A quarter of consumers have already started holiday shopping

Online spending is expected to peak in November, according to a new survey from e-commerce platform Profitero.

By Lisa Rowan • Oct. 28, 2019

Welcome back, Toys R Us. Your market is tougher than ever.

After knocking the retailer out of existence last year, Walmart, Amazon and Target took over the toy category. This holiday season, they're playing to lock down market share. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 28, 2019

Explore the Trendline➔

A look at the 2025 holiday season

From price-conscious shoppers to ever-changing tariffs, retailers have a lot to juggle this holiday season.

By Retail Dive staff

What do people want this holiday season? Gift cards

Consumers on average will spend just under $1,050 during the holidays, according to a report by the National Retail Federation. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 25, 2019

How the $160B gift card market can catch up to the modern age of retail

Retailers risk losing revenue and customers unless they upgrade the gift card experience, writes Loop Commerce CEO and co-founder Roy Erez.

By Roy Erez • Oct. 25, 2019

Shoppers to spend more than $700 during the holidays

According to a study by The NPD Group, 25% of consumers expect to shop on their smartphones this season.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 25, 2019

Retail Therapy: 7 Halloween costumes we didn't know we needed

A "sexy" college admission scandal costume and scary adorable items for dogs round out the best and worst products available.

By Caroline Jansen • Oct. 25, 2019

Target takes on Amazon with enhanced holiday fulfillment

This season, the mass merchant is spending nearly $50 million more in payroll to bulk up customer service and is adding special loyalty perks.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 24, 2019

Walmart kicks off holiday discount festivities early

The retail giant is touting its discounts across gifting categories and an expanded suite of customer services as it goes to war with Amazon.

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 24, 2019

Best Buy kicks off peak season with free next-day delivery

The company is looking to leverage its brick-and-mortar footprint and the growing popularity of buy online, pick up in-store as it heads into the holidays.

By Morgan Forde • Oct. 23, 2019

Peak holiday shopping season to shift into December this year

More than half of consumers surveyed by Deloitte plan their purchases around Cyber Monday, which falls later on the calendar this year.

By Lisa Rowan • Oct. 23, 2019

Holiday shopping kicked off in ... July?

A new survey from RetailMeNot indicates shoppers are distributing their holiday spending beyond November and December.

By Lisa Rowan • Oct. 21, 2019

Smartphones are most popular devices for online shopping, survey says

Less than a third of shoppers plan to use a desktop or laptop for purchasing, while just 16% will browse on a tablet.

By Robert Williams • Oct. 21, 2019

How much does Halloween actually matter?

This year is expected to be the third-highest in terms of sales, but the glow of potential payoff — and the threat of disappointment — haunt some retailers.

By Cara Salpini • Oct. 21, 2019

More holiday shoppers will spend at least $500 on gifts this year

How to reach holiday shoppers and how much they’ll spend varies by age and gender. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 18, 2019

Consumers pull back spending in September, snapping 6-month streak

The sales decline last month was an unpleasant surprise and hardly a good sign ahead of the holidays.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 16, 2019

Walmart relaunches online toy ‘lab’

The retail giant is once again deepening its push into the category ahead of the holiday season, as the race to fill the Toys R Us void goes into its second year. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 16, 2019

Majority of consumers to shop in-store during the holidays

Shoppers anticipate spending more than last year, with more money going toward gift cards, an ICSC report finds.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 15, 2019

Why segmentation and personalization must be part of your holiday marketing strategy

With the busiest sales time of the year approaching for most brands, it’s critical to have a holiday game plan to ensure your brand stands out in order to drive success. 

By Katie Tierney • Oct. 15, 2019

6 ways retailers can win the holidays

It's a high stakes year, as retailers have closed nearly 7,300 stores thus far and 28 retailers are facing bankruptcy in the next 12 months.

By Kaarin Moore • Oct. 14, 2019

Women plan to shop online, on mobile this holiday season

Survey results from daVinci Payments show women intend to keep holiday spending consistent with last year's.

By Lisa Rowan • Oct. 11, 2019

Retailers spent 6% less on holiday ads in 2018

Social media and digital advertising took the lead in spending growth. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 11, 2019

Walgreens partners with FedEx on returns in preparation for peak season

Customers will be able to print return labels and have packages shipped from 7,300 Walgreens locations. 

By Morgan Forde • Oct. 9, 2019

Consumers looking for 'responsible' retailers this holiday season

Eighty-five percent of shoppers will spend the same or more than last year, per Accenture's 2019 Holiday Shopping Survey.

By Lisa Rowan • Oct. 9, 2019

PwC: 54% of consumers to shop online for the holidays

Amazon continues to lead product searches, but its influence is declining, according to the report.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 8, 2019

NRF forecasts strong holiday season, despite tariffs

The retail trade association expects holiday sales to grow between 3.8% and 4.2% over last year.

By Lisa Rowan • Oct. 4, 2019