Fanatics hires former Rue La La CEO

Steve Davis will lead growth of the company's international division, which is making a push into Europe and Asia-Pacific.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 4, 2017

At Gap, the new plan is Old Navy

The apparel maker conquered the world with its flagship Gap label, but the company is now pinning a revival on the lower-priced brand. Can Old Navy save Gap?

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 4, 2017

Office Depot buys IT firm CompuCom and shifts focus

Just when Office Depot seemed to be sticking with retail sales in contrast to rival Staples, the company is now pursuing a new growth strategy centered on business-to-business.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 4, 2017

Amazon reportedly targeting France for its next grocery acquisition

A brick-and-mortar grocery deal in the country could prove a major asset to its U.S. and European ambitions.

By Jeff Wells • Oct. 4, 2017

Ace Hardware buys majority stake in online startup

The Grommet’s customers visit Ace over 50% more often than — and spend 2.8 times as much as — the average Ace Rewards customer.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 4, 2017

Nordstrom debuts 'Local' and a new LA flagship

The retailer opened a new flagship that includes its latest fashion shops and customer services in addition to the highly-anticipated merchandise-free boutique Nordstrom Local in West Hollywood.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 4, 2017

Nordstrom closing the gap in women's apparel

Rather than relegating sizes to a petite or plus section, denim apparel will be featured together, with a sizing range beyond what most retailers offer.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 3, 2017

Walmart buys same-day delivery company Parcel

The acquisition will add new delivery capabilities to Walmart's e-commerce operations in New York, where the retail giant sees the potential for sales growth. 

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 3, 2017

Nordstrom drops as go-private deal reportedly 'in deep trouble'

General concerns about retail were made more acute by the surprise bankruptcy last month of Toys R Us and banks are leery of supporting Nordstrom's privatization plans, according to a report from the New York Post Monday.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 2, 2017

UPDATE: Gymboree exits bankruptcy

The children's apparel retailer exited bankruptcy Friday after a fairly orderly process with creditors who saw value in the brand — now it will have to convince customers. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 2, 2017

Amazon sells $1.6M in Whole Foods' private brands

The week after the merger, Amazon sold $500,000 worth of Whole Foods store brands online, then saw that number dip to around $300,000 per week after that.

By Jeff Wells • Oct. 2, 2017

More retailers opt to close this Thanksgiving

A minority of Americans favor Thanksgiving openings and 60% disapprove of it, according to an early holiday report.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 2, 2017

Dr. Martens CEO departs mid-turnaround

Paul Mason, chairman of the company for the last two years, will take over as interim CEO, replacing former Deckers executive Steve Murray.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 2, 2017

Rite Aid taps former Walgreens exec as COO

Kermit Crawford joins Rite Aid as it prepares to cede 2,000 stores to rival Walgreens in a watered-down version of the original acquisition plans.

By Daphne Howland • Oct. 2, 2017

Jet.com will launch its own grocery line

The new brand, Uniquely J, will initially focus on consumables with pet, beauty and baby products coming soon as Walmart's e-commerce group steps up to compete with Amazon’s growing private label selection.

By Jeff Wells • Sept. 29, 2017

Toys R Us rebrands as some suppliers reportedly pull back

The company, which recently filed for bankruptcy, is trying to position itself as a house of free play (rather than a mere toy store) to recapture market share.

By Ben Unglesbee • Sept. 29, 2017

Report: Walmart will sell meal kits on its website starting in December

The retailer will offer meal kits from various companies as it tests the growing market, according to one supplier who’s had talks with the chain.

By Jeff Wells • Sept. 29, 2017

AmazonBasics is crushing other private brands

According to One Click Retail, the private label line is not only highly popular, but also cannibalizing some of the online giant's other brands.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 29, 2017

Ikea buys odd-job service TaskRabbit

Flat-packed furniture is famously difficult to assemble, and TaskRabbit could help the Swedish furniture giant solve that problem following a successful pilot.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 29, 2017

Pier 1's online sales grow, and so does its profit loss

As the furnishings retailer builds its online sales business, shipping costs also threaten to eat up its margins. 

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 28, 2017

DSW plans 'warehouse' store redesign

The shoe retailer says the new layout will allow it to showcase 70% more merchandise and is set to expand in 2018.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 28, 2017

Finish Line to invest $15M in digital

Most of the sports gear retailer's traffic is coming through mobile now, but will the digital push be enough to secure market share in a quickly changing sector?

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 28, 2017

Amazon reimagines Echo and expands device family

The e-commerce giant announced six new, voice-enabled products, including a much-anticipated revamped version of the original Echo smart speaker.

By Dan O'Shea • Sept. 28, 2017

Why the Walmart-Bonobos deal shows the way to retail's showroom future

The big-box retailer’s e-commerce acquisitions are about more than assets, they’re about taking on new mindsets, writes Lee Peterson of WD Partners.

By Lee Peterson • Sept. 28, 2017

Walmart boosts private baby line with 120 new items

The retailer also made a commitment to reducing chemicals — an emerging consumer priority — especially in products for babies and children.

By Daphne Howland • Sept. 28, 2017