Deep Dive

Industry insights from our journalists

  • A golfer swings a club and wears a black skort outfit.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Under Armour
    Image attribution tooltip

    Golf fashion moves into the mainstream

    A new line from Tiger Woods, LVMH's latest collaboration with Tyler, the Creator and indie brands are helping to bring the sport from performance wear to streetwear.

    Howard Ruben • April 16, 2024
  • A woman puts clothing into an RFID self-checkout kiosk
    Image attribution tooltip
    Thai Liang Lim via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why more tech in stores shouldn’t mean fewer workers

    Stores can automate more tasks than ever, including pricing, inventory management and checkout. But for theft prevention, customer service and brand engagement, they need humans.

    Daphne Howland • April 10, 2024
  • White sensors in front of a store entrance.
    Image attribution tooltip
    "Macy's Anti Shoplifting Sensors Detectors" by Mike Mozart is licensed under CC BY 2.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    What is ‘organized retail crime,’ exactly?

    It depends, and it doesn't help that many retailers don’t have a good handle on lost inventory, experts say.

    Daphne Howland • April 3, 2024
  • Individuals hold signs in support of TikTok outside the U.S. Capitol Building on March 13, 2024 in Washington, DC.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Anna Moneymaker / Staff via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why the latest TikTok ban attempt is different — and what it means for marketers

    A ban could benefit Meta, weakening competition and options for advertisers, while a potential suitor will need to be well-versed in data management.

    Jessica Deyo • March 26, 2024
  • A group of people stand in a store, talking.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of RILA
    Image attribution tooltip

    7 reasons why everyone’s confused about shrink and theft

    There’s even less data about retail crime now that the National Retail Federation has retracted a key claim about its impact. What’s going on?

    Daphne Howland • Jan. 24, 2024
  • Brown paper wrapped gifts with string ties.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Vadym Petrochenko via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Can retail sell hygge?

    The Scandinavian concept of cozy gatherings and togetherness fits in well with the holidays. Until the excessive purchasing begins.

    Cara Salpini • Dec. 24, 2023
  • A group of people in suits standing behind a sign that reads "Fighting retail crime." The U.S. Capitol is in the background.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of the National Retail Federation
    Image attribution tooltip

    Retailers have a crime problem. It’s in the numbers.

    The issue is complex and often clouded by imprecise data. Sometimes from the industry itself.

    Daphne Howland • Nov. 29, 2023
  • Person with hand tattoos kneels and laces up a Sperry boat shoe.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Retrieved from Sperry on November 09, 2023
    Image attribution tooltip

    Rocking the boat shoe: Sperry’s search for a lifeline

    Wolverine is looking to unload its 88-year-old lifestyle footwear brand, but finding the right buyer is a hard sell.

    Lara Ewen • Nov. 20, 2023
  • A person holding a Stanley Quencher tumbler.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Stanley
    Image attribution tooltip

    The rise of the Stanley tumbler: How a 110-year-old brand achieved viral success

    The brand had long been marketed to workmen and outdoorsmen. But with the help of a group of influencers, the company unlocked the power of women selling to women.

    Caroline Jansen • Nov. 14, 2023
  • Top-Down View: In Warehouse People Working, Forklift Truck Operator Lifts Pallet with Cardboard Box. Logistics, Distribution Center with Products Ready for Global Shipment, Customer Delivery
    Image attribution tooltip
    gorodenkoff
    Image attribution tooltip

    By the numbers: How retailers stack up on inventory

    Going into Q3, many major players cleaned up their inventories after last year’s surge in stock levels, with benefits to margins. Not everyone fared equally, however.

    Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 19, 2023
  • A composite image show a child with an Elmo plush, a Barbie science playset and Rosie Spotted Pig
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Amazon
    Image attribution tooltip

    Toy retail rides pop culture wave to new heights

    Leaders at Amazon and Mattel say movies and nostalgia help drive strong consumer interest for iconic brands ahead of the holiday shopping season.

    Nate Delesline III • Oct. 16, 2023
  • person wearing a brown cap, orange jacket, jeans and sneakers sits cross-legged, off to the right, against a blue-green background.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Gap Inc.
    Image attribution tooltip

    How Gap lost its khaki soul

    Can the brand that once defined and even elevated American style get its vibe back?

