Daphne Howland

Portland

Award-winning reporter, Retail Dive | Film Critic, Village Voice | Theater Critic, Portland Press Herald | Photographer @daphnehowland.bsky.social

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Articles

Torrid to close as many as 180 stores, 30% of its fleet

1 day ago | retaildive.com | Daphne Howland

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Torrid could shrink its brick-and-mortar footprint by close to 30% in 2025, the plus-size apparel retailer said Thursday. The retailer runs 632 stores, after closing two in Q1; about 60% of its fleet is up for lease renewals this year. Plans are to shutter as many as 180 locations this year. The downsizing will be significantly larger than in 2024, and more than originally planned.
Joann’s future a mystery as Michaels snaps up IP, private labels

2 days ago | retaildive.com | Daphne Howland

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Michaels has acquired Joann’s intellectual property and private labelsas its own customers’ interest in sewing grows, the company said Thursday. Michaels did not acquire any physical Joann locations as part of this transaction, a company spokesperson said by email.
Tariffs squeeze off-price retailers more than expected

2 days ago | supplychaindive.com | Daphne Howland

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. In December, before Donald Trump was sworn back into office as president, tariffs were already a hot topic. Back then, several analysts saw off-price retailers as sheltered from import duties because so much of their inventory comes from other retailers and brands, which do the importing and pay the duties.
Wealthier consumers flock to Dollar Tree in Q1

3 days ago | retaildive.com | Daphne Howland

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. With more higher-income customers shopping at its stores and without its Family Dollar business weighing it down, Dollar Tree Q1 net sales surged 11.3% year over year to $4.6 billion, with comps up 5.4%, traffic up 2.5% and average ticket up 2.8%. The discounter added 2.6 million new customers in the period, most of them from households earning $100,000 or more annually, CEO Mike Creedon told analysts Wednesday.
Shrink down, margins up at Dollar General a year after removing nearly all self-checkout

4 days ago | retaildive.com | Daphne Howland

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. A year after its move to take out most of its self-checkout, Dollar General reported that lower shrink and higher inventory markup were major factors in boosting Q1 gross margin by 78 basis points to 31%. Net income rose nearly 8% to $392 million. Net sales in the period rose 5.3% year over year to $10.4 billion.
Tariffs squeeze off-price retailers more than expected

4 days ago | retaildive.com | Daphne Howland

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. In December, before Donald Trump was sworn back into office as president, tariffs were already a hot topic. Back then, several analysts saw off-price retailers as sheltered from import duties because so much of their inventory comes from other retailers and brands, which do the importing and pay the duties.
Saks Global rescues its holiday with $350M in new financing

5 days ago | retaildive.com | Daphne Howland

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Saks Global has picked up $350 million in financing commitments from SLR Credit Solutions, including a $300 million first-in, last-out facility and a $50 million secured term loan facility, the company said Thursday. The transaction is expected to close by June 30.
Gap Inc. braces for as much as $300M in tariff-related costs

5 days ago | fashiondive.com | Daphne Howland

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Tariffs could add $250 million to $300 million to Gap Inc.’s gross incremental cost this year, ultimately siphoning $100 million to $150 million from fiscal year operating income after mitigation efforts, the company warned Thursday. The levies threaten the momentum at the retailer, whose Old Navy and namesake brands posted further year-on-year sales and market share gains in Q1.
Gap Inc. braces for as much as $300M in tariff-related costs

1 week ago | retaildive.com | Daphne Howland

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. Tariffs could add $250 million to $300 million to Gap Inc.’s gross incremental cost this year, ultimately siphoning $100 million to $150 million from fiscal year operating income after mitigation efforts, the company warned Thursday. The levies threaten the momentum at the retailer, whose Old Navy and namesake brands posted further year-on-year sales and market share gains in Q1.
Without a permanent chief, Kohl’s leans on old turnaround plans

1 week ago | retaildive.com | Daphne Howland

This audio is auto-generated. Please let us know if you have feedback. With an interim chief executive at the helm — after recently appointed CEO Ashley Buchanan was fired in early May over conflicts of interest — Kohl’s reported that Q1 net sales fell 4.1%, with comps down 3.9%. Results beat expectations as Kohl’s beefed up its bottom line in the period. Gross margin expanded by 37 basis points to 39.9%. Net loss shrank by 44.4% to $15 million.