Retailers and brands are launching shopping apps within ChatGPT and Claude at a rapid pace. But whether or not shoppers will embrace them at a rapid pace remains to be seen.

Tariffs

Why tariff refunds won’t necessarily go back to consumers

April 29, 2026

Thousands of U.S. retail companies are eagerly awaiting tariff refunds from the Trump administration. But not all of them will share that money with their customers -- even if shoppers think otherwise.

‘It’s like getting Taylor Swift tickets’: Brands rush to request tariff refunds, with some snags

April 21, 2026

The tariff refunds process has been smoother for some folks than others, according to conversations Modern Retail had with half a dozen brands and entrepreneurs.

Other news to know

  • Amazon sellers’ new struggles
  • Amazon hit pause on a controversial change to its advertising payment system after backlash from sellers who said the update would strain their finances.
  • Amazon merchants are bracing for more cash flow troubles and margin pressure this year, thanks to a bevy of new fees and policy changes. 
  • One major part of Amazon’s business was largely absent from CEO Andy Jassy’s annual shareholder letter this year: the millions of sellers who power the company’s marketplace.
Top Stories May 01

Amazon says its AI shopping assistant is gaining traction, with Rufus users up 115%

April 30, 2026

Rufus, Amazon's artificial intelligence-powered shopping assistant, is gaining traction.

Marketplace Briefing: Amazon joins Google-backed shopping effort, suggesting a shift in AI strategy

April 30, 2026

Amazon has joined the technical council overseeing Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol — an open standard designed to power AI driven shopping — after initially sitting out.

Tractor Supply taps real customers for ads to stand out from AI-generated content 

April 30, 2026

Tractor Supply is leaning into real customers, local events and multi-channel marketing to drive spring traffic -- especially in an age where customers are increasingly wary of AI-generated content.

30 days of using za’atar the wrong way: How spice startup Hayati used repetition to hit 21,000 Instagram followers

April 30, 2026

With almost no budget to run ads, the founder of new za’atar brand Hayati set out to gain social media followers via a strategic Instagram Reels series.

Tariffs

Why tariff refunds won’t necessarily go back to consumers

April 29, 2026

Thousands of U.S. retail companies are eagerly awaiting tariff refunds from the Trump administration. But not all of them will share that money with their customers — even if shoppers think otherwise.

‘It’s like getting Taylor Swift tickets’: Brands rush to request tariff refunds, with some snags

April 21, 2026

The tariff refunds process has been smoother for some folks than others, according to conversations Modern Retail had with half a dozen brands and entrepreneurs.

Why Dame is refunding $10,000 in tariff surcharges to customers

March 03, 2026

Dame is refunding customers who paid its “Trump Tariff Surcharge” last year, becoming one of the first brands to proactively return money tied to President Donald Trump’s now-invalidated tariffs.

Podcasts

Technology

Live-shopping platform Whatnot taps Shopify to reach millions of merchants as it chases growth

April 29, 2026

Whatnot, the livestream shopping app, now integrates directly with Shopify, opening the door for millions of merchants to sell on its platform.

What we know about Best Buy’s next CEO Jason Bonfig

April 29, 2026

While last week’s announcement of the departure of Best Buy CEO Corie Barry was a surprise to many, the choice of Jason Bonfig as her successor is less so. Here’s what we know about him

Unpacked: How loyalty programs power lifecycle marketing strategies

April 16, 2026

This Unpacked guide, sponsored by SheerID, explores how loyalty is no longer earned through rewards alone; it’s built through relevance, transparency and sustained commitment to understanding customers over time.  Shifts in consumer behavior — specifically the desire for data privacy and instant, personalized recognition — and AI’s acceleration of the buying process are making traditional […]

Marketing

Moving on from ‘reach without resonance’: Modern Retail’s Marketing Summit defines new industry directives

April 29, 2026

At last week’s Modern Retail Marketing Summit, brand and retail executives used town-hall and working-group discussions to workshop their next strategies, considering current macroeconomic challenges. These are the practices marketers will be championing moving forward, based on these discussions. 

Quip’s latest ad wasn’t AI-generated. People were convinced it was

April 28, 2026

Quip’s latest ad was entirely human-made, but it still received social media comments from people who assumed it was generated with AI. Here’s how the brand responded.

Glass moving trucks bedazzled with the "Urban Outfitters" company name sit on a New York City street

How Urban Outfitters co-creates campaigns with Gen Z

April 28, 2026

Urban Outfitters likes to say it doesn’t just create campaigns with Gen Z — it also produces campaigns with them. UO’s Cyntia Leo shares how the brand does exactly that.

Operations

Sneaker listed as out of stock on a shopping website

Brands Briefing: How higher oil prices are shaking up the footwear industry

April 28, 2026

Shoe brands are under pressure as the U.S.-Iran conflict squeezes the global oil supply. Not only are higher oil prices driving up shipping costs, but they’re also making shoe production more expensive.

Suri got shoppers on board with recycling toothbrush heads. Now, it is turning them into soap dishes

April 28, 2026

Oral care brand Suri has put true circularity at the heart of its next product line, turning recycled toothbrush heads into soap dishes. Here’s what it took to pull that off.

Why agentic storefronts are the future of commerce

April 23, 2026

Digital commerce is at a turning point. As artificial intelligence evolves, it is no longer simply a tool to support retail transactions behind the scenes. Instead, it is becoming a leading channel through which consumers discover products and make purchases. Major technology companies like Google and Microsoft are integrating AI agents into their search, browsing […]