Consumer Trends

  • Mountaineer Aron Ralston recreates his harrowing real-life experience trapped between a boulder in an ad for Columbia Sportswear.
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    Permission granted by Columbia Sportswear
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    Columbia slams ‘pristine’ outdoors marketing with new brand platform

    Part of a broader strategy to attract younger consumers, “Engineered for Whatever” leverages dark humor and grit to show off the brand’s gear.

    By Peter Adams • Aug. 6, 2025
  • Three customers shop at a Target store.
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    Courtesy of Target
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    Retail buyers are reacting to tariffs with AI and early orders

    A Deloitte report found the industry is using the tech to navigate a shifting trade environment — and making holiday buys two months earlier than last year.

    By • Aug. 6, 2025
  • A woman puts clothing into an RFID self-checkout kiosk Explore the Trendline➔
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    Thai Liang Lim via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    How retailers are thinking about in-store experience

    Complementary shop-in-shops, age-appropriate experiences and integrated technology are just a few ways retailers are reworking stores to suit shoppers.

    By Retail Dive staff
  • Sign for Kittery Maine
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    "Sign for Kittery Maine" by Mr.TinMD is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0
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    Traffic to Simon malls is down along the US border, despite the weak dollar

    Otherwise, visits to the REIT’s malls are up slightly compared to last year, CEO David Simon told analysts Monday.

    By • Aug. 5, 2025
  • A store with pink neon signs featuring a Labubu toy monster on the front.
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    Robert Way via Getty Images
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    Labubus, Gen Z and the collection obsession

    The adorable tiny monster that’s taken over social media feeds speaks to a larger phenomenon of the need for trending trinkets.

    By • Aug. 4, 2025
  • A large, lit-up sportswear store at night.
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    Courtesy of Adidas
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    Adidas poised to grab market share this year as Nike falters

    Shein, Uniqlo, Skechers and New Balance are also projected to broaden their share of the apparel space, according to GlobalData analysis.

    By • Aug. 1, 2025
  • A woman in pink and white clothes lounges at a table covered in pink desserts and fruit.
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    Courtesy of Victoria's Secret
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    Victoria’s Secret’s Pink goes after Gen Z with LoveShackFancy collab

    The move builds on a larger effort to attract young shoppers by dedicating more in-store space to Pink and broadening that banner’s apparel assortment.

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • July 31, 2025
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    Kendall Davis/Retail Dive
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    Podcast

    The Backroom: What’s next for Target?

    Join Retail Dive reporters Daphne Howland and Dani James for a discussion about the mass retailer’s unique history, the ups and downs of its differentiation, and where it may be headed.

    By Retail Dive Staff • July 31, 2025
  • Samuel L. Jackson for Adidas Originals
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    Courtesy of Adidas
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    Adidas braces for $230M tariff hit in the back half of the year

    Nevertheless, the sportswear giant maintained its outlook and said it has yet to see consumer demand weaken.

    By • July 30, 2025
  • Person sits on a couch shopping on an iPad next to a Christmas tree.
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    Anchiy via Getty Images
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    Shoppers to go into credit card debt, use BNPL to afford the holidays

    U.S. consumers aren’t shifting away from spending, but they are strategically approaching how to afford purchases, according to a new report. 

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • July 29, 2025
  • People walking toward a Macy's store.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Macy’s brings back ‘Black Friday in July’ sale

    In addition to deals on clothing, accessories and beauty products, the department store is also dropping a curated selection of holiday items.

    By Howard Ruben • July 25, 2025
  • Mattel recently opened the first Uno Social Club in Las Vegas at the Palms Casino Resort.
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    Courtesy of Mattel
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    Mattel to keep roughly half of US toys below $20

    Even as net sales fell 6% in Q2, the company’s CEO doesn’t see consumers as any more price sensitive compared to a year ago.

