Jury rules Wal-Mart owes $55M in driver backpay

The retail giant failed to properly compensate some 850 of its truck drivers under its own terms of employment and against California law, a federal jury decided.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 28, 2016

Pilot strike threatens Amazon, DHL holiday fulfillment

About 250 pilots flying for a subsidiary of ATSG’s ABX Air say they won't fly the scheduled 35 daily flights for Amazon and 45 daily flights for DHL, among others.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 22, 2016

Explore the Trendline➔

The state of retail returns

Retailers of all sizes are streamlining operations so customers can have a smooth return experience. 

By Retail Dive staff

Target enhances in-store order pickup program for holiday season

More than 90% of pick-up orders will be ready in an hour, up from last year thanks to program enhancements, team efforts and deployment of new technology. 

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 16, 2016

How UPS stays steady in center of e-commerce shipping storm

Despite Amazon's shipping ambitions and myriad other forces driving market upheaval, UPS continues to invest in a future defined by e-commerce opportunities and obstacles.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 15, 2016

How retailers can sidestep the pitfalls of holiday season hiring

Retailers are bringing aboard the same number of seasonal hires as last year, but other changes are afoot. Here's how merchants can leverage technology for more productive, secure workplaces.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 10, 2016

What President Trump means for retailers

Here’s how the Republican president-elect's administration could impact trade, tax reform and labor issues.

By Corinne Ruff • Nov. 9, 2016

Target taps Wal-Mart executive to boost supply chain

As the retailer builds up a supply chain team, it needs to solve inventory and fulfillment problems in the age of omnichannel.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 9, 2016

Google's Project Wing drone bet hits stiff headwinds

The drone delivery effort's future is in doubt following the departure of two of its leaders, financial and staffing cuts and the end of a potential delivery partnership with Starbucks.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 8, 2016

J. Crew boots bridal business amid sales struggles

Bridal gowns and bridesmaid dresses are marked down up to 70% off as the retailer pivots toward activewear and e-commerce.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 7, 2016

Hudson's Bay unveils robotic fulfillment system

The new system can fill e-commerce orders three times faster than other distribution center robotic systems, HBC said.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 6, 2016

Postmates raises $141M to fuel overseas expansion, booze delivery plans

The new round leaves the on-demand delivery startup at a valuation of about $600 million, the same as it was after a previous financing round.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 1, 2016

Amazon delivers cheaper, limited version of Prime to China

The new service doesn't include digital content streaming and offers free shipping only on foreign products that meet a certain price threshold.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 30, 2016

UPS expecting record holiday deliveries as e-commerce continues to drive revenue

The shipping company is on pace to deliver more than 700 million packages between Black Friday and New Year’s Eve, up 14% from the same period in 2015. 

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 27, 2016

Wal-Mart tests dispensing machine for in-store pickup

The machine contains many items of different sizes that have been ordered online by customers, and upon arriving at the store, customers input a numeric code to retrieve their package.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 27, 2016

Target ramps up holiday exclusives, deals to combat Wal-Mart

Highlights include Wondershop, a store-in-store with over 2,000 seasonal items for shoppers' tree-trimming needs, including a one-of-a-kind Bullseye ornament.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 26, 2016

Best Buy repeats free holiday shipping

Shipping costs are consistently cited by holiday shoppers as an annoyance that sends them to stores or to rival retailers.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 25, 2016

Returns: Meeting customer expectations and inventory challenges

In a competitive omnichannel environment, retailers are racing to keep up with customer expectations. Returns are greater for online retailers, placing a premium on an effective returns process and policy.

Oct. 25, 2016

Sears refutes claims that toy vendor cut off Kmart

The embattled retailer has “always paid our vendors for orders we have placed," CFO Jason Hollar said in a blog post.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 24, 2016

Alibaba CEO: Pure-play e-commerce faces 'tremendous challenges'

China’s largest e-commerce firm is taking steps to upgrade its retail businesses and targeting efficiency gains across product manufacturing, distribution and service.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 13, 2016

Amazon boosts holiday hiring by 20% to 120,000

Like last year, the e-commerce giant plans to hire many more seasonal workers than its brick-and-mortar rivals. 

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 13, 2016

Costco, Nordstrom, UPS join researchers to tackle last mile delivery

The University of Washington-led Urban Freight Lab will study same-day delivery costs and other issues impacting retailers, shippers and communities.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 13, 2016

Report: Amazon limiting fulfillment services for new Marketplace sellers

The move is a sign that Amazon is struggling to accommodate the swell of merchandise sent to its warehouses and fulfillment centers ahead of the holidays.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 12, 2016

Delivery drivers sue Amazon over contractor status

Three drivers in the retailer’s “Amazon Flex” program say their work requirements mean they should be compensated as employees.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 7, 2016

How Hurricane Matthew is impacting retail — and how retailers are responding

The most dangerous storm to hit the Atlantic Coast in years is bearing down fast. From emergency supply shortages to logistical disruptions, the ripple effect is already being felt.

By Jason Ankeny • Oct. 6, 2016

Wal-Mart doubling e-commerce warehouses, stake in JD.com

The brick-and-mortar behemoth is doubling its web-focused warehouses to 10 by the end of this year and installing automated product sorting and item tracking technologies.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 6, 2016