Department Stores

  • A woman and two girls walk back to school in a JCPenney ad
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    Courtesy of JCPenney
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    J.C. Penney builds on promising brand push with ‘Back-to-It’ campaign

    The retailer widens the lens on back-to-school marketing by iterating on a “Yes, J.C. Penney” positioning that has boosted visits.

    By Chris Kelly • July 22, 2025
  • An exterior corner of a Macy's store.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Apparel, department stores struggling the most under US trade policy, analysis shows

    A pause in some tariffs lessens the profitability hit, but costs are higher and “the consumer environment remains difficult,” Moody’s Ratings said.

    By • July 21, 2025
  • The entrance to a mall, with a white pickup truck parked to the right. Explore the Trendline➔
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    "Dartmouth Mall, Dartmouth, Massachusetts" by JJBers is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Trendline

    Top 5 stories from Retail Dive

    From tariff challenges to DEI pressure, the industry is navigating a number of headwinds in 2025.

    By Retail Dive staff
  • A large downtown department store.
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    "Saks Fifth Avenue Chicago" by kzoocowboy is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Saks Global struggles continue as Q1 sales, profit decline

    The company beat its own expectations and says it’s making progress, though analysts warn it’s losing customers to Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom.

    By • July 18, 2025
  • A street lamp tilts right as the white storefront of a "Nordstrom Rack" location tilts left, as sun streams in a light blue sky. Vertical bars decorate the building above and below the word "Rack."
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Nordstrom names Dollar General exec Kelly Dilts CFO

    The appointment comes shortly after the department store went private through a deal with the Nordstrom family and El Puerto de Liverpool.

    By Alexei Alexis • July 18, 2025
  • A person with bobbed hair wearing a dark jacket smiles slightly.
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    Courtesy of Saks Global
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    Saks Global taps Neiman Marcus vet as CFO

    Brandy Richardson was most recently at Tailored Brands and joins the luxury retailer at a financially tricky time.

    By • July 17, 2025
  • Belk storefront.
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    Kaarin Vembar/Retail Dive
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    Hackers claim responsibility for Belk data breach

    The North Carolina-based retailer is the latest victim in a spree of attacks in the U.K. and U.S.

    By David Jones • July 16, 2025
  • A wall of sneakers featuring the Asics logo is shown in a store.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Column

    The Weekly Closeout: Big 5 Sporting Goods sold, NRF goes up against New York

    The retailer was acquired by Worldwide Golf and Capitol Hill Group. Meanwhile, the National Retail Federation took aim at New York's new law requiring algorithmic pricing disclosures.

    By Retail Dive Staff • July 11, 2025
  • A Saks storefront in Chicago.
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    Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive
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    Another Saks Global stores exec is out

    John Antonini leaves after more than 25 years at Saks Fifth Avenue and just a few months into a newly created position centered on store growth.

    By • July 9, 2025
  • A Neiman Marcus department store, surrounded by trees.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    S&P Global Ratings downgrades Saks, warns latest financing deal is ‘tantamount to a default’

    Saks Global emphasized that there’s no default related to its new agreement with bondholders, calling the rating updates “common and expected with transactions like these.”

    By • July 9, 2025
  • A space within a department store with beauty product displays, with an overhead sign reading "JC Penney Beauty."
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    J.C. Penney to hold down prices for back to school, holiday despite Q1 declines

    Sales and profit slumps were relatively modest, a sign the department store’s merchandising and marketing efforts are paying off.

    By • July 8, 2025
  • A bridge and Groom in front of of a Venice banner in Venice Beach.
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    Courtesy of JCPenney
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    J.C. Penney does wedding season on a budget amid turnaround

    The retailer threw a $10,000 wedding the same week as the $50 million nuptials between Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez.

    By Sara Karlovitch • July 1, 2025
  • A Saks store in Chicago.
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    Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive
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    Saks Global $600M deal with bondholders includes $200M in new financing

    As the holidays loom and past vendor payments come due, the package replaces a previous proposal for $350 million in new financing.

    By • June 30, 2025
  • Gray clouds over a Kohl's store, with an entrance to Sephora.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Kohl’s brings back summer sale coinciding with Prime Day

    The event, which runs July 7 to July 10, will feature discounts on hundreds of items across apparel, footwear and accessories, with most under $20.

