The Modern Retail Podcast

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.

This week's podcast starts with senior reporters Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels getting into the news of the week. First they look at the changes unfolding at Nike, which is returning to Amazon after six years off the marketplace. It's part of the brand's larger strategy to get back into more wholesale channels, while it is also rolling out price hikes on some of its higher-end items. Then they look at E.l.f which also is raising some prices and announced plans to acquire Hailey Bieber's skincare and cosmetics brand Rhode, a deal reportedly worth $1 billion. Later in this episode, Barkho and Daniels are joined by executive editor Anna Hensel for a roundtable discussion about the memes and myths around retail recession indicators. They unpack the Lipstick Index and the Men's Underwear Index and whether these informal indexes have any basis in reality as recession indicators. Then they get into some sectors and trends to watch as economic challenges continue to change consumer behavior.

This week's podcast kicks off with senior reporters Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels discussing Klarna's latest earnings, which showed that a growing number of the BNPL service's users defaulting on their loans. In other news, Dockers and The Vitamin Shoppe were both acquired by respective companies. Levi Strauss announced the sale of khakis maker Dockers to Authentic Brands Group for $311 million. The Vitamin Shoppe was bought out by Kingswood Capital Management and Performance Investment Partners for an undisclosed amount. Both sales are examples of struggling retailers trying to find their footing with modern customers. Later in the episode (22:18), Daniels speaks with Liran Golan, the chief supply chain officer at Bansk Beauty that holds hair care brands Amika, Eva NYC and Ethique. They discuss how tariff policy changes can impact brands beyond the duties themselves, with a ripple effect on how brands make, manage and move their product.

On this week’s Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporters Melissa Daniels and Gabriela Barkho discuss the acquisition of sanitizer brand Touchland. The startup was bought by Church & Dwight, the personal care group that owns Nair and Arm & Hammer, in an $880 million deal. The staff also discusses the rise and fall of Target in the past couple of years, with the retailer marred by pullback in consumer spending and boycotts. In this episode, Daniels and Barkho also welcome Michelle Gabe (18:40), the director of marketing and partnerships at IFG, the parent company of King's Hawaiian, Grillo's Pickles, and Killer Brownie. Gabe joins the show to discuss what goes into brands’ collaborations with entertainment franchises and other pop culture moments, especially in film and television. The trend was kicked into high gear during 2023’s summer of “Barbie,” when brands of all sizes went pink. Last year, a similar wave was brought on by the “Wicked” movie. Even prestige TV series are getting in on product tie-ins through brand collaborations, as this past season of “White Lotus” showed. During her previous role at truffle sauce startup Truff, Gabe helped bring these types of partnerships to life, such as a collectibles collaboration with the “Super Mario Bros. Movie,” which garnered a waitlist of 20,000. Here is what she had to say about the best way to approach major IP tie-ins.

On this week’s Modern Retail podcast, senior reporters Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels discuss the rising challenges toy companies are facing in planning for inventory under Trump’s China tariffs. As Mattel executives said in the company’s quarterly earnings this week, the Barbie maker is trying to future-proof its supply chain to minimize potential price increases. In M&A news, DoorDash announced it acquired reservation platform Seven Rooms and delivery service Deliveroo, for $1.2 billion and $3.86 billion, respectively. In other acquisition news, Skechers was taken private by 3G Capital in a $9.42 billion deal, which is said to be the biggest footwear buyout to date. In this episode, Daniels also speaks with John Tabis (19:30), co-founder and chairman of flower delivery company Bouqs on how the floral industry is dealing with tariffs, with Mother's Day right around the corner. They get into the source of florals, and how Bouqs uses its internal technology to navigate high-demand times. Tabis, who is also a venture partner with M13, also got into best practices for companies with global supply chains at a moment of uncertainty.

On this week’s episode, senior reporters Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels get into the shakeup hitting telehealth platforms following the FDA’s crackdown on compounded GLP-1 medications — and what new deals between pharmaceutical companies and platforms like Hims & Hers mean for the future of weight-loss prescriptions. Plus, we unpack how Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter tour is driving a spike in Western fashion and fueling brand tie-ins with Queen Bey's Cécred. Then the team dives into a discussion on how the avian flu outbreak is scrambling the retail landscape. While egg prices are hitting record highs, some shoppers are rethinking their breakfast habits. And companies like Tractor Supply Company and Wayfair are also getting a boost thanks to an influx of interest in backyard chicken coops. Then, Barkho interviews Russell Breuer, co-founder of pet food brand Spot & Tango about how "eggflation" is impacting its supply chain and operations.

