Deep Dive
Industry insights from our journalists
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photo of Dillard's at Illinois Centre Mall by Mike Kalasnik; Macy's photo and composite by Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
Should Macy’s be more like Dillard’s? Maybe.
Activist investors are focused on finances, but the struggling department store may benefit more from studying its rival’s retail chops.
Daphne Howland • Dec. 19, 2024 -
Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
Nordstrom and Macy’s abandoned the ‘retail inventory method’ after using it for decades. Here’s why.
The accounting practice, embraced by department stores in the 1920s, is outdated, skews key metrics and fosters bad decisions, analysts say.
Daphne Howland • Dec. 16, 2024 -
Cara Salpini/Retail Dive
DTC is dead. Long live DTC.
As a channel, it remains key to growth for many retailers. But the era of the DTC brand as we know it is over.
Cara Salpini • Nov. 4, 2024 -
Allison Joyce / Stringer via Getty Images
Why apparel companies embrace supplier scorecards
The tool can help build more transparent sourcing relationships and better measure supply chain metrics.
Kelly Stroh • Oct. 21, 2024 -
Permission granted by Rare Beauty
‘Everybody benefits’: Why the beauty industry needs to get serious about accessible packaging
Rare Beauty and Target have taken steps to develop guidance around universally accessible design. But the industry isn’t prioritizing it yet.
Caroline Jansen • Oct. 14, 2024 -
Xavier Arnau via Getty Images
No, not all companies are abandoning diversity, equity and inclusion. Here’s why.
Amid a high-profile backlash, many businesses are scrutinizing their policies. But the vast majority end up sticking with DEI, in part because it’s key to growth.
Daphne Howland • Sept. 23, 2024 -
Retrieved from YouTube on September 18, 2024
How couponing communities are still thriving
Though it's been over a decade since TLC aired Extreme Couponing, shoppers are still deal-hunting — the methods have just changed.
Xanayra Marin-Lopez • Sept. 18, 2024 -
Joe Raedle via Getty Images
Temu and Shein packages are flooding delivery networks. Will the surge persist?
Parcel carriers are counting on the e-commerce companies to adapt to any potential de minimis changes, as many have come to rely on the added volume.
Max Garland • Sept. 4, 2024 -
Courtesy of Under Armour
Kevin Plank can’t let go of Under Armour. Is that hampering a turnaround?
Three CEOs have come and gone in the four years since Plank stepped down. Now, the sportswear brand’s founder is back with another plan to revive the brand amid flagging sales and relevance.
Cara Salpini • Aug. 19, 2024 -
Scott Olson via Getty Images
As retail media networks widen their scope, is a reckoning inbound?
Expanding into offsite media like open-web programmatic could alleviate supply pressures but opens a whole new can of worms for the category.
Peter Adams • July 31, 2024 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
And just like that, Google won’t be deprecating cookies. What now?
The tech giant backed off plans to implement a huge shift in digital marketing that faced pushback from adland and regulators around the world.
Chris Kelly • July 23, 2024 -
Courtesy of Tractor Supply
Tractor Supply may have thought it solved a big problem. Now it has a few more.
The retailer retreated from its diversity and climate goals after an “anti-woke” protest on social media — and ignited a backlash.
Daphne Howland • July 11, 2024 -
Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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 -
Courtesy of Under Armour
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 -
Thai Liang Lim via Getty Images
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 -
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 -
Anna Moneymaker / Staff via Getty Images
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 -
Courtesy of RILA
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 -
Vadym Petrochenko via Getty Images
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 -
Courtesy of the National Retail Federation
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 -
Retrieved from Sperry on November 09, 2023
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 -
Permission granted by Stanley
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 -
gorodenkoff
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 -
Permission granted by Amazon
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 -
Courtesy of Gap Inc.
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
