Walmart to pilot Alphabot robotics for grocery pickup

The robots will operate in a 20,000-square-foot supercenter addition that will serve as a mini-warehouse of grocery products and an order pickup point.

By Dan Alaimo • Aug. 6, 2018

Algorithms feeding unsustainable price cuts online

Machines are noting, matching and beating online prices, but they're not paying attention to the consequences, according to new Profitero research.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 6, 2018

Explore the Trendline➔

What's shaping the e-commerce landscape?

From pivots in digital strategies to challenges retailers must overcome with reverse logistics, here are some of the forces shaping online retail.

By Retail Dive staff

How Poshmark’s sellers made $1B off the ‘social mall’

The mobile marketplace is performing well in apparel, but could the temptation to expand make it just another Etsy?

By Cara Salpini • Aug. 6, 2018

Starbucks, Alibaba scheme to expand coffee delivery in China

The coffee giant is working with one of the world's biggest e-commerce companies again, this time on a broad strategy to enhance its market position in China.

By Dan O'Shea • Aug. 3, 2018

Amazon, NRF forge new group to lobby around USPS

The e-commerce giant's participation in the coalition suggests it is appreciative of USPS, despite speculation that it's trying to gain control of the whole delivery network.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 3, 2018

Wayfair posts Amazon-like sales growth, and a $100M loss

The online furniture and home goods retailer is also reportedly departing from its pure-play stance with plans for a physical store in Kentucky.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 3, 2018

Blockchain to drive $164B in efficiencies for retail by 2030

Cost savings and efficiencies from blockchain will accelerate dramatically in the coming decade for retail and e-commerce, according to a new report.

By Dan Alaimo • Aug. 2, 2018

Brandless snags another $240M in investments

The private-label consumer products retailer will use the money to expand its assortment and its operations.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 2, 2018

Skip the store: Kroger unveils direct-to-consumer grocery marketplace

The company's Ship service will launch in four cities and offer more than 50,000 shelf-stable and bulk products, with free delivery on orders over $35.

By Jeff Wells • Aug. 2, 2018

A dollar of digital fraud costs merchants $2.94

A new study finds successful fraudulent transactions per month continue to increase, while the number of attempted bad transactions blocked continues to stay just ahead.

By Dan O'Shea • Aug. 1, 2018

Department store turnaround is staked on e-commerce

It's neither cheap nor easy turning around a hundred-year-old sector, but some players are managing it, according to a new report from Moody's.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 1, 2018

Zara taps into stores for e-commerce fulfillment

The fast-fashion retailer sped up fashion production and supply chain logistics years ago, and now says that all its stores in areas with e-commerce will be filling local online orders.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 1, 2018

WeWork goes to WeMRKT

Coworking conglomerate WeWork's latest move expands its community-oriented approach into retail. But why?

By Lara Ewen • July 31, 2018

The RealReal opens West Coast concept store

The luxury resale startup is making good on its plans to expand its brick and mortar operations, and its new L.A. location caters to men as well as women.

By Daphne Howland • July 31, 2018

Walmart nixes first employee-based delivery pilot, tries another

One pilot, focused on having store associates deliver packages on their way home from work, was killed "early this year," but the retail giant has already started a new one.

By Daphne Howland • July 30, 2018

Online out-of-stocks cost $22B in sales

Retailers that can't compete with Amazon's assortment and Prime-driven loyalty are more at risk of losing sales from out-of-stocks, per a new study.

By Daphne Howland • July 30, 2018

Amazon posts largest-ever quarterly profit

In the e-commerce giant's second quarter, net sales rose 39% and the company's non-retail ventures were the main drivers.

By Daphne Howland • July 27, 2018

Walmart, Waymo test driverless BOPIS service

The retailer is the latest to flirt with autonomous tech in a limited test that allows grocery shoppers to hitch a ride in a driverless vehicle to pick up orders.

By Dan O'Shea • July 26, 2018

Walmart unveils expanded baby offering

The retail giant joins Target in revamping its infant business as a major player in the space — Babies R Us — disappears from the market. 

By Daphne Howland • July 26, 2018

The RealReal snags $115M to fuel brick-and-mortar footprint

The new investment brings the luxury resale site's total to $288 million to date.

By Daphne Howland • July 26, 2018

Birchbox revamps website

The subscription beauty box retailer is struggling to keep up in an online space it helped pioneer.

By Daphne Howland • July 26, 2018

Click-and-collect ‘superconsumers’ buy more in stores

New research from OrderDynamics identifies a group of the most active online shoppers as aggressive users of all channels, including brick-and-mortar.

By Dan Alaimo • July 26, 2018

Mobile commerce startup shutters after failing to deliver

Unlike other doomed shopping apps, Grabble still has investment money that its co-founders intend to use to start another business.

By Dan Alaimo • July 25, 2018

EBay to accept Apple Pay, offer seller financing through Square

The online marketplace is broadening its payments options and looking to give its sellers more financial support.

By Dan O'Shea • July 24, 2018

How Shopify drives innovation through culture

The e-commerce company rode the wave of the retail industry's transition to digital commerce and mobile platforms. The nature of its product means the company cannot rely on short-term vision.

By Alex Hickey • July 24, 2018