The Latest

  • Partners in Crime bookstore in Chicago
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    Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive
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    Genre bookstores are having a moment — especially in Chicago

    From romance to horror, genre readers are done settling for just a few shelves. Now they are coming for the entire store. 

  • Businesswoman interacting with AI chatbot on tablet in modern office
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    FG Trade via Getty Images
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    Sponsored by Glance

    Agentic commerce: The infrastructure is ready for AI agents. Is your store?

    With the holidays approaching, check these signals to assess your AI readiness (and check it twice).

  • A person with white hair shopping for red and green holiday decorations in store
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    Courtesy of Walmart
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    Walmart debuts longer Black Friday, Cyber Monday sales events

    The mass retailer's deal events will total 14 days this season, compared to 10 in 2025.

  • Banana Republic cover art for its "The Agency" social media content series.
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    Courtesy of Banana Republic
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    Banana Republic debuts TikTok content series in bid for younger shoppers

    The effort spotlights various styles and arrives as parent Gap Inc. continues to emphasize entertainment marketing.

  • A collection of toys at CVS
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    Courtesy of CFS Pharmacy
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    CVS wants to sell more Pokémon, collectibles

    The pharmacy retailer is expanding its assortment of toys and collectibles as adults fuel growth in those segments. 

  • The outside of the Macy's store in Herald Square in NYC during the holidays.
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    Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive
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    Macy’s revamps Santaland, brings back Holiday Square

    The department store is leaning into the festive season at its Herald Square flagship in New York with a variety of activations.

  • Belk storefront.
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    Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive
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    Column

    The Weekly Closeout: Torrid CFO exits and Belk secures financing

    Paula Dempsey will leave the apparel retailer next month. The department store, meanwhile, will use some of its new funds for seasonal inventory.

  • Bath & Body Works Feel Good concept store
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    Courtesy of Bath & Body Works
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    Bath & Body Works introduces new store concept

    The Feel Good concept is now open in Charlotte, North Carolina, and features easy navigation and enhanced testing experiences.

  • A person sits outside in the corner of a big store window looking at a mobile phone.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Lululemon adds former product chief to board

    Tara Poseley, who led product at the athletics retailer from 2013 to 2015, is joining the board as part of the company’s agreement with founder Chip Wilson.

  • A corporate building in San Francisco.
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    Heather Diehl via Getty Images
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    Levi’s distribution network transition saga continues to drag

    Due to a facility fire during Q3 and the complexity of its SKU mix, the retailer doesn't expect to see benefits from its overhaul until 2027.

  • A yellow room outfitted with yoga mats, with "take a second and breathe" on the wall.
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    Courtesy of Beyond Yoga
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    Beyond Yoga aims to have ‘many’ stores. They’ll probably be yellow.

    CEO Nancy Green says the brand color is reflective of a broader focus on joy — and making progress over perfection.

  • Visa Mastercard interchange fee litigation merchants Brooklyn federal court Walmart
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    Getty Images
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    Walmart welcomes external AI agents — with some guardrails

    The mass retailer is focused on transparency and customer control with a new AI agent profile feature and updated agent terms.

  • David's Bridal debuts new Diamonds & Pearls concept
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    Courtesy of David's Bridal
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    David’s Bridal to spin off Pearl into stand-alone, publicly traded company

    David’s Bridal CEO Kelly Cook is expected to become the chief executive of Pearl, which will own the wedding retailer’s intellectual property and brand. 

  • An eBay office building at night, with lit office windows.
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    Courtesy of eBay
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    EBay cuts 1K jobs, downsizing for the second time this year

    The layoffs, affecting about 9% of the marketplace giant’s global workforce, will impact all regions where it operates.

  • Amazon workers
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    Courtesy of Amazon
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    Amazon eyes 300K holiday hires

    The e-commerce giant is increasing U.S. holiday staffing by 20% compared to the past three seasons.

  • Two smiling people, one with a dog on a leash and the other with a shopping cart, walk away from a store entrance.
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    Courtesy of Tractor Supply
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    Tractor Supply taps former Home Depot exec as chief technology, digital officer

    Fahim Siddiqui will oversee digital operations and work to bolster long-term growth by improving the retailer’s customer experience.

  • People walking around a store that is decorated for the winter holidays.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Shoppers expect less for more this holiday season. That could mean a sales decline.

    Some of the latest projections suggest spending could drop, but even those that predict growth recognize consumers are pressured.

  • A blue-lit Adidas storefront at night.
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    Courtesy of Adidas
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    Adidas’ record Q3 is salt in the wound for Nike

    Preliminary figures show revenue reaching $8.1 billion, as the sportswear giant takes “significant” share from its rival. 

  • A frustrated man talks on the phone with customer service while looking at his laptop.
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    Getty Images
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    Why customers are fed up with AI chatbots

    Few things will cause a customer to immediately request — or demand — a live agent like a bot that misunderstands them.

  • A group of people in grey sweatpants and hoodies at an outdoor food stand.
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    Courtesy of Nike
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    Nike hired Elliott Hill to fix a couple problems. They keep growing.

    Three years ago, Nike executives touted “strong growth” across Converse and Jordan Brand. Now, both are declining by double digits — and so is China.

    DTC
  • A red bullseye logo with the word Target underneath decorates a storefront against a bright blue sky with puffy white clouds.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Target touts holiday bargains as consumers stress out about their finances

    The offer includes what the mass merchant calls “luxe-for-less gifting.” But with apparel and home in turnaround mode, its strongest category is toys.

  • Actress Zendaya posing on white sandy floor wearing black jacket, tank top and athletic sneakers
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    Courtesy of On's Q2 2025 image library
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    Teen spending up 6% as they trade athletic apparel for fashion

    While footwear was down and traditional athletic brands lost share, Target and brands including On gained ground, per a survey from Piper Sandler.

  • A model stands on a train platform wearing a white Anthropologie dress and oversized gray coat
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    Permission granted by Anthropologie
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    Anthropologie’s holiday marketing seeks to balance emotion, business impact

    Sentimental ads and a creator-led social series are complemented by offerings like a new DoorDash partnership, global marketing chief Barbra Sainsurin said.

  • A massive lit-up sign with the tilted blue "Hasbro" logo and cartoon images looms over a dark room.
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    "Hasbro booth" by Gage Skidmore is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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    Magic: The Gathering reaches record $600M in quarterly revenue

    Parent company Hasbro raised its 2026 financial outlook as it reported its strongest quarter of the year.

  • Actor D'Arcy Carden speaks to a group alongside a painted portrait of Target mascot Bullseye in a holiday ad from the retailer.
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    Permission granted by Target
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    Target unwraps high-concept holiday ads focused on gift-giving academy

    Actor D’Arcy Carden serves as Chief Giftologist in a new campaign that will be supported by a bigger creator push around YouTube and TikTok.

  • A building with a sign that says "The Real Real."
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Column

    The Weekly Closeout: The RealReal secures fresh financing, Roots buyout advances

    The resale marketplace refinanced to help strengthen its balance sheet, while the apparel brand's shareholders approved its acquisition by Marquee Brands.