Amazon's shipping ambitions wreak havoc on Q3 results

Amazon reported third quarter net sales of $32.7 billion, up 29%, but surging shipping costs and other expenses resulted in an unexpected profit miss.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 27, 2016

Deloitte: Retailers to see record web traffic over holidays

Fewer people this year plan to visit big-box retailers, malls and smaller, independent merchants.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 27, 2016

Explore the Trendline➔

The direct-to-consumer landscape in retail

More mature brands are pursuing exit strategies and expanding their reach, while traditional retailers are increasingly shifting to a DTC model.

By Retail Dive staff

Trade groups lobby for Alibaba's return to USTR Notorious Markets list

Counterfeit sales are at “crisis levels,” according to a letter signed by 18 trade groups from across North America, Europe and Asia.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 27, 2016

MasterCard getting into AI game with chatbots for merchants, banks

Consumers will be able to shop and process transactions on messaging platforms, and check out with the Masterpass digital wallet, all through a merchant's bot.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 26, 2016

Amazon adds Dash Buttons for 60 more brands

There are now more than 200 different Dash Buttons available, and Amazon claims sales through the one-touch automated ordering program have increased by five times over the last year.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 25, 2016

Returns: Meeting customer expectations and inventory challenges

In a competitive omnichannel environment, retailers are racing to keep up with customer expectations. Returns are greater for online retailers, placing a premium on an effective returns process and policy.

Oct. 25, 2016

PayPal adds new payment features through Facebook Messenger

The payments company will make it easier for consumers to link their PayPal accounts to the social networking giant's services.  

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 24, 2016

Cyberattacks knock out Etsy, Shopify, others as e-commerce security fears mount

Hacker group New World Hackers unloaded 1.2 trillion bits of data traffic on web domain company Dyn's servers, making its customers' sites crash.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 23, 2016

Apple alleges Amazon sold counterfeit products in lawsuit

Some 90% of Apple products provided by vendor Mobile Star were counterfeit, according to court documents in a lawsuit filed in Northern California.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 21, 2016

Wal-Mart doubles down on Chinese e-commerce with same-day delivery bet

Ahead of Singles Day, the retail giant expanded its Chinese presence with a $50 million investment in grocery and same-day delivery company New Dada.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 21, 2016

Alibaba launches 'Singles Day' promotions three weeks early

The Chinese e-commerce giant, which raked in $14 billion last year, is setting the stage for another blockbuster holiday.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 20, 2016

EBay debuts chatbot for Facebook Messenger

The e-commerce platform wants its new shopping assistant to learn how to find the right products from live customer search queries.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 18, 2016

Walgreens introduces click-and-collect option

The drugstore retailer is also sweetening the deal by offering free shipping with no minimum for online orders picked up in its stores.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 18, 2016

EBay launches Collective curated antiques, art marketplace

The effort uses visual search artificial intelligence and image recognition technologies to curate products on an interactive platform.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 17, 2016

Everlane mulling brick and mortar efforts

A growing number of pure-play e-commerce darlings including Warby Parker and Bonobos are opening physical stores to boost sales and brand recognition.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 17, 2016

Instacart revives online tipping following customer outcry

The grocery delivery service eliminated tipping capabilities last month in an effort to increase and guarantee shoppers consistent earnings per delivery.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 16, 2016

Alibaba CEO: Pure-play e-commerce faces 'tremendous challenges'

China’s largest e-commerce firm is taking steps to upgrade its retail businesses and targeting efficiency gains across product manufacturing, distribution and service.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 13, 2016

Pinterest touts 150M monthly users, marketing enhancements

The social media site has been working diligently to prove its worth to marketers ahead of a widely anticipated initial public offering.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 13, 2016

Researcher: Thousands of shopping sites hacked, card data skimmed

Multiple culprits likely were able to skim credit cards used at online stores run by retailers, consumer brands, automakers, government entities and other parties.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 13, 2016

Amazon adds toys to Alexa's repertoire in time for holiday shopping

Consumers can now use the Alexa voice-activated virtual assistant software to shop for toys available through Amazon Prime.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 13, 2016

Salvatore Ferragamo launches shoppable collection online

The Italian footwear and apparel label tapped Rose Gilroy to model a "shop the look" feature on its website, which allows shoppers to see-now, buy-now.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 13, 2016

Crate and Barrel turns to tablets to enhance in-store experience

Customers are given a store-provided Mobile Tote for scanning product barcodes for more information, as well as searching items and adding them to a wishlist.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 11, 2016

GE unveils dishwasher integrated with Amazon Dash Replenishment

The dishwasher tracks detergent pod usage by counting wash cycles, and when the supply runs low, it automatically reorders more.

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 11, 2016

How mobile is transforming product search — and why voice may be next

Often overshadowed by flashier digital innovations, search remains the foundation of online shopper satisfaction. But search deficiencies on mobile are leaving customers feeling lost.

By Jason Ankeny • Oct. 11, 2016

Wall Street warms to Wal-Mart's shift to e-commerce

Wal-Mart is earmarking $11 billion in capital spending to boost online sales while drastically slowing down the number of new physical stores it will open.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 11, 2016