Hacker News with Generative AI: Consumerism

Rams is a documentary portrait of Dieter Rams (2018) (hustwit.com)
Rams is a documentary portrait of Dieter Rams, one of the most influential designers alive, and a rumination on consumerism, sustainability, and the future of design.

Design, Documentary, Consumerism, Sustainability

71 points by Michelangelo11 7 days ago | 19 comments

De minimis: US small parcels loophole closes pushing up Shein, Temu prices (bbc.com)
A duty-free loophole for low-value packages has been closed by President Donald Trump, pushing up prices for US customers of firms like Shein and Temu.

International Trade, E-commerce, Retail, Consumerism, Pricing

93 points by colinprince 7 days ago | 136 comments

Ask HN: Are there any apps to track grocery prices in local stores? (ycombinator.com)
With tariffs kicking in and imports slowing, I want to track the local impact at my grocery stores.

Consumerism, Grocery Shopping, Price Tracking, Local Businesses, Data

23 points by cantrobot 9 days ago | 19 comments

Home Without China (nytimes.com)
It’s hard to imagine an American home without Chinese products.

China, Consumerism, International Relations, Economics

10 points by reaperducer 11 days ago | 2 comments

Your Home Without China (nytimes.com)
It’s hard to imagine an American home without Chinese products.

Consumerism, China, United States

7 points by gfalcao 12 days ago | 0 comments

Amazon Just Happens to Hold Book Sale During Independent Bookstore Day (gizmodo.com)
April 26 is Independent Bookstore Day, an annual tradition organized by the American Booksellers Association that is entering its 12th year and has taken place on the final Saturday of April since its conception. And, wouldn’t you know it, Amazon just so happens to be hosting its second annual book sale (two being less than 12, if you’re keeping count) from April 23 through the 28th, encompassing the day that has been claimed by local shop across the country.

Amazon, Book Sales, Independent Bookstores, Retail, Consumerism

253 points by pseudolus 12 days ago | 193 comments

Chinese Manufacturers Make Appeals to Americans: Buy Direct (nytimes.com)
Chinese manufacturers are flooding TikTok and other social media apps with direct appeals to American shoppers, urging people to buy luxury items straight from their factories. And amid the threats of sky-high tariffs on Chinese exports, Americans seem to be all in.

China, Manufacturing, Consumerism, Trade, Social Media

11 points by bookofjoe 13 days ago | 1 comments

A $20k American-made electric pickup with no paint, no stereo, no screen (theverge.com)
Ask just about anybody, and they’ll tell you that new cars are too expensive. In the wake of tariffs shaking the auto industry and with the Trump administration pledging to kill the federal EV incentive, that situation isn’t looking to get better soon, especially for anyone wanting something battery-powered. Changing that overly spendy status quo is going to take something radical, and it’s hard to get more radical than what Slate Auto has planned.

Electric Vehicles, Automotive Industry, Design, Consumerism

1457 points by kwindla 14 days ago | 1297 comments

The Pour-igin of Species (pudding.cool)
You’re in a rush and you need to grab a bottle of wine for a special occasion. You’ve got $40 and no preference for red or white, but you like wines with animal labels. Which wine are you buying?

Wine, Humor, Consumerism, Lifestyle

10 points by surprisetalk 21 days ago | 1 comments

Ask HN: Why do people buy Nvidia RTX 5090 at x2 the MSRP? (ycombinator.com)
Ask HN: Why do people buy Nvidia RTX 5090 at x2 the MSRP?

Hardware, Consumerism, Graphics Cards, Nvidia, Gaming

11 points by behnamoh 22 days ago | 10 comments

$3 Trader Joe's tote bags resell for more than $1,500 (qz.com)
Eggs aren’t the only things people will be hunting for at Trader Joe’s this Easter. Shoppers will also be flooding the aisles to track down the pastel-hued miniature tote bags the grocer released earlier this month.

Consumerism, Retail, Trader Joe's, Reselling, Easter

25 points by geox 25 days ago | 24 comments

Fuck Run Club, Join Sit Club (rawandferal.substack.com)
Nobody actually likes running. This is just a lie that Big Run (Nike) tells us, to sell us products we don’t need, for problems we don’t have.

Running, Lifestyle, Satire, Consumerism

76 points by striking 31 days ago | 56 comments

Buy Your Tech Now Before You Can't Possibly Afford It (gizmodo.com)
If the Switch 2 delay proves anything, it’s that Trump tariffs mean your tech will be more scarce and cost a lot more.

Technology, Consumerism, Economics

10 points by rntn 34 days ago | 10 comments

Are Levi's from Amazon different from Levi's from Levi's? (nymag.com)

E-commerce, Fashion, Retail, Consumerism

162 points by randycupertino 42 days ago | 152 comments

The Blood on the Keyboard (historynewsnetwork.org)
The history of ivory-topped piano keys and the invisible human suffering caused by our cultural commodities.

History, Culture, Consumerism, Ethics

6 points by Thevet 45 days ago | 0 comments

DoorDash Offering Payment Plans for Food Delivery Sparks Backlash (newsweek.com)
DoorDash is teaming up with Klarna to introduce a "buy now, pay later" option for food delivery, allowing customers to split their purchases into four interest-free payments.

