Zappos wants to make Leap Day a national holiday

The company gave all of its 1,600 employees Feb. 29 off, including those at its 24-hour, seven-days-a-week call center.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 29, 2016

J.C. Penney's luxury it can now afford: paying down debt

In its earnings report last week, the rebounding retailer put an emphasis on cost-trimming and debt reduction.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 29, 2016

Wal-Mart to train store managers in new customer service academies

The move comes as the retailer is spending $1 billion on boosting wages and training for workers. 

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 29, 2016

WSJ: Alibaba seeking $4b to expand

Unnamed sources say the Chinese e-commerce giant has plans to expand in part through acquisitions, building on its billion-dollar efforts last year.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 26, 2016

Shopgate promotes Biel to CEO

The mobile commerce startup is readying for a major expansion upon its imminent move to Austin, TX.  

By Ian P. Murphy • Feb. 26, 2016

Gap hit by style and quality missteps in fourth quarter

The retailer's full-year profit forecast also underwhelmed Wall Street, with shares falling on the news. 

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 26, 2016

Sears CEO faces down critics in annual letter

Eddie Lampert gave investors, employees, and customers a piece of his mind Thursday, calling criticism of Sears "unfair."

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 26, 2016

J.C. Penney delivers elusive retail success in Q4

The results show that J.C. Penney’s turnaround may have gained some momentum under new CEO Marvin Ellison.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 26, 2016

AppCard attracts $20m in venture funding

The loyalty program provider is targeting smaller retailers with a mobile-enhanced system. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Feb. 26, 2016

Kohl's to close stores, cautions of full-year sales decline

The retailer also said it would test smaller-format stores in seven U.S. cities, expand its off-price pilot, and open 12 Fila outlet stores nationwide.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 25, 2016

Sears loss widens on competitive holiday season

The retailer says it will continue to scale back and focus on its Shop Your Way membership program, but cost-cutting could impede efforts to improve stores and apparel.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 25, 2016

UPS adds to Deliv $28M Series B round

The same-day delivery startup is expanding its crowd-sourced, scheduled delivery services nationwide, including its partnership with Macy’s.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 25, 2016

Study: Off-price stores actually help, don't hurt flagship brands

Research from the University of Texas at Dallas found that off-price stores could be a gateway to flagship stores for price-sensitive shoppers.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 25, 2016

Report: Sports Authority could file for bankruptcy next month

Sports Authority, buckling under debt and missing payments, could close many of its 450 U.S. stores by then.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 25, 2016

J.C. Penney to offer one-cent deals

The "Get Your Penney's Worth" campaign emphasizes store brands. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Feb. 24, 2016

Stitch Fix readies menswear service

The company is beta testing to reveal what men want in a tech-enabled personal shopping service.  

By Ian P. Murphy • Feb. 24, 2016

TJX credits healthy store traffic for Q4 sales, profit increases

The off-price retailer seems to be weathering the departure of longtime CEO Carol Meyrowitz just fine.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 24, 2016

Target's turnaround shows progress in Q4

The retailer also posted a noticeable 34% rise in e-commerce sales, trumping Wal-Mart's 8% growth in the same quarter.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 24, 2016

Ikea is finding India alluring, but difficult

India is turning retailers’ heads thanks to its favorable demographics, but the country’s local sourcing requirements are causing headaches.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 24, 2016

Nielsen readies new e-commerce measurement

Product will tap actual sales data on CPG brands from retailers such as Target. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Feb. 24, 2016

Report: Customer satisfaction with retailers dips

But there’s a story in the numbers: Those retailers with better customer service at “pain points” like checkout fared better this year.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 24, 2016

Malls are getting creative as more anchors drop

The American mall is becoming more of a mixed-used, less retail-heavy place to spend time, as mall owners are forced to replace major tenants.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 24, 2016

Under Armour shows off US women's gymnastics team in new ad

The 90-second spot shows the U.S. women's gymnastics team in training, day and night. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Feb. 24, 2016

Colorado's 'Amazon tax' gets a legal thumbs up

The ruling gives Colorado the go-ahead to collect sales tax from online orders, even if a retailer has no physical store in the state. 

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 23, 2016

Macy's reports mixed Q4 with less-than-expected sales drop

January’s cold weather helped lift the iconic retailer’s sales somewhat, but its long-term prospects remain hard to predict in a tough retail environment.

By Daphne Howland • Feb. 23, 2016