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Ozempic is influencing the Halloween aisle while Walmart and AI reshape how consumers discover, buy, and receive products.
In this August 25th episode of Selling on Giants, Mr. Will breaks down why Hershey is expanding beyond traditional candy as GLP-1 medications reshape consumer snacking, how Walmart is building a complete marketplace flywheel, and why AI-referred shoppers are becoming some of the most valuable visitors in eCommerce.
Why is Hershey expanding beyond traditional Halloween candy?
Hershey is adding popcorn, cheese puffs, pretzels, and other savory snacks to its Halloween assortment as consumers become more health conscious and GLP-1 medications influence appetite, portion size, and snacking behavior. Chocolate remains the preferred Halloween treat, but Hershey sees an opportunity to serve the entire occasion instead of defending a narrow definition of the candy category.
The company’s zero-sugar candy, mint, and gum business grew more than 4 times between 2020 and 2025. Hershey is also using AI to shorten product development by roughly 3 months and identify changes such as the rise of trunk-or-treat events. Ozempic is shorthand for a much wider GLP-1 trend, and the immediate retail effect is not the disappearance of candy. It is a shift in portions, formats, ingredients, and occasions.
Why is Walmart Marketplace growing so quickly?
Walmart is connecting marketplace assortment, fulfillment, stores, shopper data, and advertising into one reinforcing system. Walmart’s global eCommerce business grew 23% in the second quarter, while Walmart eCommerce in the U.S. grew 24%. Walmart Marketplace net sales increased more than 50%, Walmart Connect grew 43%, and store-fulfilled delivery increased 40%.
Nearly half of Walmart’s marketplace volume now flows through Walmart Fulfillment Services. Marketplace expands product selection, Walmart Fulfillment Services improves delivery, more transactions create better shopper data, and Walmart Connect turns that data into advertising revenue. That revenue helps Walmart continue investing in price, technology, and fulfillment.
What does delayed back-to-school shopping signal for the holidays?
National Retail Federation data shows that shoppers had completed only about 44% of their back-to-school lists by early August, compared with 23% in early July. Consumers are beginning their research, but many are waiting longer to finish purchases as they spread spending across paychecks, wait for promotions, or delay decisions until they know exactly what is required.
Brands may see early traffic without matching conversion, assume demand is weak, and cut advertising or increase discounts too soon. If purchases arrive within a shorter window, advertising costs rise, inventory tightens, and there is little time to recover. Holiday planning needs to account for a longer research period followed by a more compressed conversion window.
Why are Amazon drones and Home Depot’s 3-hour delivery important?
Amazon plans to expand Prime Air drone delivery from 11 locations to nearly 500 cities and towns by the end of the year. More than 60% of the products customers frequently purchase from Amazon meet the basic size and weight requirements, with delivery available in as little as 30 minutes. Home Depot is also rolling out 3-hour delivery nationwide by using more more than 2,000 stores as local fulfillment hubs.
The larger trend is the move from planned convenience to immediate problem solving. A product is now competing against the fastest way the customer can solve the problem. Two-day delivery once felt remarkable. In more categories, it is beginning to feel slow.
Are shoppers coming from AI tools actually buying?
Yes. Adobe Analytics found that traffic arriving at U.S. retail websites from AI tools increased 62% year over year in July. Compared with October 2024, AI referral traffic increased more than 1,200%.
The quality of that traffic is the bigger story. AI-referred shoppers generated 53% more revenue per visit and converted at a rate 60% higher than other website traffic. This was the 11th consecutive month that AI traffic outperformed other traffic on conversion. These shoppers also stayed longer, bounced less often, and added products to their carts more frequently.
AI tools are completing part of the research before the shopper reaches the retailer. A customer can describe a need, compare options, narrow the decision, and then click through with stronger purchase intent. Traditional search often provides a list of possible answers. AI increasingly attempts to recommend one answer, which makes the selected position more valuable and may make second place less visible.
How can brands prepare for AI-driven product discovery?
The first step is not publishing hundreds of generic articles written by AI. It is making product information easy for people and machines to understand. Specifications, ingredients, compatibility, sizing, pricing, availability, use cases, customer questions, and policies need to be accurate and consistent across the brand’s website and marketplace content.
Adobe found that 39% of the retail homepages in its broader sample were not fully machine readable. Brands can begin testing by asking several AI assistants to recommend products in their category. They should document whether the brand appears, whether the information is accurate, which competitors receive the recommendation, and which sources the AI appears to trust. AI discovery is not replacing Amazon, Google, or retail media overnight, but waiting for perfect attribution gives competitors time to establish authority first.
How are tariffs changing eCommerce pricing decisions?
New U.S. tariffs of 50% took effect on roughly $20 billion in Canadian exports, and Canada announced dollar-for-dollar retaliation beginning September 8th. Brands importing Canadian products or components may face higher landed costs, while brands selling into Canada may need another pricing adjustment. Exposure depends on product classification and current treatment.
Major retailers may also be operating with different economics. Walmart recognized nearly $2.9 billion in tariff refunds during the quarter. Target recognized almost $1 billion, and Ross received roughly $250 million. These one-time benefits can give a retailer room to promote inventory while a brand’s next replacement order still arrives at a higher cost. Matching a competitor’s price without understanding why it can afford the promotion is how brands win the sale and lose the business. Price the next unit, not the last unit.
What do K Pop Demon Hunters and Labubu teach eCommerce brands?
The Christian metal band Demon Hunter sued Netflix and a concert promoter over the name as the K Pop Demon Hunters franchise expands into live events and merchandise. Netflix disputes the allegations, and no court has ruled that infringement occurred. For operators, the lesson is that Amazon Brand Registry protects rights a brand already owns. It does not provide trademark clearance or determine whether a name is safe as the brand expands into new products, categories, events, or merchandise. Success makes intellectual property conflicts more expensive, so brands need to understand their rights before the viral moment.
Pop Mart offers the other side of viral growth. The Monsters family, which includes Labubu, generated more than 4 billion yuan during the first half of the year, but its share of company revenue declined from nearly 35% to 26%. Twinkle Twinkle revenue increased more than 580%, and 6 Pop Mart franchises each generated more than 1 billion yuan.
The strategic win is not simply creating one viral character. Pop Mart is using the attention, cash flow, and customer acquisition from Labubu to build a portfolio that does not depend entirely on Labubu. Durable companies turn a cultural moment into distribution, customer relationships, new products, and repeatable growth. Virality is rented. A portfolio is owned.
What is the common thread across this week’s retail news?
Commerce is becoming more compressed. Consumers research earlier and buy later, retailers deliver faster, and AI shortens product discovery. Tariffs, health trends, and pop culture are also forcing faster decisions.
The answer is not simply to move faster. Brands need an operation that moves quickly without losing control of inventory, margin, compliance, or advertising.
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