In normal times, the holiday shopping season is when retailers and other businesses can make the money they need to survive leaner months. But with lockdowns in parts of the country, and rising COVID-19 infections, bringing those customers into the store is difficult if not impossible. Could more restrictions — and soon — 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. Buy it again, for the first time!

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