J.C. Penney taps 'Blackish' star for holiday collection

The discount retailer is turning to fashion icon Tracee Ellis Ross to boost lackluster apparel sales.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 11, 2017

Why paper catalogs still matter

The paper catalog was the internet before the internet. While the sheer volume of mailers has declined over the past 10 years, savvy retailers are still using catalogs to push their brands — and make sales.

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 6, 2017

Explore the Trendline➔

The state of holiday shopping and the consumer

Consumers are signaling they want value when it comes to quality, convenience and experiences. 

By Retail Dive staff

Sears borrows $100M (more) from Eddie Lampert's hedge fund

The company's CEO has extended his financial lifeline to the retailer through ESL Investments — the question on everyone's mind is how much longer can he, or will he, keep doing that?

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 6, 2017

7 ways to get ready for Singles Day and the Chinese marketplace

The shopping holiday presents large opportunities, but China comes with unique challenges. Lindsey Grossman of Stripe breaks down how to get started.

By Lindsey Grossman • Oct. 6, 2017

What retailers should know about mobile shoppers for the holidays

Ready or not, here they come. Nearly 60% of mobile-first shoppers start their holiday shopping between October and mid-November, according to a new study.

By Corinne Ruff • Oct. 5, 2017

What does seasonal hiring look like in 2017?

Upfront investment in employee training and better technology can help employers set themselves apart in a tough talent market.

By Kathryn Moody • Oct. 5, 2017

Holiday sales growth dependent on high-income, online shoppers

A huge majority of holiday shoppers will head to stores, according to PwC while the NRF expects seasonal sales to increase nearly 4%.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 4, 2017

Toys R Us bankruptcy to boost Amazon toy sales

Judging from the online giant's massive toy sales last year, the retailer is poised to benefit from Toys R Us' problems, according to a new report from Jeffries.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 2, 2017

Online hijacking threatens retailers’ holiday plans

The growing problem, which involves unauthorized ads appearing on retailer websites to steal clicks and revenue, is set to peak this holiday season, according to a new report. 

By Dan O'Shea • Oct. 2, 2017

More retailers opt to close this Thanksgiving

A minority of Americans favor Thanksgiving openings and 60% disapprove of it, according to an early holiday report.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 2, 2017

Decking the halls and creating the holiday mood

Brands often overlook the atmospheric elements of the in-store experience, but everything from music to fragrance to visuals can have a serious impact on how holiday shoppers feel while in stores — and how much they spend. 

By Cara Salpini • Sept. 29, 2017

Amazon reimagines Echo and expands device family

The e-commerce giant announced six new, voice-enabled products, including a much-anticipated revamped version of the original Echo smart speaker.

By Dan O'Shea • Sept. 28, 2017

Retailers prep for the holidays with new e-commerce services

Radial meets the holiday rush head on with a new suite of services to help e-commerce retailers do more for their customers.

By Dan O'Shea • Sept. 28, 2017

Voice, mobile and e-commerce to drive healthy holiday shopping season

While nearly 75% of consumers plan to do the majority of their shopping in physical stores, digital channels will play a critical role in product research.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 28, 2017

Study: Cyber Monday now more popular than Black Friday

Analytics firm Euclid found that holiday shoppers are most excited about the online holiday this year as the popularity of e-commerce continues to grow.

By Cara Salpini • Sept. 27, 2017

Millennials will hit the stores this holiday season

It’s baby boomers who are more likely to buy online, according to a study from consumer engagement firm First Insight.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 26, 2017

Walmart revives JetCash for the holidays

The big-box retailer is bringing back the program, which appeared to be shuttered in May, by offering customers 5% cash back on orders placed in September and October.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 26, 2017

UPDATE: Bankrupt Toys R Us secures financing, begins holiday hiring

The timing of the company's recent Chapter 11 filing is the worst possible scenario for any retailer, much less one so dependent on holiday sales.

By Daphne Howland, Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 26, 2017

BJ's aims to turn holiday party stress into sales

A study commissioned by the warehouse club retailer notes all the many woes of the holiday party host that the company hopes could be reasons to shop at its stores.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 25, 2017

Halloween spending to reach record $9.1B

The increase reflects growth of 8.3% over last year’s record of $8.4 billion, according to research from the NRF and Prosper Insights & Analytics.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 22, 2017

Holiday shoppers to spend 47% more on Black Friday, Cyber Monday

A study by RetailMeNot shows that the holiday shopping days are going to be bigger than ever — and the promotional period should last twice as long.

By Cara Salpini • Sept. 22, 2017

Target’s app to guide customers through stores and to deals

Using beacons and bluetooth, the big box retailer's app will start acting as an in-store GPS and also show its Cartwheel deals as customers get near them in stores.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 21, 2017

Walmart isn't hiring holiday help

In stark contrast to other retailers, Walmart is opting to stick with its holiday strategy from last year, which gives existing workers opportunities for more hours.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 21, 2017

SEO is crucial for holiday marketing

Updated holiday terminology and frequent product content pushes can go a long way in seasonal marketing, according to new research.

By Cara Salpini • Sept. 20, 2017

Holiday retail sales to rise 3.8%

A nearly 15% rise in digital sales will be a big contributor to a strong holiday quarter, according to store retail analytics firm RetailNext.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 20, 2017