Deep Dive

Industry insights from our journalists

  • A side by side collage of two department stores
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Macy’s and J.C. Penney have two very different real estate strategies

    One has a downsizing plan that includes profitable stores. The other plans to keep — and possibly open — even low-volume stores. What’s going on?

    Daphne Howland • May 16, 2024
  • A golfer swings a club and wears a black skort outfit.
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    Courtesy of Under Armour
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    Golf fashion moves into the mainstream

    A new line from Tiger Woods, LVMH's latest collaboration with Tyler, the Creator and indie brands are helping to bring the sport from performance wear to streetwear.

    Howard Ruben • April 16, 2024
  • A woman puts clothing into an RFID self-checkout kiosk
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    Thai Liang Lim via Getty Images
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    Why more tech in stores shouldn’t mean fewer workers

    Stores can automate more tasks than ever, including pricing, inventory management and checkout. But for theft prevention, customer service and brand engagement, they need humans.

    Daphne Howland • April 10, 2024
  • White sensors in front of a store entrance.
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    "Macy's Anti Shoplifting Sensors Detectors" by Mike Mozart is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    What is ‘organized retail crime,’ exactly?

    It depends, and it doesn't help that many retailers don’t have a good handle on lost inventory, experts say.

    Daphne Howland • April 3, 2024
  • Individuals hold signs in support of TikTok outside the U.S. Capitol Building on March 13, 2024 in Washington, DC.
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    Anna Moneymaker / Staff via Getty Images
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    Why the latest TikTok ban attempt is different — and what it means for marketers

    A ban could benefit Meta, weakening competition and options for advertisers, while a potential suitor will need to be well-versed in data management.

    Jessica Deyo • March 26, 2024
  • A group of people stand in a store, talking.
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    Courtesy of RILA
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    7 reasons why everyone’s confused about shrink and theft

    There’s even less data about retail crime now that the National Retail Federation has retracted a key claim about its impact. What’s going on?

    Daphne Howland • Jan. 24, 2024
  • Brown paper wrapped gifts with string ties.
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    Vadym Petrochenko via Getty Images
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    Can retail sell hygge?

    The Scandinavian concept of cozy gatherings and togetherness fits in well with the holidays. Until the excessive purchasing begins.

    Cara Salpini • Dec. 24, 2023
  • A group of people in suits standing behind a sign that reads "Fighting retail crime." The U.S. Capitol is in the background.
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    Courtesy of the National Retail Federation
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    Retailers have a crime problem. It’s in the numbers.

    The issue is complex and often clouded by imprecise data. Sometimes from the industry itself.

    Daphne Howland • Nov. 29, 2023
  • Person with hand tattoos kneels and laces up a Sperry boat shoe.
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    Retrieved from Sperry on November 09, 2023
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    Rocking the boat shoe: Sperry’s search for a lifeline

    Wolverine is looking to unload its 88-year-old lifestyle footwear brand, but finding the right buyer is a hard sell.

    Lara Ewen • Nov. 20, 2023
  • A person holding a Stanley Quencher tumbler.
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    Permission granted by Stanley
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    The rise of the Stanley tumbler: How a 110-year-old brand achieved viral success

    The brand had long been marketed to workmen and outdoorsmen. But with the help of a group of influencers, the company unlocked the power of women selling to women.

    Caroline Jansen • Nov. 14, 2023
  • Top-Down View: In Warehouse People Working, Forklift Truck Operator Lifts Pallet with Cardboard Box. Logistics, Distribution Center with Products Ready for Global Shipment, Customer Delivery
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    gorodenkoff
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    By the numbers: How retailers stack up on inventory

    Going into Q3, many major players cleaned up their inventories after last year’s surge in stock levels, with benefits to margins. Not everyone fared equally, however.

    Ben Unglesbee • Oct. 19, 2023
  • A composite image show a child with an Elmo plush, a Barbie science playset and Rosie Spotted Pig
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    Permission granted by Amazon
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    Toy retail rides pop culture wave to new heights

    Leaders at Amazon and Mattel say movies and nostalgia help drive strong consumer interest for iconic brands ahead of the holiday shopping season.

    Nate Delesline III • Oct. 16, 2023
  • person wearing a brown cap, orange jacket, jeans and sneakers sits cross-legged, off to the right, against a blue-green background.
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    Courtesy of Gap Inc.
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    How Gap lost its khaki soul

    Can the brand that once defined and even elevated American style get its vibe back?

