Deep Dive: Page 7

Industry insights from our journalists


  • Nike's Nike by Eugene store concept
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    Permission granted by Nike
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    How Nike is using DTC and data to expand its empire

    Since 2011, the sportswear giant has grown direct-to-consumer sales from 16% of its namesake brand revenues to 35%, all while continuing to take share.

    Cara Salpini • March 23, 2021
  • Bankrupt retailers shell out millions in professional fees while trying to turn themselves around
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    Adeline Kon/Retail Dive
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    Welcome to the lucrative world of retail bankruptcy

    A look at the most expensive Chapter 11 proceedings in retail and the players that have profited from them.

    Ben Unglesbee • March 8, 2021
  • Rae Dunn Valentine's Day cabinet.
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    Permission granted by Felicia Washington
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    Finding Rae Dunn

    Dunn's minimalistic approach to home goods has a community of collectors who hunt, and sometimes compete, for her products at off-price retailers.

    Kaarin Moore • March 2, 2021
  • Marshall Field's Chicago
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    Dillenbeck, John. (2018). "Marshall Field's Building Chicago" [photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr Pro.
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    Macy's Windy City blues

    The department store is closing its Magnificent Mile location in Chicago. Some who remember Marshall Field's wish it had never arrived.

    Daphne Howland • March 1, 2021
  • Fjällräven assortment
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    Permission granted by Fjällräven
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    The outdoors boom spared many retailers from the harshest impacts of COVID

    Outdoor companies faced their share of ups and downs during the pandemic, but a tidal wave of new customers could prime the space for future growth.

    Cara Salpini • Feb. 23, 2021
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    Fotolia
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    Marketers play it safe as pandemic's effects linger

    Industry leaders are pinning their hopes on a better year, but experts say marketing likely won't return to normal anytime soon.

    Maria Monteros • Feb. 10, 2021
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    "Google Bike" by R Boed is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    What does a government reckoning with Google and Facebook mean for retail?

    For many, the tech giants are key to customer acquisition online, and they dominate the market for digital advertising, making them all but unavoidable for retailers. 

    Ben Unglesbee • Feb. 4, 2021
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Do malls have any business getting into retail?

    REITs' expanding ownership of troubled retailers complicates an investment setup dependent on steady revenue.

    Daphne Howland • Feb. 2, 2021
  • How the COVID-19 pandemic has hit retail
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    Danielle Ternes/Retail Dive
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    After the extremes of 2020, retail resilience means a new sense of what's possible

    A pandemic exposed the industry's vulnerabilities and latent survival skills. To weather the next disaster, companies must be agile and take risk seriously.

    Ben Unglesbee • Jan. 25, 2021
  • Person with a mask on looks into a store window while holding shopping bags.
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    andreswd via Getty Images
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    9 retail trends to watch in 2021

    The pandemic will continue to reshape the industry and accelerate trends from consumer preferences to industry norms and structures in the year ahead. 

    Daphne Howland, Ben Unglesbee, Cara Salpini, Kaarin Moore, Caroline Jansen and Maria Monteros • Jan. 12, 2021
  • Image of Grabango QR code scanner with Grabango and GetGo logos
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    Courtesy of Grabango
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    Is cashierless tech ready for prime time?

    The pandemic has juiced demand for automated checkout systems, but the technology still has to prove itself over the long term.

    Sam Silverstein • Dec. 3, 2020
  • What the pandemic has cemented about Gen Z

    Marketing to young shoppers this holiday season will look different — and create different winners — but much of their core values have stayed the same.

    Cara Salpini • Nov. 23, 2020
  • Culture problems with DTC brands
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    Photo illustration by Danielle Ternes/Retail Dive; photograph by Scyther5 and Fizkes via Getty Images
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    'It's a violation of an implicit psychological contract': Why DTC culture issues hit hard

    Many DTCs have faced criticism for workplace issues. Part of the problem may be that they promised something better.

    Cara Salpini • Nov. 16, 2020
  • The lack of marketing/PR firms working with DTC brands
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    Photo illustration by Danielle Ternes/Retail Dive; photograph by fizkes, Nicola Katie and Urfinguss via Getty Images
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    Is the DTC brand aesthetic bad for business?

    Sans serif font and bright colored backgrounds are hallmarks of digitally native brands, but it may not matter if they all look the same.

    Cara Salpini • Nov. 16, 2020
  • A light post sits just below the big red sign on Macy's flagship store.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    9 make-or-break retail turnarounds to watch in 2021

    Companies in transformation and survival mode may be looking for normalcy. But the year ahead holds plenty of unknowns. 

    Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 9, 2020
  • The decade of VC funding that shaped e-commerce and the DTC brand
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    Adeline Kon/Retail Dive
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    The decade of VC funding that shaped e-commerce and DTC brands

    Direct to consumer might be the buzziest trend in retail over the past 10 years, but it's not where all the money's going.

    Cara Salpini • Nov. 3, 2020
  • How years of investor-friendly finance left retailers vulnerable to crisis
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    Adeline Kon/Retail Dive
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    How years of investor-friendly finance left retailers vulnerable to crisis

    Public and private companies have transferred billions of dollars to their investors over the years. Could that money have saved their business instead?

    Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 2, 2020
  • Can retailers reinvent holiday cheer in a pandemic?

    Mall Santas, tree lighting, Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade — retailers have to rethink every cornerstone of the holiday season, without losing the joy.

    Cara Salpini • Oct. 26, 2020
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    Tru Kids
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    Life after liquidation: Why some brands thrive after closing shop and others don't

    The market keeps growing for retail IP even after physical stores close. But does every dead retail brand need saving?

    Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 19, 2020
  • Athletics retailers advertise diversity, but does leadership reflect it?
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    Danielle Ternes/Retail Dive
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    Athletics retailers advertise diversity, but does their leadership reflect it?

    Campaigns and company statements about systemic racism and women's rights abound in the athletics space. The pace of change is less certain.

    Cara Salpini • Oct. 12, 2020
  • The legacy status of beauty retailers can prevent diversity in leadership
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    Danielle Ternes/Retail Dive
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    Legacy reigns at top beauty retailers. Here's why that could hurt diversity.

    Promoting women to the C-suite isn't the only thing beauty brands should have in mind. They also face a reckoning over racial inclusivity.

    Cara Salpini • Oct. 12, 2020
  • Female-focused sectors of retail continue to be run by men
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    Danielle Ternes/Retail Dive
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    Bras and BB cream: Why aren't brands for women run by them?

    In lingerie and beauty, a large part of the diversity battle is being fought on the highest ground: the C-suite.

    Cara Salpini • Oct. 12, 2020
  • Diverse exec representation remains stagnant in retail
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    Danielle Ternes/Retail Dive
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    As retailers focus on diversity, executive representation is stagnant

    Protests against systemic racism this year pushed retailers to take a magnifying glass to diversity, and many areas are lacking.

    Cara Salpini • Oct. 12, 2020
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    Yujin Kim/Retail Dive
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    17 retailers that could go bankrupt as the COVID-19 era wears on

    The industry is approaching a record for filings this year, and others are still vulnerable as the economy, pandemic and retail evolution take their toll. 

    Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 5, 2020
  • Bath & Body Works has cultivated deep customer loyalty.
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    Adeline Kon/Retail Dive/Retail Dive
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    The enduring fan base that boosts Bath & Body Works

    The 30-year-old retailer continues to drive loyalty and promise — even in a pandemic. 

    Kaarin Moore • Sept. 21, 2020