This year, Dave’s Killer Bread is bringing pumpkin spice bagels — which it originally discontinued seven years ago — nationwide as part of a year-round seasonal shelf strategy. Here's why the company is embracing more LTO products.

Tariffs

Big-Box Briefing: Retailers get direct tariff relief. Their shoppers likely won’t

August 27, 2026

Tariff refunds are great news for the corporate balance sheets of big-box retailers, and less so for consumers tightly squeezing their wallets.

Walmart gets close to $3 billion in tariff refunds

August 20, 2026

Tariff refunds continue to bolster the balance sheets of big retailers while consumers remain constrained by higher fuel prices and other macroeconomic factors.

Other news to know

  • Inside Walmart’s evolution
  • Walmart+, the retailer’s paid membership program, has launched in Canada, marking the first time it has been available outside of the U.S.
  • Walmart announced it would begin delivering Subway items as part of Express Delivery, either on its own or alongside other products such as groceries. 
  • Walmart executives are now training associates to use AI widely throughout the organization.
  • Walmart has announced Upstream Facility Services, a new business through which it will sell its in-house maintenance services to other U.S. companies.
Top Stories Sep 22

Gas price spikes could put a last-minute squeeze on holiday supply chains

September 21, 2026

The price of gas overall is up about 50% in the U.S. since the start of the conflict between the U.S., Iran and Israel on Feb. 28. But last week, some states started to see alarming price increases on top of that. It could put a damper on holiday preparations for both consumers and retailers.

Target gets K-beauty brands to think beyond Sephora, Ulta with new Beauty Studio

September 21, 2026

Walking around a Target store today, shoppers are going to find far more K-beauty brands than they would have a year ago as the retailer seeks the latest trends and as Korean brands seek to expand into U.S. mass retail.

Creators are moving up their holiday content calendars

September 21, 2026

Creators and brands are starting holiday campaigns months early to build awareness and test sales strategies. In turn, the campaign calendars have shifted to feature Christmas content as early as August.

How Rothy’s built a DTC footwear brand with staying power

September 19, 2026

While other DTC footwear brands like Allbirds struggled, Rothy’s surpassed $200 million in sales by growing carefully, testing retail and wholesale, and managing to avoid DTC's costly expansion traps. Rothy’s CEO and president, Dayna Quanbeck, joined the Modern Retail Podcast to talk about the brand's expansion strategy.

How the role of creators has evolved in the fashion and beauty industries

September 18, 2026

In the past decade, creators in the fashion and beauty space have shifted from influencers to strategic partners. That was a big topic of discussion at Glossy Pop NYC earlier this month.

Big-Box Briefing: Target-owned delivery app Shipt makes AI push, mirroring Instacart

September 17, 2026

Shipt, the delivery app owned by Target that powers the retailer's same-day delivery service, announced an AI assistant last week on the same day as one of its biggest competitors.

Beyond Yoga stresses performance offerings in new NYC pop-up

September 17, 2026

Beyond Yoga is playing up its new Glowzone fabrication as it broadens its presence on the East Coast, starting with a new New York City pop-up.

Tariffs

What to know about new proposed tariffs on Canadian goods

July 24, 2026

A fresh round of Trump tariffs on Canadian goods were announced this week that target industries like dairy, alcohol and automobiles.

Nike says it expects $986 million in IEEPA tariff refunds

June 30, 2026

Nike says it’s in a better financial position as it awaits nearly $1 billion in refunds related to IEEPA tariffs.

Marketplace Briefing: Online merchants welcome Trump customs crackdown amid wave of tariff evasion pitches

June 11, 2026

Online merchants are encouraged by a new Trump administration effort to crack down on customs fraud after a surge in tariff evasion schemes rattled sellers over the past year.

Podcasts

Technology

Illustration of an online shopping interface with apparel, bags and a large “Buy Now” button, representing global e-commerce checkout experiences.

Walmart adds marketplace data, deeper AI features to Scintilla insights platform

September 16, 2026

Walmart’s first-party data platform for merchants and suppliers, Scintilla, is getting a big upgrade next year, the company announced at Walmart Data Ventures’ Inspire conference this week.

Grocery shelf with pasta, tomatoes and sauce bottles with a "buy one get one free" tag

Instacart launches custom AI assistants for retailers, and its own

September 09, 2026

Retail giants like Walmart, Kroger and Amazon have launched AI assistants allowing consumers to ask for recommendations or curated shopping lists. Now, Instacart has made it easier for other retailers such as regional grocers to follow in their footsteps.

As online eyewear matures, GlassesUSA’s parent company doubles down on vertical integration

September 09, 2026

Online eyewear has reached a new phase of maturity, as consumers grow more confident purchasing prescription products digitally and as retailers invest in faster fulfillment, improved fit technology and more seamless omnichannel journeys. Sponsored by Optimax Eyewear Group.

Marketing

Brands Briefing: Are hotels the new brand showrooms?

September 22, 2026

Brands like Lela Rose, Public Goods and Quilt are betting on hotels in picturesque locales to market their products to new audiences.

Pinterest unveils new suite of ad tools, including Visual Search Ads, in its pitch to brands

September 17, 2026

Pinterest is introducing a range of new ad tools and experiences as it looks to get ahead in the AI age.

Three different scents of the

The Laundress enters Target, embarking on its largest retail expansion to date

September 16, 2026

After years as a predominantly direct-to-consumer brand, Unilever-owned The Laundress is entering Target stores with a fresh take on laundry care. Here’s why The Laundress is finally launching into brick-and-mortar for the first time.

Operations

Phone screen that displays a "TikTok" logo sits on a green and white background. Other icons pop up out of the phone, displaying products like lipstick and footwear.

Nearly all luxury resale transactions on TikTok Shop US now come from livestreams

September 16, 2026

Year to date, 94% of revenue on TikTok Shop from luxury resale in the U.S. is coming from lives, the platform revealed during a presentation to members of the media during Fashion Week. Here’s what else TikTok Shop had to say about its burgeoning luxury resale business.

Brands refocus on physical retail as AI disrupts digital customer acquisition

September 16, 2026

Fashion and beauty brands are leaning on stores, events and human service as AI continues to reshape their digital marketing playbooks.

Five holiday advertising lessons for brands planning for Black Friday now

August 12, 2026

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have evolved into a weeks-long shopping event. That makes early planning more critical than ever. Drawing on insights from brands like Bylt, Tecovas, Manscaped and Bearbottom Clothing, these five key findings help marketers sharpen their holiday ad strategies. Sponsored by Tatari.

Woman holding a Nori steamer

From prototype to Target shelves, inside Nori’s 10-month development timeline

September 14, 2026

The Nori Cloud launched in Target in July 2026 after a 10-month development timeline.