Department Stores

  • A stack of bags in various colors, all with bright patterns.
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    Courtesy of Vera Bradley
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    Column

    The Weekly Closeout: Vera Bradley urged to sell and Fleet Feet makes an acquisition

    Fund 1 Investments in a letter pushed the accessories brand to consider strategic alternatives, while the footwear retailer bought South Sound Running.

    By Retail Dive Staff • Jan. 3, 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 • Jan. 1, 2025
  • Neiman Marcus store in Friendship Heights, Maryland
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Saks Global names new leadership as it completes $2.7B Neiman Marcus acquisition

    Saks CEO Marc Metrick will lead the expanded company, while chief merchant Tracy Margolies will take over as Bergdorf Goodman’s president. 

    By • Dec. 24, 2024
  • A downtown department store building
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Nordstroms succeed in taking company private for $6.25B

    The board unanimously approved the deal, which also includes Mexican retail conglomerate El Puerto de Liverpool and gives the founding family a majority stake.

    By • Dec. 23, 2024
  • A composite photo of two mall anchors.
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    photo of Dillard's at Illinois Centre Mall by Mike Kalasnik; Macy's photo and composite by Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Deep Dive

    Should Macy’s be more like Dillard’s? Maybe.

    Activist investors are focused on finances, but the struggling department store may benefit more from studying its rival’s retail chops.

    By • Dec. 19, 2024
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Bloomingdale’s adds fulfillment option for luxury DTC brands

    Shoppers can check on the availability of products via a DTC company’s website and pick up their order at a nearby Bloomingdale’s store.

    By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Dec. 18, 2024
  • With puffy clouds in a blue sky, bushes surround a store with the name "JC Penney" in white letters. The store entrance is a brick arch.
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    "JC Penney" by Mike Mozart is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    J.C. Penney loss narrows in Q3 as sales declines continue

    The department store has more flexibility than others attempting a turnaround, but ongoing top-line weakness clouds its longer-term prospects.

    By • Dec. 18, 2024
  • Taylor Swift book promotion for Target.
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    Courtesy of Target
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    5 retailers that need a great 2024 holiday season

    Some companies are coming off a tough quarter, while others switched leadership or are dealing with changing consumer behavior. But all of these retailers need a W. 

    By • Dec. 17, 2024
  • People walking by stores and crossing the street in a city, with a small red car in a wide crosswalk.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Deep Dive

    Nordstrom and Macy’s abandoned the ‘retail inventory method’ after using it for decades. Here’s why.

    The accounting practice, embraced by department stores in the 1920s, is outdated, skews key metrics and fosters bad decisions, analysts say.

    By • Dec. 16, 2024
  • An exterior sign on a Macy's store.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Macy’s speeds up store closures to amp up turnaround

    The retailer also said that for nearly three years an employee hid about $151 million in delivery expenses but that the fraud didn’t affect sales.

    By • Dec. 11, 2024
  • Puffy clouds and green trees frame a suburban department store building.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Under new ownership, Lord & Taylor revives old logo and comeback dreams

    The chief strategy officer at Regal Brands Global, which now runs the venerable department store, talks to Retail Dive about what comes next.

    By • Dec. 10, 2024
  • Shoppers walk through a Macy's department store on Black Friday. A sign reads, "Give Love."
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    Kamil Krzaczynski via Getty Images
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    How retailers prepped their supply chains for 2024’s holiday crunch

    Companies adjusted inventory and marketing strategies to accommodate the shorter Black Friday to Christmas timeframe.

    By Philip Neuffer • Dec. 10, 2024
  • Bloomingdale's flagship in New York City, at night.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Activist firms demand Macy’s consider options for Bloomingdale’s

    The department store is winding up the year as it began, with investors on its case — this time it's Barington Capital Group and Thor Equities.

    By • Dec. 9, 2024
  • Dark clouds over a store entrance. A brick-red exterior wall with a "Kohl's" sign.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Will Kohl’s have to close stores?

