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

Explore the 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

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

Deloitte: 75% of shoppers are worried about stockouts this year

Six in 10 retail executives are also worried about receiving holiday orders on time, the research firm found.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 22, 2021

Report: 85% of consumers will continue pandemic shopping behaviors this season

Alvarez & Marsal also found over half of shoppers expect their financial situation to stagnate or worsen in coming months, leading them to spend less.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 22, 2021

Is PayPal pining for Pinterest?

A reported $45 billion PayPal purchase of Pinterest would cap a big year for deal-making fueled by the payments industry. 

By Lynne Marek • Oct. 21, 2021

Pandemic rebounds: 5 retailers that bounced back in 2021

As the industry puts 2020 behind them, here's a look at some of the players that made notable comebacks this year.

By Maria Monteros • Oct. 21, 2021

Gen Z plans to holiday shop via Facebook, retailer apps: report

Nearly 70% of young consumers plan to use nontraditional shopping channels for their Black Friday and Christmas purchases.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 18, 2021

12-foot skeletons, pet costumes and vaccines: Retailers get ready for a weird Halloween

With sales expected to boom, the holiday is an escape that many consumers are embracing after nearly two years of pandemic stress.

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 18, 2021

Cha-ching! Fuel in-store holiday sales by catering to shifting shopper behaviors

Read on for insights you can use to woo shoppers to your doorsteps this holiday season.

Oct. 18, 2021

Retail growth to cool after 2021's burst of demand: Moody's

Supply chain costs and a more normal sales environment will likely slow the pace of sales and profit growth, analysts with the ratings agency said. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 15, 2021

Lulu's joins bumper crop of retailers with plans to go public

The fast-fashion e-retailer says that brick-and-mortar apparel sales will increasingly be under pressure as younger consumers buy more online.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 14, 2021

Hodinkee unveils used watch resale platform

With authentication services and more in-depth product description pages, customers can buy, sell or trade pre-owned timepieces.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 14, 2021

The majority of consumers plan to shop early this year: report

Research indicates that shoppers want to spend more this year, but they're taking advantage of holiday deals sooner.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 13, 2021

How traditional teen apparel brands went out of style

Gen Z sets trends fast — and they won't hesitate to leave retailers who can't keep up in the dust.

By Maria Monteros • Oct. 13, 2021

Consumers plan to spend about 25% more this holiday season: JLL

This year's holiday season could resemble pre-pandemic spending levels, but retailers are still facing product and labor shortages.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 12, 2021

Walmart teams with Netflix on exclusive products, digital storefront

The partnership gives the retailer access to the streaming platform's viewership as it establishes itself as a major destination for fan merchandise.

By Maria Monteros • Oct. 11, 2021

Millennials drive demand for DTC brands: report

Digitally native brands adopted an aesthetic attractive to young shoppers. The pandemic only helped push consumers to shop with those companies.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 11, 2021