The Backroom with Retail Dive: Recent Episodes
Retail Dive
Discretionary retail sales have been surprisingly strong so far this year. The team discusses the reasons why and what that might mean for the rest of 2026.
Liza Amlani, principal at Retail Strategy Group, joins us to discuss how retailers and brands can successfully grapple with what she calls “fit volatility.”
The team breaks down what's behind the pushback against the incoming CEO, founder Chip Wilson’s battle with the board and more.
Brieane Olson talks about her book, “Co-created,” and her work as a merchant and now CEO in redefining the retailer for a new generation.
Katie Thomas, lead of the Kearney Consumer Institute, joins The Backroom to discuss consumer sentiment, economic pressures and more.
The team discusses how different the companies are, despite ushering in new executive leadership at the same time.
The team chats about their recent visits to Saks Fifth Avenue’s Manhattan flagship and brings in Debtwire analysts to discuss the retailer’s Chapter 11 process.
The retail strategy adviser talks about trust in the age of emerging AI and the industry’s potential in shaping our society.
Retail Dive’s reporters touch base with Supply Chain Dive to examine how shifts in U.S. tariff rates have affected the industry ahead of its most important quarter.
The creepy, crawly event has grown into a months-long celebration and a $13 billion business. But is it a harbinger for the holidays?
Heading into the season, shoppers and retailers alike are getting squeezed by tariffs and mounting economic uncertainty.
Debtwire’s global head of legal, Sarah Foss, joins Retail Dive Senior Reporter Daphne Howland for a discussion of retailer bankruptcies – in 2025 and beyond.
Join Retail Dive reporters Daphne Howland and Dani James for a discussion about the mass retailer’s unique history, the ups and downs of its differentiation, and where it may be headed.
Fashion Dive Senior Editor Lara Ewen joins to talk about the latest tie-up between the department store conglomerate and the e-commerce giant.
Senior Editor Cara Salpini joins The Backroom to discuss what this deal could mean for the athletics retailers and the sector more broadly.
Trade policy is ever-evolving, and hitting the retail industry especially hard. Philip Neuffer, senior editor at our sister publication, talks about covering the issue and where things stand today.
The longtime merchant discusses the myths and rewards of a channel that is getting renewed appreciation in the industry.
Playwright Ken Harris talks about how his experiences in retail loss prevention informed his award-wining solo play, and gives his unique perspective on shrink and theft.
The team talks about a recent report that U.S. retailers are set to shutter many more stores than they plan to open in 2025, and what that really means.
The retail and brand expert discusses the hype around AI, how marketers can preserve human creativity and his optimism about the future.
Join Retail Dive Senior Report Daphne Howland and Rick Watson, founder and CEO of RMW Commerce, as they unpack recent retail stories including Amazon’s answer to Temu, Walmart’s progress and Target’s struggles.
The team discusses a recent deep dive into a very online movement, led by deal-hunting influencers, and what it means for consumers and retailers alike.
The executive earlier this year returned to the athletics brand he founded nearly 30 years ago. What does that mean for the company?
The team discusses a barrage of news from several players in a retail space that has been written off many times.
The podcast welcomes Fashion Dive to discuss what the e-commerce giant’s approach to apparel means for brands and consumers, and what could be different.
E-commerce keeps growing because it’s easier to shop online. To survive, brick and mortar needs a good reason, too.
Under a new CEO, the iconic department store is fielding a $6.6 billion takeover offer, closing another 150 stores and fighting to stay relevant.
Businesses face new ethical questions and must act with more transparency in what corporate integrity expert Alison Taylor calls an increasingly turbulent world.
When the National Retail Federation retracted a theft claim following our coverage of its special report on crime, the news went viral. Here's what it took to get the story.
2023 was rough for many companies. Ahead, the sector could see more bankruptcies and C-suite shakeups as brands continue to grapple with profitability.
The retail and branding expert discusses the state of the consumer, the habits companies should leave behind in 2023 and what lies ahead in the new year.
The earnings metric is widely used despite critics. But how does its usage vary across brands, and how much leeway do companies have with it?
With the first sales events of the season already come and gone, the team looks at the clues of how it will go this year.
A journalist’s new book "Glossy" makes waves as it pulls back the curtain on Glossier founder Emily Weiss and the beauty brand that changed the industry.
The team talks about the latest second-quarter results from brands as the holidays quickly approach.
One of the most prolific journalists covering the retail industry leverages his deep sourcing and lively writing style for an in-depth book about Amazon versus Walmart.