    Daphne Howland • Oct. 16, 2023
  • A blurry figure walking into a store.
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    Courtesy of Amazon
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    Is Amazon just another retailer? The Federal Trade Commission doesn’t think so.

    The e-commerce giant and others skeptical of the commission’s antitrust claims say the FTC has an uphill court battle, in part because Amazon’s behavior is just old-fashioned retail.

    Daphne Howland • Oct. 3, 2023
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    Yujin Kim/Retail Dive
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    11 retailers at risk of bankruptcy in 2023

    From Joann and Rite Aid to Petco and The Container Store, here’s who’s most at risk in the next 12 months.

    Cara Salpini • Oct. 2, 2023
  • The exterior of an Express retail store inside a mall
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    Courtesy of Express Inc.
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    ​Can Express survive a new era of apparel?

    As profits decline and momentum slows, the retailer is working to regain profitability and expand its brand in a tough macroeconomic environment.

    Nate Delesline III • Sept. 25, 2023
  • Exterior of an Allbirds store in Washington, D.C.'s Georgetown neighborhood
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    Caroline Jansen/Retail Dive
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    Why EBITDA has such a strong hold on retail

    Is it the “Wild West” of measures or a fair predictor of long-term success? Either way, retailers won’t quit talking about EBITDA.

    Dani James • Sept. 25, 2023
  • Solar power station and solar energy panels on the green field in Chester, New Jersey.
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    Alex Potemkin via Getty Images
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    Who will pay to decarbonize the supply chain?

    Some brands are helping their suppliers reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Others are dumping new requirements on vendors without shouldering any of the costs.

    Ben Unglesbee • Aug. 17, 2023
  • A person window shops at store at a street corner. An orange corner is parked on the right, next to a stop sign.
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    Courtesy of Gap Inc.
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    What Gap Inc. needs from its new CEO

    Longtime Mattel executive Richard Dickson is taking the reins of an apparel conglomerate — whose brands all need some help.

    Daphne Howland • Aug. 16, 2023
  • American Eagle Back to School 2023 Campaign featuring Maddie & Kenzie Ziegler.
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    Courtesy of American Eagle
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    Back to school 2023: Can marketing transcend the turbulence?

    Top marketers from American Eagle and Amazon weigh in on strategy as the season’s spending forecast paints a gloomy picture.

    Jessica Deyo • Aug. 9, 2023
  • A UPS driver makes a delivery on June 30, 2023 in Miami, Florida.
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    Joe Raedle via Getty Images
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    Why some UPS shippers haven’t diverted volume even as a potential strike looms

    As many businesses firm up contingency plans, others are maintaining their current delivery activity with UPS, according to parcel shipping experts.

    Max Garland • Updated July 25, 2023
  • Adidas CEO Bjørn Gulden speaking in front of a white background with a Yeezy logo on it.
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    REUTERS/Heiko Becker

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    Yeezy was only part of Adidas’ problems. The retailer has been falling further behind Nike for years.

    Since 2013, Adidas’ net sales have grown by less than $5 billion as it struggles to keep pace with the broader market. Could a new CEO and a clean slate reverse those trends?

    Cara Salpini • July 24, 2023
  • Mannequins and clothing racks in a store's display for Pride Month.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Are retailers afraid of being ‘woke’?

    Brand values, diversity efforts and customer loyalty are put to the test as extremists come for corporate America.

    Daphne Howland • June 20, 2023
  • A worker organizes packages at a FedEx facility on December 21, 2022 in Houston, Texas.
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    Brandon Bell/Getty Images via Getty Images
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    Deliveries keep getting faster. Will it last?

    Shippers adjusted to pandemic-related disruptions to reach customers faster. But shifting shopper preferences and cost-cutting efforts may slow things down.

    Max Garland • June 14, 2023
  • Maybelline's first-ever CGI avatar, May, which the brand is launching alongside its Falsies Surreal Mascara.
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    Courtesy of Maybelline
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    How legacy beauty brands are aging down to reach Gen Z

    Ever-changing trends and flashy brands like E.l.f. Cosmetics are challenging giants like Estée Lauder and L'Oréal to draw from a new playbook.

    Jessica Deyo • June 7, 2023