As the year comes to an end, we wanted to take a minute to reflect on the biggest trends that shaped the retail industry in 2021.
While the rollout of vaccines provided a sense of relief to both consumers and retailers earlier this year, the industry was faced with a new set of challenges, including supply chain constraints and labor shortages.
Notably different from last year was also the number of retail bankruptcies: This year, Retail Dive tracked eight major bankruptcies in the industry compared to last year's 30.
Seemingly replacing the wave of Chapter 11 filings were IPO filings, many of which came from online brands as e-commerce remained elevated.
Below we've included stories featuring the trends that shaped retail in 2021. We hope you enjoy!
And as always, thanks for reading.
Caroline Jansen
Editor, Retail Dive
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Bottlenecks from factories to cargo ships mean less inventory and fewer discounts for the season.
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From Warby Parker and Allbirds to Claire's and Mattress Firm, companies across sectors are seizing the opportunity to enter the public markets.
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Stimulus, vaccines and easy money have lifted even rickety ships in retail. Is it just a wave, or a new era of less distress?
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Deep Dive
Employers are offering incentives like sign-on bonuses, tuition assistance and higher pay to staff up, but challenges remain.
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Deep Dive
Those who've declared the Saks online-offline split a success now want the same for Macy's and Kohl's. Here's why they're vulnerable.
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What may be a beneficial feature to retailers poses risks to young consumers who've increasingly flocked to installment services.
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Deep Dive
Athletics retailers are in some ways leading this shift, but brands across the industry are doubling down on the model to grow margins.
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With lots of square footage and tons of parking, shopping centers are rethinking ways to give their centralized locations new life.
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New in-app shopping features have enticed consumers to shop as they scroll.
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From Dick's Public Lands outdoors banner to Bloomie's to Ulta's Target shop-in-shops, here are some of the most notable concept launches this year.
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