The Latest

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    Courtesy of Nike
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    Deep Dive

    Gen Z, Gen Alpha and the AI-ificiation of retail this holiday season

    AI is “rewiring” the brains of today’s youth, at the same time that they’re craving physical experiences. Can retailers strike the right balance?

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    istockphoto.com / Hispanolistic

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    Sponsored by Stratix Corp.

    The next era of retail tech — with AI at the core

    Retail is changing fast. Discover how AI and mobility are redefining the store of tomorrow.

  • People crossing the street in front of a Saks Fifth Avenue storefront
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    Courtesy of Saks Fifth Avenue
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    Saks channels ‘main character energy’ for first post-bankruptcy holiday

    A few months after its parent company exited Chapter 11, a leaner Saks Fifth Avenue is out to show it still has holiday heft.

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    Dani James/Retail Dive
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    Moody’s upgrades retail and apparel outlook as tariffs ease

    The firm now expects “solid household finances” to lead to more stability in the sector, although rising energy costs and geopolitical risks are still a factor.

  • Shoppers pause at an acquarium tank inside a Scheels store in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
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    Cara Salpini/Retail Dive
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    Column

    Reporter’s notebook: Inside Scheels’ sporting goods wonderland

    Come for the sporting goods, stay for the animatronic Abe Lincoln. And whatever you do, don’t expect your average retail experience.

  • 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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    Hasbro opens studio focused on Dungeons & Dragons

    The new Wizards of the Coast Studios in Montréal will focus on developing content for the D&D franchise. 

  • FAO Schwarz at Nordstrom in New York City.
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    Courtesy of Nordstrom
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    Nordstrom expands FAO Schwarz offerings, debuts new app features for holidays

    The department store revamped its Nordy marketing character and is offering same-day beauty deliveries at select locations this season.

  • People, cars and buildings on a busy city corner.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Where has the aspirational luxury consumer gone?

    High-end brands have raised their prices in the post-pandemic economy. They’re selling less in part because fewer consumers can afford them.

  • Storefront of Spirit Christmas
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    Courtesy of Spirit Halloween
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    Spirit Halloween to transform dozens of locations to Spirit Christmas

    The spooky retailer will expand its Christmas concept, now in its third year, to 44 locations this season.

  • A Ross Dress for Less Storefront is shown at night, while customers walk towards it in the parking lot.
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    Photo by David McNew/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Ross opens 51 new stores

    The off-price retailer completed its fiscal year 2026 store growth plan of opening 115 new locations, including its first in Massachusetts.

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    Ryan Murphy via Getty Images
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    Target denies cooperating with ICE. Here’s why that may not matter.

    Whether they own or lease store property, retailers probably need formal policies about whether law enforcement agencies can establish operational staging areas in their parking lots.

  • A person wearing a blue shirt reaches for cilantro in a grocery produce section.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Tariffs pushed up consumer goods prices by 2.9 percentage points: NY Fed

    Consumer expectations for inflation rose for the second straight month to the highest level since May, the University of Michigan said Friday.

  • Panelists at Advertising Week New York
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    Permission granted by Sarah Merians Photography for Advertising Week New York
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    Why Free People prioritizes cultural co-authorship in celeb tie-ups

    At Advertising Week, chief marketer Jack Reynolds explained why the Urban Outfitters-owned retailer ceded control when working with musician Willow.

  • A Lowe's storefront with the company's blue and white signage
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    Nate Delesline III/Retail Dive
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    Lowe’s launches Black Friday deals in October

    As shoppers seek Black Friday and Cyber Week discounts, Lowe’s is spreading out its sales events.

  • A building with a pitched roof and "Athleta" in big block letters is seen at a slant from below.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Column

    The Weekly Closeout: E.l.f. Brands pushes into fragrance and is Athleta’s C-suite shakeup an opportunity?

    The beauty brand has launched its first fragrance and body care collection, while the Gap Inc. brand is searching for a new CEO after Maggie Gauger went to Lululemon.

  • A person speaks in front of a crowd inside a warehouse, with a "Grand Opening" banner in the background.
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    Courtesy of Tractor Supply Company
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    Tractor Supply opens Idaho distribution center with automation, dedicated AI team

    The retailer's site in Nampa will distribute inventory to 123 stores and includes a group that aims to "apply practical artificial intelligence to operational needs."

  • People walking down the street, past storefronts.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Bloomingdale’s merchant jumps to Bluemercury

    Stacie Borteck Dattner will report to Bluemercury CEO Alexandre Choueiri, the former Kering Beauté executive who arrived in August.

  • An image of a phone with apps including Etsy, Temu and Amazon.
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    Getty Images
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    Online spend during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days neared $10B in the US

    The retailer’s two-day event drove sales at multiple stores including Walmart as consumers hunted for bargains and discounts ahead of the holiday rush.

  • NRF Big Show 2026
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    Courtesy of Jason Dixson Photography
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    Top retail trade shows in 2027

    These events feature C-suite speakers who will discuss AI-driven solutions, understanding consumer behavior and leveraging technology, among other subjects.

  • A driver unloads Amazon packages at Pike Place Market in Seattle.
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    400tmax via Getty Images
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    Amazon retail division hit by job cuts

    The e-commerce giant is changing the structure of its stores business, impacting hundreds of employees.

  • People walking around a city, a buggy in the middle of the intersection.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Nearly half of shoppers are worried about affording holiday gifts this year

    Concerns about the job market, as well as personal and household debt, are affecting how much consumers plan to spend this season, per an ICSC report.

  • Lululemon storefront.
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    Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive
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    Lululemon has ‘a great deal to prove’ with new exec lineup

    With two new C-suite leaders announced, and a search underway for others, change is afoot at Lululemon. Here’s what analysts think of Heidi O’Neill’s first move as CEO.

  • A customer presses the image of the ChatGPT app on their phone.
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    Getty Images
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    Virtual try on launches on ChatGPT

    Users can take or upload a selfie to generate images and see how clothing and accessories look on them prior to purchase. 

  • People walking in a Walmart parking lot.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Walmart debuts 1-hour express pickup, ASL service ahead of holidays

    The mass retailer will expand the new pickup option nationwide in the upcoming weeks and is using Sorenson for in-store American Sign Language interpretation.

  • A pink arch with palm trees in the background, reading "RetailClub AI Festival."
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    Dani James/Retail Dive
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    ThredUp CEO on AI costs: ‘I was both surprised and didn’t care’

    James Reinhart said nothing should be done to slow employees’ use of AI because the benefits will outweigh those initial costs eventually.

  • A store display with a red Levi's sign includes jeans in various shades of blue, folded on shelves and hanging on racks.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Wholesale, tariff refunds deliver for Levi’s in rough Q3

    The denim maker’s direct-to-consumer sales were unexpectedly weak, and profits and margins were propped up by the trade reimbursements.

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