ICSC sees 1.9% rise in holiday sales

The trade group forecasts $862 billion in sales for the 2020 holiday season. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 14, 2020

Study: 62% of shoppers that struggle to complete purchases abandon their carts

Gen Z has the highest percentage of consumers who have had difficulty completing online transactions, a goMoxie survey found.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Oct. 13, 2020

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

J.C. Penney, Kohl's latest to leverage Prime Day for holiday promotions

Amazon's red-letter event always attracts rivals, but in a year when retailers need to get going on the season, it's getting extra attention.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 12, 2020

Holiday sales growth won't reach 2% this year, CBRE says

E-commerce could surge more than 40%, however, eclipsing last season's record 14% year-over-year rise, according to a report from the real estate firm.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 12, 2020

Bras and BB cream: Why aren't brands for women run by them?

In lingerie and beauty, a large part of the diversity battle is being fought on the highest ground: the C-suite.

By Cara Salpini • Oct. 12, 2020

Sam's Club adds 2K permanent supply chain workers, launches ship-from-store for peak

The company expects approximately one-fifth of online orders to ship from Sam's Club locations.

By Emma Cosgrove • Oct. 9, 2020

Instagram brings shopping to Reels, IGTV as commerce commands social spotlight

Tests will hit Reels later this year, which may help Facebook to capitalize on a virtual-skewing holiday season while gaining an edge on TikTok.

By Peter Adams • Oct. 5, 2020

Study: 11% of U.S. shoppers have signed up for Walmart+

Research firm Piplsay also found that 19% of consumers said they migrated from Amazon Prime to Walmart's subscription service.

By Jessica Dumont • Oct. 2, 2020

Nearly 20K US Amazon workers test positive for coronavirus

The e-commerce giant called on other companies to reveal their infection rates, while a major labor union slammed the outcome as a failure to protect workers.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 2, 2020

Powell's Books has had enough of Amazon

The Portland, Oregon, bookstore has been a marketplace seller from the get-go, but is now calling it quits and staking a claim for independents.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 1, 2020

Walmart plans online sale that parallels Prime Day

The retailer joins Target in competing with Amazon's big sale event as all three giants adapt to a longer and earlier holiday season. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 30, 2020

Target is throwing its own sale party on Amazon's Prime Day

The retailer is hosting its own digital event to launch the holiday shopping period while it plans to extend Black Friday discounts through November.

By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 29, 2020

Will customer acquisition be the nightmare before Christmas?

While DTC brands have long struggled with acquiring customers online, their problems may be more heightened than ever this year.

By Caroline Jansen • Sept. 28, 2020

Amazon sets October Prime Day dates after months-long delay

A sales event that usually takes place in July could now be a force in a wildly different and uncertain holiday period. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 28, 2020

The pandemic isn't Stitch Fix's only problem

It’s unclear whether the e-retailer's direct buy sales will hurt or help as people buy fewer clothes and potentially stray from getting regular boxes.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 25, 2020

Neiman Marcus Group plans store layoffs in pivot to e-commerce

The changes are "substantial," according to WWD, which first reported the news. And they represent further erosion of the department store sector.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 24, 2020

The Backroom: Walmart+ vs. Amazon Prime

Why did the retail giant launch a membership service, and can it compete with Prime? Senior Reporters Daphne Howland and Ben Unglesbee break it down.

By Caroline Jansen • Sept. 24, 2020

Walmart hiring 20K in e-commerce ops for the holidays

The retailer is gearing up for an online-heavy season as it also boosts categories in demand amid the pandemic. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 24, 2020

Basic.Space launches membership-based marketplace with digital storefronts

Consumers can shop through individual creatives' photos and livestreams on a homepage curated from their preferences.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Sept. 23, 2020

Managing your product feeds to thrive in a new retail landscape

To succeed in today’s e-commerce environment, companies must craft an online experience that meshes with the brick-and-mortar brand experience in their physical stores.

By Marcel Hollerbach, CMO at Productsup • Sept. 21, 2020

Google’s new search features let shoppers see curbside, in-store pickup offerings

The tech giant has made changes to accommodate shifts in shopping behavior based on spikes from searches for "safe shopping" and pickup services.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Sept. 18, 2020

Amazon's product quality woes extend beyond its Marketplace

The e-commerce giant is facing Congressional scrutiny after a CNN report that several of its AmazonBasics products present serious safety hazards.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 17, 2020

Study: 20% of retailers 'dependent' on the holidays to survive

To cope with the threats of coronavirus and fewer in-store shoppers, retailers are implementing safety measures and investing in curbside pickup.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Sept. 17, 2020

Is the world's largest retailer letting Amazon set the rules?

Walmart+ trades the retail giant's "always low prices" promise for an exclusive convenience play that, so far, its online rival is winning.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 17, 2020

Chewy's new limited-SKU warehouse is just for volume surges

The DTC pet brand is banking on a new kind of fulfillment center, plus automation, to keep lowering fulfillment unit costs. 

By Emma Cosgrove • Sept. 16, 2020