In and around New York City, national discount grocery chains like Aldi and Lidl have found new neighborhoods to pop up in — following the local success of chains such as Whole Foods and Trader Joe's over the past decades.

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.

Ports brace for record-high imports in July

July 13, 2026

Imports are expected to hit an all-time high this month as retailers and brands pull ahead their shipments to avoid new potential tariffs.

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 Jul 28

Designing products with GLP-1 users in mind helped Kate Farms expand its Walmart presence

July 28, 2026

Supplement company Kate Farms launched in 2012 with organic and plant-based products for pediatric tube feeding. But recently, to reach a more general consumer audience it has released new products designed with GLP-1 users in mind. As a result, it's now expanding its presence in Walmart.

Modern Retail+ Research: Brands are expanding their creator marketing strategies

July 28, 2026

As brands expand their creator marketing strategies, they are increasingly tapping influencers for more than just awareness campaigns. Many are partnering with creators to help drive seasonal campaigns, support product launches and, in some cases, even help develop products.

Inside the tool guiding Kenvue’s sustainability-focused product development

July 27, 2026

Kenvue’s in-house profiler uses 1,300 equations to push greener R&D across brands like Tylenol, Neutrogena and Listerine.

Schnucks’ new health-tracking AI assistant is a model for other retailers

July 27, 2026

St. Louis-based regional grocer Schnucks just launched a new AI assistant, but behind it is a larger idea around how agents could eventually take over the shopping process and help people eat healthier.

‘We aren’t impacted’: Lettuce brands are on an awareness push amid the cyclospora outbreak

July 24, 2026

Lettuce growers like Little Leaf Farms and salad chains like Sweetgreen are taking to social media to restore consumer confidence amid the cyclospora outbreak.

How Best Buy is rethinking retail footprints for AI products like Ray-Ban Meta glasses

July 25, 2026

Best Buy is turning stores into AI playgrounds with Meta Ray-Ban shop-in-shops, flexible layouts and trained staff.

Michaels says Google-powered AI assistant doubles conversion rate of traditional search

July 24, 2026

Michaels has lifted the curtain on how its new Google Gemini-powered AI assistant has performed so far.

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

Marketplace Briefing: How Whatnot’s AI-powered recommendation system gives it a competitive edge

July 23, 2026

Whatnot believes its recommendation systems — which now refresh in just minutes — are what set the company apart from competitors. Whatnot chief product officer Tom Verrilli spoke with Modern Retail about what makes recommendations uniquely challenging in live commerce.

Meta’s AI glasses are already among the fastest sellers at America’s Best, Eyeglass World

July 09, 2026

AI-powered glasses are beginning to make an impact on one of the largest vision retailers in the country.

Live case study: Building real-time marketing campaigns in fast-moving and highly regulated industries

July 27, 2026

When an industry can shift in hours, marketing and technology stacks have to keep up. From real-time decisioning to compliant, high-impact customer engagement, marketers need to rethink how they produce and manage advertising content across channels and markets to thrive in this modern age. Join Alexander Griffiths, senior customer success director at Celtra, and Maciej […]

Marketing

The back-to-school denim wars are starting earlier and lasting longer

July 23, 2026

From Pacsun to Kohl’s to Gap, denim is front and center in an increasingly elongated back-to-school season.

Women livestreaming herself holding a handbag, popping out of a phone screen surrounded by sunglasses, sunscreen, lipstick, and other beauty products. Illustration is on a navy blue background.

More brands are leaning on founders to drive social content

July 22, 2026

Posting founder content is a key growth strategy for founder-led brands, but one that comes with a learning curve.

Brands Briefing: Why employee-generated content is a priority for brands like Starbucks and Mephisto

July 21, 2026

Move over, traditional influencers — employee-generated content is on the rise. Here’s why brands like Starbucks are encouraging staffers to shoot videos and record TikToks.

Operations

Brands Briefing: Behind True Religion’s path to $1B, from TikTok Shop to TJ Maxx

July 28, 2026

True Religion hopes doubling its store count and joining TikTok Shop can help power its revenue to $1 billion. Its CEO unpacked the plan with Modern Retail.

Kroger’s new CEO, a Walmart veteran, is focused on speed and execution

July 23, 2026

Kroger’s announcement last month that it would buy Giant Eagle for just under $1.7 billion was one of the grocer’s first major moves under new CEO Greg Foran, an indicator of how the company’s strategy could look going forward. Foran has so far placed an emphasis on speed and execution.

Marketing has a measurement problem that most brands are ignoring

July 02, 2026

Traditional last-touch and platform-reported models were built for a simpler era. This measurement framework systematically rewards proximity to the checkout over actual influence on the decision. Sponsored by Measured.