Costco sued by customer seeking tariff refunds

The proposed class action suit seeks to recoup IEEPA-tariff costs an Illinois customer alleges the retailer passed on through higher prices.

By Maura Webber Sadovi • March 17, 2026

Why consumers love, and sometimes hate, tiered loyalty programs

Tiers add flexibility and exclusivity, but when done wrong they can feel frustratingly slow or complex.

By Bryan Wassel • March 17, 2026

Explore the Trendline➔

Top 5 stories from CX Dive

The top stories from CX Dive look at customer experience trends, generative AI use cases and the components of a good tech stack.

By CX Dive staff

Knowledgable customers show more brand loyalty, study finds

“Uncertainty can be aversive,” one researcher said. Brands can boost loyalty by helping consumers gain confidence in their product knowledge, according to a study published in the Journal of Marketing Research.

By Michael Brady • March 16, 2026

Dick’s pulls back on Foot Locker closures amid store pilot success

A new format is performing so well that Dick’s plans to expand it to 250 Foot Locker stores by this fall — and will shutter a “much smaller” list of locations.

By Cara Salpini • March 16, 2026

Petco to relaunch loyalty program later this year

Petco views experiential offerings catered towards its most valuable customers, highly invested pet parents it calls "passionate explorers," as key to returning to growth.

By Kristen Doerer • March 13, 2026

Stitch Fix’s CX investments drive engagement, but growth not yet in reach

The company’s Stylist Connect feature has boosted client retention, contributing to its goals for long-term, durable active client growth by fiscal year 2027.

By Bryan Wassel • Updated March 13, 2026

Frictionless payments encourage consumers to purchase more — and overspend

About half of consumers say they spend more at checkout when the process is fast and frictionless, a NMI survey found.

By Kristen Doerer • March 12, 2026

Kohl’s is investing in a better omnichannel experience. Is it enough?

Kohl’s is making it easier for customers to engage with the company online and in-store, but the changes may not address the brand’s core CX problems.

By Bryan Wassel • March 11, 2026

If CX drives results, why is it still fighting for credibility?

Many CX teams know their work impacts the bottom line. The challenge is proving it before the outcome gets absorbed into someone else’s dashboard.

By Mark Levy • March 10, 2026

New Kroger CEO wants to accelerate turnaround

The company will focus on improving the store experience and cutting prices as it strives to grow faster, said Greg Foran, who recently took over as the grocer’s chief executive.

By Sam Silverstein • March 9, 2026

The new CX mandate: Driving revenue, managing risk and scaling AI responsibly

Operationalize AI in CX: drive efficiency, control risk, scale with discipline.

By Ian Jones, Chief Marketing Officer, Qualfon • March 9, 2026

Delta shakes up CX, customer service leaders

Chief Customer Experience Officer Erik Snell will become CFO, while current CFO Dan Janki will oversee customer care as chief operating officer.

By Bryan Wassel • March 5, 2026

Financially squeezed consumers forego brand loyalty in search of value

Brands that consistently communicate their value and emphasize convenience are best positioned to maintain loyalty, EY-Parthenon found.

By Kristen Doerer • March 5, 2026

Customer onboarding is the new long-term revenue driver

Onboarding isn’t a checklist - it’s your first revenue driver. Learn how to stop leaks and turn customers into growth.

March 2, 2026

Duolingo looks to limit friction as key metric of growth slows

Adding ads and subscription upsells to the free experience has increased revenue, but it  comes at the expense of daily active user growth, CEO Luis von Ahn said.

By Bryan Wassel • Feb. 27, 2026

The No.1 barrier to exceptional service, according to employees? Staffing.

Staffing concerns have increased at the same time that employers are reducing headcount and asking employees take on more work, Gallup found.

By Kristen Doerer • Updated Feb. 27, 2026

Sprouts names first-ever chief customer officer

The creation of the position comes as price-conscious and less-engaged shoppers have held back Sprouts’ financial performance.

By Peyton Bigora • Feb. 27, 2026

Home Depot creates store-level customer service management role

The operations experience manager oversees the operational processes associated with interconnected shopping and fulfillment experiences.

By Bryan Wassel • Feb. 24, 2026

Klarna pursues ‘Uber’ style customer service model

“If AI can do customer service, it means it’s going to be the cheap customer service,” Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski said. “We said the future of VIP experience will be the human connection, the relationship.”

By Kristen Doerer • Feb. 20, 2026

Walmart furthers gains with higher-income shoppers

The retailer released a conservative outlook as lower-income households remain stretched, but it reported wins with customers using its AI assistant Sparky. 

By Dani James • Feb. 19, 2026

Lyft CEO: ‘Customer obsession is what drives our profitable growth’

The company retained a record number of riders in the quarter, and active riders grew 18% year over year.

By Kristen Doerer • Feb. 13, 2026

This Valentine’s Day, look at your brand’s red flags and green flags

What engenders love for a company, and what breaks a customer-brand relationship?

By Kristen Doerer • Feb. 13, 2026

T-Mobile CEO says NPS is ‘the foundation of everything that we’re building’

“This is about genuinely committing to giving our customers an experience that’s special, unique, edgy, that surprises them, that brings our relationship to life,” CEO Srini Gopalan said.

By Bryan Wassel • Feb. 12, 2026

Are Target’s store investments enough to turn its experience around?

Additional labor hours could help Target overcome some of its major in-store challenges, such as poor in-stock rates and long checkout lines, experts say.

By Bryan Wassel • Feb. 11, 2026

Target cuts 500 roles, invests in store payroll and customer experience

The mass retailer, which cut about 1,000 corporate positions last year, is now putting "significantly" more investment into store labor and hours.

By Dani James • Feb. 10, 2026