    Not long ago, in stark contrast to rival Macy’s, the department store was talking about expanding its fleet. That may be about to change, analysts say.

    By • Nov. 27, 2024
  • A lit-up department store with holiday decorations in front windows and entrance.
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    Courtesy of Nordstrom
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    Nordstrom nervous about the holidays despite healthy Q3

    A slowdown early in Q4 led to a very conservative upgrade in the retailer’s expectations. Meanwhile, there is still no update on the Nordstrom family’s take-private offer.

    By • Nov. 27, 2024
  • A leafy green bush sits in front of a reddish brick store against a bright blue sky, with the name Kohl's in white block letters.
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    "Kohl's" by Mike Mozart is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    Amid setbacks in its turnaround, Kohl’s lowers guidance again

    Traffic, sales and profits declined in Q3, and the department store is reversing course in some areas after its tactics backfired.

    By • Nov. 26, 2024
  • Martha Stewart holds a football in a baking dish in a JCPenney ad
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    Courtesy of JCPenney
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    How J.C. Penney’s ‘Really Big Deal Reveals’ campaign is faring so far

    The retailer has been averaging 13% to 15% new customers each week during the campaign appearing in Amazon Prime Video’s “Thursday Night Football.”

    By Jessica Deyo • Nov. 26, 2024
  • 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 names new CEO

    The department store has tapped Michaels CEO Ashley Buchanan to lead the retailer beginning early next year, replacing Tom Kingsbury.

    By • Nov. 25, 2024
  • A big red sign on the side of a large department store building.
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Macy’s delays full Q3 report over millions in fraudulent expense accounting

    Starting in 2021 an employee hid $132 million to $154 million in delivery expenses, a disclosure overshadowing an otherwise decent quarter.

    By • Nov. 25, 2024
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    Daphne Howland/Retail Dive
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    Column

    The Weekly Closeout: Target extends store hours for the holidays, Nuuly launches ‘The Thrift Shop’

    The mass merchant will be open from 7 a.m. to midnight from Nov. 30 to Dec. 23, while the subscription company debuted a perk for discounted styles.

    By Retail Dive Staff • Nov. 15, 2024
  • Nordstrom app
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    Retrieved from Nordstrom on November 13, 2024
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    Nordstrom leverages generative AI for holiday app refresh

    Among the new app features are trend reports, which blend the expertise of Nordstrom stylists with artificial intelligence to deliver relevant trends. 

    By Aaron Baar • Nov. 15, 2024
  • A store's mall entrance, with a plant in the foreground.
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    Courtesy of Dillard's
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    Dillard’s keeps the focus on expenses in Q3 as sales edge down

    Compared to some rivals, the department store is less dependent on the holiday quarter when it comes to the year’s operating profits.

    By • Nov. 14, 2024
  • Actress Alison Brie wearing a red suit looking over her left shoulder.
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    Courtesy of Macy's
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    Macy’s taps actress Alison Brie for holiday campaign

    The spots, which depict Brie embodying the human version of the department store’s annual gift guide, will air across TV, digital and social channels.

    By Howard Ruben • Oct. 29, 2024
  • A person wearing a pink sweater that says "Minnie" and a striped skirt with ears on their head.
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    Courtesy of Macy's
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    Macy’s, Disney collaborate for the holidays with new collection and shop-in-shops

    Disney will have shop-in-shops in 200 locations, including the department store’s iconic Herald Square flagship in New York City. 

    By Howard Ruben • Oct. 18, 2024
  • The exterior of H&M's pop-up in New York City's Nolita neighborhood. There are metallic silver mannequins in the window with a red background.
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    Courtesy of H&M
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    Column

    The Weekly Closeout: Foot Locker partners with the Chicago Bulls, H&M pops up in New York

    The footwear retailer’s deal includes a series of community events, in-store activations and more, while the apparel retailer’s pop-up store runs for two months.

    By Retail Dive Staff • Oct. 18, 2024