This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporters Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels kick things off with a discussion about how mergers and acquisitions in the retail space are going on pause amid widespread uncertainty. Industry watchers are closely monitoring the situation, and some consumer brand investors tell Modern Retail they're “taking a beat” before pulling the trigger on new deals. The pair also analyzes Walmart's announcement that it's testing out beauty bars in some stores as part of its spring beauty sales event. While a bid to compete with the likes Target and Ulta, it's also a continuation of a strategy to up its a beauty game. It's added more than 40 premium brands in the past year, expanded assortment in our core business, and launched a beauty accelerator program. Then (17:03), in honor of Earth Month, sees Daniels sits down with Rachel Kibbe, the founder and CEO of Circular Services Group (CSG) and American Circular Textiles (ACT) for this week's featured segment. Tariff policy changes are throwing sourcing and supply chain into the spotlight, souring conversations about American manufacturing and near shoring. Advocates for circular manufacturing, or systems that can help material be reused, recycled or remade, see the potential shift to more U.S. factories as an opportunity to stand up this infrastructure. Daniels and Kibbe discuss the promise and pitfalls of circular manufacturing and what it would take to get more infrastructure and industry in place here in the U.S. And Kibbe discusses the advocacy efforts ACT is undertaking in Washington, D.C. They also lay of land of domestic manufacturing, and the challenges that businesses face if they're looking to nearshore their supply chain in an effort to avoid tariffs.

On this week's Modern Retail podcast, senior reporters Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels dive into the ins and outs of LVMH's earnings that showed first-quarter sales in the U.S. dropped by 3%. And they discuss how brands and consumers are responding to the rash of videos from alleged Chinese manufacturing hubs that have taken over TikTok feeds. Then, the pair are joined by executive editor Anna Hensel for a roundtable discussion about how tariffs are affecting some unexpected and disparate categories (18:50). They chat about what they're been hearing from business leaders about how their costs, sourcing and operations are changing -- and so far, it seems no one is spared.

On this week's episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, the staff is going deep into modern marketing strategies. First up, executive editor Anna Hensel and senior reporter Gabriela Barkho talk about what was top of mind for executives at the Modern Retail Marketing Summit. Tariffs -- and how to respond to them -- were a hot topic of discussion. Marketers batted around ideas like adding a tariff surcharge to orders, pressing pause on some collaborations to save resources and taking a surgical approach to cutting SKUs. In some cases, they are still pushing forward on marketing spend while competitors pull back. Speakers from brands like Oura, Chobani and Bark also talked about their approach to growing their retail businesses, as they use insights from their DTC business to inform their pitch to retailers, and use their wholesale businesses to introduce themselves to new types of customers. Then, in this week's featured segment (19:42), Hanna Andersson's chief customer officer, Lisa Perlmutter, talks about how the premium children's apparel brand built its first-ever loyalty program.

On this week's episode of the Modern Retail Rundown, the staff gives an overview of what tariffs were announced on April 2, which President Donald Trump called "Liberation Day," and how the retail industry reacted accordingly. Then, a look which companies are trying to throw their hats into the ring to acquire TikTok. And lastly, an M&A streak in the better-for-you space continues as Hershey announced it will acquire popcorn brand LesserEvil in a $750 million deal.

Bea Dixon, founder and CEO of plant-derived feminine care brand The Honey Pot, got the idea for her startup in 2012 when she was suffering from bacterial vaginosis. Inspired by a visionary dream that centered around her grandmother sharing a list of ingredients, Dixon went on to start the Honey Pot, which now consists of washes, wipes, tampons pads and more, all containing straightforward, plant-derived ingredients. “I actually think the [vaginal wellness] space is changing for the better….better-for-you is the new conventional,” Dixon said, sharing how she thinks things like clean cotton have become table stakes for companies that sell tampons and pads. In turn, it’s been an exciting time for companies like The Honey Pot. Last year, the Honey Pot sold a majority stake to Compass Diversified for $380 million. And Dixon joined the Modern Retail Podcast to talk about what’s been going on at The Honey Pot since then. Dixon admitted that initially, talking about the sale was hard because “we have never been one to talk about how much money we raise, or how much money we make.” But now, she says “I feel great, I feel ucky to have a partner. I feel lucky that we were able to make whole the investors that had been with us since the very beginning.” And, being part of a bigger company like Compass Diversified has allowed The Honey Pot to spend more time and resources on bigger projects, like new packaging, which is rolling out in April. “We put several, it felt like hundreds of iterations in front of people so that we could really dial down to what would be the best version of said new packaging,” Dixon said. In the process, the Honey Pot learned how to more specifically call attention to certain attributes like the types of herbs that go into each product and what the benefit is of each. It points to a bigger evolution that Dixon is seeing in the space; namely that more brands are “leading with function.”

