The problem with selling apparel online

Two off-price retailers have said it out loud: Selling online is the most expensive, least efficient and possibly least fun way to sell clothes.

By Daphne Howland • March 11, 2020

Bluestem Brands files for Ch. 11 with plans to sell itself

The owner of the Fingerhut and Blair brands was sent into bankruptcy following a downgrade, liquidity crunch and poor holiday performance. 

By Ben Unglesbee • March 10, 2020

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

Stitch Fix spooks investors with guidance pullback

The company is touting its option allowing customers to buy directly, but some investors worry it indicates that the business is saturated.

By Daphne Howland • March 10, 2020

Un-Limited: How Les Wexner ruled retail for 6 decades

In a surprising turn, Wexner is leaving L Brands' board, cutting ties completely. Here's a timeline of the rise and fall of his empire.

By Daphne Howland , Kaarin Moore • Updated March 30, 2021

Ross to open another 100 new stores this year

The off-price retailer is all-in on brick and mortar, opening a similar number of locations each of the past two years and continuing to shun e-commerce.

By Daphne Howland • March 9, 2020

Burlington exits e-commerce to focus on brick and mortar

The off-price retailer didn't see good economics online. Now it's plotting 54 new stores as it focuses squarely on physical retail.

By Ben Unglesbee • March 6, 2020

Rent the Runway launches third subscription option

The new plan introduces a middle level of flexibility to the company's subscription offerings, which now account for three-fourths of its business.

By Daphne Howland • March 5, 2020

New bill takes aim at dangerous counterfeits

The House's SHOP SAFE Act would create new liability for online marketplaces like Amazon's and Walmart's if they don't follow certain vetting practices.

By Ben Unglesbee • March 5, 2020

New ModCloth owner talks post-Walmart rebound plans

Go Global says the brand will close FitShops and its online outlet, and will instead fashion a turnaround dependent on deep knowledge of apparel retail.

By Daphne Howland • March 3, 2020

Unions press FTC to investigate Amazon's market power

In a petition, labor groups asked the agency to examine the e-commerce giant's effect on prices, competitors and workers. 

By Ben Unglesbee • March 2, 2020

EBay introduces image tool to help sellers display better product images

The e-commerce veteran is the latest to create a tool for individual merchants and small businesses. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • March 2, 2020

Retail 'in real life'

E-commerce is always in focus at eTail West, but it's clear that these days even digital natives are in search of ways to meet customers face to face.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 28, 2020

Walmart's answer to Amazon Prime is in the works

The retailer wouldn't say what perks would be offered with the program, but it represents a departure from its previous e-commerce strategy.

By Ben Unglesbee • Feb. 28, 2020

Wayfair posts 'eyewatering' $985M loss for the year

As the company's losses continue to grow and it shovels more money into its advertising, questions loom around the future of the business.

By Caroline Jansen • Feb. 28, 2020

NRF says retail sales this year could top $3.9T despite coronavirus woes

The organization calculates growth of 3.5% to 4.1%, but some analysts warn that uncertainty around the growing pandemic could hit hard.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 28, 2020

VC firm Fifth Wall debuts $100M fund to help DTC brands enter stores

The news comes at a time when digitally natives are increasingly seeing the value in moving offline and having a physical presence.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Feb. 27, 2020

DTC's impact on marketing unlikely to cool despite slew of bad news, analysis says

GroupM's Brian Wieser ​suggests blows to would-be disruptor brands like Brandless may tell a story that's more negative than underlying trends.

By Peter Adams • Feb. 26, 2020

Raising capital: What investors look for before writing a check

When it's still just a pitch deck, how can founders make investors believe in a brand as much as they do?

By Caroline Jansen • Feb. 26, 2020

Google tops Facebook, Instagram in e-commerce activity, study finds

Google's ability to drive stronger sales and web traffic than the social giants indicates key differences in how people use the respective platforms.

By Robert Williams • Feb. 25, 2020

Target poised to be a top e-commerce player in 2020

The retailer's investments are "paying off," while Amazon still commands the lion's share of the market, according to eMarketer.

By Ben Unglesbee • Feb. 25, 2020

Startup Shogun raises $10M to help DTCs compete with Amazon

The funding will help the company give emerging retailers better digital commerce capabilities.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Feb. 24, 2020

BorderX Lab reports traffic, customer growth amid coronavirus outbreak

The company states that Chinese consumers are turning to e-commerce to buy luxury goods and essentials as the epidemic lingers.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Feb. 21, 2020

Holiday online sales reached over $137B

An eMarketer report found that total retail sales during the season exceeded $1 trillion for the first time.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Feb. 19, 2020

Walmart posts 'tepid' Q4 as toys, apparel sales fall short

The retailer missed expectations for sales during the quarter, but executives and analysts still see a strong underlying business. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Feb. 18, 2020

Bed Bath & Beyond sells keepsakes site to 1-800-Flowers for $252M

The struggling retailer bought PersonalizationMall.com in 2016 for $190 million. Analysts hailed the sale, and called for even more.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 18, 2020