Up until this weekend, Target and other major employers in Minnesota had refrained from speaking out on ICE's presence in the state. But that changed on Saturday after U.S. citizen Alex Pretti was killed, and the issue of ICE overreach became an urgent issue that scores of workers are now calling on their employers to address.

Tariffs

Brands Briefing: Founders hope for a ‘dependable and stable’ 2026 after the chaos of 2025 

January 20, 2026

As brands plan for 2026, they are determined to not have their growth initiatives upended by another year of macroeconomic uncertainty.

‘Quitting wasn’t an option’: How tariffs took an emotional and financial toll on founders in 2025

December 30, 2025

Many founders had to completely upend their business models in 2025 due to tariffs, resorting to production delays, raising prices and putting off hiring to save their businesses.

Other news to know

Top Stories Jan 27

Bouqs launches $5M crowdfunding raise to support future store openings

January 27, 2026

Floral delivery company Bouqs, which did around $90 million in sales last year, is experimenting with crowdfunding to finance future store growth.

What’s In Your Cart?: E.l.f. Beauty’s Chief Brand Officer Laurie Lam on her obsession with black sesame, hotel experiences and NYC-friendly heels

January 27, 2026

In the latest installment of "What's in Your Cart," E.l.f. Beauty’s Chief Brand Officer, Laurie Lam, shares her personal shopping habits with Modern Retail.

Smaller vendors, still waiting on payments, debate their futures with Saks after bankruptcy

January 26, 2026

Saks Global’s bankruptcy marked a turning point for the struggling retail giant. For smaller vendors, the fallout is still unfolding.

Retail’s busiest streets are booming with new investment, flagships

January 26, 2026

Investors and major retailers alike have shown significant confidence in North America's high streets over the past year.

Tariffs

‘Quitting wasn’t an option’: How tariffs took an emotional and financial toll on founders in 2025

December 30, 2025

Many founders had to completely upend their business models in 2025 due to tariffs, resorting to production delays, raising prices and putting off hiring to save their businesses.

The winners and losers of tariffs

December 29, 2025

This year, tariffs kicked in at their highest rate since the Great Depression, completely upending the retail industry. In turn, Modern Retail rounded up the biggest winners and losers of all the changes in tariff policy this year.

The year of Thriftmas: Why secondhand gifts could finally go mainstream this holiday season

December 16, 2025

Secondhand gifts are shedding their stigma this holiday season as shoppers, squeezed by tariffs and inflation, turn to thrift stores and resale platforms for thoughtful, lower-cost presents.

Podcasts

Technology

Marketplace Briefing: Shopify President Harley Finkelstein on why AI shopping ‘can’t just scrape information’ 

January 22, 2026

Shopify merchants saw a 14x increase in orders coming from AI agents over the past year, as agentic shopping gains traction, Shopify President Harley Finkelstein told Modern Retail.

Sam’s Club aims to make free samples more measurable using kiosks, tablets

January 22, 2026

Sam’s Club has been making significant changes to how its free-sample kiosks operate within the company — pointing to its confidence in the machines and free samples, in general, as advertising drivers.

How retailers are reducing guest checkout friction

October 28, 2025

Cori Voorhees, Partner Marketing Manager, Adobe It’s a busy evening, and a shopper is trying to squeeze in some quick gift buying after work. She finds a site with a gift on her list and adds it to her cart. Prompted to log in or create an account, she chooses guest checkout instead. She enters […]

Marketing

Behind Pacsun’s strategy for keeping a pulse on the changing tastes of Gen Z

January 21, 2026

Pacsun is using data from focus groups and surveys to better tailor its product releases, marketing and tech to Gen-Z shoppers.

Avocados From Mexico turns to AI to advertise around the Super Bowl instead of a TV buy

January 19, 2026

For the third year in a row, Avocados From Mexico is returning to the Super Bowl with a digital play; its Prediction Pit is built on a predictive AI system that offers real-time football predictions, as well as custom guacamole recipes.

How apparel brands aim to win the spotlight at the Winter Olympics

January 12, 2026

Fashionable designs and technical fabrics are front and center at the Winter Olympics, thanks to apparel and footwear partners like J.Crew, Nike and Ralph Lauren.

Operations

Fabletics is turning its stores into membership growth hubs

January 23, 2026

Fabletics’ stores are more than showrooms for leggings and sports bras — they’re becoming one of the brand’s most powerful membership engines.

What it takes for startups to pull off a Costco launch

January 22, 2026

Brands entering Costco are crafting special warehouse merchandising and price-pack architecture to succeed in a high-stakes retail environment.

How connected data gives retailers an edge in an unpredictable holiday season

October 30, 2025

Tony D’Onorio, president, Sensormatic Solutions With consumers’ economic anxieties high and the holiday season right around the corner, retailers are looking for ways to preserve the cheer (and their own bottom lines) this winter. Closing in on the all-important holiday rush, leaders are hard at work refining and finalizing their holiday plans — and for good […]