    Daphne Howland • Oct. 16, 2023
  • A blurry figure walking into a store.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Amazon
    Image attribution tooltip

    Is Amazon just another retailer? The Federal Trade Commission doesn’t think so.

    The e-commerce giant and others skeptical of the commission’s antitrust claims say the FTC has an uphill court battle, in part because Amazon’s behavior is just old-fashioned retail.

    Daphne Howland • Oct. 3, 2023
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Yujin Kim/Retail Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    11 retailers at risk of bankruptcy in 2023

    From Joann and Rite Aid to Petco and The Container Store, here’s who’s most at risk in the next 12 months.

    Cara Salpini • Oct. 2, 2023
  • The exterior of an Express retail store inside a mall
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Express Inc.
    Image attribution tooltip

    ​Can Express survive a new era of apparel?

    As profits decline and momentum slows, the retailer is working to regain profitability and expand its brand in a tough macroeconomic environment.

    Nate Delesline III • Sept. 25, 2023
  • Exterior of an Allbirds store in Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown neighborhood
    Image attribution tooltip
    Caroline Jansen/Retail Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why EBITDA has such a strong hold on retail

    Is it the “Wild West” of measures or a fair predictor of long-term success? Either way, retailers won’t quit talking about EBITDA.

    Dani James • Sept. 25, 2023
  • Solar power station and solar energy panels on the green field in Chester, New Jersey.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Alex Potemkin via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Who will pay to decarbonize the supply chain?

    Some brands are helping their suppliers reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Others are dumping new requirements on vendors without shouldering any of the costs.

    Ben Unglesbee • Aug. 17, 2023
  • A person window shops at store at a street corner. An orange corner is parked on the right, next to a stop sign.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Gap Inc.
    Image attribution tooltip

    What Gap Inc. needs from its new CEO

    Longtime Mattel executive Richard Dickson is taking the reins of an apparel conglomerate — whose brands all need some help.

    Daphne Howland • Aug. 16, 2023
  • American Eagle Back to School 2023 Campaign featuring Maddie & Kenzie Ziegler.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of American Eagle
    Image attribution tooltip

    Back to school 2023: Can marketing transcend the turbulence?

    Top marketers from American Eagle and Amazon weigh in on strategy as the season’s spending forecast paints a gloomy picture.

    Jessica Deyo • Aug. 9, 2023
  • A UPS driver makes a delivery on June 30, 2023 in Miami, Florida.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Why some UPS shippers haven’t diverted volume even as a potential strike looms

    As many businesses firm up contingency plans, others are maintaining their current delivery activity with UPS, according to parcel shipping experts.

    Max Garland • Updated July 25, 2023
  • Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden speaking in front of a white background with a Yeezy logo on it.
    Image attribution tooltip

    REUTERS/Heiko Becker

    Image attribution tooltip

    Yeezy was only part of Adidas’ problems. The retailer has been falling further behind Nike for years.

    Since 2013, Adidas’ net sales have grown by less than $5 billion as it struggles to keep pace with the broader market. Could a new CEO and a clean slate reverse those trends?

    Cara Salpini • July 24, 2023
  • Mannequins and clothing racks in a store's display for Pride Month.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Are retailers afraid of being ‘woke’?

    Brand values, diversity efforts and customer loyalty are put to the test as extremists come for corporate America.

    Daphne Howland • June 20, 2023
  • A worker organizes packages at a FedEx facility on December 21, 2022 in Houston, Texas.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Brandon Bell/Getty Images via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Deliveries keep getting faster. Will it last?

    Shippers adjusted to pandemic-related disruptions to reach customers faster. But shifting shopper preferences and cost-cutting efforts may slow things down.

    Max Garland • June 14, 2023
  • Maybelline's first-ever CGI avatar, May, which the brand is launching alongside its Falsies Surreal Mascara.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Maybelline
    Image attribution tooltip

    How legacy beauty brands are aging down to reach Gen Z

    Ever-changing trends and flashy brands like E.l.f. Cosmetics are challenging giants like Estée Lauder and L'Oréal to draw from a new playbook.

    Jessica Deyo • June 7, 2023
  • A store display shows a person looking off to the side and tossing their hair, and the words "take pride."
    Image attribution tooltip
    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    How Target went from loud and proud — to silent

    The mass retailer remained quiet after pulling Pride merchandise from some stores out of safety concerns. LGBTQ+ groups, human rights advocates and marketers say that sends the wrong message.

    Daphne Howland • June 5, 2023