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Shopping in the time of COVID-19: business fears, the second-hand trend and how colours influence what we buy

What potential lockdowns mean for already struggling retailers and restaurants, plus how big businesses are moving into the second-hand market. And how colour forecasting paints the world you live and shop in.
CBC Radio ·
From the second wave to selected colours to second-hand clothing, The Cost of Living takes a closer look at shopping in the COVID-19 economy as 2020 stumbles to a close. (Evan Mitsui/CBC, The Associated Press, Ko Backpacko/Shutterstock)
Cost of Living28:13Shopping in the time of COVID-19: business fears, the second-hand trend and how colours influence what we buy

In normal times, the holiday shopping season is when retailers and other businesses can make the money they need to survive leaner months.

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But with lockdowns being implemented in parts of the country, and rising COVID-19 infections, bringing those customers into the store is difficult if not impossible.

So could even more restrictions — and sooner, rather than later — be a solution?

We also look at why some of the biggest brands we buy, from IKEA to Levi's, are now looking to cash in on the second-hand market.

Cost of Living9:41Can Canadian retail survive if the second wave cancels Christmas shopping?

Buy it again, for the first time!

And part art, part science, part sales and part psychology — we explain the world of colour forecasting.

Cost of Living5:22Second-hand surge: why buying used is trendy among young Canadians

It's a branch of the design world that tries to identify which shades get us to buy stuff.

After all, that sweater you might be eyeing for Christmas is not just blue, it's not turquoise, it's not lapis, it's actually cerulean.

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