Fintech, Food Delivery, Consumerism, Business

44 points by ferguess_k 49 days ago | 102 comments

'Danish Viking blood is boiling.' Danes and other Europeans boycott US goods (apnews.com)
Ivan Hansen, a retired Danish police officer, loaded up his basket at the supermarket, carefully checking each product to avoid buying anything made in the United States. No more Coca-Cola, no more California Zinfandel wine or almonds.

Boycotts, International Relations, Consumerism, Denmark, Europe

15 points by KnuthIsGod 51 days ago | 23 comments

Ultra-processed babies: are toddler snacks one of the food scandals of our time? (theguardian.com)
For time-poor parents, straws, sticks, pouches and powders can seem like a quick, convenient and even healthy option. But these oversweetened, mushy foods are creating a generation of choosy consumers whose teeth are already rotting

Food Industry, Health, Children, Nutrition, Consumerism

7 points by pseudolus 54 days ago | 1 comments

Tesla Owners Are Desperately Trying to Disguise Their Cars (rollingstone.com)
As oligarch Elon Musk continues to bulldoze entire sectors of the federal government via his so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the backlash has taken a toll on automaker Tesla, which counts him as both CEO and de facto head of marketing.

Tesla, Elon Musk, Automotive Industry, Politics, Consumerism

10 points by borissk 56 days ago | 3 comments

Tesco trials giant trolley scales in Gateshead (bbc.co.uk)
Giant trolley scales are being trialled at a Tesco store in Gateshead sparking a mixed reaction from shoppers.

Retail, Technology, Consumerism, United Kingdom

19 points by asimpleusecase 62 days ago | 51 comments

Is REI turning into a corporate retailer? (seattletimes.com)
The union representing hundreds of REI workers has a simple ask for the Issaquah-based co-op’s members: Vote no on board candidates.

Retail, Unions, Companies, Consumerism

9 points by petethomas 63 days ago | 7 comments

Brother turns heel and becomes anti-consumer printer company [video] (youtube.com)

Brother, Printers, Consumerism, Video

22 points by CharlesW 65 days ago | 1 comments

Our Changing Relationship with Apple (mjtsai.com)
Apple’s positive effect on my life should not be underestimated. […] But I need to remember, now and again, that Apple is a corporation, and corporations aren’t people, and they can’t love you back. You wouldn’t love GE or Exxon or Comcast — and you shouldn’t love Apple. It’s not an exception to the rule: there are no exceptions.

Apple, Technology, Consumerism, Relationships

19 points by ksec 69 days ago | 21 comments

Introduction to a Self Managed Life (futo.org)
Apple and Google push users into closed ecosystems while removing options for personal control over data. Think back to when smartphones had microSD card slots, so you could store your photos, videos, & music locally & cheaply. As these companies started pushing paid cloud services, microSD slots disappeared from every phone. Apple no longer gives you a working “delete” button, and Google has mistakenly flagged people as criminals for sending photos a doctor requested of their sick child during COVID lockdowns.

Privacy, Technology, Mobile Devices, Consumerism

5 points by mkmk3 70 days ago | 1 comments

'The tyranny of apps': those without smartphones are unfairly penalised (theguardian.com)
From loyalty cards, to restaurant meal deals or simply parking your car – it is harder and harder to get by without signing up to a multitude of apps

Mobile Technology, Digital Divide, Accessibility, Society, Consumerism

788 points by zeristor 76 days ago | 841 comments

I Left Florida to Try Lab-Grown Meat (reason.com)
A company based in San Francisco just became the first in the world to sell direct to consumers what its founders call "cultivated meat," meaning it didn't originate from an animal that lived on a farm or in a muddy feedlot but from a giant steel vat.

Food Technology, Consumerism, Biotechnology

12 points by frankish 84 days ago | 1 comments

I Paid $70 for an AI Boyfriend. It Was So Worth It (harpersbazaar.com)

Artificial Intelligence, Relationships, Consumerism, Personal Experiences

61 points by yo_yo_yo-yo 86 days ago | 80 comments

Letters from BBC Television Licensing (bbctvlicence.com)
From the beginning of 2006, I decided not to renew my television licence. I found that my television viewing consisted almost entirely of tapes of old programmes purchased off Ebay, and that my watching of broadcast television was less than an hour a week. I therefore decided to stop watching broadcast television, and I today spend the £169.50 saved from the TV licence fee on video tapes and DVDs.

Television Licensing, Personal Finance, Consumerism

10 points by nixass 86 days ago | 3 comments

Netflix increases UK subscription prices despite record audience (theguardian.com)
Whether you are binging The Night Agent or American Primeval, getting a Netflix fix has become pricier in the UK as the streaming giant increased subscription costs despite a record audience.

Netflix, Streaming Services, United Kingdom, Business, Consumerism

3 points by adrian_mrd 89 days ago | 0 comments

The Sad Math of Ads (jamesdamore.com)
Advertising permeates modern life, drowning us in messages of inadequacy and promises of salvation through consumption.

Advertising, Consumerism, Psychology

42 points by TaurenHunter 92 days ago | 34 comments