Amid the carnage of bankruptcies, store closures, and massive layoffs in 2020, some retail companies actually fared very well. Adjustments to supply chains, product and service bundles, stocking and inventory, and customer service have been the keys to success for big-box retailers like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. Others, such as Apple, lululemon athletica, Nike, and Starbucks, are focusing on innovating and modifying store experiences through digital integration, frictionless shopping, and atmospherics modified for a “new normal” of social distancing and sanitization.

On today's episode, we discuss Pinterest's unique advertising challenges, how its user growth compares with the other digital advertising giants, and the balance between shopping and buying on the platform. We then talk about what is most important to customers using curbside pickup, how Target capped off an exceptional 2020, and how to fairly measure in-store retail's performance going forward as stores reopen with limited capacity. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer analyst at Insider Intelligence Daniel Keyes.

Amazon's department stores will let it offer more categories under one roof: The model gives Amazon an advantage for in-store purchases like clothing and apparel.

The retailer saw notable sales growth as consumers returned to stores post-vaccine, and recent partnerships might continue the trend—if delta doesn’t get in the way.

For context, Walmart and Target stores are within 1 hour of 99% and 94% of the US population, respectively. As global climate change and sustainability concerns heat up, Amazon’s biggest uphill battle will be addressing its image as an environmentally unfriendly business.

Before the pandemic, 84% of US adults shopped for groceries in stores, but as of June 2021, that number's slipped down to 70%.

The retail industry is transforming at both physical stores and in digital. This report examines 10 trends that will most shape retail in the year ahead.

Business Insider Intelligence research analyst Daniel Keyes and eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Andrew Lipsman discuss how Amazon's Prime Day went and what to expect from holiday shopping this season. They then talk about miniature Ulta Beauty shops inside Target stores, the health of retail in 2021, and whether in-garage delivery can rival curbside pickup.

eMarketer principal analyst Andrew Lipsman discusses how stores are adapting to their customers' lifestyles, why Target saw a rush of back-to-school shoppers, how consumers feel about shopping at Best Buy and more.

More retailers are investing in biometrics, including behavioral tracking and facial and voice recognition to not only improve store security—and potentially catch shoplifters—but to also target consumers with promotional content.

In 2021, US retail sales will grow 7.9%, with in-store sales growing 6.3% and online sales growing 17.9%. While stores will have their moment in 2021, we expect brick-and-mortar sales growth to go back to pre-pandemic levels.

Initially, Quip was entirely direct-to-consumer [D2C] and only later branched out to major retailers like Target. How important was starting out as a D2C to the company's trajectory? That order was very helpful. Ultimately, distribution is great.

Target also landed with more than a third of its digital sales coming from click and collect, an increase of about 7 percentage points over 2019. Both Target and Walmart also saw huge booms in digital groceries. Finally, department stores like Macy’s and Nordstrom saw the least dramatic transitions to click and collect.

Amazon operates close to 600 physical stores in the US, the majority of which are locations of grocer Whole Foods Market, which Amazon acquired in 2017.

It lets brick-and-mortar retailers use their store networks to avoid shipping costs and delays altogether. Across the board, retailers used their network of stores to get orders out to customers faster: 95% of Target’s sales were fulfilled by stores in Q4 2020, for instance. Recent efforts can help Kroger, Target, and Walmart optimize delivery and fulfillment strategies to better compete with Amazon.

Amid the carnage of bankruptcies, store closures, and massive layoffs in 2020, some retail companies have actually done very well. Adjustments to supply chains, product and service bundles, stocking and inventory, and customer service have been the keys to success for big-box retailers like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy.