The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) last week said it would not raise prices for its market-dominant mail class—which includes first class and standard mail—at the start of the new year. According to EcommerceBytes, the Postal Regulatory Commission had approved a rate increase of up to 4.3 percent, but the Postal Service Governors decided against it.
Read MoreAuthor: Sean Norris
Feds Raid L.A. Apparel Wholesalers in Drug Cartel Money-laundering Scheme
Earlier this month, 1,000 law enforcement agents raided the Los Angeles Fashion District. The target: dozens of apparel companies, including several wholesalers, suspected in a Mexican drug cartel money-laundering scheme.
Read MoreISIS-branded Merchandise Still Available Online
Despite the efforts of Facebook, Amazon and other Internet giants, ISIS-branded merchandise keeps popping up for sale online. The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) reported that ISIS T-shirts, baseball caps, flags and other items were still available on Facebook, Amazon, Twitter and eBay as recently as September 17, just three months after a number of online vendors were shut down.
Read MoreUrban Outfitters’ ‘Blood-stained’ Kent State Sweatshirt Prompts Outrage
Urban Outfitters this week generated controversy after offering on its website a “Vintage Kent State Sweatshirt,” decorated with a blood-splatter pattern atop the university’s logo.
Read MoreAnother Baseball T-shirt Misprint
Another day, another baseball-related decorating error. According to The Daily Caller, a store outside of Chicago’s Wrigley field was found selling a Los Angeles Dodgers T-shirt with Mike Trout’s name and number on it.
Read MoreU.K. Police Commissioner Under Fire for Promotional Product Spending
Tony Hogg, commissioner of the Devon and Cornwall police in England, is drawing heavy criticism for his department’s promotional product spending, BBC reported. According to the news outlet, which filed a Freedom of Information request to obtain exact figures, Hogg spent £7,617 on promotional items, including pens, magnets and lip balms, over 16 months spanning November 2012 to March 2014.
Read MoreTwo Weeks After Shutdown, Barton Nelson Employees Still Owed Wages
More than two weeks after Kansas City, Missouri-based Barton Nelson shut down, employees of the company as of last Friday have yet to receive back-paychecks and are unable to access their retirement accounts, reports Fox Kansas City.
Read MoreJihadist Group ISIS Selling Promotional T-shirts Online
ISIS, the jihadist militant group fighting in Iraq and Syria, has extensively used social media and print media for recruitment and marketing purposes. Now, the group has taken its propaganda efforts a step further, selling ISIS-branded T-shirts, hoodies and toys on a number of online outlets.
Read MoreNike’s Team USA World Cup Gear Not Made in the USA
In 2012, Ralph Lauren Corp. got shredded by U.S. politicians—and the public—when it was revealed that the company’s Team USA London Olympics opening ceremony uniforms had been manufactured in China. In response, U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown introduced the “Wear American Act of 2012,” an effort to ensure that future apparel purchased by the federal government was 100 percent U.S.-made.
Read MoreMore Protests in Cambodia after Garment Factory Shuts Down, Doesn’t Pay Salaries
In late May, 30 major clothing brands and unions met with Cambodian government officials to discuss the growing labor unrest in the country’s garment industry. The visit, a follow-up to a meeting held just after the January, union-led strike that saw four people killed by military police and 25 protesters arrested and imprisoned, was a warning of sorts: If this keeps up, apparel companies might soon start sourcing elsewhere, putting Cambodia at risk of losing a significant portion of its $5 billion garment trade.
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