News

The hottest trend in the apparel market may be at risk of over-supply.    While athleisure remains popular with consumers, too many retailers have entered the category, reported CNBC.  

Consumers shopping for others bring different expectations and needs than those shopping for themselves. Until now, retailers have turned a blind eye to the enormous sales opportunities in digital gifting, which is estimated to represent $200 billion-300 billion in sales annually.  Leading retailers and brands such as Macy’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Neiman Marcus, Coach, Lilly Pulitzer, Vera Bradley, and others have begun to embrace innovative, new digital gifting solutions and monetize the emerging digital gifting category.   

Amazon is making its marketplace sellers an offer that is hard to refuse.   The online giant’s Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) division is rolling out a new program that will buy products from third-party merchants at full price, then sell them to consumers across the globe. The program is a move to build Amazon’s global inventory, according to CNBC.  

Abercrombie & Fitch is setting its sights on Chinese teens in a new partnership with China's online giant.   The retailer will start selling its namesake brand and Abercrombie kids line on Alibaba Group's Tmall website, starting on July 26. Tmall, which is China's largest consumer website for brands and retailers, has carried Abercrombie's Hollister brand since 2014.  

Prime Day 2017 was Amazon’s biggest event yet. But the shopping marathon took a significant toll on brick-and-mortar traffic.   

Nordstrom is putting a modern spin on a 50-year-old tradition.   The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale — an event that launched in the 1960s — is stepping up its digital game this year. To drive customer engagement throughout the two-week event which kicks off on July 21, the department store giant teamed up with Snapchat to create a custom lens that features accessories that will be highlighted during the Anniversary Sale.   

The rate at which data breaches are hitting and impacting businesses shows no sign of slowing. In fact, according to the Identify Theft Resource Center, the number of breaches so far this year has already surpassed the number of breaches around the same time last year by almost 35%. (Here’s a list of breaches that have already occurred this year.)   

Destination XL Group has a new way to connect with its loyal shoppers.   The menswear retailer launched its first mobile app — a move that will help it engage shoppers whether they are on-the-go or in-store. Designed with mobile commerce provider PredictSpring, the app will help Destination XL create a more modern shopping experience.  

Consumers are in search of the latest back-to-school deals and experiences — and hitting their local shopping centers to find them.   This was according to the annual “ICSC Back-to-School Spending” survey. The report from the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC), which was conducted between July 6-July 9, is based on a sample of 1,010 U.S. adults, 18 years of age and older.