Fabletics is expanding its college apparel offerings as it continues its quest to become a $2 billion company.

Tariffs

Fuel, freight and tariff costs are complicating holiday importing

August 03, 2026

Higher fuel and freight costs are driving up prices for importers during the peak season.

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.

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 Aug 18

Air freight is becoming a costly fix for inventory issues

August 17, 2026

Air freight costs are soaring, but some brands like Capri and Figs are swallowing the cost when they face unexpected inventory crunches.

Retail construction hits record lows, making it hard to find space

August 17, 2026

Recently, retailers have had a hard time finding space in which to put new stores. The problem is that there are not a lot of buildings going up to begin with. Retail construction completions fell to 5.7 million square feet in the second quarter, setting record lows for both quarterly and rolling four-quarter totals, according to CBRE.

Everybody wants to be a premium brand in a tough economic environment

August 17, 2026

In conversations with executives this summer, one consistent theme has been that everybody is trying to court a new demographic that’s in a slightly higher income bracket than their core customer. Or, they're grappling with how to get their highest spenders to spend more. Here's what's driving seemingly every brand to try to position themselves as a premium brand.

Baggallini turns to new collections and its first pop-up to acquire Gen Z shoppers

August 17, 2026

Baggallini is introducing more products designed for the woman on the go as it looks to court a young consumer.

How DTC startups are using AI to scale more efficiently

August 17, 2026

Several brand executives spoke at eTail Boston about the new DTC playbook — specifically, how they are reshaping wholesale strategies and using AI for search, content and operations to drive growth.

The pros and cons of taking on private equity

August 15, 2026

On this week's Modern Retail Podcast, the co-founder of baby care brand Tubby Todd explains how private equity fueled its shift from DTC to Target shelves.

How H&M, Chobani, UrbanStems and Teleties are refining their partnership strategies

August 14, 2026

Brands like UrbanStems, H&M and Chobani are refining partnerships to match audiences, drive cultural relevance and unlock new growth. Here's more on how execs from these brands say their approach to partnerships has changed over the years.

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

Inside Best Buy’s push to sell shoppers on a new generation of TVs

August 11, 2026

One of Best Buy’s big priorities this year is pushing a new generation of RGB LED TVs to consumers. The hope is that customers will find the technological improvements convincing enough to make an upgrade, six years after many of them bought a new TV during the Covid-19 pandemic.

gray phone on a white and green background displaying a text conversation. One person texts "what's the status of my order?" and a robot replies with three dots, indicating they are typing back

Kroger’s AI shopping assistant has ads at launch

August 04, 2026

Kroger made advertising part of its AI shopping assistant on day one, following the implementation of advertising features on competitors’ chatbots.

Unpacked: How agentic AI is reshaping the consumer journey

July 28, 2026

This Unpacked guide, sponsored by Talon.One, explores how brands can make their loyalty and promotions agent-ready, as agentic commerce evolves from a theoretical concept into practical applications, and AI agents begin to handle the end-to-end shopping journey for consumers.

Marketing

Brands Briefing: Ugg’s latest creators aren’t conventional fashion influencers. They’re art students

August 18, 2026

Class is in session at Ugg. The brand is creating a new college ambassador program as it works to establish itself as a go-to style destination.

The lead image features a balloon that says DTC.

What it takes to succeed as a DTC brand today

August 13, 2026

At the most recent Modern Retail+ and Glossy+ Town Hall, editorial staff and subscribers gathered to discuss the future of DTC. Hot topics included: what distribution channels make sense for burgeoning brands and where young startups should spend their precious marketing dollars.

How Stanley 1913 is adapting its marketing for the AI search era, without losing a ‘human touch’

August 13, 2026

Adapting to AI search is a muscle memory problem, not a hacking problem — at least that’s how Stanley 1913 sees it. The brand is trying to increase how often it is mentioned by AI search engines, without resorting to hacks and easy wins.

Operations