Startups like Camp Snap and Tin Can are betting on a growing appetite for “intentional tech” with screen-free devices meant for phone calls or photography.

Tariffs

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.

Marketplace Briefing: Online merchants aren’t lowering prices despite Supreme Court ruling

February 26, 2026

Many Amazon sellers and online brands say they won’t cut prices despite the Supreme Court ruling that struck down Trump’s tariffs.

Other news to know

Top Stories Mar 09

Bulletproof sheds biohack coffee image for a simpler wellness rebrand

March 09, 2026

About a decade ago, Bulletproof capitalized on the keto and biohacking craze largely associated with Silicon Valley. Now, under new ownership, the company is shedding that image with a much more accessible product line.

Modern Retail Podcast: The new rules of product pricing

March 07, 2026

This week's Modern Retail Podcast gets into how Newell Brands, which owns brands like Sharpie, navigated price increases for its baby gear brand Graco.

Target CEO says ‘busy families’ will be company’s focus as it seeks growth

March 06, 2026

One of the key messages from Target as it looks to turn around its sales slump under new CEO Michael Fiddelke is that it has sharpened its focus. At its annual meeting with investors this week in Minneapolis, executives at the company constantly repeated that "busy families" will be the demographic they try to appeal to the most moving forward.

Marketplace Briefing: TikTok Shop recruits U.S. sellers for cross-border push into Mexico

March 05, 2026

TikTok Shop is recruiting U.S. sellers for a new cross-border program designed to help them sell to customers in Mexico without establishing local operations.

Tariffs

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.

Marketplace Briefing: Online merchants aren’t lowering prices despite Supreme Court ruling

February 26, 2026

Many Amazon sellers and online brands say they won’t cut prices despite the Supreme Court ruling that struck down Trump’s tariffs.

Red and black sneaker on a black hightop on an orange background

Footwear brands navigate uncertainty after latest tariffs flip-flop

February 25, 2026

Shoe brands, which are out billions of dollars from U.S.-imposed duties, are trying to find their footing after recent tariffs whiplash.

Podcasts

Technology

From Boll & Branch to Bogg, brands are battling a surge of AI-driven return fraud

March 02, 2026

Retailers say fraudsters are increasingly using AI tools to generate fake damage photos, receipts and documentation to claim refunds. It’s forcing brands to rethink return policies without alienating legitimate customers.

Brands at eTail Palm Springs share lessons on the ‘messy middle’ of building AI tools

February 25, 2026

Retail leaders at eTail Palm Springs shared how they’re moving past AI hype by focusing on clean data, internal alignment and practical use cases.

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

After a year of record customer acquisition, ThredUp’s Kristen Brophy shares what’s next in her marketing roadmap

March 05, 2026

ThredUp saw record new customer acquisition in 2025. Now, its svp and head of marketing, Kristen Brophy, is trying to keep the momentum going.

E-commerce, advertising will be key to Target’s turnaround

March 04, 2026

Technology is one of the most important areas in which Target will invest with the hopes of returning to profit growth. But unlike in merchandising or store operations, Target doesn’t appear to see anything fundamentally wrong in how it’s approaching e-commerce, its third-party marketplace or advertising.

Brands Briefing: Caraway makes its first big OOH push as it seeks to make the brand ‘impossible to ignore’

March 03, 2026

2025 marked Caraway’s biggest growth year yet; now the company is marking the occasion with its first large-scale out-of-home campaign.

Operations

Kim Kardashian’s Update is the latest brand to give energy drinks a refresh with women in mind

March 05, 2026

Kim Kardashian is the latest name to dive into the energy drink sector. The celebrity mogul was announced as the co-founder of energy startup Update last week as more brands target young women interested in wellness and better-for-you products.

‘Product is king’: Mephisto U.S.A.’s new CEO readies the brand for its next chapter

March 04, 2026

Mephisto, a premium footwear brand based in France, has tapped a new CEO of its growing U.S. business.

How retailers can address the Black Friday trust crisis one shopper at a time

November 26, 2025

John Shapiro, Chief Product and Technology Officer, Lightspeed Commerce From November to the start of the new year, this season marks one of the busiest times for retailers around the globe — and one they prepare for months in advance. According to the National Retail Federation, 91% of consumers plan to celebrate the winter holidays, […]