Deep Dive: Page 5
Industry insights from our journalists
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Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
Why are department stores a target for e-commerce spinoffs?
Those who've declared the Saks online-offline split a success now want the same for Macy's and Kohl's. Here's why they're vulnerable.
Daphne Howland • Nov. 1, 2021 -
Adeline Kon/Retail Dive
'A gold rush': Inside the rise of SPACs
Going public through blank check companies reached a fever pitch this year. Following stricter scrutiny from the SEC, the method's future remains uncertain.
Caroline Jansen • Oct. 25, 2021 -
Adeline Kon/Retail Dive
'The market's on fire': What's behind the flood of DTC IPOs?
While acquisitions remain the most popular exit option for online brands, public listings are on the rise.
Caroline Jansen • Oct. 25, 2021 -
Adeline Kon/Retail Dive
Why acquisitions lead DTC exits
These deals provide brands with resources needed to grow their business: a robust supply chain, new customers and a wider distribution network. But they're not without risk.
Caroline Jansen • Oct. 25, 2021 -
Adeline Kon/Retail Dive
The anatomy of a DTC exit
As direct-to-consumer brands grow their businesses, an exit is a logical next step. For some brands, that strategy is born before their products even hit the market.
Caroline Jansen • Oct. 25, 2021 -
Best Buy
Is Best Buy undermining its storybook turnaround?
Layoffs and flexing in stores have taken a toll, current and former employees told Retail Dive. As one said, "You can't have good customer service when you barely have any customer service reps."
Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 15, 2021 -
David McNew/Getty Images via Getty Images
Retailers are betting on wage hikes, perks to woo workers ahead of the holidays. Will it work?
Employers are offering incentives like sign-on bonuses, tuition assistance and higher pay to staff up, but challenges remain.
Maria Monteros • Oct. 11, 2021 -
Courtesy of Proven Skincare
How high is the ceiling for personalized beauty brands?
Function of Beauty, Proven and more have pinned their models to customizing products. But can you scale a business that's unique to each customer?
Cara Salpini • Sept. 22, 2021 -
Is Stitch Fix disrupting retail? Or is it the other way around?
Recent changes at the apparel styling site suggest that e-commerce can't always escape the realities of commerce.
Daphne Howland • Sept. 13, 2021 -
Courtesy of REI
How REI is building an outdoor ecosystem around its customers
At REI, you can buy hiking gear, schedule a one-on-one appointment about how to use it and sign up for a 6-day trip to Yellowstone. Here's why that works.
Cara Salpini • Sept. 1, 2021 -
Courtesy of Port of Virginia
'You can pay or you can wait': How retailers are navigating a shipping crisis
Consumer demand came raging back this year. The supply chain wasn't ready for it, and now retailers, brands and consumers are paying the price.
Ben Unglesbee • Aug. 2, 2021 -
Adeline Kon/Retail Dive
Reebok was meant to be a ‘Nike killer.’ How the brand lost its No. 1 spot
In the '80s, Reebok was the top sports brand for a time. Now it's dwarfed by Nike and Adidas. We take a look at the history of the brand, through the lens of the people who were there.
Cara Salpini • July 26, 2021 -
Permission granted by Dick's Sporting Goods
Dick’s is testing 5 store concepts. Here’s why.
Store revamps are also in progress, and the sporting goods specialist is expanding its private label reach as it looks to maintain a winning position.
Cara Salpini • July 19, 2021 -
Courtesy of Camp
The new toy store experience
Toys R Us went bankrupt years ago and hasn't really been replaced. Here's how others are designing experiences for a digitally enabled generation.
Cara Salpini • July 15, 2021 -
Courtesy of Amazon
Is it 'Day Two' at Amazon yet?
Most analysts expect little change from Jeff Bezos' departure as CEO. But he's leaving unfinished business for longtime lieutenant Andy Jassy.
Daphne Howland • July 7, 2021 -
Permission granted by Win Brands Group
The rise of DTC holding companies
Why the founders of Pattern Brands, Very Great and Win Brands Group are betting on the power of building multiple brands under one umbrella.
Caroline Jansen • June 30, 2021 -
Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
Customers love them. Investors love them. But which online players can survive in the long run?
As they seek scale, some of the fastest-growing e-commerce firms have a license from investors to burn cash. A business can't lose money forever, though. (Right?)
Ben Unglesbee • June 16, 2021 -
Permission granted by Peace Out
The business of normalizing taboo topics
From periods and acne to sex toys and toilet plungers, DTC brands are out to disrupt every eyebrow-raising industry under the sun.
Maria Monteros • June 8, 2021 -
Courtesy of Ulta
‘Something is changing at Ulta’: The legacy Mary Dillon leaves behind as CEO
She grew the beauty retailer from a regional player to a national powerhouse. Her departure marks the end of that high-growth phase.
Cara Salpini • June 7, 2021 -
Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
Uncertainty lingers, even as consumer confidence rebounds
There are signs of economic recovery and the end of the pandemic, especially in the U.S. But the outlook is uneven and rife with unknowns.
Daphne Howland • June 2, 2021 -
Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
Is the never-ending Sears saga finally reaching its closing chapters?
Most of what is left of the one-time empire is a footprint smaller than many regional retailers, and a whole lot of legal bills.
Ben Unglesbee • June 1, 2021 -
Courtesy of Lowe's
The rise of the home improvement sector — and where it could go next
Increasing homeownership rates boosted the category in recent years, but unforeseen circumstances brought on by the pandemic helped land toilets on the list of most popular purchases of 2020.
Caroline Jansen • May 26, 2021 -
Alex Wong / Staff via Getty Images
Visa, Mastercard face biggest challenges in a decade
Regulatory, legislative and court confrontations over the card network companies' fees are ratcheting up pressure again for reform of the behemoths' practices.
Lynne Marek • May 21, 2021 -
Can banks win in the booming buy now, pay later space?
While buy now, pay later represents a niche of the payments ecosystem, banks should take note of what its growth says about the next generation of consumers.
Anna Hrushka • May 21, 2021 -
Adeline Kon/Retail Dive
Have home retailers peaked?
The category was on the rise, but the pandemic drove exponential growth. Retailers must now navigate how to sustain momentum in the years ahead.
Caroline Jansen • May 10, 2021
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