Conversational Commerce: 3 trends to watch closely this holiday shopping season

Retail Dive is keeping a close watch on the battle among retailers to woo customers with voice ordering, speedy delivery and promotions.

By Corinne Ruff • Nov. 3, 2017

Amazon ends its Fresh service in some markets

The e-tailer sent letters to customers in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, California and elsewhere informing them that access to the grocery delivery service would end Nov. 30.

By Jeff Wells • Nov. 3, 2017

Explore the Trendline➔

Gen Z and the next-generation consumer

If there's anything retailers want more than financial stability right now, it's to understand Gen Z. 

By Retail Dive staff

Holiday shoppers slow to embrace chatbots, robots

Hype aside, 68% of consumers have never used a retail chatbot and 23% don’t even know what they are, according to an IFTTT study.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 3, 2017

Retail Therapy: This Thanksgiving, let Neiman Marcus stuff the turkey … for $527

In the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas, the luxury department store quit selling regular-priced items cold turkey.

By Cara Salpini • Nov. 2, 2017

Latch beats Amazon Key to in-home deliveries in NYC

Secure deliveries to customers' houses and apartments are quickly becoming the next big thing in convenient package delivery.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 1, 2017

Personalization is still lacking and shoppers are getting frustrated

Only 22% of consumers actually find their retail shopping experience to be highly personalized, according to a recent study.  

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 31, 2017

BJ’s unveils new mobile app in latest omnichannel move

As the future ownership of the company remains an open question, the warehouse club continues to integrate its in-store and online experiences.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 31, 2017

There’s still time to take a bite out of Halloween sales

It's not all about tricks or treats. Here's a look at what we can expect from Halloween 2017 and what retailers should be doing as the days leading to the hauntingly lucrative holiday wind down.

By Cara Salpini • Oct. 27, 2017

EBay goes live with image search capabilities

Users of the online marketplace can now search for 1.1 billion site listings via image, as the visual technology becomes more popular.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 27, 2017

Home improvement sector weatherized for the retail storm

The segment will outpace wider retail for the next year or so, although the housing boom that's fueling it could turn into a drag if housing prices rise too much, according to Moody's Investors Service.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 27, 2017

Retail Therapy: The black cat of the Japanese woodworking market

As if we don't worship cats enough this season, two companies in the Fukuoka prefecture of Japan are now making them custom furniture.

By Cara Salpini • Oct. 26, 2017

How chat and voice tech are changing retail

New chat channels are emerging as a real-time alternative to e-mail, along with other technologies, but a comprehensive view matters most.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 26, 2017

Black Friday, Cyber Monday 'neck-and-neck' this season

But consumers cite serious reasons for skipping Black Friday, including fears of crazy behavior and long lines in stores, according to a report from shopper analytics firm Field Agent.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 26, 2017

Amazon puts Alexa skills behind subscription paywall

The e-commerce giant is loosening its leash on developers, letting them charge users via a subscription model for additional skill content.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 26, 2017

This $525M shopping center could be the last enclosed mall built

Located about 50 miles north of New York City, the mall represents an endangered concept as shopping preferences shift. 

By Laurie Cowin • Oct. 26, 2017

Nordstrom Rack opens second Manhattan store

The latest addition to the department store retailer's off-price fleet is larger and sports new technology such as visual search, designed to create a better omnichannel experience. 

By Lara Ewen • Oct. 26, 2017

Lord & Taylor could be the anchor to Walmart's web mall

A partnership with the upscale department store could allow the big-box retailer to tap into a wealthier market, but it also stands to dilute the brand.

By Corinne Ruff • Oct. 24, 2017

Mastercard teams up with Saks to show the future of AR shopping

Two red-hot technologies — AR and eye-scanning for payment — were featured in a demonstration at fintech conference Money 20/20 this week.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 24, 2017

Alipay banks on North American partnerships for growth

A number of new partnerships, including with JP Morgan Chase, aim to boost the number of Chinese natives paying with Alipay while traveling abroad.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 23, 2017

Most online shoppers view fraud as inevitable

But that doesn't mean they're happy about it. Nearly 60% of customers are willing to accept whatever security measures it takes to prevent fraud, according to new research.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 22, 2017

The definitive guide to generational marketing

A good marketer can kick it old school with the boomers and float the perfect hashtag to Gen Z — but what if it's time to get social with the boomers and bring Gen Zers into stores? Here's everything you need to know about marketing by generation.

By Cara Salpini • Oct. 20, 2017

Amazon holds 68% of smart speaker market share

Sales of the technology should hit 24 million by the end of 2017, but the online titan still controls the market, according to a Strategy Analytics study.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 20, 2017

Millennials turn to Pinterest, Facebook for Halloween

Roughly 65% of millennials search social media for Halloween inspiration, looking for everything from decor to costumes, according to a study by Alliance Data.

By Cara Salpini • Oct. 19, 2017

Walmart, JD.com reportedly integrating customer loyalty in China

In a challenge to Alibaba, the companies will also develop a program for JD.com to fulfill orders by relying on inventory from Walmart.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 19, 2017

Retail Therapy: Parents have to pick their poison with these costumes

Retailers have gone too far with three disturbing, offensive and downright inappropriate children’s costumes.  

By Cara Salpini • Oct. 19, 2017