How retailers weathered the holidays in 2021

Some have raised their Q4 guidance after a successful season, while others suffered from supply chain challenges and soft foot traffic.

By Ben Unglesbee , Daphne Howland • Jan. 13, 2022

Holiday hiring in retail dropped 7%

New analysis from Challenger, Gray & Christmas shows seasonal jobs fell to their lowest levels since 2016 as COVID-19 surged once again. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Jan. 12, 2022

Explore the Trendline➔

A look at the 2024 holiday season

Technology will play a key role in holiday sales this year, Adobe revealed in its latest holiday report. 

By Retail Dive staff

Global online sales exceed $1 trillion during the holidays: Salesforce

Despite external challenges, consumers continued to splurge online.

By Maria Monteros • Jan. 12, 2022

Holiday rewind: How the shopping experience changed in 2021

From the return of Macy's Santa visits to augmented reality stores, holiday shopping took on a new form.  

By Cara Salpini , Ben Unglesbee , Kaarin Vembar , Daphne Howland , Caroline Jansen , Maria Monteros • Jan. 10, 2022

Holiday spending slowed in December but remained above 2020 levels, data shows

Earlier shopping and the omicron variant shifted spending patterns in the season's home stretch, but sales were still robust, analyses show.

By Ben Unglesbee • Jan. 7, 2022

Retailers tailor holiday paid social to Gen Z, with YouTube grabbing biggest spend

The findings show Gen Z wields growing purchasing power and is more comfortable buying through apps as social commerce booms.

By Peter Adams • Jan. 6, 2022

Report: Over a third of shoppers plan to return a gift this season

Holiday sales were expected to surge this year, which could also spell higher returns for retailers now that the season is over.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Jan. 5, 2022

Victoria's Secret reiterates Q4 guidance, begins $250M share buyback

The lingerie retailer made dramatic changes last year that are already paying off financially.

By Daphne Howland • Jan. 4, 2022

The Backroom: Our traditional interview with the retail prophet, Doug Stephens

While the pandemic isn't over, 2021 seemed to show that physical locations remain important to retail. But each store must have something to offer.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 30, 2021

Returns are the new growth strategy

To benefit from returns, retailers need to enhance the customer experience, optimize costs and preserve revenue, write Alvarez & Marsal's Michael Simoncic and Alfredo Lozano.

By Michael Simoncic and Alfredo Lozano • Dec. 23, 2021

Pandemic headlines may be deterring last-minute shoppers

Super Saturday's traffic declines indicate that news of the omicron variant may be interfering with consumer confidence, which could worsen in the new year.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 22, 2021

J.C. Penney taps DoorDash for same-day delivery just ahead of holidays

The department store retailer is building out its omnichannel capabilities as it tries to secure a lasting turnaround after last year's bankruptcy. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Dec. 20, 2021

Can this year's department store recovery last?

The sector is having a good holiday season after bouncing back this year as consumers refreshed their closets. But its problems haven't gone away.

By Daphne Howland • Dec. 20, 2021

Consumers could return $66.7B in holiday merchandise this year

For retailers, the cost of returns is also going up, according to a report from CBRE.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 17, 2021

Nike, Etsy’s mobile apps were ‘climbers’ this holiday season: report

More than half of mobile shoppers downloaded at least one new shopping app ahead of the holiday season, according to Digital Turbine.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 16, 2021

True Religion touts 'record' Cyber Week sales

The company is leaning into a DTC transformation after filing for bankruptcy in 2020.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 15, 2021

Retailers add 7.5% fewer seasonal jobs than last year: report

The October and November 2021 figures were the lowest for the retail sector since 2016, according to Challenger, Gray and Christmas. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 15, 2021

PetSmart launches pet photos with Santa, photo contest

The retailer has introduced new services and merchandise, but its business practices have recently come under fire.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 15, 2021

Online price hikes hit record high in November: Adobe

Inflation was especially pronounced in apparel, which spiked more than 17% year over year in an inventory-scarce environment. 

By Ben Unglesbee • Dec. 13, 2021

Gen Zers relied on buy now, pay later during the holidays. It's time to pay up.

What may be a beneficial feature to retailers poses risks to young consumers who've increasingly flocked to installment services.

By Maria Monteros • Dec. 13, 2021

Survey: 94% of consumers expect to be notified about holiday shipping delays

Additionally, 77% of shoppers worry they will have issues purchasing gifts online this year, according to a report by Intercom. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 10, 2021

The hottest product this holiday season may be gift cards: report

A study by Square attributes an uptick in gift card sales to supply chain problems that threaten to prevent items from arriving on time.

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 10, 2021

Uber to deliver holiday goods from Rite Aid, GoPuff other retailers via Uber Eats

The new holiday shop will also offer Christmas tree and wreath deliveries in select cities across the country. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 8, 2021

Amazon's holiday window showcases Alexa-enabled experiences

The century-old tradition of holiday window displays gets an update via smart technology as shoppers return to stores. 

By Nina Lentini • Dec. 7, 2021

Toymaker Ty air ships products for the holidays to avoid port congestion

More companies are taking their freight to the skies during the holidays, sacrificing the cost-effectiveness of ocean shipping.

By Max Garland • Dec. 3, 2021