9 trends that will define marketing in 2018

2017 was the year the industry got its much-needed wake-up call. The question now isn't whether marketers can fix a broken system, but how they'll make it better. 

By Peter Adams • Jan. 2, 2018

Kroger poised to leap-frog over Walmart, Amazon in seamless checkout

In the new year, Amazon and Walmart will have strong competition in cashier-free checkout as Kroger expands its successful "Scan Bag Go" pilot from 25 to 400 stores.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 28, 2017

Explore the Trendline➔

What's shaping the e-commerce landscape?

From pivots in digital strategies to challenges retailers must overcome with reverse logistics, here are some of the forces shaping online retail.

By Retail Dive staff

Amazon slipping in search

The priority that Google has set for mobile appears to be cutting into Amazon’s previous dominance, though the e-commerce giant still tops in search.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 28, 2017

Study: 5B pounds of retail returns end up in landfills

Returns have increased with the growth of e-commerce, and voice-enabled shopping will likely propel only more, according to a study by Optoro.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 27, 2017

Over 75% of customers want to shop through their TV

"T-commerce" could be on the rise, as customers express interest in buying items from both TV ads and shows.

By Dan O'Shea • Dec. 22, 2017

JD.com planning hundreds of unmanned stores

In the race toward automated stores, China's e-commerce titan could get the jump on Amazon, according to new reports. 

By Dan O'Shea • Dec. 21, 2017

Fraud attempts rise 30% during the holidays

Data breaches, identity theft, account takeover, phishing attacks and friendly fraud are on the rise, according to a new report. 

By Dan Alaimo • Dec. 21, 2017

ProFlowers enters chatbot frenzy with one-click buy button

​Most chatbots have suffered to deliver conversions, but one-click buying could be the answer to reducing friction and closing sales on Messenger.

By Dan O'Shea • Dec. 21, 2017

Amazon's Apple TV app breaks record for most launch-week downloads

The truce gives both companies a holiday boost, with big consumer demand for Amazon's new Apple TV app and for Apple TV products being sold on Amazon.

By Dan O'Shea • Dec. 21, 2017

Santa's migrating his toy workshop to the cloud

At the North Pole, the elves were suffering and couldn't keep up with the high volume of orders. Because Santa failed to check the list twice, elves were fulfilling orders from Christmases long past, leading to inefficiency and wasted work.

By Naomi Eide • Dec. 21, 2017

Walmart reportedly testing Amazon Go-like store, personal shopping service

Incubated startups at the big-box retailer appear to be chasing younger, wealthier customers with shopping and delivery initiatives that depart from its traditional brick-and-mortar foundation.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 21, 2017

Holiday shoppers shift to long-term financing

Consumers are applying for financing even before they put items in their carts, and many want at least a year to pay, according to new research.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 21, 2017

The retail winners and losers of 2017

Here are the companies, technologies and trends that soared or sank in 2017.  

By Corinne Ruff • Dec. 20, 2017

12 news stories that shaped retail in 2017

From The Limited's bankruptcy to Terry Lundgren's Macy's retirement announcement, here's a look back at the biggest news events from the last 12 months.

By Corinne Ruff • Dec. 20, 2017

Lowe's builds out digital capabilities with first CDO

As Lowe's prepares for another year of "digital evolution," will its efforts in cybersecurity, augmented and virtual reality and mobile tech be enough to outpace Home Depot?

By Alex Hickey • Dec. 20, 2017

Levi’s debuts shoppable video for holiday gift inspiration

The brand merges an interactive digital experience with e-commerce to appeal to millennial and Gen Z consumers.

By David Kirkpatrick • Dec. 20, 2017

Only 8% of retailers have ‘mastered’ omnichannel

Almost all (90%) retailers are embracing omnichannel strategies, but very few feel they have the right plan or technologies in place.

By Dan O'Shea • Dec. 20, 2017

John Lewis Partnership elevates company veteran to CIO

In a year of shuffling retail CIOs and CTOs, the U.K. operator of John Lewis and Waitrose stores is promoting Andrew Murphy to guide tech strategy. ​

By Dan O'Shea • Dec. 19, 2017

Refill required: CVS CIO steps down

Stephen Gold oversaw the creation of an innovation lab, a data analytics-driven clinical advice engine and various digital tools during his five years with the company.

By Alex Hickey • Dec. 18, 2017

Google shuts down Tango AR platform

The search giant now plans to instead focus on its mass-market ARCore platform, a more direct competitor to Apple's ARKit.

By Robert Williams • Dec. 18, 2017

How the GOP tax overhaul could affect retail

Congress is expected to pass tax legislation this week. Here's a cheat sheet for what it means for retailers, grocers and other businesses.

By Corinne Ruff • Dec. 18, 2017

Benebit aims to shake up fragmented loyalty environment

The startup plans to convert loyalty and rewards points across multiple retailers into a unified system of fiat currency using blockchain technology.

By Dan O'Shea • Dec. 18, 2017

Starbucks unveils first in-store AR experience at Shanghai Roastery

The coffee chain, which has long been a leader in mobile technology, is betting a collaboration with Chinese powerhouse Alibaba will brew customer engagement.

By Dan O'Shea • Dec. 17, 2017

What nobody wants for Christmas: An Amazon-Walmart price war

The world's biggest retailer is closing the gap with Amazon in online prices and the technologies that control them. Can anyone keep up?

By Ben Unglesbee • Dec. 15, 2017

Walgreens ups third-party API game with ‘Add to Cart’ capability

Five years into its API development efforts, Walgreens continues to push out new APIs to expand its brand reach through third parties.

By Dan O'Shea • Dec. 15, 2017