Deep Dive: Page 6

Industry insights from our journalists


  • Image attribution tooltip
    Scott Olson via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    RFID's e-commerce growth spurt

    The need for visibility drove companies to invest in solutions for their complete supply chain while Adidas is using the technology to verify provenance.

    Deborah Abrams Kaplan • May 5, 2021
  • Exterior shot of a DXL store.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    What's next for Destination XL after last year's calamity in menswear?

    The big-and-tall specialist's sales shrank by nearly a third in 2020 as offices went dark and events were nixed. Executives discuss how they navigated the turmoil.

    Ben Unglesbee • May 4, 2021
  • The arms of a person wearing a striped shirt can be seen taking an envelope out of a box filled with clothes.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Stitch Fix
    Image attribution tooltip

    Algorithms vs. humans: Who’s better at predicting fashion trends?

    These days data is plentiful, useful and fast. But some in the industry warn that old fashioned merchants are undervalued at a crucial time.

    Daphne Howland • April 29, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Adeline Kon/Retail Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Right now, retailers are writing their own rules on climate action. Does that need to change?

    With an executive order in place and mounting pressure from multiple sides, climate regulation is brewing.

    Maria Monteros • April 21, 2021
  • 6 Payments trends for 2021

    The pandemic accelerated emerging payments trends, as "both the merchant and customer side picked up pace to evolve with changing market conditions," Forrester analyst Lily Varon said. 

    Vaidik Trivedi • April 6, 2021
  • Retailers have added more fulfillment options as a result of the pandemic
    Image attribution tooltip
    Adeline Kon/Retail Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    The omnichannel age is here — and it’s expensive

    Store pickup of online orders grew by triple digits amid the pandemic. Retailers are now scrambling to become more efficient sellers across channels.

    Ben Unglesbee • April 5, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Malls tout proposed changes to REIT rules as good for retailers

    But legislation that would alter longstanding tax policy and make it easier for landlords to buy their tenants is more likely an attempt to save the mall.

    Daphne Howland • Updated April 1, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Touchland
    Image attribution tooltip

    9 emerging DTCs to watch in 2021

    A lot has changed since Warby Parker and Dollar Shave Club entered the scene. In an increasingly crowded space, brands need to find what sets them apart.

    Caroline Jansen • March 30, 2021
  • Nike's Nike by Eugene store concept
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Nike
    Image attribution tooltip

    How Nike is using DTC and data to expand its empire

    Since 2011, the sportswear giant has grown direct-to-consumer sales from 16% of its namesake brand revenues to 35%, all while continuing to take share.

    Cara Salpini • March 23, 2021
  • Bankrupt retailers shell out millions in professional fees while trying to turn themselves around
    Image attribution tooltip
    Adeline Kon/Retail Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Welcome to the lucrative world of retail bankruptcy

    A look at the most expensive Chapter 11 proceedings in retail and the players that have profited from them.

    Ben Unglesbee • March 8, 2021
  • Rae Dunn Valentine's Day cabinet.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Felicia Washington
    Image attribution tooltip

    Finding Rae Dunn

    Dunn's minimalistic approach to home goods has a community of collectors who hunt, and sometimes compete, for her products at off-price retailers.

    Kaarin Moore • March 2, 2021
  • Marshall Field's Chicago
    Image attribution tooltip
    Dillenbeck, John. (2018). "Marshall Field's Building Chicago" [photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr Pro.
    Image attribution tooltip

    Macy's Windy City blues

    The department store is closing its Magnificent Mile location in Chicago. Some who remember Marshall Field's wish it had never arrived.

    Daphne Howland • March 1, 2021
  • Fjällräven assortment
    Image attribution tooltip
    Permission granted by Fjällräven
    Image attribution tooltip

    The outdoors boom spared many retailers from the harshest impacts of COVID

    Outdoor companies faced their share of ups and downs during the pandemic, but a tidal wave of new customers could prime the space for future growth.

