Someone has figured out a use for QR codes that isn’t totally frustrating (looking at you, restaurants with digital-only menus). 

Per Axios, US clothing manufacturers are lobbying for permission to replace physical clothing tags—which by law, have to include things like care instructions, fibre content, and country of origin—with digital labels, likely in the form of QR codes.

The days of no-questioned-asked returns are numbered, as retailers crack down on one of their biggest profit suckers in a worsening economic climate. 

Across North America, merchants—especially those with online stores—are shortening their return windows (Sephora), adding return fees (Uniqlo) and, offering discounts to discourage returns (Amazon), per The Wall Street Journal.   

Diamonds have been a lot of things over the years… 

If your last-minute Liz Truss costume (blonde wig, dark suit, everyone mad at you) fails to turn heads, perhaps you can impress trick-or-treaters with some fun tidbits about the economics of Halloween. Look no further—we’ve got you covered. 

Driving the news: Canadians will spend $1.64 billion on Halloween this year, up 21% from last year but still $730 million short of total spending in 2019 (the last before the pandemic).

After two years of COVID-era Halloweens that veered away from the spooky and into the downright grim, Canadians are ready to get back to normal for this year’s haunted festivities.

Driving the news: 86% of Canadians will spend more (or the same) on Halloween as last year, and more than half who celebrate will spend at least $50, according to a survey by the Retail Council of Canada.

Pandora, the world’s largest jewelry maker, is launching its first collection featuring lab-grown diamonds in Canada and the US, available later this month.