The consumer experience: From touch points to trust points

The consumer experience is rapidly evolving from a transactional process focused simply on buying to a model built on deep, enriching relationships at every step of the journey.

April 26, 2021

Square unveils inventory management features

The pandemic has been especially disruptive to inventory management — for small and large companies alike. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • April 23, 2021

Explore the Trendline➔

What's shaping the e-commerce landscape?

From recent statistics on e-commerce growth to the Federal Trade Commission’s lawsuit against Amazon, here are some of the forces impacting online retail.

By Retail Dive staff

Bed Bath & Beyond revamps supply chain with a tech stack and 4 warehouses

Regional distribution centers are the first step in cutting down store replenishment time from 35 days to under 10 days, the COO said.

By Shefali Kapadia • April 23, 2021

Florida is the latest state to create e-commerce tax

After the Supreme Court opened the door for online sales tax collection, most states have passed laws that do just that. 

By Ben Unglesbee • April 22, 2021

Affirm to acquire returns startup Returnly for $300M

The acquisition follows a surge in returns last year, particularly for online purchases.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • April 22, 2021

Amazon One palm payment tool expands to East Coast

The payment option is now available at the Madison Broadway store in Seattle and will roll out to seven more nearby locations in the coming months.

By Catherine Douglas Moran • Updated May 10, 2021

Amazon launches hair salon to test AR, point-and-learn tech

Offering hair care and styling services while testing in-store technology, the concept will debut in a two-story shop in London's Spitalfields district.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • April 21, 2021

Camping World brings on Ulta, Walmart vets

The retailer hired Elizabeth Garry and Jessica Wegner to focus on omnichannel growth and manage customer acquisition and retention, respectively.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • April 20, 2021

International players flock to US as consumers warm to buy now, pay later

European and Australian companies that dominate the BNPL marketplace are taking on U.S. rivals.

By Suman Bhattacharyya • April 20, 2021

Brands could lose fickle Gen Zers over poor digital experiences, survey finds

Eighty percent of younger consumers said they're more willing to try new brands online since the pandemic began. 

By Robert Williams • April 16, 2021

Walmart invests in autonomous vehicle startup Cruise

The venture will help the retailer's goals of developing a last-mile delivery system that's fast, low-cost and scalable. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • April 16, 2021

Gucci tops the list of most popular luxury brands online, study says

The popularity of high-end brands in 2020 was impacted by the same trends the rest of the industry saw, with loungewear and home collections critical.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • April 16, 2021

GreyOrange, Tompkins Robotics team up on 'zero walk' fulfillment

As retail companies try to keep up with rising e-commerce sales and increased operations, many are investing heavily in automation.

By Matt Leonard • April 15, 2021

Target tests new method to deliver packages faster

The retailer is running trials on its Shipt delivery capabilities in its recently opened Minneapolis sortation center.  

By Maria Monteros • April 15, 2021

More retailer mobile apps offer PayPal than Apple Pay: report

Incognia's study also found that Sephora, Lowe's and Home Depot had the lowest in-app checkout friction for delivery purchases. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • April 15, 2021

West Elm launches influencer ambassador program

The retailer is tapping into a network of content creators and industry leaders to highlight products and drive sales. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • April 14, 2021

EBay to host in-person events to authenticate collectibles

Customers will be given an estimation of their product's worth and the option to sell it through the e-commerce marketplace.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • April 12, 2021

Getting ready for future-proof retail finance

As its growth outpaced its technology, here’s how one retailer prioritized digital acceleration to transform its finance function — for seamless agility, flexibility and rapid ROI.

April 12, 2021

Tractor Supply adds new loyalty program perks

All Neighbor's Club members will receive points per dollar spent in addition to new benefits awarded to every tier level.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • April 9, 2021

Bluemercury introduces Klarna installment payments in stores

Consumers are interested in buying cosmetics in stores again and plan to do so as vaccine distribution continues, according to a Klarna study. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • April 8, 2021

Retail is the top advertiser on Facebook, study says

Over the past year, retail's share of Facebook advertisers has grown from 15% to 17%, with 64% of retail advertisers returning. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • April 7, 2021

J. Crew elevates Madewell execs to tackle marketing, digital

Three of four appointments to the company's senior management team are Madewell execs gaining more responsibility.

By Maria Monteros • April 7, 2021

6 Payments trends for 2021

The pandemic accelerated emerging payments trends, as "both the merchant and customer side picked up pace to evolve with changing market conditions," Forrester analyst Lily Varon said. 

By Vaidik Trivedi • April 6, 2021

Chewy boosts automated fulfillment network through new warehouses and retrofits

The e-commerce company plans to open its second automated fulfillment center in Q2 and a "limited catalog facility" in Q3.

By Matt Leonard • April 6, 2021

H&M features cactus leather in latest collection

After years of research and experiments with new materials, the retailer debuted the first collection in its sustainability series.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • April 5, 2021