Consumers plan to get an early start on holiday shopping: That’s good news for retailers as it should help smooth out the traditional late-season shipping bump.

Retailers struggle to determine which items to keep in stock: With many working to shrink their swollen inventory stockpiles, some are cutting back on their fall and winter orders.

AI becomes a must-have tool for retailers: Dick’s Sporting Goods, Levi’s, Panera, and others are relying on the technology across all areas of their businesses.

Malls need to change: As department stores right-size and shift to smaller formats, mall operators need new types of businesses to drive people to their shopping centers.

Macy’s is making moves. It’s expanding its Toys R Us shop-in-shops to every Macy’s location and will open four smaller-format off-mall stores this fall.

Despite falling sales, Dick’s Sporting Goods is bullish: But Macy’s is taking a conservative view as inventory and demand challenges continue to hurt profits.

Inflation may hinder consumer spending during the holidays: Nordstrom is the latest retailer to lower its forecast for the rest of the year due to softening customer demand.

Inflation eased slightly in July, but consumers still feel the pinch: Gas prices are falling, but steadily rising food prices are eroding shoppers’ buying power.

There are fewer retail vacancies than any time in 10 years: Retailers are testing new formats and expanding their physical presences to be closer to where consumers live and shop.

The toy category seems to be immune from the struggles others are facing amid inflation, making it a perfect time for Toys R Us to stage a comeback.

Hasbro and Mattel are optimistic about the future: The resiliency of the toy category coupled with strong IP properties should keep both companies in the green, even in the event of a recession.

Macy’s, Nordstrom bet on smaller stores as shoppers move away from malls: Department stores are taking a localized approach to reach more consumers and speed up fulfillment.

Retailers struggle with online returns, but charging won’t help: Brands like Asos and Boohoo should focus on improving the customer experience to help mitigate the effects of inflation and bracketing.

Nike’s shift to D2C gives other sportswear brands an opening: Adidas, Reebok, Allbirds, and more are jockeying to take Nike’s place on store shelves.

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.

The tight labor market is empowering retail workers: Boosting pay can help retailers retain staff and ensure they’re providing a good customer experience.

Omicron outbreak leads retailers to cut hours and temporarily close stores: The situation could drive more consumers to buy online and spur merchants to add more self-service tools.

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.

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) services have emerged in recent years as more retailers, including Walmart and Macy’s, began offering consumers financing options when checking out.

US click-and-collect sales more than doubled in 2020 and will sustain double-digit growth rates over the next four years, according to our latest forecast. We estimate that US shoppers spent $72.46 billion via click and collect last year, accounting for 9.1% of all ecommerce sales. This year, those figures will increase to $83.47 billion and 9.9%, respectively.