The 2017 holiday rush could be proving ground for in-store innovations

From RFID to smart dressing rooms, retailers have been investing in and testing technology, but the holiday season will separate the gimmicks from the money makers, according to Forrester retail analyst Sucharita Mulpuru.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 21, 2017

Most shoppers plan to use rewards points on gifts

Loyalty and rewards programs are working, and shoppers seem eager to use their points this holiday season to buy gifts, according to a new survey.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 21, 2017

Explore the Trendline➔

How retailers are thinking about in-store experience

Complementary shop-in-shops, age-appropriate experiences and integrated technology are just a few ways retailers are reworking stores to suit shoppers.

By Retail Dive staff

Most Americans will shop Thanksgiving weekend

Spending is increasingly going online, but 64% of consumers say they’ll still head to stores over the weekend, according to a recent Deloitte survey.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 21, 2017

Why REI and Modcloth will close on Black Friday, and prosper

Not all retailers are open on Black Friday, nor should they be. There are benefits to both, particularly when it comes to branding. 

By Cara Salpini • Nov. 21, 2017

ShopSavvy app update adds product recommendations

The app, primarily known as a tool for scanning products to compare prices, is gaining a new dimension that could make it more useful to shoppers.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 20, 2017

Saks launches gift-themed Messenger chatbot ahead of Black Friday

The offering could help the retailer reach young shoppers earlier in the buying journey than the typical customer service bot. 

By Natalie Black (Koltun) • Nov. 20, 2017

Nearly half of young shoppers will spend more this holiday season

Some of the oldest Gen Zers and the youngest millennials are planning to increase their holiday spending this year, according to a study by the NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 20, 2017

Conversational Commerce: Black Friday predictions for 2017

With a fierce price war brewing this season, in-store and mobile experiences will be critical differentiators for retailers not named Amazon, Moody's Charlie O'Shea told Retail Dive on the podcast.

By Corinne Ruff • Nov. 17, 2017

Retail Therapy: Stranger Things sends sales upside down

Truth was stranger than fiction this week as a vintage sweatshirt from the hit Netflix series helped the Science Museum of Minnesota rake in big bucks.

By Cara Salpini • Nov. 17, 2017

Williams-Sonoma gets an edge in the augmented reality race

The home goods retailer acquired Outward, a 3-D imaging startup, in what looks to be a dedicated move toward using more of the tech.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 17, 2017

Lululemon debuts sneaker line

Partnering with Athletic Propulsion Labs, the athletics retailer has started selling shoes in 23 stores — three of those styles are exclusive to Lululemon.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 17, 2017

12 major retailers that could go bankrupt

With the Toys R Us bankruptcy highlighting the chaotic, risky world for some retailers, we revisited our list of big industry names who could go bust over the next year. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 16, 2017

Mall owner turns to sensor-based tech to improve parking

Technology from Park Assist is helping Towson Town Center improve a sometimes-overlooked aspect of the customer shopping experience — parking.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 16, 2017

What retailers need to know about subscription services

Retailers are going all in on subscription services. It's a great way to cement customer loyalty and create recurring revenue streams. This is not a one size fits all solution to retail's problems, but there are lessons to be learned from these new programs.  

By Laura Heller • Nov. 16, 2017

Forever 21 investigating POS security breach

Encryption and other protective measures used by the retailer may not have been operating on affected point of sale systems when the breach occurred.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 16, 2017

Robot manufacturer gains $17.5 million in funding

Bossa Nova Robotics gets a financial boost as it looks to leverage growing interest in robots for retail.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 15, 2017

Black Friday to tally 115M shoppers

Around 70% of Americans are planning to shop on Black Friday this year, but other days will be busy too, according to a study from the NRF.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 15, 2017

Alibaba flaunts AI-powered touchscreen on Singles Day

The e-commerce giant debuted "FashionAI" in stores on the big shopping day to help consumers with clothing and style recommendations.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 14, 2017

Cyberthreats keep holiday shoppers off the web

Around 30% of consumers will not be shopping online this holiday season for fear of cyberthreats, according to a study by Sitelock.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 14, 2017

7 retailers that are ripe for acquisition

Walmart and Amazon have been hungry for acquisitions, and the big fish are looking for deals to make them more competitive.

By Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 13, 2017

Most holiday shoppers are turning to mobile

Roughly 65% of shoppers plan to use a mobile device for some of their purchases this season.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 13, 2017

Social media-engaged shoppers spend more on purchases

According to a study from Shareablee, that number could be as much as 51% more over a given shopper's lifetime.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 13, 2017

New J.C. Penney strategy evokes Ron Johnson

The retailer bested expectations thanks in part to a radical move to clear out its women's apparel. The question now becomes: what's next?

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 13, 2017

3 ways to reach Gen Z during the holidays

The youngest generation might not be the biggest spenders, but they have influence over family purchases — and they're growing up fast.

By Cara Salpini • Nov. 10, 2017

Retail Therapy: Tiffany rolls out a $9,000 ball of yarn

As shoppers get ready to count their blessings, the luxury brand’s new line of overpriced everyday objects will have them tallying the zeros on the price tag instead.

By Cara Salpini • Nov. 10, 2017