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.

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.

Other news to know

Top Stories Jan 12

Beverage brands update Dry January marketing based on changing consumer habits

January 12, 2026

Beverage brands in the nonalcoholic space are consistently tweaking their messaging to reflect consumers' drinking habits. With Dry January underway, this means using encouraging messaging that's less shameful.

How a major beverage distributor is infusing AI into its HR and IT processes

January 12, 2026

A major player behind the scenes of how retailers get wine, spirits and beer on the shelf has rolled out AI features across many of its internal processes in the name of efficiency.

Modern Retail Podcast: What’s in and out in wellness for 2026

January 10, 2026

On this week's Modern Retail Podcast, Gabi Barkho is joined by Rachel Hirsch, founder of Wellness Growth Ventures, to discuss what's "in" and what's "out" in the wellness world this year.

Retail leaders at Target, Lowe’s and more on the AI investments they’re plotting for 2026

January 09, 2026

Modern Retail’s editorial team surveyed a half-dozen retail leaders, ranging from vice presidents at big corporations like Target and Lowe’s to founders of digitally native startups, to talk about how they plan to incorporate AI into their businesses in 2026. 

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

Brands are upset that ‘Buy For Me’ is featuring their products on Amazon without permission

January 06, 2026

Online merchants say Amazon’s “Buy for Me” AI tool listed their products without permission, forcing them to opt out after the fact and raising concerns about brand control, customer trust and the impact of AI on shopping.

Why the AI shopping agent wars will heat up in 2026

January 06, 2026

As retailers and tech giants race to build AI shopping agents, 2026 is shaping up as a pivotal year to see whether consumers embrace these tools — or whether hype outpaces real-world adoption.

Why brands are ditching discounts to build real growth

December 04, 2025

Bradley Keefer, CRO, Keen Decision Systems In an environment of inflation, retail consolidation and heightened performance pressure, promotions have become the default lever for hitting short-term targets for retail brands. In fact, Numerator found that the overall volume of promotions has doubled in recent years, especially in digital, where digital temporary price reductions are up […]

Marketing

Starbucks is kicking off 2026 with more brand partnerships

January 09, 2026

With a splashy new partnership with Khloé Kardashian’s Khloud popcorn, Starbucks is marrying its strategy of offering more on-trend items with relevant pop culture partnerships.

Holiday gifts, wrapped in white paper with a red bow

Marketplace Briefing: Amazon skips its Black Friday and Cyber Monday recap for the first time since 2016

January 08, 2026

Amazon broke a long-standing holiday tradition in 2025 by not publishing a post–Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales recap, marking the first time in nearly a decade that the company has stayed silent after one of its biggest shopping periods. 

Fashion and beauty brands are expanding their partnerships with female college athletes

January 08, 2026

Brands in the beauty and fashion space are extending NIL deals beyond one-off posts with female college athletes and even working with entire athletic departments.

Operations

Figs is building more stores around its medical community

January 08, 2026

Scrubs brand Figs is setting up stores near medical centers and universities to better cater to its core clientele. Its fifth location opened in January, and it’s planning more for 2026.

Activist investor could force even more change at Target

January 08, 2026

The same hedge fund that pushed for change at Kellanova and Tylenol maker Kenvue now has its sights set on Target.

Five fixes to help retailers avoid losing shoppers at checkout during the holiday season

December 16, 2025

Cori Voorhees, partner marketing manager, Adobe For merchants, the holiday shopping season brings both opportunity and pressure. Shoppers go online with long gift lists and little patience, making even small checkout barriers a risk to conversion. That’s why many merchants have begun introducing quick, low-lift improvements that can be made even as consumer traffic peaks. […]