Google Home, eBay make smart speakers smarter

Shopping via the AI assistant is about to get easier, with an app that moves customers off the device and onto their smartphone.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 29, 2017

30 minutes with Sephora’s head of marketing

Deborah Yeh, SVP of marketing and brand at Sephora, gave Retail Dive a glimpse into three of the retailer's most dynamic marketing moves.

By Cara Salpini • Nov. 29, 2017

Explore the Trendline➔

How artificial intelligence is shaping retail

More retailers are leaning on AI as a tool, tapping into the tech to improve customer service and support supply chain functions.

By Retail Dive staff

Black Friday weekend beat NRF forecast by 10M shoppers

Good weather and a strong economy brought more than 174 million consumers to stores and websites over the red-letter shopping weekend. 

By Daphne Howland • Nov. 29, 2017

Abt Electronics sees a 15% holiday weekend sales jump

Single-store star Abt had a stellar start to the holiday season thanks to an emphasis on customer experience. 

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 28, 2017

What retailers need to do right now to survive

As retailers drop like flies, shuttering stores and filing for bankruptcy, Lee Peterson of WD Partners outlines three key survival strategies.

By Lee Peterson • Nov. 28, 2017

iPhone X owners spent 2x more than other mobile holiday shoppers

Average order values on the device were 70% higher than top Samsung devices over Black Friday weekend, according to a new study.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 28, 2017

Black Friday Twitter engagements totaled nearly 785M

The most popular terms associated with positivity included Thanksgiving, shopping and hashtags like #cybermonday, #giveaway and #deals, a new study found.

By David Kirkpatrick , Peter Adams • Nov. 28, 2017

7 lessons from Cyber Monday

The online sales holiday raked in $6.6 billion — up 17% over last year — and showed the rising force of mobile in digital holiday sales. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Nov. 28, 2017

Amazon aggressively prices Echo in holiday power play

Heading into Cyber Monday, the company heavily promoted devices with its Alexa smart assistant, a segment where it already holds a 70% market share.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 28, 2017

Amazon devoured 55% of Black Friday online orders

The e-commerce giant accounted for 7.14 million of the 13 million digital transactions that occurred on the holiday.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 27, 2017

Kay Jewelers offers virtual necklace trial on Snapchat

The jewelry chain is giving mobile users a way to virtually try on looks and play an interactive AR game.

By Robert Williams • Nov. 27, 2017

Meet the winners and losers of Black Friday 2017

Here's how Best Buy, Macy's, J.C. Penney, Amazon and others fared over the blockbuster holiday shopping weekend.

By Corinne Ruff • Nov. 27, 2017

Macy’s, Lowe’s hit by Black Friday technical glitches

Website crashes and payment processing failures darkened the big shopping day for some retailers, causing delays both online and in-store.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 27, 2017

How Walmart is using tech this holiday season

Advances such as virtual reality-based training and inventory-scanning robots have arrived just in time to make the holiday rush more manageable for staff.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 26, 2017

A retailer’s guide to Black Friday 2017: 3 trends to watch

The shopping holiday has turned into a month-long event culminating over Thanksgiving weekend. From which Twitter accounts to follow to trends to watch, here's what you need to know this year.  

By Corinne Ruff • Nov. 22, 2017

The 2017 holiday rush could be proving ground for in-store innovations

From RFID to smart dressing rooms, retailers have been investing in and testing technology, but the holiday season will separate the gimmicks from the money makers, according to Forrester retail analyst Sucharita Mulpuru.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 21, 2017

Most shoppers plan to use rewards points on gifts

Loyalty and rewards programs are working, and shoppers seem eager to use their points this holiday season to buy gifts, according to a new survey.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 21, 2017

Locus Robotics grabs $25M, signs on DHL

The robotics company raised $25 million in Series B funding, leading retail one stop closer to automated supply chains.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 21, 2017

Amazon, CVS roll out Pinterest tool for personalized gift ideas

Bed Bath & Beyond, Universal Pictures and other brands are also leveraging a "Secret Santa" feature that enables users to create custom idea boards. 

By David Kirkpatrick • Nov. 21, 2017

As the retail apocalypse grows, Westfield is reshaping the customer experience

With the biggest shopping week of the year ahead and facing disruption from e-commerce, retailers have to bring the physical and digital world together, said Westfield Corporation CIO Denise Taylor. 

By Naomi Eide • Nov. 21, 2017

Why REI and Modcloth will close on Black Friday, and prosper

Not all retailers are open on Black Friday, nor should they be. There are benefits to both, particularly when it comes to branding. 

By Cara Salpini • Nov. 21, 2017

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are upon us. Is your network ready?

Though some consumers remain cautious, others will race to the stores and internet this weekend, so cybersecurity is of top concern.

By Samantha Schwartz • Nov. 21, 2017

ShopSavvy app update adds product recommendations

The app, primarily known as a tool for scanning products to compare prices, is gaining a new dimension that could make it more useful to shoppers.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 20, 2017

Saks launches gift-themed Messenger chatbot ahead of Black Friday

The offering could help the retailer reach young shoppers earlier in the buying journey than the typical customer service bot. 

By Natalie Black (Koltun) • Nov. 20, 2017

Amazon speeds up warehouse visits with mobile app

The e-commerce giant is forging a direct connection with truckers through an app that will help gain more efficient access to the company's warehouses.

By Dan O'Shea • Nov. 20, 2017