The team talks about the realities of the backlash, including who is fomenting it and how other retailers’ Pride campaigns stack up.
Discretionary goods are a low priority amid an uncertain economy and a desire to spend on experiences, but retailers are holding their own. What about the rest of 2023?
The retailer bought, and sold off, several digital natives including Bonobos and Eloquii. The team discusses what this signals about the company's game plan.
The team talks about the treasure trove of information on the department store’s financial health, found thanks to a tip from one of its new owners.
The team chats about how Hermès' legal win impacts retail at large, and why Mason Rothschild plans to appeal.
The team introduces new co-host Dani James and talks about emerging changes in the DTC space and the ongoing importance of brick and mortar.
What retailers should know about the realities of the metaverse and more futuristic observations from the retail prophet.
The team sits down to discuss what recent events suggest about this year's unpredictable shopping season.
Backroom co-host Ben Unglesbee discusses his recent trip to one of the few remaining Sears stores in the country.
Retailers know they have an important role in addressing climate change. But navigating sustainability is riddled with challenges.
Led by former J.C. Penney CEO Ron Johnson, the “commerce-at-home” company has suffered from constrained supply and high costs.
Note: This conversation was recorded prior to Enjoy Technology's June 30 bankruptcy filing.
Rising food and gas prices are causing consumers to pull back on discretionary spending. That hurt retailers in the first quarter.
The e-commerce giant is grappling with many challenges, including union efforts and its Prime delivery promises.
The consultant has spent decades working in and for the retail industry. We sat down with him this past February to get his take on where the industry is headed.
Activist investors have pressured the retailer to divest assets and potentially even sell itself. Retail Dive reporters discuss the implications of such moves.
The last two decades of retail disruption was supposed to mean the death of wholesale. But recent research shows that brands should think twice about that.
While the pandemic isn't over, 2021 seemed to show that physical locations remain important to retail. But each store must have something to offer, Doug Stephens tells Retail Dive's Daphne Howland.
Vaccines have changed the shopping landscape this year, as have supply chain bottlenecks. Retail Dive reporters look at how the season is playing out.
Senior Reporters Daphne Howland and Ben Unglesbee discuss why Wall Street likes it, why others don't and how Sears' decline serves as a cautionary tale.
Senior Reporters Ben Unglesbee and Daphne Howland talk about turmoil at the apparel e-retailer, DTC companies and online sales in general.
On this episode, Retail Dive's Daphne Howland and Ben Unglesbee discuss the implications of the new variant on the industry.
Retail Dive’s senior editor discusses the past and alternate histories of the brand that once topped even Nike.
In the '80s, Reebok was the top sports brand for a time. Now it's dwarfed by Nike and Adidas. We take a look at the history of the brand, through the lens of the people who were there.
In 2020, digital operations probably saved a lot of retailers when consumers were unable or unwilling to visit stores. But how sustainable is online retail in the long run?
If you think Blockbuster is merely a story about technology, take a second look. Former franchisee Alan Payne discusses its long-deteriorating operations.
A talk with author and antitrust expert Sally Hubbard about what shifts in competition policy and enforcement could mean for the retail industry writ large.
At the federal level, the minimum wage has remained unchanged since 2009 at $7.25 an hour. The team discusses what an increase could mean for the industry.
The Retail Dive team talks about how retailers have paved their own way, as Jeff Bezos prepares to hand over the CEO reins at the e-commerce giant.
A look at what went wrong for the last video chain as well as the fates of other retailers of cultural products.
A follow-up discussion with retail prophet Doug Stephens, who has been mulling the disease outbreak's implications for a forthcoming book.
The shopping holiday was defined by the COVID-19 pandemic. Its defining trends and repercussions will likely follow the industry into the next year.
The department store's deal to sell itself to landlords Simon Property Group and Brookfield Asset Management is in its final stages. But its struggles are far from over.
As the season kickstarts earlier than ever, the industry braces for a fourth quarter plagued by uncertainty.
Why did Walmart launch a membership service, and how can it compete with Amazon Prime? Senior Reporters Daphne Howland and Ben Unglesbee break it down.
Mall owners are snapping up distressed retailers as years of operational pressures and a pandemic combine to take down anchors and their neighbors.
Without federal face mask guidelines, retailers like Walmart, Target and Best Buy have had to introduce their own measures.
In this episode, the team talks about how Retail Dive reports monthly sales numbers from the Commerce Department and what those figures signal about the industry's future.
On this episode of the podcast, senior reporters Daphne Howland and Ben Unglesbee discuss how the pandemic pushed distressed retailers to file.
