This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabi Barkho and Melissa Daniels get into the news of how On running shoes led the pack of footwear earnings with a 32% year-over-year sales increase. Then they get into all things Summerween, as the trend of spooky decor in the summer starts to bleed into actual Halloween sale season.

Then for the featured segment (19:05), Barkho and Daniels get into why natural grocer Sprouts is becoming a go-to destination for CPG brands looking to make a wholesale splash. They're joined by Nicole Portland, the chief marketing officer at beverage company Suja Life, who shares why Sprouts was the choice partner for their re-launch of legacy soda brand Slice -- and how it became the home of its exclusive, on-trend cherry cola flavor. They get into why Slice, a relaunch that dovetails with a better-for-you soda boom, found a fit in Sprouts, how Sprouts’ nationwide rollout model gives small brands a fast-track to scaling and why store programs like “New for You” and “Fresh Finds” drive discovery and repeat sales

This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporters Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels chat about Ikea's new pilot partnership with Best Buy, and why the first-ever partnership with a a third party retailer could become a meaningful new acquisition channel. And they unpack how tween mall staple Claire's wound up filing for Chapter 11 for the second time in seven years -- and why they may be not be the last legacy retailer to get pushed over the edge by tariff policy.

Later in the episode (14:50), Daniels is joined by reporter Julia Waldow to discuss her recent story on how some brands are readying themselves for a potential checkout tool native to ChatGPT. They get into how AI tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini and more are blowing up the traditional consumer funnel, and how brands are trying to get ahead of the curve.

This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, reporter Julia Waldow joins co-host Melissa Daniels to unpack how brands are reacting to the shifting landscape of U.S. trade deals following the August 1 expiration deadline. They also dive into the backlash and cultural critiques around American Eagle’s ad campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney.

Later in the episode (21:30), Daniels sits down with Sarah O’Leary, CEO of femtech brand Willow Innovations, and Jen Saxton, founder of TotSquad, to talk about the rise of postpartum consumer products. The conversation covers why this category has been historically underserved, how retailers like Target are leaning in, and what needs to change to better support new moms in the CPG space.

Note: The day after this podcast was taped, American Eagle issued the following statement about the campaign on its Instagram page: "'Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans' is and always was about the jeans. Her jeans. Her story. We'll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their AE jeans with confidence, their way. Great jeans look good on everyone."

On this week’s Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporters Melissa Daniels and Gabriela Barkho are joined by Modern Retail reporter Mitchell Parton. The team discusses a package that ran on Modern Retail this week, called The State of the Mall. The package highlights how malls are under pressure to continuously reinvent themselves, with topics spanning American Dream's delayed Miami expansion and Tanger's modern take on outlet mall design.

Later in the episode, Daniels and Barkho are joined by Kristen Pumphrey and Thomas Neuberger, owners of P.F. Candle Co., to talk about how brands with Made in America products are still being affected by ongoing tariff policies. They discuss the increased challenges of securing raw material overseas, how reciprocal tariffs impact components such as candle jars and packaging, the upsides of producing goods domestically, and leaning into "Made in America" as a marketing message.

On this week’s Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporters Melissa Daniels and Gabriela Barkho are joined by Lexy Lebsack, the West Coast correspondent for sister publication Glossy, and co-host of The Glossy Beauty Podcast. The team kicks things off with a look at the latest news in beauty M&A, with Ulta buying out British beauty retailer Space NK. On the topic of beauty, this week's rundown also breaks down the rise in beauty dupe lawsuits, thanks to high-profile filings by Benefit and Supergoop.

Later on, Daniels continues the conversation around intellectual property with Cassey Ho, founder and designer of athleisure line Popflex Active. She's been vocal about her concerns with other companies making imitations of her designs, including a patented skort worn by Taylor Swift. They discuss how AI is making it easier for companies to mimic and sell fashion items, the pros and cons of expensive intellectual property services, why her team has an "infringement" Slack channel and the emotional roller coaster of a viral product getting duped.

