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.

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 18

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

Illustration of a smartphone glowing with app icons, symbolizing the evolving digital infrastructure powering social commerce.

Walmart finally starts supporting Apple Pay and Google Pay

August 21, 2026

By the end of this year, shoppers will finally be able to use Apple Pay and Google Pay in Walmart stores, ending years of frustration that the retailer didn’t support what is now a nearly ubiquitous payment option.

AI is changing retail commerce integrations, but it isn’t vibe coding

August 18, 2026

AI is changing how retail commerce teams build, manage and scale integrations. But the next phase isn’t about generating more code — it’s about creating faster, more reliable workflows with the governance and controls needed to support retail operations. Sponsored by Celigo.

Marketing

Brands Briefing: Customer-service phone lines are getting a second look thanks to AI fatigue

September 15, 2026

Sproos, Made In and Trade Coffee are among the brands betting on customer-service phone lines to stand out in the AI age.

Carter’s unveils brand refresh as it courts more Gen Z and millennial parents

September 15, 2026

Carter’s, a giant in the children’s apparel space, is unveiling its first major brand refresh since 2000, repositioning its marketing and messaging with Gen Z and millennial parents in mind. Carter’s CMO Sarah Crockett walked Modern Retail through what led up to the rebrand.

Kroger’s ad business sees most profit growth since 2021

September 11, 2026

Retail media is becoming increasingly critical to one of the nation’s largest grocery chains as Kroger reported its best retail media profit growth since 2021.

Operations

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.

Meta Lab, known for AI glasses, is nearly doubling its retail store footprint

September 14, 2026

Meta Lab plans to open six new locations this fall as it continues its push into wearables. The company took Modern Retail through its retail plans and addressed ongoing privacy concerns.

The new rules of cross-border commerce after de minimis

July 27, 2026

In a post-de minimis environment, price certainty stops being a slogan and becomes the operating rule for cross-border growth. Sponsored by Swap

Two women in Reformation dresses standing on a prairie field

Reformation says active customers grew 23% in first public earnings report

September 11, 2026

Reformation touted the strength of its loyal customer base during its first call as a publicly traded company, as executives sought to sell Wall Street analysts on the power of its direct-to-consumer flywheel.