Free shipping tops online shopping demands

When shopping online, consumers are hunting for more than bargains. For many, if the items they want to purchase don’t come with free shipping, it’s a deal-breaker.

Free shipping is the No. 1 must-have feature for online shoppers, according to e-commerce analytics platform PYMNTS, which found that 66% of consumers say it drives their choice in selecting a retailer. The second-most important feature is an easy checkout process, cited by 50% of shoppers.

A separate report from FedEx said most consumers consider free shipping a “nonnegotiable” feature, with 81% saying they spend enough to meet a retailer’s free shipping level. Still, FedEx said that only 48% of retailers it surveyed offered free shipping.

TikTok adds teen safety features

TikTok is adding a “wind down” feature targeting younger teens. Users under 16 who are on the app at 10 p.m. will see a full-screen prompt advising them to “switch off.” The teens can override the reminder, but they will receive additional prompts. TikTok’s U.S. future remains cloudy as it faces an order to shut down or sell the company.

Plans take shape for ‘mini’-Spheres

If you’ve been to Las Vegas recently, you’ve seen the massive 370-foot Sphere lighting up the sky with its 1.2 million LEDs. The brainchild of Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan, the Sphere is a high-tech 17,500-seat concert and sports venue. Now, mini-Spheres may roll out next. Speaking with analysts, Dolan said he is in the “the planning and design phase” to deploy smaller Spheres “somewhere in the 5,000-seat range” to various locations next year.

Amazon loses data center clash

Amazon lost a fight to escape regulatory oversight for a proposed data center near Minneapolis in a skirmish that illustrates how the tech industry’s rush to invest billions in new facilities can clash with local communities. Amazon wanted to install 250 diesel generators in the data center and bypass the state’s permitting process. — THE WASHINGTON POST