On this week's Modern Retail Rundown, the staff discusses Dollar Tree's decision to offload its struggling Family Dollar segment for $1 billion. Meanwhile, GameStop plans to close a "significant number" of stores as it ponders investments in cryptocurrency. Finally, H&M reported weaker-than-expected earnings this week, pointing to high markdowns and inflation woes.

When Perelel launched its first prenatal vitamin products in September 2020, the Covid-19 pandemic had upended the startup's fundraising plan. Co-founder Victoria Thain Gioia said that rather than launch with splashy campaigns or a big retail entry, Perelel decided to use organic social media posts to help spread the word. For the first year, Gioia answered every customer service ticket personally. "The roadmap that we originally had for the first year to 18 months was very different than what we encountered, in terms of the world and how we had to pivot," she said. But the company gained momentum in the direct-to-consumer subscription world and has grown an average of 600% year over year since its inception. Sales have more than doubled in the last three years, with Perelel currently selling around 182,000 vitamins a day. Behind the scenes, Perelel has invested in its growth by getting into new product categories. It has 21 SKUs, including a men’s supplement and products catered toward other wellness needs like hydration or sleep support. Gioia joined the Modern Retail podcast this week to discuss the company's growth journey and its latest product launch, a protein powder with creatine and fiber. Though creatine may read as a masculine product, Perelel's research has tapped into a growing recognition of its benefits for women, too. It can be to help with brain fog, fatigue and muscle retention, for instance, during postpartum, menopause and perimenopause. The product has been in development for about two years as the team looked to perfect the formula, Gioia said.

On this week's Modern Retail Rundown, the staff starts off discussing various news from buy-now, pay-later startup Klarna, including the deals with DoorDash and Walmart it struck as it prepares to go public. Meanwhile, Edible Arrangements’ parent company, Edible Brands, launched a marketplace for THC-infused products called Edibles.com. Finally, Nike gave an update on its turnaround plan in its earnings this week, with the company expecting weaker sales in the short term as it adjusts operations.

PopSockets is the leader of what its CEO, Jiayu Lin, likes to call the phone grip category. The company is known for small, retractable circles that come in a wide variety of prints and colors and attach to the back of someone’s phone, making it easier to grip. But, the company really wants to be known as a lifestyle brand. It’s an inflection point that many accessories brands reach at one point or another, as they want consumers to know them for more than just a single widget. And, Lin is thinking day in and day out about how to position PopSockets as a lifestyle brand through events, collaborations, new product launches and more. “I want to take [PopSockets] to the next level by transitioning the company from a tech accessory to a mobile lifestyle brand,” she said. Lin joined The Modern Retail Podcast to talk about her vision for PopSockets. She’s been with the company since 2022, starting out as its gm of APAC and becoming the company’s CEO in September. PopSockets has been focused on product expansion for the past few years, and it now sells phone cases, wallets and more, in addition to its ubiquitous grips. One concept Lin is particularly interested in is the idea of the mobile lifestyle — that is, as people carry their phones everywhere, phones are increasingly becoming an extension of people’s identity. So, PopSockets is focused on launching a greater variety of products that speak to people’s interests and hobbies — for example, a music festival survival kit. “This idea of a mobile lifestyle – we want to be part of you, and an extension of you, to help you express yourself — whether it's at work, at home or at play,” Lin said. Creating exclusives for different retailers like Walmart, Best Buy, Apple and more is also a big part of this. In addition, PopSockets is looking at more pop-up opportunities and events this year, Lin said. “It’s very important for us that we find the right channels for the different products we carry,” she said.