    By • July 25, 2025
  • Klarna payments.
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    Courtesy of Klarna
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    Klarna users can now list past purchases on Poshmark

    The two companies are offering Posh Credit to first-time Klarna users ahead of the back-to-school shopping season.

    By • July 24, 2025
  • Students with backpacks and an adult are walking toward the side of a yellow school bus. The bus doors are open and students are going inside the bus.
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    stockbusters via Getty Images
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    Back-to-school shoppers avoiding price hikes by reusing supplies, buying cheaper brands

    Most consumers said higher prices are impacting their choices this year, according to a new ICSC report.

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • July 24, 2025
  • People walking past and into a store.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Target unveils ‘Back-to-School-idays’ savings event

    The mass retailer is bringing back in-store personalization services for select gear and building on previous Circle Week school discounts. 

    By • July 22, 2025
  • A person's hand types on a keyboard while the other hand holds a credit card.
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    Poike via Getty Images
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    AI shopping assistants have a trust problem

    Skepticism about the tech is a major barrier to its adoption, as it ranks among the least trusted sources for shopping information, according to a new report.

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • July 22, 2025
  • person bends over and picks up a stack of packages from a porch step
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    SDI Productions via Getty Images
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    Consumer ire over delivery mishaps shifts from shippers to merchants

    E-commerce retailers are struggling to meet consumers’ rising expectations for faster delivery, according to InsureShield Shipping Insurance.

    By Michael Brady • July 22, 2025
  • A customer walks down a grocery aisle.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Consumer sentiment edges up on expectations inflation will cool

    Recent stability in consumer sentiment coincides with mixed signals on employment and retail sales.

    By Jim Tyson • July 21, 2025
  • Two people stand together in a cream-colored room by a table.
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    Courtesy of E.l.f. Beauty
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    Column

    The Weekly Closeout: Rhode’s road to growth and department store sales wobble

    The Hailey Bieber-founded beauty brand could soon reach $500 million, while the department store sector fell in June.

    By Retail Dive Staff • July 18, 2025
  • A Target storefront with the company's signature red color scheme and bullseye logo
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    Courtesy of Target
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    Target to stop price matching retailers

    The company will no longer match pricing for identical items at places such as Walmart and Amazon.

    By • July 18, 2025
  • A bed with products from Macy's Arch Studio private label
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    Courtesy of Macy's
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    Gen Z forecast to become most loyal purchasers of private label

    Store brands are opening a door for younger consumers to obtain affordable luxuries, per a new report. 

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • July 17, 2025
  • JanSport campaign imagery for it's "Always With You" campaign.
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    Courtesy of JanSport
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    Why JanSport revived its cringeworthy back-to-school ads to reach Gen Z

    The backpack maker’s TikTok-focused effort returns for a second year after an initial run led to the brand’s highest grossing sales day in history.

    By Jessica Hammers • July 16, 2025
  • A person carries multiple small shopping bags.
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    Igor Suka via Getty Images
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    Consumers to cut back on essentials to cover holiday purchases

    Spending won’t drop, but higher costs mean shoppers will make trade-offs in every category this season, according to an Inmar Intelligence report.  

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • July 15, 2025
  • Assorted multicolor backpacks from Walmart lined up
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    Courtesy of Walmart
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    Walmart offers some back-to-school supplies at lower prices this year

    The retailer brought back its one-click school lunch basket and also announced the launch of private label tween brand Weekend Academy.

    By • July 15, 2025
  • Person holding a phone with Amazon's Prime Day dates.
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    Courtesy of Amazon
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    Amazon once again touts ‘record’ Prime Day sales

    The event was double the length of the previous year, though, so "anything else would be a big disappointment," one analyst said.

    By • July 15, 2025
  • Ulta storefront
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    Courtesy of Ulta
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    Ulta expands Korean beauty assortment in new partnership

    A deal with K-Beauty World will bring eight brands to the retailer’s stores and website this summer as it looks to add newness to its assortment.

    By • July 14, 2025