/OLED Switch consoles) drop. Be aware that some places try to lock you into purchasing a large bundle with a controller and game(s), so if you are just wanting a console, you may have a tougher time. But if you do want or need one in the near future, plan on adding another $100 or more to your console fund just in case.