On this episode of the podcast, the team spoke with special guest Jeff Wells of Grocery Dive, to discuss how the global pandemic is changing all sectors of the industry.
Senior Reporter Ben Unglesbee and Associate Editor Caroline Jansen discuss what led to the retailer filing last week, and what its future may look like.
On this episode of the podcast, the team breaks down everything that happened at the NRF's Big Show in New York, and what to keep an eye on in the year ahead.
On this episode of The Backroom with Retail Dive, the team discussed their favorite stories from the year.
On this episode of The Backroom with Retail Dive, Reporter Ben Unglesbee and Editor Cara Salpini discuss what the video rental store's demise means for the retail industry.
On this episode of The Backroom with Retail Dive, reporters Ben Unglesbee and Daphne Howland discuss how 28 retailers could go bankrupt in the next year.
On this episode of The Backroom with Retail Dive, our team talks with Supply Chain Dive Senior Editor Shefali Kapadia about "tariff whiplash."
Last month, the retailer's annual event encountered some hiccups. On this episode of The Backroom with Retail Dive, our team talks about how it unfolded.
If there's one thing Micky Onvural says she can teach any Bonobos employee, it's about the importance of people. "Wherever you go after Bonobos in your career, having an understanding and a passion for the customer in your bones will set you up for success.”
From the store level to the C-suite perspective, hear how the digitally native brand has polished a tech-infused approach to showrooms.
An environmental focus doesn't have to come at the cost of profitability, says Grove Collaborative CEO Stu Landesberg.
Here's our take on everything you need to know about Shoptalk and how those conversations will shape the rest of the year.
Executives from the Female Founders Fund and MM.LaFleur weigh in on how they're closing the gender gap and what others can do too.
The Retail Dive team sat down on the podcast to talk through everything you need about NRF's Big Show and what it signals for the year ahead.
On this special episode, Retail Prophet Founder and CEO Doug Stephens explains why manufactured scarcity, sustainability and the beginning of the end of Amazon will define retail conversations this year.
Retail futurist Doug Stephens appears on the show to walk through how his 10 big predictions for the year really played out.
Universal Standard is fed up with the fashion industry's big sizing problem. And partnerships with J.Crew and Nordstrom are allowing it to reshape how retailers approach plus-sizes.
With a store within 10 miles of 90% of the population, services like in-store pickup and home delivery sit at the center of Walmart's plan to challenge Amazon.
AYR CEO Maggie Winter learned retail basics from Mickey Drexler and started a brand with the backing of Bonobos founder Andy Dunn. Here's how she channeled that knowledge into a modern DTC brand.
The athletics brand is facing a gender discrimination lawsuit at a time when culture is becoming closely intertwined with branding.
Over the course of 36 hours, brands and competitors learned a lot about what Amazon may be plotting for the rest of the year — and how they can win too.
Bad jobs are bringing down retailers like Toys R Us, but it doesn't have to be that way says Zeynep Ton, president of the Good Jobs Institute.
It's impossible to out-Amazon Amazon, but you can out-brand the e-commerce giant. Cooper Smith of Gartner L2 breaks down how.
This time on the show, Gihad Jawhar, who heads up digital development at Lowe's, shares why he believes customers should come first, and technology second.
Rian Buckley founded Fitcode four years ago with the aim to use technology to reduce online returns.
Lackluster stores will continue to shutter and those that survive will adopt more immersive experiences and extreme curation, says Lauren Bitar of RetailNext.
After three long days of panels and executive interviews at the NRF's Big Show, the Retail Dive team sat down to offer up our big take on how the role of brands, technology and more will define the year ahead.
On the show, retail futurist Doug Stephens envisions a year flush with acquisitions, innovations and reinvention for retail.
The peak sales days shattered previous digital sales records. On the podcast, Retail Dive breaks down what the trends from November mean in the lead up to Christmas.
This year is poised to be the most promotional holiday yet, but unique in-store and mobile experiences will be critical differentiators for retailers not named Amazon.
This year, Retail Dive is keeping a close eye on how retailers will duke it out to woo customers with voice ordering, fast delivery and promotions.
We sat down with the head of the National Retail Federation to talk about how he views the state of the industry and where it's headed.
On this episode we break down how Toys R Us ended up filing for bankruptcy, what its odds are of coming out of it and what this all means for the market and competitors.
Bankruptcies are a hot topic in retail, spawning a slew of hyperbolic headlines about the "retail apocalypse." On the show, the Retail Dive team breaks down why the industry is reporting a record number of bankruptcies and what retailers need to do to successfully restructure.