On this week’s Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporters Melissa Daniels and Gabriela Barkho Barkho kick things off with a look at Constellation Brands’ declining beer sales. The Modelo and Corona owner is facing tariffs and weaker demand from its large Hispanic consumer base, which makes up half of its U.S. sales.

Later in the episode (9:27), Modern Retail’s e-commerce platforms reporter, Allison Smith, joins the show for a roundtable on how Prime Day and accompanying deals galore went over. With sales off to a slow start for Amazon’s four-day summer event, some wonder whether it’s a bellwether for decline in consumer sentiment.

On this week's Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporters Melissa Daniels and Gabriela Barkho begin with a rundown of this week's news. Kicking things off is an analysis of Unilever's $1.5 billion acquisition of men's personal care brand Dr. Squatch. Next is a look at DTC bedding brand Parachute closing the majority of its stores to refocus on e-commerce and core products. Finally, a roundup of all the sales retailers are launching to compete with Prime Day(s), including deals from Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Kohl's.

Then for this week’s featured segment (20:58), they get into some of the biggest forces shaping retail this year. There's a number of external factors impacting brands, and so many changing consumer behaviors that have led to a challenging environment, with May spending figures showing a slowdown and declining consumer confidence. Daniels and Barkho get into the trends shaping this environment like the deal-hungry shoppers, boycotts and -- of course -- tariff policy.

On this week’s episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporters Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels break down the latest May retail sales data and explain what it signals about consumer sentiment heading into summer. They also get into announcements from big CPG corporations like Kraft Heinz and General Mills about eliminating artificial dyes in U.S. products amid the "Make America Healthy Again" movement.
During the featured segment, they're joined by reporter Julia Waldow for a deep dive segment on the rise of private labels. These days, store brands are not just cheaper alternatives to name brands but trendy and even viral products in their own right. About 40% of shoppers say they buy private labels to save money, and 60% say it's because it's a better value, per a Numerator survey.

On this week’s episode, Modern Retail’s senior reporters Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels discuss two major topics shaking up the retail world. First, they dive into Labubu dolls, which suddenly seem to be everywhere. They explore how the viral phenomenon started and why it is driving big-ticket resale purchases. Then, they dive into recent news around the state of employment in the retail industry, as almost 11,500 retail jobs were cut in May, per Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Then (13:30), this week's featured segment brings together three expert furniture executives to discuss how a historic housing slump is affecting the sector. Daniels leads a discussion featuring Nicole Chaloux-Pinette, head of category management and business development at Perigold; Jiake Liu, co-founder of direct-to-consumer outdoor furniture brand Outer; and Lee Mayer, co-founder and CEO of Havenly Brands.

Mortgage rates are at 6.89%, and the National Association of Retailers says April saw month-over-month transaction losses in all U.S. regions. This is a major headwind for furniture companies that typically rely on new home sales to help drive business. While the panelists all run very different businesses, they shared similar strategies around how to serve existing customers, create acquisition opportunities, and invest in opportunities that will lead to growth.

On this week’s episode, Modern Retail reporters Gabriela Barkho and Julia Waldow discuss several retail headlines from the past week. First up is the steep drop in Temu’s U.S. user base, prompted by the end of the de minimis loophole. Meanwhile, this year supply chain challenges are plaguing Spirit Halloween, which have caused it to cancel its annual grand opening event for the spooky season. Last, we look at how the viral dessert Dubai chocolate has infiltrated retailers, brands, and restaurant chains.

Later in the episode (18:30), Modern Retail executive editor Anna Hensel speaks with Graham Nearn and Kate Ridley, who respectively are the chief product and sustainability officer and chief brand officer at PMI Worldwide Brands, the parent company of Stanley 1913. Known for its huge insulated Stanley tumblers, Stanley 1913 has appealed to many different types of people throughout its 112-year-history: construction workers, hikers, new moms and more.