21% of oversized online purchases arrive damaged

Not even Amazon has solved the challenge of shipping oversized items, creating a logistics opportunity for other retailers, according to a report from uShip.

By Dan Alaimo • Aug. 27, 2018

Children's Place sales jump 20% as it preys on competitors

CEO Jane Elfers signaled to Gymboree and just about every other seller of children's apparel that the retailer is coming for their market share. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Aug. 24, 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

Amazon's fakes problem hits lower-priced brands hardest

While upscale brands often cry foul about knockoffs, low- and mid-priced brands sold through Amazon's marketplace are prime targets, according to research from Gartner L2.

By Daphne Howland • Updated Aug. 24, 2018

Alexa Fund Fellowship now includes 18 universities

Amazon is helping conversational AI research efforts at the university level, adding more schools to its Alexa Fund Fellowship.

By Dan O'Shea • Aug. 23, 2018

Forever 21 visual search tool boosted purchase value by 20%

The fast-fashion retailer has debuted, and quickly expanded, an AI-based visual search and navigation tool for its mobile and e-commerce business.

By Dan Alaimo • Aug. 23, 2018

REI doubles down on used gear sales

The outdoor gear retailer is expanding its commitment to the resale revolution, which has exploded in recent years thanks to e-commerce.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 23, 2018

Serta Simmons merging with mattress startup Tuft & Needle

Big players in the sleep space are increasingly investing in the startups that have seriously challenged them in recent years.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 22, 2018

Nordstrom tackles its 'last frontier' with new omnichannel hub

Executives said the company will open a new distribution center in California next year as it vies to create a 'seamless ecosystem' for shoppers.

By Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 21, 2018

West Elm and Leesa take their partnership overseas

Casper isn't the only mattress startup stoking sales, as the market continues to toss and turn.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 17, 2018

Most back-to-school shoppers shifting spend back to stores

Over 70% of parents plan to shop more at physical stores than online, due to the touch-and-feel nature of clothing and better in-store experiences, a Morning Consult study found.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 17, 2018

Alexa-Cortana voice integration speaks its first words

In an increasingly competitive space, the two tech giants just took a big step toward bolstering their competitive positions with an Alexa-Cortana collaboration.

By Dan Alaimo • Aug. 16, 2018

Kohl's brings Amazon returns to 21 more stores

The unlikely partnership has turned out to be a boon for Kohl's, and makes the expensive problem of online returns much more efficient for Amazon.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 16, 2018

Wayfair draws up interior design services

The new services challenge similar offerings from The Home Depot and Target, and could help the furniture retailer fuel more sales as profits remain elusive.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 16, 2018

Subscriptions demonstrate momentum — but also pitfalls

A surprising number of people signing up for beauty, clothing and meal kit subscriptions feel guilty about it, so there's a lot of pressure on retailers to demonstrate their value. 

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 16, 2018

EBay releases Image Search API to developers

The online marketplace committed to focus on technology in 2018, and its latest news shows progress on creating and releasing more APIs for the developer community.

By Dan O'Shea • Aug. 15, 2018

Sam's Club to retrofit closed store into e-commerce fulfillment center

The retailer plans to convert a total of 12 shuttered stores into online distribution hubs, as it continues to expect e-commerce sales growth.

By Shefali Kapadia • Aug. 15, 2018

Has e-commerce changed back-to-school shopping?

The second-largest shopping season of the year requires retailers to adapt their logistics and fulfillment strategies.

By Deborah Abrams Kaplan • Aug. 15, 2018

87% of shoppers now begin product searches online

Brick-and-mortar can survive and thrive as marketplaces grow, but retailers must respond to the imperatives of the new shopper-first digital world, according to a new report.

By Dan Alaimo • Aug. 15, 2018

H&M powers up new website, mobile app

The apparel company made good on its pledge to intensify e-commerce efforts, unveiling a new website and mobile app.

By Dan O'Shea • Aug. 14, 2018

Most shoppers abandon their purchase if checkout is too hard

A recent study by Splitit found that over 87% of online customers are willing to drop their cart if it's too difficult to purchase, and 55% would never return.

By Jacqueline Renfrow • Aug. 13, 2018

10 Amazon myths examined

The e-commerce giant has a reputation as the retail bogeyman, but which tales are true and which ones are exaggerated?

By Corinne Ruff , Ben Unglesbee , Laura Heller , Cara Salpini • Updated Aug. 15, 2018

Walmart easing marketplace returns

More Amazon marketplace sellers hope to diversify by selling through Walmart, and making returns cheaper could stoke that.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 10, 2018

Party City to test sales on Amazon

The retailer is timing the pilot ahead of Halloween, when it garners 25% of its sales, and expects to expand throughout the year.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 10, 2018

Bark hoping for a bite at Urban Outfitters

The pet supplies retailer inks its second partnership with a national brick-and-mortar retailer, a year after tying up with Target.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 9, 2018

Wayfair unleashes mixed-reality shopping

The online furniture retailer takes home design one step further with a program that virtually moves furniture into consumer homes.

By Jacqueline Renfrow • Aug. 9, 2018