Court orders Amazon to hand over customer information

A judge rejected Amazon’s argument that complying with a previous court order to hand over customer information in a class action lawsuit would violate the e-commerce kingpin's shopper confidentiality promise.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 23, 2016

GOP's proposed import tax could see retailers' tax burdens rise exponentially

Merchants like Gap Inc. will be particularly hard hit by the border-adjustment style tax, which threatens to raise taxes on a single sweater from $1.75 to $17.

By Jennifer McKevitt • Dec. 22, 2016

Ikea settles dresser death claims for $50M

Moving forward, the Swedish furniture maker will only sell chests and dressers in the U.S. that meet or exceed the voluntary safety standard for clothing storage units, and will increase funding for its “Secure It” program to raise awareness of the risk of tip-overs.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 22, 2016

J.C. Penney partnerships boost appliance, home assortment

The discount department store is turning toward home appliances and furniture to help offset declining apparel sales.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 22, 2016

The retail winners and losers of 2016

Some retailers spent the year readying for the industry's future, while others grappled with the ghosts of its past. Here are the companies, technologies and trends that soared or sank in 2016.

By Corinne Ruff • Dec. 22, 2016

Bed Bath & Beyond's e-commerce rise fails to lift store sales

Digital sales rose more than 20%, but there’s evidence that the home goods and furniture retailer's online efforts are cannibalizing physical store sales.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 22, 2016

Limited Stores reportedly preparing for bankruptcy

The specialty apparel retailer says it’s entertaining bids, but it's more likely going down a path toward liquidation.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 22, 2016

Nike tumbles on future orders lag

Analysts continue to view the athletic apparel giant's inventory build-up and future orders slowdown as a reflection of healthy growth at rivals Under Armour and Adidas.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 21, 2016

Staples appoints e-commerce veteran Masud to new CTO role

Since joining the office supplies retailer in mid-2013, Masud has led the expansion of its omnichannel capabilities and spearheaded the rollout of the Staples Exchange vendor platform.

By Dan O'Shea • Dec. 21, 2016

Report: Apparel, footwear retailers may suffer most under Trump tax plans

Gap, which imports 71% of its merchandise, is most vulnerable, while footwear retailers are more likely to make up lost sales, according to a Wells Fargo report.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 21, 2016

Aeropostale, Disney among latest retailers nixing on-call scheduling

Under pressure from attorneys general, at least 13 other retailers including L Brands, Gap Inc. and Abercrombie & Fitch ended the practice last year. 

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 20, 2016

Fred's Pharmacy to acquire 865 Rite Aid stores for $950M

The deal may ease approval of Walgreens Boots Alliance’s proposed $9.4 billion acquisition of Rite Aid, which was delayed in October over antitrust concerns.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 20, 2016

How Macy's dismantled everything once right about department stores

The retailer stopped doing the one thing it was good at doing better than anyone else — something that might have saved it from obsolescence during tough times, from recessions to Amazon’s looming dominance in e-commerce.

By Lee Peterson • Dec. 20, 2016

Akamai acquires bot security upstart Cyberfend

Cyberfend's bot-related security and detection solutions will help Akamai grow its bot management and mitigation services for several industries, including retail.

By Dan O'Shea • Dec. 19, 2016

Bankrupt American Apparel gets nod to liquidate 9 stores

Locations in several states will close by New Year’s Eve, and the bankrupt retailer’s remaining U.S. stores will close by April 30, 2017.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 19, 2016

Pinterest hired more female tech workers in 2016, but fell short of goal

The social media site grew the percentage of women it employs in technology jobs from 21% to 26% in 2016, and increased the ratio of engineers to 22%, but missed its self-imposed goal to boost the latter figure to 30%.

By Dan O'Shea • Dec. 19, 2016

Lands' End taps retail vet Jerome Griffith as CEO

Griffith, who most recently served as CEO and president of luggage retailer Tumi Holdings, replaces Joseph Boitano and James Gooch, who have led the struggling apparel brand since the September departure of Federica Marchionni.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 19, 2016

Report: Times Square landlords want more lucrative 'experiential' retail

The fabled Manhattan destination has long hosted retailers with experience-based allure, but developers want more amid falling rents and brick-and-mortar sales.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 19, 2016

GNC rebranding aims to leave 'old, broken model behind'

Its U.S. stores will close Dec. 28 and re-open the next day with streamlined pricing, faster checkout, a tech-enabled loyalty program and a more efficient supply chain.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 19, 2016

12 news stories that shaped retail in 2016

From American Apparel's second bankruptcy to Amazon's blockbuster self-made holiday, here's a look back at the biggest events from the last 12 months.

By Corinne Ruff, Jason Ankeny • Dec. 19, 2016

Moody's: 2017 will be mostly stable for retailers, but traffic 'choppy'

While digital growth will outpace overall retail sales increases, e-commerce will continue to represent just 8% to 9% of total sales as brick-and-mortar merchants build out their capabilities and leverage their physical store assets.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 16, 2016

CVS closing 70 stores in early 2017

The drugstore retailer's overall cost-cutting plans aim for $3 billion in savings from 2017 to 2021.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 16, 2016

California court orders Apple pay $2M to retail workers

Apple Store employees accused the electronics giant of violating state law requiring meal and rest breaks, among other violations.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 15, 2016

Limited's interim CEO abandons ship after 2 months

The abrupt exit of company veteran John Buell, who was tapped to fill in upon CEO Diane Ellis’ October departure, is the latest in a series of blows.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 15, 2016

Pier 1 surges on e-commerce boost, new interim CEO

Thanks to merchandising and marketing shifts, the retailer boosted its guidance for the fourth quarter and year ahead, which spurred shares up more than 20% in late trading on Wednesday.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 15, 2016