School daze: Looking at this year's back-to-school retail rush

Retailers are banking on a good showing for this year’s back-to-school season, the most important time for sales after the holidays.

By Daphne Howland • July 21, 2014

Free shipping helps overcome resistance to buy

Consumers don’t want to pay for delivery unless it’s super-fast, a study finds.

By Daphne Howland • July 21, 2014

Bitcoin gains traction with two new developments

Computer retailer Dell has started to accept the virtual currency, while New York became the first state to announce bitcoin licensing rules.

By Daphne Howland • July 21, 2014

PayPal bolsters eBay's Q2 profit

Despite setbacks in Google searches and a hack earlier this year, the auction site saw strong growth in the second quarter.

By Daphne Howland • July 18, 2014

Alibaba delays IPO until September

Wall Street will have to wait a little longer for this much anticipated initial public offering. 

By Kelsey Lindsey • July 17, 2014

Could Gen Z be the end of the line for retailers?

The young generation now coming of age has creative ideas about ownership and status that could spell trouble for retailers.

By Daphne Howland • July 17, 2014

Thanks to static wages, June retail sales just okay

Economists say America's average annual wage growth of 2% is not enough to boost retail spending. 

By Daphne Howland • July 17, 2014

UPDATE: Avenue for internet 'tax fairness' bill revived in Senate

A bipartisan group in the Senate has made a last-minute move to tie the sales tax bill to one making permanent a ban on internet service taxes.

By Daphne Howland • July 17, 2014

Changes sought for part-time, pregnant workers

The issues both Congress and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission are trying to address affect many retail workers.

By Daphne Howland • July 16, 2014

Adidas victorious in World Cup efforts

The sportswear retailer sponsored both teams that competed in the final game, and saw its sales and social media activity explode during the whole tournament.

By Daphne Howland • July 16, 2014

Sears unveils fashion collection with Seventeen magazine

The retailer has launched an apparel and accessories collection curated by Seventeen and priced at under $50.

By Daphne Howland • July 16, 2014

FCC getting an earful on net neutrality rules

The record-breaking number of comments continues to grow as the comment period for proposed rule changes on net neutrality is extended to Friday.

By Daphne Howland • July 16, 2014

Sheriff's deputy arrest puts Target in a tough spot

The retailer fired an employee who reported a shoplifting incident involving a sheriff's deputy, who has now been charged weeks later.

By Daphne Howland • July 16, 2014

Just for You: The promise of retail mass customization is finally here

Mass customization has been a buzzword in retail for decades, but technology is finally making it possible.

By Daphne Howland • July 16, 2014

HarperCollins opens new e-commerce 'paths to the consumer'

The publisher is getting into the retail game, launching new e-commerce capabilities to its site.

By Daphne Howland • July 15, 2014

Apple wins, loses trademark requests

Apple failed to win a U.S. trademark for its “Touch ID,” but scored EU protection for its store layout design. 

By Daphne Howland • July 15, 2014

Is retail in a funk?

One retailer went from blaming the weather for falling sales to blaming a "retail funk" in the economy.

By Daphne Howland • July 15, 2014

Email edges out social media in driving sales

A report shows that as m-commerce increases, mobile users are also taking to other devices for shopping.

By Daphne Howland • July 14, 2014

June retail sales have both ups and downs

Retailers enjoyed the weather last month, while consumers enjoyed the discounts.

By Daphne Howland • July 14, 2014

Amazon fighting battles on two continents

The e-retailer is dealing with regulators in the U.S. and France over a variety of issues.

By Daphne Howland • July 14, 2014

Gap sees surprise slump in June sales

Same-store sales at Gap and Banana Republic failed to meet expectations.

By Daphne Howland • July 11, 2014

Abercrombie & Fitch diversity exec leaving after a decade of change

Todd Corley is leaving to concentrate on a think tank he has founded.

By Daphne Howland • July 10, 2014

Negotiations at West Coast ports delayed further

A truckers strike and other labor issues are delaying and complicating matters.

By Daphne Howland • July 10, 2014

The Container Store reports flat sales, blames 'retail funk'

The company's CEO attributed a decline in store sales to a nationwide retail slump. 

By Kelsey Lindsey • July 9, 2014

Current events create challenge for mobile wallet Isis

The company announced that it will change its name after it became caught up in a tough branding challenge due to violence in the Middle East. 

By Daphne Howland • July 9, 2014