The Latest

  • A stone building with a Converse storefront on the street level.
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    The image by Jörg Zägel is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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    Could Nike sell Converse?

    Revenue declines and a 44% drop in demand creation may indicate it’s time to divest the brand, according to BNP Paribas.

  • fuzzy photo of a person sitting in the middle of the street
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    ABC Photo/Shutterstock

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    Sponsored by Stibo Systems

    Retail’s data moment: Why trusted customer data is the new competitive edge

    Shopper expectations are rising, channels are multiplying and AI is redefining how, where and why people buy.

  • Amazon driver delivery van
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    Provided by Amazon

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    Amazon expands rural delivery with Oklahoma last-mile station

    The 30,000-square-foot facility in Weatherford is slated to break ground early this year, and the city said it will improve delivery speeds in the area.

  • People shopping on a downtown street.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    December sales drop over 2% at small retail businesses despite traffic bump

    Even at the holidays shoppers prioritized essentials, and inflation-adjusted discretionary sales at smaller stores fell 1.8% year on year, per Fiserv.

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    Kendall Davis/Retail Dive
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    Podcast

    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.

  • An orange and white Ulta Beauty storefront with a tree in front
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    Dani James/Retail Dive
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    Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty to launch at Ulta

    The beauty brand will be available online and at the retailer's stores starting in February, with exclusive offerings and a donation campaign.

  • The Alexa.com website awaits a customer's prompt on a laptop computer.
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    Courtesy of Amazon
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    Amazon rolls out dedicated website that brings Alexa+ online

    The site can help customers research topics, take action on their behalf, and continue conversations with an Alexa device from where they left off.

  • AI assistant apps icons for OpenAI ChatGPT, Google Gemini and Anthropic Claude. are pictured on a smartphone screen.
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    Getty Images
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    A look at retail’s year of AI news

    Retail may be lagging behind other industries in the adoption of artificial intelligence, but 2025 was still transformative. Here’s a recap of retail’s biggest AI-related news this year.

  • Three boxes stacked with a bow on top in a holiday scene.
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    Getty Images
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    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. 

  • A Bed Bath & Beyond sign against a blue sky with puffy white clouds.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Bed Bath & Beyond operating chief out as Marcus Lemonis takes on CEO role

    Lemonis outlined a plan that moves the company beyond retail and into insurance, financial tools and “mortgage related solutions.”

  • A person walks through an aisle within a Home Depot store.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    How Home Depot sped up its supply chain — and what comes next

    The home improvement retailer has built an expansive network of distribution centers for faster deliveries. It's now looking to maximize the potential of those assets.

  • To the right of a mall store entrance, a minimalist gray granite facade features the red and white Lululemon logo and white lettering.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Lululemon founder Chip Wilson scuffles with board amid CEO search

    The brand says it wants to avoid a proxy fight but that Wilson “declined to engage further” after nominating three people to its board.

  • People walk by a kitchen cabinet display at an Ikea store on Sept. 26, 2025, in Emeryville, California.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    White House delays furniture tariff increases for a year

    The U.S. is pushing back duty increases due to "productive negotiations" with trading partners, keeping the current 25% rate in effect.

  • A red Levi's tab sign against a bright blue sky.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Column

    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.

  • A Saks storefront in Chicago.
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    Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive
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    Saks Global CEO Marc Metrick exits

    Executive Chairman Richard Baker is taking over the top position at the luxury retailer as bankruptcy speculation swirls.

  • A customer is greeted by a cashier
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    Getty Images
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    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.

  • Chicago Marathon
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    Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive
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    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.

  • Retail rendering of a pop up store in partnership with Google
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    Courtesy of Pat McGrath Labs
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    Pat McGrath Labs seeks a buyer

    Bids are due to Hilco Global by Jan. 26, with a public auction for the beauty brand’s assets to be held on Jan. 27. 

  • A customer browses a computer in front of a Christmas tree.
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    Getty Images
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    Most consumers interacted with AI customer service during holiday shopping

    Consumers’ response to AI and automation is largely positive, but a majority still say humans provide better support, a Liveops survey found.

  • Stressed hispanic man paying for a lot of christmas gifts
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    Getty Images
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    Combating the consumer ‘joy deficit’ this season

    Prices are high, shoppers are stressed out and anxiety-inducing marketing doesn’t help. Here’s what retailers can do instead.

  • A mall entrance to a store named "Lovesac."
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Lovesac reshores key manufacturing process

    The direct-to-consumer furniture retailer plans to start domestic production of core inserts for its primary product line.

  • With puffy clouds in a blue sky, bushes surround a store with the name "JC Penney" in white letters. The store entrance is a brick arch.
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    "JC Penney" by Mike Mozart is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Deal to sell 120 J.C. Penney stores for $950M falls through

    When it was announced in July, the deal to private equity firm Onyx Partners faced questions from investors over the selling price.

  • The inside of an apparel store, with clothes hanging on a rack underneath a sign that reads "Toad Again."
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    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.

  • People walking past a city department store building.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Saks Global doesn’t rule out bankruptcy

    The department store conglomerate says it’s “exploring all potential paths” toward stability but insists the luxury market is strong.

  • Mattel headquarters in El Segundo, California.
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    The image by Jelson25 is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0
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    Mattel brings on vet from Netflix, Disney

    Natalia Premovic was named chief consumer products and experiences officer as the toy company draws on its IP for new projects.

  • A frustrated woman looks at her mobile phone.
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    Getty Images
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    Is surveillance pricing ripping off loyal customers?

    If customers thought “that loyalty data were being consumed for that purpose, they would opt out of loyalty,” said Brierley loyalty consultant Don Smith.