Deep Dive

Industry insights from our journalists


  • A person using two hands to unscrew Rare Beauty's Soft Pinch liquid blush
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    Permission granted by Rare Beauty
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    ‘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
  • Diverse group of professionals, in discussion, sitting around conference table.
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    Xavier Arnau via Getty Images
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    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
  • A screenshot of Krazy Coupon Lady's YouTube video.
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    Retrieved from YouTube on September 18, 2024
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    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
  • 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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    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
  • Basketball star Steph Curry holds a basketball with Under Armour founder Kevin Plank.
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    Courtesy of Under Armour
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    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
  • Walmart has agreed to acquire smart TV maker Vizio in a $2.3 billion cash deal.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    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
  • A sign is posted in front of a Google office on April 26, 2022 in San Francisco, California. Google parent company Alphabet will report first quarter earnings today after the closing bell.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    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
  • A storefront with riding mowers, wheelbarrows and other garden equipment out front.
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    Courtesy of Tractor Supply
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    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
  • 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
  • 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