J. Crew sales slide amid 'challenging traffic environment'

Its Madewell brand fared better, but will its flagship brand ever return to its reputation for a long-lasting, classic style?

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 1, 2016

Report: Nine West considers restructuring as debt reaches $1.7B

As teen apparel retailer Aeropostale struggles to keep stores open, another brand owned by private equity firm Sycamore Partners is on the brink.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 1, 2016

Bankrupt Sports Authority wins fight to award senior execs $1.5M bonus

Judge Mary Walrath blocked Sports Authority's earlier proposal to distribute $2.85 million in executive bonus payouts, but reversed course Wednesday.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 1, 2016

Report: Last-gasp bid could save Aeropostale from liquidation

Landlords, liquidators and licensing firm Authentic Brands Group are uniting on a surprise $243.3 million joint bid for the bankrupt teen apparel retailer.

By Jason Ankeny • Aug. 31, 2016

Embattled Sears brings back house paint sales, Kmart courts millennials

Four years after halting house paint sales, Sears is reintroducing its Weatherbeater exterior and Easy Living interior brands, also producing paint under the Craftsman brand for the first time.  

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 31, 2016

Office Depot expanding FedEx shipping services to all US stores

The companies will team to offer early morning, late evening and Sunday drop-off options in many locations. Office Depot associates also will prepare packages (including shipping documents) for customers.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 31, 2016

Uber poaches Target CMO

Jeff Jones joined Target in 2012 under former CEO Gregg Steinhafel, who resigned following a massive data breach.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 31, 2016

Wayfair snaps up Snapchat-like startup Trumpit

Trumpit's mobile messaging app could be plugged into to Wayfair's customer support efforts to allow shoppers to exchange photos and videos with staffers.

By Dan O'Shea • Aug. 30, 2016

Why Amazon isn't losing sleep over the Wal-Mart/Jet deal

Experts say Wal-Mart's $3.3 billion acquisition of the e-commerce phenom does not pose a serious threat to Amazon's web supremacy. But that doesn't mean Amazon is invulnerable.  

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 30, 2016

6 retailers that went bankrupt and never recovered — and lessons from their demises

Whether they missed the beat on major trends or chose the wrong investors, retailers from Borders to Mervyn's met their match

By Corinne Ruff • Aug. 30, 2016

Abercrombie & Fitch suffers 14th straight quarterly sales tumble

Observers question whether the teen apparel retailer's efforts to appeal to older shoppers will ever pay off.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 30, 2016

J. Crew to sell women's apparel via Nordstrom

Brands like Coach and Ralph Lauren are pulling back from department stores, but after a successful partnership with its Madewell brand, J. Crew is going all in.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 30, 2016

Consumer spending climbs for fourth consecutive month

Healthy spending and wage increases bode well for the third quarter and the holiday shopping season, but retailers continue to face challenges.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 30, 2016

Aeropostale facing liquidation after losing Versa lifeline

With private equity firm Sycamore Partners allowed to leverage its loan to bid at auction Monday, the bankrupt teen apparel retailer has little room to maneuver.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 29, 2016

Study: Macy's likely to shutter most stores in Midwest

One expert told Retail Dive the department store is likely to become a smaller chain, with strongholds in New York and the western U.S.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 29, 2016

Dollar General vows aggressive pricing to boost store traffic

The dollar store retailer made it clear that it understands its place in the retail landscape: Catering to households with little wiggle room in their budgets.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 26, 2016

Ulta shares fall despite Q2 earnings beat

Second quarter same-store sales rose 14.4%, and e-commerce sales increased 54.9%.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 26, 2016

J.C. Penney moves in on malls as others flee

Sears and Macy’s are closing stores and exiting malls, leaving J.C. Penney in prime position to negotiate rents as landlords' most valuable anchor.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 26, 2016

Amazon includes Chicago in brick-and-mortar bookstore plans

The store will be located in Southport Corridor, one of the city's most fashionable neighborhoods.

By Dan O'Shea • Aug. 25, 2016

Why more and more retailers are outsourcing their IT

In outsourcing, retailers can experiment with a multitude of technologies to reinvent their businesses for the omnichannel era.

By Dan O'Shea • Aug. 25, 2016

Dollar General, Dollar Tree tumble as competition heats up

The discount retailers once seemed immune to a tough retail environment, but they’re showing increasing strain.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 25, 2016

Sears losses mount in Q2, CEO to lend $300M

Same-store sales at Kmart and Sears dropped again, by 3.3% and 7% respectively, and the retailer is getting another infusion from Edward Lampert's hedge fund.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 25, 2016

US trustee: Sports Authority's executive bonus plan is 'unseemly'

The bankrupt retailer insists it needs up to $1.5 million to pay executives to wind down operations, but the government watchdog says not so fast.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 25, 2016

Report: New national sales tax plan set to clarify online retail rules

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte is poised to introduce a new legal framework for cross-border tax sales following years of debate on the issue.

By Dan O'Shea • Aug. 24, 2016

Forest City looks to downsize retail portfolio

The company, which converted to a REIT in January, announced it's shifting its focus to core urban markets and products.

By Daphne Howland • Aug. 24, 2016