Two fast-growing advertising sectors -- retail media and the creator economy -- are increasingly becoming interlinked. Here's how more retail media networks are incorporating creator campaigns into their offerings.

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

  • Amazon sellers’ new struggles
  • 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.
  • Amazon announced a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge on merchants’ fulfillment fees, as rising fuel costs tied to conflict in the Middle East pressure supply chains.
Top Stories Apr 13

Kohl’s is stepping up its creator efforts as it attempts a sales reset

April 13, 2026

Kohl's is funneling more resources into its creator program, including through a new affiliate model, as it looks to boost revenue and raise awareness.

Candy brand Behave bet everything on TikTok Shop, went viral and secured a Target launch

April 13, 2026

After nearly going bankrupt in 2024, candy brand Behave lands on Target shelves this week. The company's founder credits TikTok Shop as a lifeline that helped save the business.

Modern Retail Podcast: Has the latest sneaker bubble officially burst?

April 11, 2026

Allbirds' downward trajectory is indicative of how fierce the sneaker competition has become, as newer and legacy players vie for market share. This week's episode of the Modern Retail Podcast digs into the state of the sneaker market, looking at which players are up and which ones are down.

Bloom, Pacsun and more chase Coachella crowds on the way to the show with roadside activations

April 10, 2026

Brands are chasing Coachella audiences beyond festival gates with roadside pop-ups and festival-themed collabs.

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.

Shoptalk

Coach won over Gen Z in North America. Now it’s stepping up its focus abroad

March 31, 2026

After seeing success with its Gen Z strategy in North America, Coach is now scaling that approach internationally.

E.l.f. Beauty’s chief digital officer shares her strategy for the AI era

March 30, 2026

In an interview with Modern Retail, E.l.f. Beauty’s chief digital officer, Ekta Chopra, shared the four pillars that guide the beauty brand’s approach to AI implementation.

Lowe’s wants to roll out personalized website to all customers by end of 2026

March 27, 2026

The humble e-commerce site is getting a major upgrade at Lowe’s. The company is expanding a feature that uses customer data to personalize its website and, essentially, hopes that all customers will have a personalized website by the end of 2026.

Podcasts

Technology

What Amazon CEO Andy Jassy’s annual letter to shareholders didn’t say

April 09, 2026

One major part of Amazon’s business was largely absent from its annual letter to shareholders: the millions of sellers who power its marketplace.

Kroger brings its near-expired food to Flashfood app in 100-plus stores

April 08, 2026

Kroger has partnered up with a fast-growing mobile app to turn what would have been food waste into an extra bit of profit.

The next retail advantage is hiding in merchants’ payments systems

January 16, 2026

Cori Voorhees, partner marketing manager, Adobe The start of a new year often brings a shift in focus for merchants. As the urgency of peak shopping season fades, teams turn their attention to how their systems and technology performed. It’s a moment to look beyond seasonal results and examine the infrastructure that supported them. Payments […]

Marketing

Ipsy is now the official beauty partner of the Las Vegas Aces as WNBA brand deals continue to rise

April 09, 2026

On Wednesday, Ipsy announced a new partnership with the WNBA as the official beauty partner of the Las Vegas Aces. The news comes as sponsorship and marketing investments in women’s sports continue to rise.

Google says its AI-powered ads help some brands lift online sales by 80%

April 07, 2026

Google says its AI-powered ad tools are delivering measurable results for some brands as the world’s largest seller of ads experiments with new ad formats, shopping integrations and AI-powered tools.

The RealReal CMO Samantha McCandless on resale math, vintage Bulgari and her go-to sneakers

April 06, 2026

In the latest installment of “What’s in Your Cart,” The RealReal’s Chief Merchandising Officer, Samantha McCandless, shares her personal shopping habits with Modern Retail, including her resale shopping strategy.

Operations

A group of seven-figure Amazon sellers is planning a one-day ad boycott as payment changes squeeze cash flow

April 09, 2026

Some sellers are calling for a one-day boycott of the company’s advertising platform next week, urging merchants to turn off their ads on April 15 to protest a new payment policy they say will strain their cash flow.

A timeline of what led up to Grüns being acquired by Unilever

April 09, 2026

Even compared to other startups in the red-hot supplement space, Grüns has had a meteoric rise, announcing on Thursday that it is being acquired by Unilever less than three years after its products hit the market. Here’s a timeline of what led up to the acquisition.

The multichannel growth playbook: How brands expand to TikTok Shop and Walmart without breaking operations

March 16, 2026

Selling across platforms is no longer optional, but it’s easy for brands and retailers to find themselves expanding into new channels the wrong way: They add TikTok Shop too early. They duplicate teams and tools. They watch performance fragment instead of grow. To be successful, brands have to do more than simply go multichannel. They […]