    Cara Salpini • Feb. 23, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Fotolia
    Image attribution tooltip

    Marketers play it safe as pandemic's effects linger

    Industry leaders are pinning their hopes on a better year, but experts say marketing likely won't return to normal anytime soon.

    Maria Monteros • Feb. 10, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    "Google Bike" by R Boed is licensed under CC BY 2.0
    Image attribution tooltip

    What does a government reckoning with Google and Facebook mean for retail?

    For many, the tech giants are key to customer acquisition online, and they dominate the market for digital advertising, making them all but unavoidable for retailers. 

    Ben Unglesbee • Feb. 4, 2021
  • Image attribution tooltip
    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    Do malls have any business getting into retail?

    REITs' expanding ownership of troubled retailers complicates an investment setup dependent on steady revenue.

    Daphne Howland • Feb. 2, 2021
  • How the COVID-19 pandemic has hit retail
    Image attribution tooltip
    Danielle Ternes/Retail Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    After the extremes of 2020, retail resilience means a new sense of what's possible

    A pandemic exposed the industry's vulnerabilities and latent survival skills. To weather the next disaster, companies must be agile and take risk seriously.

    Ben Unglesbee • Jan. 25, 2021
  • Person with a mask on looks into a store window while holding shopping bags.
    Image attribution tooltip
    andreswd via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    9 retail trends to watch in 2021

    The pandemic will continue to reshape the industry and accelerate trends from consumer preferences to industry norms and structures in the year ahead. 

    Daphne Howland, Ben Unglesbee, Cara Salpini, Kaarin Moore, Caroline Jansen and Maria Monteros • Jan. 12, 2021
  • Image of Grabango QR code scanner with Grabango and GetGo logos
    Image attribution tooltip
    Courtesy of Grabango
    Image attribution tooltip

    Is cashierless tech ready for prime time?

    The pandemic has juiced demand for automated checkout systems, but the technology still has to prove itself over the long term.

    Sam Silverstein • Dec. 3, 2020
  • What the pandemic has cemented about Gen Z

    Marketing to young shoppers this holiday season will look different — and create different winners — but much of their core values have stayed the same.

    Cara Salpini • Nov. 23, 2020
  • Culture problems with DTC brands
    Image attribution tooltip
    Photo illustration by Danielle Ternes/Retail Dive; photograph by Scyther5 and Fizkes via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    'It's a violation of an implicit psychological contract': Why DTC culture issues hit hard

    Many DTCs have faced criticism for workplace issues. Part of the problem may be that they promised something better.

    Cara Salpini • Nov. 16, 2020
  • The lack of marketing/PR firms working with DTC brands
    Image attribution tooltip
    Photo illustration by Danielle Ternes/Retail Dive; photograph by fizkes, Nicola Katie and Urfinguss via Getty Images
    Image attribution tooltip

    Is the DTC brand aesthetic bad for business?

    Sans serif font and bright colored backgrounds are hallmarks of digitally native brands, but it may not matter if they all look the same.

    Cara Salpini • Nov. 16, 2020
  • A light post sits just below the big red sign on Macy's flagship store.
    Image attribution tooltip
    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    9 make-or-break retail turnarounds to watch in 2021

    Companies in transformation and survival mode may be looking for normalcy. But the year ahead holds plenty of unknowns. 

    Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 9, 2020
  • The decade of VC funding that shaped e-commerce and the DTC brand
    Image attribution tooltip
    Adeline Kon/Retail Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    The decade of VC funding that shaped e-commerce and DTC brands

    Direct to consumer might be the buzziest trend in retail over the past 10 years, but it's not where all the money's going.

    Cara Salpini • Nov. 3, 2020
  • How years of investor-friendly finance left retailers vulnerable to crisis
    Image attribution tooltip
    Adeline Kon/Retail Dive
    Image attribution tooltip

    How years of investor-friendly finance left retailers vulnerable to crisis

    Public and private companies have transferred billions of dollars to their investors over the years. Could that money have saved their business instead?

    Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 2, 2020