Department Stores

  • Store mannequins dressed in activewear.
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    Courtesy of Kohl's
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    Kohl’s names Walmart fashion alum as chief merchant

    Ryan Waymire, who has also had merchandising roles at Wayfair, FabFitFun, Amazon and Target, will replace Nick Jones.

    By • Sept. 1, 2026
  • A Macy's storefront
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Macy’s names senior vice president of creative, production

    The retailer is bringing back former staffer Maya Dukes to lead its creative strategy as it executes on its Bold New Chapter strategy. 

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Aug. 31, 2026
  • The entrance to a mall, with a white pickup truck parked to the right. Explore the Trendline➔
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    "Dartmouth Mall, Dartmouth, Massachusetts" by JJBers is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from Retail Dive

    From Saks’ post-bankruptcy path to the impact of GLP-1s, here’s a look at the stories shaping the industry.

    By Retail Dive staff
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    Kendall Davis/Retail Dive
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    Podcast

    The Backroom: A sit-down with Ron Johnson

    The retail veteran shares his journey with Apple, the infamous stint with J.C. Penney and more ahead of the release of his memoir, “Shop Different.”

    By Retail Dive Staff • Aug. 27, 2026
  • A Sephora shop inside of Kohl's in Milwaukee
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    Courtesy of Kohl's
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    Is Sephora becoming a problem for Kohl’s?

    Sales at the beauty shop-in-shops fell for the second straight quarter, and the department store expects that to continue for the rest of the year.

    By • Aug. 26, 2026
  • The Pokemon Balloon at Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
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    Courtesy of Pokemon
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    Column

    The Weekly Closeout: Target’s home turnaround and Macy’s 100th parade countdown

    Long lead times in the category mean a rebound will take time. Meanwhile, the department store is setting its sights on its centennial Thanksgiving Day Parade.

    By Retail Dive Staff • Aug. 21, 2026
  • A brown-brick facade with a white "Kohl's" sign decorates a cream-colored building and main entrance of a store, with small trees in the foreground.
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    Courtesy of Kohl's
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    Kohl’s navigates choppy back-to-school season with another round of deals

    The department store, which is leaning on value to woo back customers, just a few weeks ago priced thousands of school supplies under $25.

    By • Aug. 19, 2026
  • A person wearing Ted by Ted Baker.
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    Courtesy of Ted by Ted Baker
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    Ted by Ted Baker debuts at Macy’s

    The Authentic-owned brand is available at the retailer’s U.S. locations and online and offers a more relaxed silhouette than the main collection, which is carried at Bloomingdale’s.

    By Lara Ewen • Aug. 19, 2026
  • A group of people standing outside pose for a photograph.
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    Courtesy of J.C. Penney
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    To lure in shoppers, J.C. Penney takes aim at off-price stores

    In a new campaign the department store touts its fashion and home assortments as affordable, but superior to the finds at discounters.

    By • Aug. 17, 2026
  • A department entrance at a mall.
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    Getty Images
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    Dillard’s gains market share

    Sales barely rose, tariff refunds padded the bottom line and customers were choosy, but the retailer held its own in Q2, analysts said.

    By • Aug. 13, 2026
  • A mall store with a "JC Penney" banner in white letters on a wood-paneled background.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Private equity firm tries again to buy 100-plus J.C. Penney stores

    Onyx Partners, whose previous bid fell through, is offering $934 million for the properties.

    By • Aug. 3, 2026
  • People walking by stores and crossing the street in a city, with a small red car in a wide crosswalk.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Column

    The Weekly Closeout: Macy’s disappearing billboard and Reformation’s IPO

    The department store’s iconic sign in Herald Square was taken down. Meanwhile, the apparel retailer went public on the low end of its price range.

    By Retail Dive Staff • July 31, 2026
  • Gray clouds over a Kohl's store, with an entrance to Sephora.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Kohl’s debuts AI shopping assistant

    What started as a Mother’s Day Gift Finder has evolved into a digital shopping assistant that aids with product discovery. 

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • July 30, 2026
  • Dark clouds over a store entrance. A brick-red exterior wall with a "Kohl's" sign.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Kohl’s board chair exits

    John Schlifske announced his retirement and director Wendy Arlin has stepped into the role. 

    By • July 30, 2026
  • Puffy clouds and green trees frame a suburban department store building.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Lord & Taylor revives private label strategy

    The Heritage Collection is being sold on the retailer’s website and could end up at off-price retailers and global boutiques via licensing or wholesale.

    By • July 20, 2026
  • A person walks past a beauty spa.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Macy’s Inc. taps Kering Beauté exec to lead Bluemercury

    Alexandre Choueiri was CEO and president of the Americas, the largest region for the L'Oréal-aligned luxury beauty business.

    By • July 15, 2026
  • A department entrance on a city street.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Fashion journalist jumps to Nordstrom

    Brooke Bobb, a former Amazon Luxury Stores executive who most recently was fashion news director at Harper's Bazaar, was named fashion director at the Seattle-based department store.

    By • July 14, 2026
  • A robotic hand interacts with a human hand, surrounded by a digital interface showing a shopping cart and various icons, symbolizing AI in e-commerce.
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    Getty Images
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    Sponsored by Vistex

    Private label: Not just a price driven choice anymore

    Private labels are no longer just about price. Discover what's changed.

    By Alexandra Correa • July 13, 2026
  • A shopping mall with cars parked in the lot and a few trees.
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    "JCPenney - Great Lakes Mall, Mentor, Ohio" by Mike Kalasnik is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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    J.C. Penney declines continue in Q1 after holiday stumbles

    Losses narrowed, though, and the department store’s backing from Catalyst Brands gives it some breathing room.

    By • July 10, 2026
  • Kohl's Deal Bar
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    Permission granted by Kohl's
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    Kohl’s prices thousands of back-to-school items under $25 as consumers look for deals

    The season could be a critical test for the struggling department store, whose years-long turnaround has failed to gain much traction.

    By • July 8, 2026
  • A downtown department store building
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Nordstrom teases retail’s other big summer sale

    The department store’s annual event differs from most because it features discounts on merchandise set to drop in the fall.

    By • July 7, 2026
  • People walking past a city department store building.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Saks parent reduces debt to under $1B

    However, several aspects of Exemplar Luxury Group’s post-bankruptcy financing complicate matters and increase its burden, analysts say.

    By • July 2, 2026
  • A person filling up their car at a gas pump.
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    Getty Images
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    Amazon, J.C. Penney dangle gas-related deals ahead of July 4

    At the e-commerce giant, the savings are only for Prime members, while at the department store customers can trade a gas receipt for $10 off.

    By • June 30, 2026
  • A Saks store in Chicago.
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    Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive
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    Saks Global exits Chapter 11 as ‘Exemplar Luxury Group.’ Here are 5 other things it dumped along the way

    The luxury retailer is starting over with a new name and fewer burdens, including less debt and a smaller footprint.

    By • Updated July 2, 2026
  • A white JC Penney store with a red roof.
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    Courtesy of J.C. Penney
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    J.C. Penney, Aéropostale link loyalty programs

    Customers who shop at both retailers can earn points to redeem at either one. Both companies are part of the Catalyst Brands portfolio.

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • June 26, 2026
  • FAO Schwarz at Nordstrom in New York City.
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    Courtesy of Nordstrom
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    FAO Schwarz opens NYC location for the first time in 100 years — this time in Nordstrom

    The toy company's second New York store is part of a broader partnership that will see FAO Schwarz products in all Nordstrom stores later this year.

    By • June 25, 2026