Holidays

  • Exterior of a Nordstrom Rack store.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Citing momentum over the holidays, Nordstrom moves deeper into off-price

    The retailer will open even more of its Rack stores this year than in 2023, but analysts warned that its full-line business also requires attention.

    By • March 6, 2024
  • Two round beige planters on each side of a mall entrance to a Dillard's store.
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    "Dillard's - Columbia, MO" by Robert Stinnett is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Dillard’s manages ‘respectable’ holiday quarter

    A challenging consumer environment kept a lid on the department store’s success in the period, but there were some bright spots.

    By • Feb. 27, 2024
  • Two golden Christmas tree balls on wood. Explore the Trendline➔
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    The image by Marco Verch is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Trendline

    Inside the 2023 holiday season

    Retailers are navigating supply chain bottlenecks while consumers face renewed concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic.

    By Retail Dive staff
  • 3D Art
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    Permission granted by Celonis
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    Sponsored by Celonis

    For a seamless retail customer experience during peak season, start with employees

    Improving the employee experience goes a long way to improving customer experience, writes Lindsey Peters, Retail and Consumer Goods Industry Lead at Celonis.

    By Lindsey Peters, Retail and Consumer Goods Industry Lead, Celonis • Jan. 8, 2024
  • Person shops online with a Christmas tree in the background.
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    NoSystem images via Getty Images
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    Holiday shoppers spent ‘record’ $222.1B online: report

    BNPL usage hit an all-time high during the season, with Cyber Monday as the largest day on record for the payment method, per Adobe.

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Jan. 4, 2024
  • Smiling young family looking at candy and Christmas presents in a store window.
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    RgStudio via Getty Images
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    Retail trends that shaped the holidays in 2023

    From new marketing techniques to consumers spending despite inflation, here are the big takeaways from the latest holiday season. 

    By Retail Dive Staff • Jan. 2, 2024
  • A person in a blue shirt holding a package.
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    BongkarnThanyakij via Getty Images
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    Consumers could return $82.1B worth of holiday merchandise, survey finds

    To address the rising cost of returns, 44% of retailers have increased return or restocking fees, according to CBRE and Optoro.

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 29, 2023
  • An Amazon driver loads packages into a delivery van at an Amazon delivery station on November 28, 2022 in Alpharetta, Georgia.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Free shipping is more important to shoppers than same-day delivery: Forrester

    The costs of implementing same-day and next-day delivery might not be worth it given the level of consumer interest in the service.

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 28, 2023
  • A customer is greeted by a cashier
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    bluecinema via Getty Images
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    Returns are the last, but not least, component of a holiday CX strategy

    The last thing retailers should do is make gift recipients feel guilty for making a return, according to experts. 

    By Bryan Wassel • Dec. 27, 2023
  • Warehouse supervisor walking and talking with senior manager.
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    zeljkosantrac via Getty Images
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    ’Tis the season for a retail tech-stack rethink

    An influx of in-store technologies has CIOs leaning toward cloud for integration solutions, according to research by Bain and Aptos.

    By Matt Ashare • Dec. 26, 2023
  • Perfume bottles sit on a desk with an open book.
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    NastyaSensei. Retrieved from Pexels.
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    Fragrance sees online boost during early part of holiday season: report

    Online sales of prestige fragrance brands were nearly double the rate of in-store sales in the early part of Q4, according to Circana.

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 26, 2023
  • Brown paper wrapped gifts with string ties.
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    Vadym Petrochenko via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    Can retail sell hygge?

    The Scandinavian concept of cozy gatherings and togetherness fits in well with the holidays. Until the excessive purchasing begins.

    By • Dec. 24, 2023
  • A red storefront entrance with a white dot-in-circle logo and an "order pickup" sign on the door. Trees and blue sky with white clouds on the right.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Shoppers use BOPIS to avoid holiday shipping delays: report

    Buy online, pick up in store accounted for one-fourth of online orders in the three weeks after Cyber Monday, according to Salesforce. 

