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Deep Dive

Is Stitch Fix disrupting retail? Or is it the other way around?

Recent changes at the apparel styling site suggest that e-commerce can't always escape the realities of commerce.

Outer secures $50M in Series B funding

The DTC outdoor furniture brand will use the funds to build on its sustainability initiatives, expand its product assortment and reach new customers.

Robomart launches store-hailing platform for retailers

The startup, which lets shoppers summon a mobile grocery or convenience store, is betting on more companies joining the instant-delivery trend.

Retailers signal caution around immunization mandate for large employers

The move targets vaccine hesitancy as the pandemic surges. "Our patience is wearing thin, and your refusal has cost all of us," President Joe Biden said.

Bark CFO to step down

John Toth, who joined the company in 2016 and helped it go public via SPAC in June, will continue in the role until a successor is named.

Mattress Firm confidentially files IPO papers

Benefiting from heightened demand in the home category, the retailer is looking to go public just under three years after exiting bankruptcy.

Column

The Weekly Closeout: GameStop may team with AMC and Banana Republic thinks of itself as ... Wakanda?

What's better than two meme stocks coming together? Banana Republic's vision for its new brand identity, which includes some ambitious comparisons.

Guitar Center files confidentially for IPO: Debtwire

The instrument retailer's sales and profits are ticking up after last year's restructuring. 

UPDATED: Sept. 23, 2021 at 9:51 a.m.

Shipt offers free membership for Visa credit card holders

In a bid to boost its membership base, the benefit provides consumers free delivery on groceries and home essentials for orders over $35. 

American Dream opens luxury wing, 'The Avenue'

The good news for the beleaguered mall is that wealthier consumers seem to be driving the economy right now. The bad news, still, is the pandemic.

Chico's FAS hires Lululemon vet as CFO

Patrick Guido was previously at the athletics apparel retailer and held positions at VF Corporation, Saks and Home Depot. 

Sears to close the last department store in its home state

The retailer's perpetual diminishment continues, with only a few dozen large-format stores left under its namesake and Kmart brands.  

Big Lots plans 'bypass network' to mitigate port congestion during peak season

A bypass network will help imports skip a touch, and arrive in time for holiday shopping.

Baby boomers driving this year's apparel rebound: NPD

Older folks are refreshing their wardrobes, buying more online and outspending millennials and Gen Z, according to the firm's Consumer Tracking Service.

DTC brand Knix plans first US stores

Brick-and-mortar expansion plans were delayed last year during the height of the pandemic, but now the DTC brand is back with three California stores. 

Lowe's places larger orders with suppliers to avoid holiday stockouts

The hardware retailer says inventory levels are "actually getting better, not worse," as other companies struggle to navigate supply chain disruptions. 

Chewy unveils marketplace service for veterinarians

The DTC company launched Practice Hub, which allows vets to set prices, create preapproved prescriptions and earn revenue.

Honest Co. taps former head of Amazon Key as new digital chief

Pete Gerstberger is set to lead the brand's omnichannel and online operations after years of rapid growth and accumulated losses.

Fred Segal is dead. Long live Fred Segal.

The man who gave retail some of its most worthy concepts died this year at 87, but his eponymous store in many ways is just getting started.

Sam's Club boosts minimum wage to $15 in bid to win more workers

The move makes the warehouse retailer's starting pay slightly higher than its parent company, Walmart.   

Walmart teams up with Ford to test self-driving deliveries

As part of ongoing experimentation with the technology, the retailer will initially launch the service in Miami, Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas.

Chasing digital sales, Crocs unveils goal to hit $5B in revenue by 2026

The clog brand aims for 17% annual growth over the next five years, a plan that rests on boosting its online sales to half of its revenue. 

The running list of major retail deals in 2021

Three years after its bankruptcy, Mattress Firm filed for an IPO. Meanwhile, Brilliant Earth debuted with half the number of shares it initially planned on.

UPDATED: Sept. 27, 2021 at 9:45 a.m.

Tailored Brands hires former Kohl's exec as CTO

The parent company of Men's Wearhouse and Jos. A. Bank has introduced new C-suite members as it continues to be led by two interim co-CEOs. 

DTC bedding brand Parachute expands into furniture

The move into bed frames is a natural extension of the brand's current offerings and comes as demand in the home category remains high.