    By Howard Ruben • June 27, 2025
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    Kendall Davis/Retail Dive
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    Podcast

    The Backroom: Saks Global, Amazon and the state of luxury

    Fashion Dive Senior Editor Lara Ewen joins to talk about the latest tie-up between the department store conglomerate and the e-commerce giant.

    By Retail Dive Staff • June 26, 2025
  • Radar: Geolocation and the Customer Journey on a blue gradient background
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    Alyssa Eckel-Martin/Retail Dive
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    Sponsored by Radar

    [Podcast] Geolocation and the Customer Journey

    Find out how geolocation tools bridge the gap between physical and digital shopping.

    By Retail Dive's studioID • June 26, 2025
  • A Neiman Marcus storefront in downtown Chicago
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    Kaarin Moore/Retail Dive
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    Stores veteran departs as Saks Global further streamlines operations

    Larry Bruce, who was at Neiman Marcus for nearly a decade before jumping to Saks Fifth Avenue in 2003, is leaving the luxury conglomerate.

    By • June 25, 2025
  • Nordstrom anniversary promotional material.
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    Courtesy of Nordstrom
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    Nordstrom’s anniversary sale adds 65 brands to the mix

    Also new this year is “Anniversary Big Deals,” in which a select assortment will be offered at a deeper discount of up to 50% off. 

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • June 24, 2025
  • A cream-colored J.C. Penney storefront with signage in red letters.
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    Courtesy of J.C. Penney
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    J.C. Penney to close Texas warehouse

    The closure in Haslet will impact around 300 employees. 

    By • June 23, 2025
  • Storefront of a Nordstrom Local store in New York City.
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    Kaarin Vembar/Retail Dive
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    Nordstrom to open Local concept in Brooklyn, eyes San Francisco location

    The department store, which once called Nordstrom Local the future of the company, is growing the fleet after years of stalling on the concept.

    By • June 18, 2025
  • Sidewalk pedestrians walk past a storefront with large gold letters reading BERGDORF GOODMAN
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    Victor J. Blue via Getty Images
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    Saks Global says it’s back on track with vendors, won’t close stores

    The company told BMO Capital Markets it has mostly repaired supplier relationships, though luxury brands tell other analysts its ability to pay remains a top concern.

    By • June 13, 2025
  • A Nordstrom Rack store in Seattle, across the street from the flagship Nordstrom store.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Off-price domination continues as department stores yield more share

    Sales, profits and margins have been stronger at off-pricers, and that won’t change any time soon, according to a UBS report this week.

    By • June 12, 2025
  • A general view of the exterior of the branch of retailer Marks and Spencer at Westfield White City on October 20, 2020 in London, England. Marks & Spencer said customer data was accessed in an April 2025 cyberattack.
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    Leon Neal via Getty Images
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    Marks & Spencer restores some online-order operations following cyberattack

    The department store chain was one of the first targets in an international spree of attacks disrupting retailers.

    By David Jones • June 11, 2025
  • A brown-brick facade with a white "Kohl's" sign decorates a cream-colored building and main entrance of a store, with small trees in the foreground.
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    Courtesy of Kohl's
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    Without a permanent chief, Kohl’s leans on old turnaround plans

    Some of ex-CEO Tom Kingsbury’s ideas are bearing fruit. But declines in Q1 are the latest in a “very long line of poor results,” GlobalData analysts said.

    By • May 29, 2025
  • A tree with bare branches sits to the left of a mall store, with a blue sky above.
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    "Macy's Burlington Mall" by JJBers is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Macy’s sees opportunity to take share as tariffs roil pricing

    The department store posted better-than-expected Q1 results, but its momentum is challenged by uncertainty in both supply and demand.

    By • May 28, 2025
  • A department store at night.
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    "Lights out for Hudson's Bay" by bigfarmer8 is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Hudson’s Bay to lay off more than 9K employees by mid-June

    The move affects about 90% of the workforce, with just over 100 people staying on to help the iconic Canadian department store wind down.

    By • May 28, 2025