Survey: 45% of retailers plan to use AI in next 3 years

AI deployments are becoming top of mind for many retailers leveraging the technology to improve customer experiences, a new survey found.

By Dan O'Shea • June 18, 2017

Amazon patent aims to block in-store searches of competitors

If deployed, the technology could block competitor price and product information and redirect smartphone users to Amazon.

By Dan O'Shea • June 18, 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

Walmart buys Bonobos for $310 million

Bonobos co-founder and CEO Andy Dunn will oversee Walmart’s collection of digitally-native brands, reporting to Walmart U.S. e-commerce chief Marc Lore.

By Daphne Howland • June 16, 2017

Report: Dollars leapfrog traffic as e-commerce growth driver

While traffic has been the dominant driver of digital revenue growth, sometimes over 80%, there's a significant shift to shopper spend.

By Daphne Howland • June 16, 2017

Amazon updates Dash Wand with Alexa, drops the price

The e-commerce giant is leveraging its Alexa assistant to boost popularity of the Dash Wand.

By Dan O'Shea • June 15, 2017

Amazon reportedly interested in picking up Slack

Could Amazon acquire red-hot collaboration start-up Slack? Here's why it might actually make sense.

By Dan O'Shea • June 15, 2017

Ikea sets up shop on Amazon

Just last week executives said the Swedish furniture company was mulling e-commerce sales through a third-party tie-up; now it appears they’ve settled on the world’s largest online retailer.

By Daphne Howland • June 15, 2017

Newegg makes big global push

The electronics retailer now offers multi-language support and shipping services to sellers and customers in 50 countries.

By Daphne Howland • June 15, 2017

Amazon reportedly eyeing BigBasket buy in India

Amazon may be close to making another big move in India with the purchase of online grocer BigBasket.

By Dan O'Shea • June 14, 2017

Is Walmart's new last-mile delivery program brilliant — or a disaster in the making?

The Uber-like program will have store associates delivering packages on their way home from work. Will it work for Walmart?

By Laura Heller • June 14, 2017

Amazon now offers rewards for debit card use

Amazon Prime Reload is the e-commerce giant's latest effort to market Prime by offering a cash-back bonus.

By Dan O'Shea • June 13, 2017

Supervalu embraces IT transformation, migrates workloads to the cloud

Massive IT transformation is afoot at Supervalu, as the company ditches legacy infrastructure.

By Dan O'Shea • June 13, 2017

Report: Amazon expanding car sales effort in Europe

The e-commerce giant is looking to disrupt the auto market, hiring people and making deals for a U.K. online dealership pilot. 

By Daphne Howland • June 13, 2017

'This is the Wild West': Inside Peapod's ambitious plans to defeat its online grocery rivals

The only online grocery player to survive the dotcom crash now faces a fresh wave of deep-pocketed challengers, including Instacart and AmazonFresh.

By Christopher Doering • June 13, 2017

Apple Business Chat aims to steal chatbots’ retail thunder

Apple is looking to give retailers and other businesses an effective way to chat with their customers — without chatbots.

By Dan O'Shea • June 12, 2017

Best Buy reportedly rolling out try-before-you-buy option

The electronics retailer is working with Lumoid to allow customers to take cameras, drones and audio equipment for a rental spin before deciding whether to buy.

By Dan O'Shea • June 12, 2017

IRCE 2017: 7 takeaways on the state of digital commerce

A few of the major trends we spotted this year: Packaging matters, brands don't need retailers like they used to, and e-commerce is coming to B2B. 

By Laura Heller • June 12, 2017

High turnover in fashion boosting women's apparel sales

Adobe researchers developed a new methodology that they say could help shed light on the monumental shifts in retail that are especially hitting apparel sales.

By Daphne Howland • June 12, 2017

'Brick mining': Why a need for data led Fabletics to open stores

"We needed better, more contextual data — this is the reason we decided to open stores,” the athleticwear brand's President Gregg Throgmartin said at the IRCE conference in Chicago. 

By Laura Heller • June 9, 2017

Hanson: Under Armour aiming to be Facebook of connected fitness

“We want to own the connected fitness community in the same way that Facebook owns the social media community and LinkedIn owns the business community,” George Hanson, VP North America e-commerce told IRCE attendees in Chicago. 

By Dan O'Shea • June 8, 2017

Ikea mulling 3rd-party e-commerce sales

The home furnishings retailer's yet-to-be launched venture could have it selling on Amazon or Walmart's marketplace. 

By Daphne Howland • June 8, 2017

UPS: Online shoppers expanding habits in mobile, ship-to-store

More shoppers are buying at online marketplaces and becoming more accustomed to buying on mobile apps, according to the sixth annual "Pulse of the Online Shopper" study.

By Dan O'Shea • June 7, 2017

Study: Store associates ready to embrace digital tools, but lack them

Roughly 25% of store associates don't feel they have the proper tech tools to do well in their jobs, and 72% say they are more likely to stick with employers that provide those tools.

By Dan O'Shea • June 7, 2017

Sephora Virtual Artist shades into cheek color try-on service

The cosmetic retailer's upgraded app moves from lips to eyes to cheeks with new features to help users choose cheek shades.

By Dan O'Shea • June 7, 2017

J.C. Penney wants a piece of the $6B dorm furnishings market

The retailer is curating a checklist of items from alarm clocks to air conditioners, which can be shipped to the stores closest to college campuses.

By Daphne Howland • June 7, 2017