Consumer Trends

Cyber Monday sales edge down to $10.7B as consumers make a dent in their holiday shopping

Online sales fell 1.4% year over year, but the red-letter event was still the biggest shopping day of the year so far, Adobe said.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 30, 2021

Winners and losers of Black Friday 2021

Vaccinations have made in-store shopping possible and even fun, but this holiday season remains complicated.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 27, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

How the payments landscape is changing

As the space rapidly shifts, the future is for anyone's taking. 

By Retail Dive staff

The Backroom: Another disruptive holiday season

Vaccines have changed the shopping landscape this year, as have supply chain bottlenecks. Retail Dive reporters look at how the season is playing out.

By Retail Dive Staff • Nov. 25, 2021

NPD: Fragrance expected to boost beauty sales this holiday

More than a quarter of U.S. shoppers are planning to buy a beauty product for the holidays, the report found.

By Cara Salpini • Nov. 23, 2021

The Weekly Closeout: Amazon clashes with Visa and Petco posts 'record' Q3

The e-commerce giant said it will no longer accept United Kingdom-issued Visa credit cards for transactions, while the pet retailer reported double-digit growth in owned brands.

By Retail Dive Staff • Nov. 19, 2021

ICSC: 86% of consumers will shop over Thanksgiving weekend

Shoppers are nearly evenly split in their decision to shop in stores versus online on Thanksgiving Day. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Nov. 19, 2021

Home Depot, Lowe's top estimates in Q3

The retailers lapped 2020's figures when demand in the category skyrocketed. But winning over the pro segment may be key to maintaining that strength.

By Caroline Jansen • Nov. 17, 2021

ThredUp: Supply chain challenges could push shoppers to thrift this season

Discounts, environmental concerns and item rarity are drivers for secondhand purchases, the resale marketplace found.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Nov. 16, 2021

A new breed of retail shoppers: remote workers

For retailers, emerging work-from-anywhere habits bring new opportunities to attract shoppers.

Nov. 15, 2021

David's Bridal launches ready-to-ship bridesmaid dress collection

Product availability may alleviate supply chain concerns and responds to a trend of shorter times between engagement and wedding events.

By Kaarin Vembar • Nov. 12, 2021

Target shaped private labels into powerhouse brands. Now others want to do the same.

Retailers that saw how profitable owned brands could be are out to get similar results for themselves. But experts say it won't be that easy.

By Maria Monteros • Nov. 10, 2021

Black Friday could be back this year, as Shopify predicts increased spending on the holiday weekend

Consumers expect to spend $787 during the popular shopping holiday this year, over $100 more than 2020. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Nov. 9, 2021

Congress debates pros and cons of buy now, pay later

Users love the convenience but also are falling behind in their payments.

By Jonathan Berr • Nov. 8, 2021

Is the fun ever coming back to holiday shopping?

The joy of the season wasn't as prevalent last year. With the continued threat of the pandemic and rise of e-commerce, it hasn't fully returned this year either.

By Cara Salpini • Nov. 8, 2021

Consumers already holiday shopping to avoid the supply chain grinch

Oracle Retail survey finds consumers on edge over high prices, out-of-stock products and delivery delays.

By Rose Spicer • Nov. 8, 2021

How high will sales rise? Predictions for the 2021 holiday season

With everything from a 7% rise to an 11% surge, experts differ on exactly how much holiday sales will grow this year.

By Retail Dive Staff • Nov. 5, 2021

McKinsey: 87% of Gen Z will use social media for holiday shopping inspiration

Respondents listed YouTube, Instagram and TikTok among some of their top sources for product discovery, the report found.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Nov. 5, 2021

Ikea expands resale program across 33 US stores for the holidays

Declaring its fall pilot a success, the retailer is taking it national and adding discounts on sustainable goods for the Black Friday weekend.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 3, 2021

Blockbuster is trapped in brand limbo. Will it ever get out?

Whether as a joke, a nostalgic trip back to the '90s or as shorthand for the love of movies, the dead chain's name still resonates with many. Except perhaps the brand's owner.

By Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 3, 2021

How Walmart is testing sustainable bags

The retailer is making progress on finding solutions to replace single-use plastic bags through several in-store pilots and initiatives.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • Nov. 2, 2021

Do retailers know their shoppers? A head to head survey shows a disconnect

Scalefast and Retail Dive surveyed 203 retailers and 284 shoppers to better understand the DTC customer's perspective and the retailer's view of that perspective.

Nov. 1, 2021

NRF predicts holiday sales will rise up to 10.5%

Growth in wages and household wealth could spur more sales, but a surge in COVID-19 infections could disrupt the projected rise.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 29, 2021

ThredUp's third-party platform may be more lucrative than its secondhand clothing sales: Wells Fargo

The used clothing site's side gig, "resale-as-a-service" or RaaS, has lined up the likes of Walmart, Madewell, Adidas and others as the market skyrockets.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 29, 2021

Nearly 20% of consumers plan to shift holiday spending online: Coresight

But physical stores will remain a key channel this season as concerns over e-commerce orders arriving on time arise.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 27, 2021

Even if retail sales slow drastically during the holidays, they will still be stellar: Wells Fargo

Supply chain woes notwithstanding, the industry is riding such highs that even a worst-case scenario would yield a near-record season.

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 25, 2021