Consumer Trends
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Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
5 years after pandemic lockdowns, is retail back to normal?
Stores are open, inventory is flowing and inflation is down. But today’s uncertainty and destabilization are making consumers anxious.
By Daphne Howland • March 24, 2025 -
Sam Silverstein/Retail Dive
Target adds 2,000 products to baby assortment
The revamp is the latest over the last year as the retailer focuses on newness to grow share across its merchandising portfolio.
By Nate Delesline III • March 21, 2025 -
Trendline
The latest in experiential retail
From new store concepts to accessibility efforts, retailers are constantly shifting their approach to better cater to shopper needs.
By Retail Dive staff -
Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
Walmart expands premium beauty options
The retail giant also announced the four brands that will participate in its third beauty accelerator program, Walmart Start.
By Daphne Howland • March 21, 2025 -
Bevan Goldswain via Getty Images
Resale’s popularity in the US could offer hedge against tariffs
ThredUp’s chief strategy officer says preowned clothing sales are “effectively domesticating the supply chain.”
By Lara Ewen • March 21, 2025 -
Courtesy of Target
E-commerce is here to stay after a push from the pandemic
Retailers quickly enhanced their e-commerce and mobile offerings as the pandemic took hold. It worked, and shifted consumer expectations along the way.
By Nate Delesline III • March 20, 2025 -
Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
Old Navy quietly debuts occasionwear
Prices start at about $25, answering demand for affordable dresses for weddings, parties and proms.
By Daphne Howland • March 19, 2025 -
Brothers91 via Getty Images
Tariffs trigger ‘horrific’ plunge in consumer sentiment
Federal Reserve officials, scheduled to assess monetary policy this week, will likely zero in on a jump in long-term inflation expectations.
By Jim Tyson • March 17, 2025 -
Courtesy of The Container Store
Retail’s home sector has yet to find steady ground
The category experienced both highs and lows since the pandemic hit. But as sales start to tick up once again, retailers face new challenges.
By Caroline Jansen • March 17, 2025 -
Kaarin Vembar/Retail Dive
US immigration policy could hurt off-pricers
Burlington, TJX and Ross stand to benefit from tariffs and consumer angst, but one of their most important customer bases is under extreme pressure.
By Daphne Howland • March 13, 2025 -
Courtesy of Amazon
Majority of Americans have yet to try Amazon Haul
Three months after its launch, 16% of shoppers use the site at least monthly, compared to 23% and 28% who do the same at Shein and Temu.
By Nate Delesline III • March 10, 2025 -
SolStock via Getty Images
Retailers are pushing payment modernization as customers ask for more
A KPMG survey found that a majority of retailers plan to keep updating their payment programs to keep up with consumer tech demands.
By Xanayra Marin-Lopez • March 6, 2025 -
Caitlin Mullen/Retail Dive, data courtesy of Industry Dive employee Caitlin Mullen
Gen Z used BNPL more than credit cards over holidays, survey shows
It was the first J.D. Power survey to show that buy now, pay later overtook credit card use among that demographic.
By Patrick Cooley • March 4, 2025 -
Courtesy of Walmart
Inflation continues to drive private label growth
Gen Z and millennial shoppers are particularly interested in store brands as they seek out both value and quality, per a Circana study.
By Howard Ruben • March 3, 2025 -
Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
What 5 charts say about the pandemic’s impact on retail, 5 years later
The industry may be far from the dramatic day-to-day struggles of 2020, but it hasn’t yet escaped the long tail the global health crisis left in its wake.
By Cara Salpini • March 3, 2025 -
Nate Delesline III/Retail Dive
Economic blackout urges US consumers to avoid purchases Friday
The People's Union USA wants shoppers to abstain from making in-store or online purchases, but research shows just 16% plan to participate.
By Nate Delesline III • Feb. 28, 2025 -
Mario Tama via Getty Images
Consumer spending falls, highlighting fading confidence
Two closely tracked gauges of consumer confidence slid in February, pushed down by concerns about import duties enacted by the Trump administration.
By Jim Tyson • Feb. 28, 2025 -
Andrew Harnik via Getty Images
Canada and Mexico tariffs will take effect March 4, Trump confirms
The president will also impose an additional 10% import tax on China next week and hinted at plans to soon levy 25% duties on the European Union.
By Philip Neuffer • Feb. 27, 2025 -
Courtesy of Joann
Joann shoppers to shift purchases to Michaels, Hobby Lobby
The craft retailer’s store closures have left shoppers searching for alternatives, according to a Numerator survey.
By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Feb. 27, 2025 -
Brandon Bell via Getty Images
Consumer sentiment slumps on fears tariffs will fuel inflation
Consumers are “clearly bracing for a resurgence in inflation,” said Joanne Hsu, director of the University of Michigan’s Surveys of Consumers.
By Jim Tyson • Feb. 24, 2025 -
anyaberkut via Getty Images
Consumers expect inflation increase amid tariff talks
Sentiment is at its lowest point since July, as consumers feel uncertain about the current state of the economy, according to a Wells Fargo report.
By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Feb. 10, 2025 -
Fly View Productions via Getty Images
Calling a customer? Brands can now display ‘reason for call’
TransUnion and AT&T now offer companies the ability to display brand name, company logo and the reason for their call when dialing Android users.
By Kristen Doerer • Feb. 6, 2025 -
ZeynepKaya via Getty Images
Consumer confidence in January falls for the first time in 6 months
The University of Michigan recorded a 10% year-on-year drop, and other data found sentiment hit a four-month low.
By Daphne Howland • Feb. 3, 2025 -
Joe Raedle / Staff via Getty Images
Chewy holds the top spot as overall satisfaction with online retail declines
The American Customer Satisfaction Index found two-thirds of online retailers saw satisfaction drop year over year.
By Bryan Wassel • Feb. 3, 2025 -
gorodenkoff via Getty Images
What retailers can expect in 2025
As a new year kicks off, the industry is up against challenges concerning tariffs, DEI policies and crime.
By Retail Dive Staff • Jan. 31, 2025 -
Kendall Davis/Retail Dive
Podcast
The Backroom: A new retail apocalypse?
The team discusses a recent report that U.S. retailers are set to shutter many more stores than they plan to open in 2025 — and what that really means.
By Retail Dive Staff • Jan. 30, 2025
