REI's #OptOutside 'movement' a hit on social media

Several companies, parks, and other organizations have joined REI in opting out of Black Friday.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 24, 2015

Nordstrom, Sephora lead social media engagement in November

The chains attracted three times the actions of the next-best brands, Shareablee says.  

By Ian P. Murphy • Nov. 24, 2015

Explore the Trendline➔

A look at the 2026 holiday season

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

By Retail Dive staff

Target makes a big social media push for the holidays

The retailer appears to be taking full advantage of its social media marketing budget, which is up 30%.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 24, 2015

Early holiday ads can be effective, consumers say

Almost half of online shoppers had viewed a holiday ad by Nov. 4, according to an AYTM survey. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Nov. 24, 2015

Facebook's latest targeting segment: Holiday shoppers

Facebook’s holiday shopping ad target segment will run from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day.

By David Kirkpatrick • Nov. 23, 2015

Survey: Retailers fail to respond to 83% of social media messages

Sprout Social's latest index finds customer engagement is lacking and misplaced. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Nov. 19, 2015

Does values-based marketing really work?

Forming a values-based connection with a target audience can help strengthen customer loyalty, create brand advocates, and increase engagement. And: it sells.

By Natalia Angulo • Nov. 18, 2015

Black Friday social chatter up 20% over last year: Salesforce

Salesforce Marketing Cloud's Social Studio team is tracking conversations on social media ahead of the Black Friday shopping holiday weekend.

By Natalia Angulo • Nov. 18, 2015

Survey finds teens favor Forever 21 as top brand

Victoria's Secret, Nike, and H&M also make the top 10 spots in the survey polling teens in-the-know. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Nov. 18, 2015

Sales of Wal-Mart's Patti LaBelle pies skyrocket after viral video

Singer James Wright's video is not the stuff of corporate marketing, yet it's a marketer’s dream: fun and hugely effective.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 18, 2015

In time for the holidays, YouTube makes Shopping ads available to all

The holidays came early for advertisers: TrueView for Shopping and Shopping ads on YouTube are now both available in AdWords.

By David Kirkpatrick • Nov. 17, 2015

Survey: 93% of millennials plan to shop Black Friday or Cyber Monday

The digital-savvy demographic will webroom as the shopping season ramps up. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Nov. 17, 2015

Are Americans addicted to discounts?

Full-price retailers are suffering the effects of habits formed during recession. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Nov. 17, 2015

Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga croon for new Barnes & Noble holiday ad

The TV ad featuring Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga is the brainchild of former Barnes & Noble CEO and current Chairman Leonard Riggio.

By David Kirkpatrick • Nov. 16, 2015

Creating wish lists is now a leisure-time activity

Retailers are responding with apps that help shoppers detail their holiday wants. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Nov. 16, 2015

REI CEO's 'Ask Me Anything' on Reddit backfires

Jerry Stritzke was looking to brag about the retailer’s decision to stay closed on Black Friday, but instead heard from employees and customers complaining about its emphasis on selling memberships.

By Daphne Howland , Ian P. Murphy • Nov. 13, 2015

A year after Apple Pay, where do mobile payments stand?

While Apple Pay has sparked a movement towards mobile payments, slow EMV conversion is holding widespread adoption back.

By Ian P. Murphy • Nov. 12, 2015

Bloomingdale's apologizes for holiday ad that some say suggests 'date rape'

The Bloomingdale’s ad in question features a man and woman with the tagline "Spike Your Best Friend’s Egg Nog When They’re Not Looking."

By David Kirkpatrick • Nov. 12, 2015

J.C. Penney settles class-action suit over markdowns

The retailer will pay $50 million to shoppers in California. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Nov. 12, 2015

Instagram to amp up ads with 41 tech partners

The platform will help marketers manage campaigns and build engagement. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Nov. 11, 2015

Pinterest debuts new visual search tool

Experts say this and other recent changes are helping Pinterest secure its footing in the digital advertising space.

By David Kirkpatrick • Nov. 10, 2015

Mobile tech still a challenge for many retailers

Rapid change stymies stores looking to create a seamless customer experience between channels. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Nov. 10, 2015

How Elle is using beacons to drive retail store visits

Elle prompted 500,000 in-store visits in five weeks with its new program.

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 10, 2015

Delia's zeros in on content with new holiday catalog

The brand that was built on print delivers Gen Y lifestyle content in its new magazine-like catalog. 

By Ian P. Murphy • Nov. 10, 2015

Hallmark is going digital-only with its holiday marketing push

Part of Hallmark’s digital outreach is a Snapchat campaign with a geofiltered sponsorship.

By David Kirkpatrick • Nov. 9, 2015