The US labor market is a tale of two halves: While retailers with a strong brick-and-mortar presence are intensifying their hiring efforts, startups are taking a more cautious approach to recruitment as VC funding dries up.

Retail sales for the 2021 US holiday season will soar as brick-and-mortar shopping returns with a vengeance and ecommerce maintains double-digit growth rates.

Retailers invest in last-mile fulfillment as shoppers clamor for convenience: Growing ecommerce business has led companies to revamp their brick-and-mortar footprints and adopt autonomous delivery methods.

Brick-and-mortar retailers will bank on digital technology to ease shopper friction points and drive in-store sales.

The retailers that will be on top this holiday season are those that see mobile apps as the connective tissue between brick-and-mortar and ecommerce shopping experiences.

Farfetch and Neiman Marcus join forces to update luxury retail for the ecommerce age: The fashion platform will invest up to $200 million in the retailer, with the latter using Farfetch’s ecommerce tools to power digital channels.

Here’s a breakdown of the online and in-store features that apparel retail shoppers value the most, and a ranking of how 10 leading retailers stack up.

Clashes between retailers and activist investors are heating up: Kohls, Macy’s, and grocer SpartanNash are some of the companies pushing back against investor demands.

Next year in the UK, digital video ads will make gains, Brexit will continue to complicate ecommerce and data privacy rules, and retailers will reimagine the in-store experience.

As the lines continue to blur between digital and physical channels, retailers will need to master both to entice consumers to continue to return to their brand. Here are five trends they should keep an eye on.

The pandemic was disastrous for many retailers; we estimate that total retail sales worldwide plunged 2.8% in 2020. Though, while many physical stores were shuttered, digital retail sales soared by over 25% in a single year.

In the past year and a half, several traditional brick-and-mortar retailers in Canada have accelerated their personalization and segmentation efforts, largely due to the pandemic and the need for brands to communicate more effectively via email.

Across brick and mortar and ecommerce, the customer experience landscape has changed dramatically—and permanently—during the pandemic.

This cohort represents an opportunity set for digital grocery retailers with brick-and-mortar locations. Finally, digital marketers, retailers, and ecommerce strategists should note that the US is not the world leader in click-and-collect participation.

The 2019 holiday season capped a tough year for physical retailers in the UK, with brick-and-mortar sales down for the second year running. However, strong gains in retail ecommerce sales meant that overall, retail sales saw growth during the season.

Thanksgiving store closures return thanks to shifting consumer habits: Increasing online shopping and earlier deal-seeking, plus criticism over opening on Thanksgiving Day, could lead many retailers to forgo the trend for good—Target has already committed to doing so.

Trend: Retailers Will Adopt Digital Tools in Physical Stores to Drive Sales. Brick-and-mortar retailers will bank on digital technology to ease shopper friction points and drive in-store sales. Many changes to in-store technology are already underway or planned for 2022.

On today's episode, we discuss how many Americans have adopted telehealth, how people are using it, and what's both driving it forward and holding it back. We then talk about the popularity of buy now, pay later services, why some retailers are now starting to expand their brick and mortar presence, and what adding prescription discounts might do for Amazon and Walmart's membership programs. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer principal analyst Lisa Phillips and director of forecasting at Insider Intelligence Cindy Liu.

The big takeaway: Expect brick-and-mortar retailers and travel and hospitality companies to have a rough Q1 2022. While sentiment is expected to rebound as the quarter progresses, it’s hard to know exactly at what point that will occur.

On today's episode, we discuss whether a federal privacy law is still expected this year, some case studies of how companies are building trust in emerging technologies through privacy, and some best practices on how to differentiate on privacy. We then talk about major retailers' Q1 earnings, why Google is opening a brick-and-mortar store, and whether kids being able to shop online by themselves will catch on. Tune in to the discussion with Insider Intelligence senior analyst Sara M. Watson and analyst Daniel Keyes.

With much of the US still under stay-at-home orders, consumers are growing more accustomed to grocery shopping online. Brick-and-mortars, delivery startups and ecommerce retailers are adapting to the new normal, but even leaders in online grocery like Amazon and Walmart have struggled to keep up with demand.

A lot has happened in the retail space in the past 12 months. Nordstrom opened up its flagship store in New York City around the same time that brick and mortar veterans like Barney’s are closing up shop. More consumers got comfortable with buy online, pick up in-store (BOPUS)—especially as more brands adopted the service—and retailers such as Banana Republic and Bloomingdale's rolled out their own clothing rental services hoping to gain mass market appeal.

Footwear retailer Payless, which filed for bankruptcy last year, is relaunching its brand with a new ecommerce site and brick-and-mortar ambitions.