Department Stores

  • 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
  • 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
  • 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
  • Gray clouds over a Kohl's store, with an entrance to Sephora.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Foot Locker vet to lead operations at Kohl’s

    Elliott Rodgers, who also spent more than eight years in leadership roles at Ulta, joins the struggling department store in September.

    By • June 16, 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 prices ‘hundreds of items’ below $20 for summer sale

    The event, which runs June 23 through June 28, will also offer free shipping on online orders, as the department store spotlights value.

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • June 11, 2026
  • Adidas at Nordstrom
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    Courtesy of Nordstrom
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    Nordstrom, Adidas team up for World Cup style

    The partnership will be featured in 35 of the department store’s locations, including at The Corner at its NYC flagship.

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • June 11, 2026
  • A person on an escalator inside a colorful building interior
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Saks Global faces pivotal year as court approves bankruptcy exit plans

    The company will slash debt by 75%, get $500 million in new financing and aim for $9 billion in GMV by 2030. But now customers need to come back.

    By • June 8, 2026
  • A massive downtown department store building.
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    "Exterior view of historic Neiman Marcus flagship store in Dallas, Texas as seen from Commerce Street." by Dfwcre8tive is licensed under CC BY 3.0
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    Downtown Dallas Neiman Marcus to close for good, after all

    Saks Global decided to close the century-old store over a year ago, but city leaders waged a war of words and won a reprieve.

    By • June 3, 2026
  • A display at Macy's Flower Show in Chicago.
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    Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive
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    Macy’s revamped half its stores and customers followed

    As it improves merchandising and customer experience at 200-plus stores, some analysts now see the department store taking share from weaker rivals.

    By • June 3, 2026
  • Belk's recent collaboration with Sewing Down South
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    Courtesy of Belk
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    Inside Belk’s latest collaboration with Sewing Down South

    The third iteration of their partnership includes an expansion into jewelry and the return of a pop-up store in Charleston, South Carolina.

    By • June 3, 2026
  • The interior entrance to a JC Penney mall store, with fronds of a plant in the foreground.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    J.C. Penney rebound stalls in the holiday quarter

    The department store made some strides in its turnaround last year but ended fiscal 2025 with weakness on the top and bottom lines.

    By • June 1, 2026
  • A red Burlington storefront says "ladies, mens, kids, baby, home, coats," as clouds billow overhead in a bright blue sky.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Column

    The Weekly Closeout: Burlington plots store openings, Mattel expands Brick Shop

    The off-price retailer plans to open over 100 new locations this year, while the toy company debuted new brick sets featuring Lamborghini and Chevrolet.

    By Retail Dive Staff • May 29, 2026