Resilient affluent shoppers and revamped stores lift early 2026 sales.

The retailer will close 12 Saks and three Neiman Marcus stores as it targets luxury shoppers.

Smaller beauty brands are shaking up the retail space by achieving faster-growing sales than their big name competitors. Independently owned and operated brands with under $300 million in revenue, called "indie beauty brands" by NielsenIQ in a new report, are rising fast online and outpacing their conglomerate competitors in-store.

Saks Global's high-risk bet on Neiman Marcus has backfired, saddling it with considerable debt, limiting its ability to compete and sending it spiraling toward bankruptcy.

Saks Global has halved its full-year profit forecast to about $150 million after reporting a 13% year-over-year sales drop and a $77 million quarterly loss, Bloomberg reports. Less than a year after acquiring Neiman Marcus, the merger’s promise of creating a luxury powerhouse is faltering as Saks struggles with vendor payments, mounting debt, and withheld merchandise ahead of the holidays. The company’s weakened position gives competitors like Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s an opening to capture its customer base, underscoring how fragile even top-tier retailers can be in today’s shifting luxury market.

Saks Global is in talks to sell a 49% stake in luxury department store Bergdorf Goodman for about $1 billion, per The Wall Street Journal. Selling nearly half of Bergdorf Goodman to an outside investor could ease Saks Global’s liquidity pressures, but it doesn’t address the bigger challenge: The retailer lacks a compelling strategy for growth. The company has not articulated how it will differentiate its department store banners so that they do not compete directly, which is the case in about a dozen markets.

The opportunity: Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom are gaining ground while some of their luxury rivals stumble. Our take: Execution matters—especially in a luxury market where consumers are increasingly anxious about the economy. These shoppers have little tolerance for poor experiences, operational missteps, or inventory gaps. Retailers that deliver consistency, trust, and seamless service will be best positioned to retain loyalty and capture share.

The news: Unilever acquired men’s personal care brand Dr. Squatch—which recently made headlines for offering soap containing actress Sydney Sweeney’s bathwater— for an undisclosed amount as it looks to establish a greater foothold in the fast-growing category. It’s a notable move for a company that is otherwise shedding brands to speed its turnaround, and a clear sign that Unilever counts men’s personal care as one of the “premium and high growth spaces” to prioritize. Our take: While men are hardly a monolithic entity, their optimism about the economy makes them more likely than women to increase their spending this year. At the same time, shifting consumption habits are turning male consumers into a more valuable commodity—as Saks and Unilever see only too clearly.

The news: Saks Global—the roughly year-old troubled parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus—says it is finding its footing and has no plans to close stores, Retail Dive reports. Our take: Saks Global needs more than fresh financing—it needs a clear strategy that will make clear how it can navigate economic headwinds and rebuild trust with suppliers. With luxury spending softening as consumers grow more cautious, execution in the months ahead will be critical—not just for stability, but for long-term survival.

Whether brands are aligning their product with comfort food, launching fragrances, or prioritizing scent in their retail spaces, marketers are embracing multisensory experiences as another way to stand out in the digital noise.

Department stores need a reboot after sales fell 1.6% last year: Retailers like Kohl’s are searching for a winning formula to revitalize the struggling department store model.

Ahead of this year’s highly competitive holiday season, retailers like Dollar General, Neiman Marcus, and Amazon are releasing print versions of their holiday catalogs, focusing on curation, inspiration, and showcasing the best deals.

While luxury sales are slowing as consumers flock to cheaper retailers for apparel, beauty, and other goods, luxury retailers with off-price brands, like Neiman Marcus Last Call and Nordstrom Rack, are seeing store visits climb.

Saks launches retail media network amid slowing sales: The ecommerce retailer is billing its offering as a unique opportunity to connect with luxury shoppers.

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.

Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Hudson’s Bay rethink their strategies as department store sales fall: Tactics include using data science to predict trends and improve pricing strategy, doubling down on luxury, and maximizing store appeal with experiential concepts.

Inflation drives high-income consumers to trade down—and up: Affluent shoppers are spending more at Walmart and Aldi, but a strong dollar is keeping luxury demand robust.

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.

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.

More US consumers than ever say they aren’t spending on the holidays: The expected rebound in holiday shopping hides the fact that many consumers are keeping their wallets closed, while others are turning to buy now, pay later plans for gifts they can’t afford.