Over the last couple of years, e-commerce brands have been hit with yet another issue -- fake ads purporting to be the company on platforms like Meta and TikTok.

Analysis

TikTok Shop listings are surfacing on Google Shopping

February 28, 2024  ■  4 min read

As it works to grow TikTok Shop, the company appears to be investing in SEO ads to reach new customers.

Brands like Jolie and Lululemon are fighting off copycats through dupe swapping

February 14, 2024  ■  4 min read

Although imitation might be the sincerest form of flattery, the dupe trend has become a headache for premium brands.

Other news to know

  • After Baltimore’s Key Bridge collapsed, shipping vessels are being rerouted to other ports. However, experts say that disruptions are unlikely to hurt the U.S. economy as a whole.
  • H&M’s quarterly sales are down 2%, but its new CEO is continuing to keep an eye on profitability.
  • The NYPD shut down a Versace sample sale in New York City after thousands of people tried to squeeze in, breaking out in fights.
15.2%
How much H&M's shares rose upon earnings
Top Stories Mar 28

Why women in retail are leaving CEO positions

March 28, 2024  ■  9 min read

For every woman brought into a director role, two leave, according to LeanIn and McKinsey research. That's especially true for retail -- which has seen a recent women CEO exodus.

‘There’s been nothing new for half a century’: How Sunday is trying to shake up the yard and garden industry

March 28, 2024  ■  4 min read

Sunday first launched in 2019 with lawn care products, but has since expanded to pest control and garden products. Founder and CEO Coulter Lewis joined this week's Modern Retail Podcast.

Mercari eliminates selling fees, heightening competition with ThredUp & Poshmark

March 27, 2024  ■  4 min read

Mercari previously had a 10% flat commission for every sale made on the platform. Now the resale platform is choosing to eliminate that fee entirely for sellers.

Following the ‘better-for-you’ trend, C4 rebrands & reformulates its pre-workout powders

March 27, 2024  ■  3 min read

C4 is switching up the packaging, ingredients and flavors of its pre-workout powders, signaling a new direction for its active nutrition business. It will roll out the revamped products over the next few months online and in partners including The Vitamin Shoppe and Target.

Limited Series
The Future of Brand Marketing

The lines between brand and performance marketing are blurring. It's no longer enough to spend millions on a TV campaign and hope people find your brand. In this series, Modern Retail looks into how the wild, expensive world of brand marketing has been upended over the last few years.

Podcasts

Technology

‘More energized by their work’: How Shopify’s dual-track promotion plan is working out

March 27, 2024  ■  7 min read

Employers are seeing higher retention when successful individual contributors aren’t forced into management positions.

Commercetools is the latest e-commerce platform pursuing a path to IPO

March 26, 2024  ■  4 min read

Commercetools is working to go public in the near future, Modern Retail has learned. The news comes as more software providers pursue IPOs or other paths to growth.

Brands are uncovering holistic consumer insights with transaction data

February 14, 2024  ■  4 min read

Jonathan Chin, Co-founder, Facteus The landscape of consumer insights has been traditionally navigated through customer surveys, detailed web analytics, cookie tracking and first-party data collection. These techniques, foundational to retailers’ and brands’ understanding of consumer behavior, predominantly hinged on self-reported preferences, online engagement metrics and data gathered directly from customer interactions.  While these methods have […]

Marketing

Adidas NIL program

As March Madness unfolds, more brands look to get involved in NIL deals

March 26, 2024  ■  4 min read

NIL deals — which allow athletes to receive financial compensation for their name, image and likeness — has opened a new lower-cost opportunity for brands to be involved with big college sporting events like March Madness outside of traditional corporate sponsorships.

Lemon Perfect's product lineup.

Why Lemon Perfect is supplying bachelorette parties with free products

March 25, 2024  ■  4 min read

It’s not unusual for people to ask brands or celebrities for free gifts on special occasions like bachelorette parties, weddings or birthdays. However, Lemon Perfect sees this trend as a chance to acquire new customers.

All six flavors of the new Bubly Burst product line.

Bubly introduces its first new product line in 6 years as it aims to take a bigger share of the better-for-you category

March 19, 2024  ■  4 min read

The Pepsi-owned brand is rolling out Bubly Burst, a new sweetened sparkling water beverage, nationwide by March 25.

Operations

Illustration with a pan, a jar and underwear with tags spelling out D-T-C.

DTC Briefing: Why startups are getting more precious with wholesale expansion

March 26, 2024  ■  7 min read

The DTC startups that have been able to withstand the economic challenges over the past five years are trying to be much more strategic about how they approach wholesale.

money hands

Celebrity-funded Super Coffee sought fresh cash last year that would cut its valuation in half

March 26, 2024  ■  5 min read

According to one pitch deck sent around toward the end of last year, which Modern Retail has viewed, Super Coffee was looking to raise a $10 million convertible note with a $250 million cap, essentially cutting the company’s valuation in half compared to the 2021 round. 

How advertisers are leveraging Roundel’s best practices to maximize retail media spend

March 20, 2024  ■  4 min read

Renee Doerre, senior director of strategy and enablement, Roundel Creating impactful e-commerce strategies begins and ends with the consumer experience. From websites to apps to in-store experiences and third-party platforms, shoppers can connect with brands at many touchpoints. Consumers want a convenient and personalized shopping experience and advertisers must create lasting ways to capture and […]