It was a happy holiday season for several retailers: Lululemon, Abercrombie & Fitch, Crocs, and Pandora are among the companies that beat expectations over the final months of 2023.

Gen Z teens cut spending in response to inflation: Shoppers in this cohort are shopping more often at off-price and ecommerce retailers to save money, although the beauty category is as resilient as ever.

Digitally native D2C brands embrace traditional retail strategies: More are inking partnerships with retailers like Amazon and Walmart to expand their reaches and offset soaring acquisition costs.

Casper’s subway ads give commuters fun puzzles to solve while increasing its brand awareness. Albertsons Companies leverages a game to entice consumers to play for discounts and rewards. And Nike’s mobile app earns the brand a spot in consumers’ everyday lives. Here are five ways brands are embracing gamification across different stages.

On Running is firing on all cylinders: The performance footwear company grew D2C and wholesale revenues—as well as market share—in Q2.

Digitally native brands look for a new D2C playbook: Brands are embracing wholesale, physical retail, acquisitions, and even selling on Amazon to regain momentum and achieve profitability.

Embracing mobile gives consumers access to a branded experience both online and in-store, while in-store technologies bring the digital world into the physical. To cater to shoppers no matter where or how they shop, brands should also make sure they’re balancing in-store and online rewards as well as D2C and wholesale commerce.

Apparel and consumer electronics could get a boost from the back-to-school and holiday seasons. But home improvement may have a ways to go before the category rebounds.

Nike and Hoka battle it out over young consumers and runners; Shein and Temu are caught up in controversies and litigation; and DoorDash and Instacart take different approaches to the same problem.

Consumers of all ages and income levels shopped Amazon Prime Day this year. Shoppers spent more this year compared with 2022, and despite a tough economic climate, Prime Day shoppers didn’t price compare as much as expected.

The pandemic accelerated investment in CX technology to meet rapidly changing needs. But as consumer priorities shift again amid high inflation, UK retailers need to understand which technologies are hitting the mark and which are not.

Digital D2C disruptors, like Peloton and Casper, will bring in about $100 billion less in US ecommerce sales than the $134.55 billion of their established counterparts this year, according to our forecast.

Nike is once again selling wholesale to DSW and Macy’s: Renewing those relationships will help it reach the sizable segment of consumers who aren’t willing to seek out its products.

Nike’s close connections to sports and sneaker culture keep it on the top of Gen Z’s list of favorite brands while its cutting-edge sneaker technology makes the brand a must-have for runners. But Nike must use a mix of D2C and wholesale commerce if it wants to defend its title from the competition.

On today's episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss how Nike was able to create such a strong brand, how that brand has transcended generations, and how close its competitors are to catching up. Then in a brand-new segment, "Loyalty Point, Counter Point," we present arguments both in favor and against various questions related to Nike, like can it remain the need-to-have running shoe and has the company alienated its core customer? Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analyst Sky Canaves and director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman.

D2C ecommerce will continue to grow at above-average rates. But that growth will be driven by established brands selling directly—not digitally native brands.

Nordstrom is shuttering its downtown San Francisco stores: Crime concerns have driven Whole Foods, Nike, and REI to close urban locations, while others attempt to address those issues without annoying customers.

According to Piper Sandler’s 45th semi-annual survey of US teen consumers, Gen Z spending was up 2% YoY to $2,419 annually. We dig into some of the key findings from the survey and offer our perspective, including why Ulta Beauty is proof the “lipstick effect” is in full swing and how Amazon can keep up with platforms like TikTok.

Warehouse inventory levels remain a significant hurdle for many retailers: While there’s progress, only 36% of supply chain managers expect inventories to return to normal this year.

Scrutiny over labor practices puts Starbucks, Nike, and others in the hot seat: The backlash could force retailers to improve supply chain transparency and worker protections.