Competition is stiff in $5B meal kit delivery market

Blue Apron’s subdued IPO has more to do with the intense competition in meal kit delivery, recently stoked by Amazon, than declining consumer interest.

By Daphne Howland • July 18, 2017

Forrester: 5.5B mobile users globally by 2022

Mobile is becoming impossible for retailers and brands to ignore, as mobile users are expected to number more than 5.5 billion worldwide in five years.

By Dan O'Shea • July 17, 2017

Explore the Trendline➔

How retailers are deploying in-store technology

Payment systems, self-checkout stations and home visualization tech are just a few of the areas getting attention from retailers as they rethink the store experience.

By Retail Dive staff

Why retailers are going all in on subscription services

Stitch Fix, Amazon Prime Wardrobe, Trunk Club, Rent the Runway and a growing list of subscription services streamline shopping for busy customers, but not every brand has the right formula.

By Lara Ewen • July 17, 2017

Study: 80% of Gen Z purchases influenced by social media

Over 80% of the younger generation says social media influences their shopping behavior, particularly on mobile.

By Cara Salpini • July 17, 2017

Famous Footwear parent taps retail veteran for men's brands

Caleres has tapped Malcolm Robinson as president of the new division.

By Daphne Howland • July 17, 2017

American Eagle sells denim hijab to reach a growing niche

The move demonstrates the potential of stylish Muslim women and girls as a profit center for retailers. 

By Daphne Howland • July 17, 2017

Amazon Echo/Alexa chief departs after nearly 2 decades at the company

Mike George, who has been with the company since 1998, is stepping down just as the smart assistant and its devices begin to see explosive growth.

By Dan O'Shea • July 16, 2017

College students boost back-to-school spending to $83.6B

That's the second-highest spending level on record with an earlier start to the shopping season, according to NRF's annual survey.

By Daphne Howland • July 14, 2017

J.C. Penney gets aggressive with new toy shops, expands assortment

The effort is an attempt to drive traffic to the department stores and poses a challenge to toy retailers like Toys "R" Us.

By Daphne Howland • July 14, 2017

Retail Therapy: These jeans will make you see double… waistbands

Shopbop's uniquely styled denim comes with seven pockets, two waistbands and one burning image we can't erase.

By Cara Salpini • July 13, 2017

Consumers bump up confidence in June

That should be good news for retailers, but it's not translating to much additional spending, analysts say.

By Daphne Howland • July 13, 2017

Back-to-school spending to remain flat at $27B

But families are spending more at mass merchants and off-price retailers, leaving department stores and specialty retailers behind.

By Daphne Howland • July 13, 2017

Can Backstage attract shoppers to Macy's mall stores?

As the department store pushes ahead on off-price concepts, experts say there's a fine line between attracting new shoppers and heading too down market.

By Laura Heller • July 12, 2017

Apple brings smart home experiences to stores

The company is priming customers with interactive demonstrations for the release later this year of its HomePod smart home hub.

By Dan O'Shea • July 12, 2017

On Prime Day, in Alexa we trust... sort of

Roughly 77% of Amazon customers who have ordered products through Alexa say they checked Amazon to make sure the order was placed correctly.

By Dan O'Shea • July 11, 2017

Report: Amazon set to wage war on Best Buy's Geek Squad

The e-commerce giant appears to be getting into the business of helping households plan and install tech products.

By Dan O'Shea • July 10, 2017

Shipments of self-checkout terminals hit record in 2016

Amid Amazon Go and the transition to line-less retail checkout process, self-checkout terminals continue to see greater demand.

By Dan O'Shea • July 9, 2017

Study: Gen Z more likely than millennials to buy luxury brands

While millennials prefer discount stores, Gen Z is willing to pay more for upscale brands, and it isn't giving much love to chains like Target and Walgreens.

By Cara Salpini • July 7, 2017

West Elm taps Pinterest images for product recommendations

The West Elm Pinterest Style Finder aims to give the retailer's customers an easy way to shop using Pinterest board images as inspiration.

By Dan O'Shea • July 6, 2017

Alibaba to launch an Alexa-like virtual assistant

Alibaba is rolling out its own home speaker and virtual assistant just in time to join an increasingly crowded marketplace. 

By Dan O'Shea • July 6, 2017

Retail Therapy: The French shaming of Amazon Go

Monoprix mocked the e-commerce giant’s checkout-free tech in a parody video. Meanwhile, Sam’s Club got dunked on social media for its maxi pad pool float.

By Cara Salpini • July 6, 2017

Moby-Mart gives mobile commerce a whole new meaning

A store on wheels that doesn't need cashiers — or even a driver — is stirring great interest based on a single beta model operating in China.

By Dan O'Shea • July 6, 2017

Best Buy poised to dethrone Sears in appliance sales

As in so many other sectors, Sears is falling out of competition in the appliances market, but is eyeing a new way to boost sales.

By Dan O'Shea • July 5, 2017

Loyalty growth slows due to lackluster rewards

While overall consumer enrollment has increased, low-return loyalty programs are causing members to abandon ship.

By Cara Salpini • July 5, 2017

Adidas fortifies content-and-commerce mix with silent auction

The collection of custom Boost the Nation sneakers was curated by Refinery29 with featured designs representing each state.

By David Kirkpatrick • July 5, 2017