Deep Dive: Page 2

Industry insights from our journalists

  • A composite image show a child with an Elmo plush, a Barbie science playset and Rosie Spotted Pig
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    Permission granted by Amazon
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    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.
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    Courtesy of Gap Inc.
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    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.
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    Courtesy of Amazon
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    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
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    Yujin Kim/Retail Dive
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    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
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    Courtesy of Express Inc.
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    ​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
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    Caroline Jansen/Retail Dive
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    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.
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    Alex Potemkin via Getty Images
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    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.
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    Courtesy of Gap Inc.
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    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.
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    Courtesy of American Eagle
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    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.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    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.
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    REUTERS/Heiko Becker

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    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.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    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.
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    Brandon Bell/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    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.
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    Courtesy of Maybelline
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    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."
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    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
  • People at work in a large warehouse full of boxes.
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    kupicoo via Getty Images
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    After last year’s inventory tidal wave, where do retailers go from here?

    Bare shelves are still a recent memory, but many are learning to live on leaner inventories after overstocking in 2022.

    Ben Unglesbee • May 18, 2023
  • Image of an old fax machine, circa 1980.
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    luoman via Getty Images
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    Out of fashion: Apparel manufacturing needs a tech update

    Tied to fax machines and Excel spreadsheets, many companies are resistant to change and slow to adapt to new ways of doing business.

    Krishna Thakker • May 15, 2023
  • A round mirror with a small shelf holding a plant hangs above a blue bookcase. Items there include a lamp, another plant, books and decorative bowls. A bed with a white pillow is seen on the left.
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    Courtesy of Target
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    Why Bed Bath & Beyond’s private labels were a bust

    The now-bankrupt home goods retailer hired the merchant who led the development of billion-dollar store brands at Target. What went wrong?

    Daphne Howland • May 10, 2023
  • A the interior of a store glows through the front windows, with a sign reading "Bonobos" in white capital letters above.
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    Courtesy of Express, Inc. and WHP Global
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    What’s behind Walmart’s DTC selloffs?

    The retail giant has been ditching its e-commerce acquisitions for years to refocus on its core. But it could also mean a fresh start for Eloquii and Bonobos.

    Dani James • May 3, 2023
  • Piles of unsold multi-colored clothing in a large heap
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    Spencer Platt/Getty via Getty Images
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    An unglamorous solution to fashion’s sustainability problem: make less stuff

    Overproduction, greenwashing and unchecked growth have created a huge problem. Experts say regulation may be the only solution, but it won't be easy.

    Lauren Schenkman • April 17, 2023
  • Four anoraks, (brown, green, blue and navy) hang on a black rack. their collars and the background are cream-colored.
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    Courtesy of J. Crew
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    Resale’s big secret? It may need stores

    To join the secondhand market boom, many apparel retailers and brands have turned to third-party platforms that struggle to sustain a profit.

    Daphne Howland • April 17, 2023
  • A large sign marks the entrance to an outdoor mall, with shops along a walkway, lights strung overhead and bikes parked to one side. A cloudy blue sky in the background.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Which mall in this California city can survive?

    A real estate mogul made his mark on three major shopping centers in Sonoma County wine country. His original vision from 1950 may be the winner.

    Daphne Howland • April 5, 2023
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    Allison Joyce/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    3 years later: How COVID-19 exposed the vulnerability of suppliers and workers to the power of big buyers

    A tidal wave of order cancellations in early 2020 had dire repercussions for laborers and their families. The consequences are still being felt.

    Ben Unglesbee • April 3, 2023
  • Birchbox SoHo
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    Courtesy of Birchbox
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    What happened to Birchbox?

    Over a year after being acquired by a women’s health company, the subscription beauty brand has a disabled website and outstanding vendor debts.

    Dani James • March 2, 2023
  • The indoor main entrance to Sweetwater music's retail store in Fort Wayne, Indiana
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    Permission granted by Sweetwater
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    YouTubers, podcasters help Sweetwater reach a record sales year

    The pandemic led musicians to buy streaming equipment, pushing the retailer to over $1 billion in sales – all with only one physical store. 

    Nate Delesline III • Feb. 21, 2023