Private label sales set another record in 2025

Shoppers spent just under $283 billion on store-brand products last year, up 3.3% compared with 2024, the Private Label Manufacturers Association reported.

By Sam Silverstein • Jan. 26, 2026

Retail’s risky AI commerce bet

As retailers race to meet consumers on external AI platforms, they risk losing data and direct interaction with shoppers. Experts say disruption has only just begun.

By Dani James • Jan. 26, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Digital innovation and technology trends in retail

Generative AI and TikTok Shop have replaced the metaverse and NFTs as the hot topics of the day — here’s a look at how brands are using them.

By Retail Dive staff

The Weekly Closeout: Reebok teams with Karol G and will January storms ice out retail sales?

The activewear brand signed a multiyear deal with the Colombian artist, while analysts speculate upcoming weather could slow spending.

By Retail Dive Staff • Jan. 23, 2026

Cautious consumers shunned big-ticket items last year

Higher tax refunds could lift discretionary spending in 2026, but the labor market is the biggest factor, according to Bank of America Institute research.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 21, 2026

Overcoming the barriers to omnichannel by recognising that one size doesn’t fit all

Omnichannel success lies in tailoring strategies to customer needs, not relying on a one-size-fits-all approach

By Andreas Bicking, Global Head of E-commerce and Returns, DHL Supply Chain • Jan. 20, 2026

Sephora to dedicate curated spaces to K-beauty rival Olive Young

The effort is part of the Korean beauty retailer’s global expansion, which includes opening its first U.S. stores later this year.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 20, 2026

Top loyalty trends for 2026: Driving profit, not just participation

How brands are rethinking loyalty to drive real growth, not just member sign-ups.

Jan. 20, 2026

Walmart: This year, AI tinkering ‘becomes transformation’

A year from now, customers will look back and realize just how much has changed about the shopping experience, Walmart’s Daniel Danker predicts.

By Cara Salpini • Jan. 15, 2026

What 10 retail executives have to say about AI

Executives from Dick’s Sporting Goods to Macy’s offered insights as the industry grapples with integrating the new tech into their operations.

By Dani James , Caroline Jansen • Jan. 15, 2026

‘You have to be willing to challenge everything’: VF Corp leaders discuss turnaround progress

Executives from Vans, The North Face and Timberland laid out their plans for evolution while maintaining each brand’s heritage.

By Caroline Jansen • Jan. 14, 2026

Five Below CEO Winnie Park reflects on one year at the helm

The Forever 21 veteran redefined the retailer’s target customer, simplified its pricing structure and is eyeing more changes to product assortment.

By Cara Salpini • Jan. 13, 2026

6 retail trends to watch in 2026

From pricing dynamics to the shifting state of malls, here are the trends we’ve got our eye on in 2026.

By Retail Dive Staff • Jan. 8, 2026

US e-commerce spend reached nearly $258B over the holidays

Adobe Analytics data found consumer spending grew 6.8% compared to 2024, with buy now, pay later usage reaching a new high.

By Dani James • Jan. 7, 2026

Visa, Mastercard track roughly 4% US holiday retail sales growth

The 2025 holiday season saw consumers shopping across channels to land the best deals and maximize convenience, according to new reports. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Jan. 6, 2026

What shaped retail’s holiday season in 2025

It was a year of AI-generated gift recommendations, tariff upheaval and increased financial stress on shoppers.

By Retail Dive Staff • Jan. 6, 2026

Returns expected to spike in the new year

Compared to earlier in the holiday season, returns will rise by up to 15% in the first two weeks of this month, according to Adobe Analytics.

By Howard Ruben • Jan. 5, 2026

The Backroom: Contemplating retail in 2026 with Doug Stephens

The retail strategy adviser talks about trust in the age of emerging AI and the industry’s potential to shape our society.

By Retail Dive Staff • Dec. 22, 2025

Target beats drum on value beyond pricing

The retailer is working to "prioritize value perception" with a balance of merchandising newness and affordability, according to Jefferies analysts.

By Dani James • Dec. 22, 2025

The Weekly Closeout: Levi’s adds Target vet to board, plus more Black Friday ‘standouts’

Jeffrey Jones, a former chief marketer at Target, will join the apparel maker in January. Meanwhile, analysts called out On and Hoka as big winners from the sale season.

By Retail Dive Staff • Dec. 19, 2025

TikTok Shop is driving social commerce growth

The platform’s sales are forecast to surpass $20 billion next year, and reach over $30 billion in 2028, according to Emarketer.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 18, 2025

Run retail run

Over 54,000 runners recently participated in the Chicago Marathon, with some 1.7 million spectators lining the streets. They came to race — and to shop.

By Kaarin Moore • Dec. 18, 2025

NRF expects ‘record’ number of Super Saturday shoppers

Of those who plan to shop, nearly half will do so both online and in stores, with department stores and discount retailers among the top destinations.

By Dani James • Dec. 17, 2025

Are secondhand sales beefing up this little retail segment?

Wells Fargo economists suspect that sales of used items helped push sales at “miscellaneous retailers” up more than 8% in the last 10 months.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 17, 2025

Could digital product passports transform customer experience?

Customer and product experiences are often separated, but digital product passports force “those two worlds to merge,” said Renascence Consulting CEO Aslan Patov.

By Michael Brady • Dec. 16, 2025

Apparel sales on the rebound despite tariffs, consumer anxiety

Several clothing retailers beat expectations in Q3, possibly fueled by consumers’ ongoing shift away from their pandemic-era wardrobes.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 16, 2025