Conversational Commerce: 3 trends to watch closely this holiday shopping season

Retail Dive is keeping a close watch on the battle among retailers to woo customers with voice ordering, speedy delivery and promotions.

By Corinne Ruff • Nov. 3, 2017

Online holiday sales could hit $107B in 2017

The digital firm also expects Cyber Monday this year to be the largest online shopping day in history, rising 16.5% to generate $6.6 billion in sales.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 3, 2017

Explore the Trendline➔

How retailers can win over shoppers during the holidays

Retailers are pulling all the levers to drive loyalty during the industry’s all-important quarter.

By Retail Dive staff

Holiday shoppers slow to embrace chatbots, robots

Hype aside, 68% of consumers have never used a retail chatbot and 23% don’t even know what they are, according to an IFTTT study.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 3, 2017

Alibaba kicks off Singles Day on the heels of stellar Q2 growth

In the same week that Amazon launched Black Friday sales 50 days early, the Chinese e-commerce giant launched interactive games and a "see now, buy now" fashion show to entice shoppers during its Singles Day event.

By Corinne Ruff • Nov. 2, 2017

Amazon turns to Apple for AR shopping app

The e-commerce company's AR app pushes the envelope by giving consumers more than just furniture for their virtual viewing pleasure.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 2, 2017

Amazon launches Black Friday deals — 50 days early

The e-commerce giant is encouraging Prime members to shop with the Alexa voice assistant, an option on the Amazon app and the company's many devices.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 1, 2017

Walmart is throwing holiday parties to drive in-store traffic

Among other plans this season, the retailer is also leaving its $35 two-day free shipping minimum in place.  

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 1, 2017

Only 58% of retailers invest in tech to handle holiday sales spikes

Seasonal hiring and additional inventory may no longer be the best way to handle holiday shopping spikes, a new survey found.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 1, 2017

Best Buy to offer free holiday shipping

Fast and free shipping are table stakes these days as retailers take on Amazon, and the retailer is upping the ante by offering the perk with no minimum purchase.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 1, 2017

Macy's opens 'digital playground' at Herald Square

It’s a return, of sorts, to the department store electronics section, but it could be too little, too late for Macy’s.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 1, 2017

Sharper Image returns with Times Square pop-up

The two-story location in one of New York City's busiest shopping districts will be open seven days a week, "now through the holidays," according to the brand's Facebook page.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 1, 2017

Holiday shoppers are starting early — and online

Favorable economic conditions don't mean retailers aren't facing significant challenges heading into the fourth quarter, according to new research.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 31, 2017

J.C. Penney pins holiday hopes on Lego partnership

The department store retailer is boosting its toy assortment by 40% in stores and quadrupling it online to help brighten holiday sales.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 31, 2017

REI revamps #OptOutside

In the third year of the campaign, the outdoor retailer is launching a search engine populated with user-generated content.

By Cara Salpini • Oct. 30, 2017

Bon-Ton adds FAO Schwarz to boost holiday toy sales

The struggling department store retailer is also in talks with private equity firm Sycamore Partners to potentially sell off assets, Bloomberg reports.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 30, 2017

There’s still time to take a bite out of Halloween sales

It's not all about tricks or treats. Here's a look at what we can expect from Halloween 2017 and what retailers should be doing as the days leading to the hauntingly lucrative holiday wind down.

By Cara Salpini • Oct. 27, 2017

How to win the whole holiday season

Emily Hamilton of FRCH Design Worldwide outlines what retailers can do before, during and after the holidays.

By Emily Hamilton • Oct. 27, 2017

‘Pawn Friday’ looks to break into the gift-giving market

Pawn shops generate $6 billion annually and are an important source of fast cash for some 30 million under-banked Americans, according to mobile platform Pawn Guru.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 27, 2017

Black Friday, Cyber Monday 'neck-and-neck' this season

But consumers cite serious reasons for skipping Black Friday, including fears of crazy behavior and long lines in stores, according to a report from shopper analytics firm Field Agent.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 26, 2017

Sears revives the Wish Book holiday catalog

Given its struggles, who could blame Sears for taking a trip back in time with the revival — in print and online — of the holiday-themed book. 

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 26, 2017

Online overtakes in-store holiday spend for the first time

It's a breakthrough, but the signs have been there for a while now, according to a study by Deloitte.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 24, 2017

Target unveils mobile pay in time for the holidays

This season the mass merchant is betting that its new private label lines will balance the margin hit from its consumer goods price cuts.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 24, 2017

Toys R Us gets a head start on Black Friday

America’s most prominent toy retailer has little wiggle room this holiday season in light of last month's bankruptcy filing.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 23, 2017

Alibaba tees off Singles Day 3 weeks early

More than 140,000 brands will participate in the shopping holiday, which last year shattered expectations with $18 billion in sales.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 23, 2017

The definitive guide to generational marketing

A good marketer can kick it old school with the boomers and float the perfect hashtag to Gen Z — but what if it's time to get social with the boomers and bring Gen Zers into stores? Here's everything you need to know about marketing by generation.

By Cara Salpini • Oct. 20, 2017