This week's Modern Retail Rundown kicks off with news of CVS opening mini pharmacies, as part of an overall plan to scale back its large footprint. Elsewhere, the beauty and skin-care segment is showing signs of slowing sales as brands like Futurewise shut down and Ulta reports weak growth, reflecting softness among U.S. beauty sales. Similarly, apparel retailers like American Eagle are forecasting a drop in sales during Q1, a potential harbinger of things to come.

Hair-care startup Crown Affair has had a big couple of years. After launching in January 2020, Crown Affair entered Sephora in 2022. The brand’s profile has grown as Crown Affair’s products have made the rounds on social media, most notably with Doja Cat donning the brand’s hair towel on the 2024 Met Gala red carpet. This year, the brand aims to do around $30 million in revenue, up from $20 million last year. And one of the people who has been instrumental in helping Crown Affair hit bigger and bigger milestones is Elaine Choi, who joined the company shortly before its launch as its founding president and COO. Recently, Choi was elevated to CEO, and she joined the Modern Retail Podcast to talk about her vision for Crown Affair this year. Dianna Cohen is the founder of Crown Affair. The company’s goal is to help people redefine their relationship with their hair and build new hair rituals with high-quality basics, like “the oil” and “the dry shampoo.” Many of the Crown Affair’s customers were introduced to the brand through Cohen’s videos on TikTok and Instagram, where she has amassed tens of thousands of followers, and shares everything from hair-care tips to behind-the-scenes looks at product development. "[Cohen is the] creative, visionary founder, and she needed an operator to come in and work with her and launch the brand," Choi said. "So we got connected through a mutual friend. … It was just, like, an instant kismet connection.” Choi ended up joining the brand four months prior to launch, moving from her hometown of Los Angeles to New York to work on Crown Affair. In the more than five years that she’s been with Crown Affair, Choi has been responsible for the operations side and, overall, making sure the brand is moving where it needs to go. Choi, a former cross-country athlete, likened the process to preparing for a race. “You know where the finish line is, but how are you setting those milestone markers to keep you going?” she said. “I remember I would practice for a race, and there was always, like, a tree at the one-mile mark. And I was like, 'OK, cool. So I just have to get to that tree in this amount of time, and then I'm on track.' And that was kind of like the beginning stages [of building Crown Affair].” Now, as CEO, Choi said she’s focused on a few key markers: helping the brand grow through increased distribution as Crown Affair launches in more Sephora stores, honing in on what marketing tactics are working, and keeping Crown Affair’s employees happy and focused as the business continues to evolve.

On this week’s Modern Retail Rundown, the staff discusses the drama surrounding a planned Neiman Marcus store closure in downtown Dallas. Elsewhere, reports swirl that Forever 21 is preparing for a possible bankruptcy, its second in six years. Lastly, Modern Retail looks at the battle that's brewing in the convenience store space as 7-Eleven’s parent company tries to fight off a takeover bid by Circle K’s owners.

Cleaning company Dropps hit shelves in Target this week, hoping to capture market share in the competitive category by offering a "greener" alternative. And one of the first ways it's hoping to catch shoppers' eyes is with its paperboard, trapezoid-shaped container next to the plastic tubs of laundry and dish pods. "It is paperboard within a sea of plastic," said CEO Alastair Dorward, "and the unique form and the shape really presents an excellent billboard on shelf." Dorward joined the Modern Retail Podcast to talk about the company's expansion plans as Dropps made its Target debut online and in stores. The over-30-year-old company makes pods for dish and laundry that are USDA-Certified Biobased, Leaping Bunny Certified and wrapped in a biodegradable film. The launch also includes a new 4-in-1 Plus Oxi Biobased Power Laundry Detergent Pod that's exclusive to Target and Dropps.com, as the company looks to compete with legacy brands that offer "tiered" pods for different uses. Dorward said Dropps is looking to find a mass audience after nearly two decades of direct-to-consumer operations. The former CEO of Method, Dorward took the helm at Dropps about two years ago and worked to take the product from its DTC origins to mass retail. The so-called "green cleaning" category is expected to grow as customers look for more non-toxic ingredients in product purchases. Nielsen IQ found that 45% of consumers want to buy products that have antibacterial properties, non-toxic ingredients and disinfectant abilities, for example.