SEATTLE -- There's been a massive amount of consumer spending over the holidays this year, but it's likely that online shopping is the source of the uptick.

Online sales on Black Friday were up 22 percent in 2016 over 2015 sales, topping a record $3.3 billion. What will all the trend toward more online sales - and consumers' expectations of faster delivery times - do to America's cities?

That's where the newly created Urban Freight Lab at the University of Washington comes in. The lab's director, Barbara Ivanov, said cities still manage loading zones with an old technology: a stripe of yellow paint.

"And a lot of times when you look around, all the inventory at the curb is sitting empty,” Ivanov said; "and it could be used more efficiently, more effectively, if we actually had applied more technology to the way that piece of space, that piece of real estate, operates."

Over the next three years, the Urban Freight Lab is collaborating with Seattle's Department of Transportation - which contributed $285,000 to the lab for its research. The lab also is partnering with companies such as FedEx, Costco and Nordstrom, as well as the U.S. Postal Service.

The lab will begin its research with what it calls the "Final 50 Feet" challenge of deliveries. This includes everything from ensuring packages are secure from "porch pirates" to the many facets of commercial deliveries.

Ivanov said if she could start over with the design of a city, she would make sure the city had good alleyways.

"You don't want all this going on, this sort of commercial activity, through the front door of a retail center,” she said. "You want it out of sight, you want more of an environment at the street level that's really friendly to pedestrians and other folks out doing their shopping and going to the office."

E-commerce is likely to continue to rise across the country in the coming years. An online UPS study this summer found that, for the first time, respondents bought more than half of their goods online.

Seattle is home to Amazon, which accounts for the largest slice of online shopping sales.




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Concert and sports fans in Ohio are expressing growing frustration over rising ticket prices and hidden fees.

In response, Congress is considering the TICKET Act, a bipartisan bill which aims to increase transparency by requiring ticket sellers to display all fees upfront.

Sally Greenberg, executive director of the National Consumers League, highlighted why she feels the issue is so important for consumers.

"People in Ohio understand the frustration and the anger that you feel when you go buy a ticket, it looks like a reasonable cost and, all of a sudden, the fees add 30%, 40%, 50% of the cost," Greenberg explained.

If the TICKET Act passes, ticket vendors will be required to show the total price, including fees, at the beginning of the purchase process. While supporters such as Greenberg see it as a win for consumers, some in the ticketing industry argued the change could disrupt business models.

The rise of online ticket fraud has become another challenge for buyers.

Nick Drewe, CEO of the consumer website WeThrift.com, emphasized the importance of vigilance when purchasing tickets online.

"Our study revealing the states with the highest online shopping fraud reports is a wake-up call for consumers nationwide," Drewe noted. "Navigating the digital marketplace is kind of like exploring a new city; it's exciting but also requiring caution."

As Ohioans await the outcome of the TICKET Act, many hope increased transparency will lead to fairer ticket pricing. Drewe urged consumers to remain cautious while shopping online to avoid becoming victims of fraud.

Groups are warning technology companies could undermine protections on a number of issues with their push for certain provisions in international trade agreements, known as digital trade rules.

Julie Bouanna, executive director of the Washington Fair Trade Coalition, said the policies could limit regulations on Big Tech passed in Washington state.

"The People's Privacy Act, legislation on artificial intelligence oversight and the right to repair," Bouanna outlined. "This is legislation that we see popping up in Washington but also, really, across the country as we're waking up to Big Tech's outsized influence on our everyday lives."

The People's Privacy Act was proposed legislation in Olympia, which would have allowed residents to correct and delete personal information collected on data servers. The tech industry argued trade agreements include exemption provisions for certain policies. It also said overregulation in areas like artificial intelligence could stifle the technology.

Bouanna countered there are legitimate concerns about the effects of including the policies tech companies are pushing for in trade agreements.

"These are trade rules that would essentially allow corporations to sidestep local privacy laws and shield their technology from government oversight," Bouanna explained. "Making it harder to hold them accountable."

Washington state lawmakers have also introduced legislation to increase transparency for algorithm-based decision-making to prevent discrimination from AI and allow for more affordable fixes to products through "right to repair" legislation, which has been adopted in other states like Oregon.

Bouanna noted all the policies could be affected by digital trade rules.


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During National Hispanic American Heritage Month, financial experts are speaking out to help Latino families build wealth.

Federal data show that more than a quarter of Latino consumers in the U.S. have no recent credit history, making them "credit invisible" and unlikely to qualify for a loan.

Jorge Lopez Colunga, business development officer in commercial lending for Self-Help Federal Credit Union in San Francisco, said some Latinos are unaccustomed to using credit.

"In Mexico, Latin America, it's either you pay cash or you just don't buy it because you cannot afford it," Lopez Colunga explained. "Here you have to learn how to use credit and leverage it, because it's crucial in order for them to afford something bigger in the future."

Lopez Colunga pointed out many Latinos are self-employed and may operate on a cash basis. He advised people to keep meticulous records and hire an accountant because accurate business income and tax records will help them qualify for business, home and car loans down the line.

Maria Ramos Cuaya, racial wealth gap coordinator at Self-Help Federal Credit Union, encouraged people to seek financial counseling.

"We always try to connect our members with the proper resources for them to understand how to create a spending plan, how to manage their finances, how to access credit without having to get into so much debt," Ramos Cuaya outlined.

Ramos Cuaya noted many banks and credit unions offer "credit builder" loans to help people establish or build new credit using their own money.