Consumer Trends
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The holidays should be OK for retailers that try hard enough
Sustaining robust sales growth into Q4 will mean sharp vendor negotiations — and a keen understanding of the customer, analysts say.
By Daphne Howland • Sept. 17, 2025 -
Holiday retail sales projected to grow 4%, below 10-year average
While in-store sales are expected to grow 2.75% from last year, e-commerce sales growth is slowing, according to a recent report from Bain & Company.
By Howard Ruben • Sept. 17, 2025 -
Trendline
Digital innovation and technology trends in retail
Generative AI and TikTok Shop have replaced the metaverse and NFTs as the hot topics of the day — here’s a look at how brands are using them.
By Retail Dive staff -
Journeys remixes ’90s hit for debut of ‘Life on Loud’ brand platform
A reimagining of New Radicals’ “You Get What You Give” includes a music video nodding to renewed interest in mall culture among Gen Z.
By Jessica Hammers • Sept. 17, 2025 -
Consumer confidence falls on dimming outlook for labor market
“After months of a frozen job market with little hiring outside of healthcare, people now see more industries turning to layoffs,” Navy Federal Credit Union Chief Economist Heather Long said.
By Jim Tyson • Sept. 15, 2025 -
Column
The Weekly Closeout: Walmart to launch in South Africa and Mary Dillon exits Foot Locker
The big-box retailer will reveal opening dates in October, while the former CEO and other executives departed the sportswear company.
By Retail Dive Staff • Sept. 12, 2025 -
Inflation speeds up to 2.9%, fastest pace in 2025, as job market slows
The CPI data showed that the highest U.S. tariffs since the 1930s are pushing up prices across the economy.
By Jim Tyson • Sept. 12, 2025 -
Gen Z pullback could send holiday sales down 5%: PwC
Older generations are cutting back a bit or even spending more, but these younger consumers’ budgets are down nearly a quarter, the firm found.
By Daphne Howland • Sept. 11, 2025 -
More than half of consumers are wary of AI-powered search: Gartner
While consumers admit artificial intelligence is impacting how they search for products and services, 61% wish they could turn off AI summaries.
By Aaron Baar • Sept. 11, 2025 -
Holiday sales could grow up to 3.4%: Deloitte
The firm predicts that sales between November and January could reach $1.62 trillion, with e-commerce sales projected to grow up to 9%.
By Howard Ruben • Sept. 10, 2025 -
Designer Brands continues to withhold guidance as Q2 sales, profits decline
The footwear retailer, which relies on a strong back-to-school season, emphasized sequential gains but said the macro environment remains tough.
By Daphne Howland • Sept. 9, 2025 -
Consumer sentiment declines as price sensitivity persists
Consumers are tightening their purse strings and prioritizing essentials while cutting back on discretionary goods.
By Kristen Doerer • Sept. 8, 2025 -
Unemployment ticks up as tariff-related uncertainty slows hiring
This could be a one-two punch to the U.S. economy, with retail bankruptcies and store closures adding to the woes.
By Daphne Howland • Sept. 8, 2025 -
Lululemon CEO: ‘We have become too predictable’
The retailer, facing stalled growth in the U.S., is overhauling its design and development process as it looks to bring in more newness, faster.
By Cara Salpini • Sept. 5, 2025 -
Ulta targets wellness growth as consumers spend on beauty
The retailer’s latest performance demonstrates consumer resilience in the category, though analysts poked at the company’s operating margin expectations.
By Dani James • Sept. 5, 2025 -
Gap Inc. bets big on beauty, accessories
At the Goldman Sachs Global Retailing Conference, Gap Inc. CEO Richard Dickson called these high-margin “sleeper categories” that its customers want.
By Daphne Howland • Sept. 4, 2025 -
Worldpay rewires for bot shoppers
The processor aims to prepare its merchant clients for the opportunities and risks of AI-driven agentic shopping.
By Lynne Marek • Sept. 3, 2025 -
Consumers want AI guardrails, but few business leaders have policies in place
More than one-quarter of customer experience leaders say their organization is ready to deploy agentic AI, despite having no governance policy in place, Genesys found.
By Michael Brady • Sept. 3, 2025 -
Dollar General revenue grows, but tariffs begin impacting prices
The retailer, which noted shrink improvements helped Q2 gross profit, reported growth with consumers across income brackets.
By Dani James • Aug. 28, 2025 -
Podcast
The Backroom: Bankruptcy court is in session
Debtwire’s global head of legal, Sarah Foss, and Retail Dive Senior Reporter Daphne Howland discuss retailer bankruptcies – in 2025 and beyond.
By Retail Dive Staff • Aug. 28, 2025 -
Mass beauty outpaces prestige in the first half of 2025
Fragrance was the fastest-growing category in the mass channel, with dollar sales up 17%.
By Howard Ruben • Aug. 27, 2025 -
Consumer confidence dips on anxiety about jobs, income
The average 12-month expectation for inflation jumped to 6.2% this month from 5.7% in July, the Conference Board found in a consumer survey.
By Jim Tyson • Aug. 27, 2025 -
Sponsored by DHL
Rethinking eCommerce returns as a value driver
Transform eCommerce returns from costly headaches into profit opportunities with strategic supply chain solutions that enhance customer experience while protecting your bottom line.
By Lars R. Dzedek, Global Head of Returns and Circularity at DHL Supply Chain • Aug. 25, 2025 -
Home Depot sales up nearly 5% in Q2, reaffirms full-year outlook
The home improvement retailer notched a 1% comp sales gain, below analysts’ estimates, as consumers take on fewer large discretionary projects.
By Caroline Jansen • Aug. 19, 2025 -
Active footwear a bright spot in the first half of the year
Nevertheless, a Circana report found U.S. footwear sales fell 1% from January to June, with the fashion and outdoor categories leading the declines.
By Cara Salpini • Aug. 19, 2025 -
Target and Ulta’s ‘conscious uncoupling’
A shop-in-shop deal ends as both companies get back to retail basics. Analysts weigh in on the move while Bank of America downgraded Target.
By Dani James • Aug. 18, 2025