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 21, 2023
  • A family walks down a Walmart aisle.
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    Courtesy of Walmart
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    Walmart outpaces Target, Macy’s for most recent holiday purchases: report

    A fourth of respondents to a new survey said their last holiday shopping stop was at the big box retailer, followed by Target and Kohl’s. 

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 21, 2023
  • A cargo ship on the Suez Canal
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    Courtesy of Suez Canal Authority
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    Holiday shelves unaffected by Suez Canal attacks, but retailers anticipate disruptions in the new year

    Retail industry groups are monitoring the situation, which is adding time and costs to the supply chain as shippers seek alternative routes.

    By • Dec. 20, 2023
  • Target content on the Las Vegas Sphere
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    Courtesy of Target
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    Target brings dog mascot Bullseye to Las Vegas Sphere for holiday blitz

    The largest version of the bull terrier character yet is joined by an 11-story gingerbread Target for the snowglobe-inspired takeover.

    By Peter Adams • Dec. 20, 2023
  • A person wearing glasses and a striped sweater looks into a box with a concerned look.
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    Andrii Zastrozhnov via Getty Images
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    Are retailers ready for peak returns season?

    E-commerce has surged at the end of the year, which could mean that more people than ever will bring back their purchases.

    By • Dec. 19, 2023
  • Stack of credit cards spread out
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    bernie_photo via Getty Images
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    Half of US consumers expect to take on holiday debt: survey

    Over a third of consumers expect to pay their holiday bills in two or more months, according to a new report. 

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 18, 2023
  • The inside of a mall.
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    "Nordstrom wing of the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City" by Ben Schumin is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
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    Super Saturday timing means fewer expected shoppers this year, survey finds

    The National Retail Federation predicts 142 million people will shop that day, which falls on Dec. 23, down from 159 million last year.

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 15, 2023
  • A young person sits at a desk in front of a computer while a Christmas tree is in the background.
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    Krisada tepkulmanont via Getty Images
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    Black Friday, Cyber Monday saw ‘lackluster’ consumer tech sales, report finds

    Both unit and dollar sales declined year over year during Black Friday Week, and the average price of products was down during Cyber Monday Week.

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 14, 2023
  • The outside of the Macy's store in Herald Square in NYC during the holidays.
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    Kaarin Vembar/Retail Dive
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    Macy’s, Anne Klein partner on NYC pop-up shop

    The apparel brand, which has partnered with Macy’s in the past, will showcase items from its latest collection at the temporary store. 

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 14, 2023
  • Person shops for holiday items at Target.
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    Courtesy of Target
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    Target woos last-minute holiday shoppers with extended hours

    The retailer is also offering same-day fulfillment options through Shipt and its own Order Pickup and Drive Up services through Christmas Eve.

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 13, 2023
  • Michael's Arts & Crafts Store, Newington, CT, 2/2015 by Mike Mozart of TheToyChannel and JeepersMedia on YouTube
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    "Michael's" by Mike Mozart is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Michaels, PetSmart partner on holiday promotion

    The two brands have come together to provide each other’s customers with exclusive savings offers. 

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 13, 2023
  • A worker in a yellow vest inspects a package with the Target logo as it makes its way down a conveyor belt.
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    Permission granted by Target
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    November hiring growth slightly up from 2022: report

    Though some major retailers are hiring seasonal workers this holiday, employers are relatively cautious in their hiring plans overall.

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 12, 2023
  • An Express storefront at King of Prussia mall in Pennsylvania
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    Permission granted by Express
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    5 retailers that need a strong finish for the year

    These retailers have borrowed heavily, delivered soft performance, seen substantial leadership turnover or operate in a heavily discretionary sector. Can they turn themselves around?

    By • Dec. 12, 2023
  • person looking at credit card and laptop
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    Unsplash.com/rupixen

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    Sponsored by Justt

    How to deal with order fulfillment challenges during the holiday shopping season

    Prepare for the 2023 holiday season with expert strategies for effective order fulfillment. Discover how to meet high demand, handle order spikes, and optimize your supply chain to ensure customer satisfaction and avoid holiday anxiety.

    By Ronen Shnidman • Dec. 11, 2023