The Modern Retail Podcast

On this week’s episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels are joined by executive editor Anna Hensel to unpack how AI is reshaping marketing workflows and creative output. As customer acquisition costs rise and shoppers grow more discerning, brands are using AI to sharpen targeting and streamline production. But many remain cautious about replacing human talent or handing over mission-critical work to fast-evolving technology.

In a blow for President Donald Trump's tariff agenda, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Feb. 20 that the Trump administration exceeded its authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in a 6-3 decision. In other words, they deemed that the sweeping tariffs he issued on Liberation Day against nearly every U.S. trading partner were unlawful. Now, many people in the retail industry, whose companies have been impacted by these tariffs, are left wondering what will happen next in the days and weeks to come. In this emergency episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, executive editor Anna Hensel, special projects editor Melissa Daniels and senior reporter Gabriela Barkho break down what the Supreme Court ruling means for brands and retailers. They get into: Their initial reactions to the news that the Supreme Court struck down President Trump's tariffs.  Whether or not brands and retailers will be able to get refunds for the tariffs they paid over the past year.  What this could mean in the push for more domestic manufacturing.  What they'll be watching next as President Trump vows to impose his tariffs agenda through other means.

In 2026, the term direct-to-consumer, or DTC, has become somewhat of a pejorative within the retail startups ecosystem. Enter: “DTC 3.0,” or what’s dubbed as the most sustainable and profitable version of the model to date. The term was popularized last year after an X post by Cody Plofker, the CEO of Jones Road Beauty, though a debate has emerged on what the phrase entails. On this week's episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporter Gabriela Barkho is joined by two veterans of the DTC landscape who started their brands in the 2010s. Nate Checketts, co-founder and CEO of Rhone, and Melissa Mash, co-founder and CEO of Dagne Dover, argue that the term DTC, in and of itself, is antiquated. The two also weigh the pros and cons of being an early player in the "DTC boom," and their approaches to raising venture capital and building more sustainable brands. This week's episode discusses: How do founders characterize the different phases of DTC? A look back at being part of the DTC 1.0 wave, then navigating the next two phases amid increased challenges.  How events like the Covid-19 pandemic and tariffs helped shape the DTC channel. Building an enduring brand through a slower, more sustainable growth model.

This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, special projects editor Melissa Daniels is joined by senior reporter Julia Waldow to dive deep into the world of brand activations happening around Super Bowl LX. Many brands don't have the $8 million to drop on a Super Bowl ad. In turn, they're tapping pop-ups, concerts and other IRL experiences to drive awareness before millions of eyeballs in the Bay Area, where the Super Bowl will be held at Levi's Stadium.

On this week’s Modern Retail Podcast, the staff discusses how the growing presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in cities like Minneapolis is impacting retail. Senior reporter Gabriela Barkho and special projects editor Melissa Daniels are joined by Modern Retail executive editor Anna Hensel to discuss topics like executives' reactions, shoppers’ protests and how brands are expressing solidarity with people on the ground.In this episode, the three discuss: How local and national retail brands with a Minneapolis presence are addressing their employees and customers.  Recent ICE killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti pushed corporate CEOs from Target and Best Buy to finally respond.  What some brands are doing to express solidarity with immigrants and locals, including participating in strikes and donating sales proceeds to organizations.

On this week's episode, special projects editor Melissa Daniels takes a deep dive into how brands are shaking up their returns playbook. As many as 72% of brands are charging for returns these days, according to the National Retail Federation, but that's a major customer pain point. In turn, it's an area of business that brands are constantly evaluating to make sure their return policies make logistical and financial sense while still providing a good customer experience. Daniels speaks with Samantha Gold, founder of sleepwear brand Motette, and Arin Schultz, chief growth officer at mattress brand Naturepedic, about the changes they're making to their return policies to make them more customer-friendly without taking a hit on the costs associated with processing returns. They get into: The invisible costs of free returns, like shipping rates and warehouse restocking fees Why Motette is planning to roll out free returns following a customer poll The ways Naturepedic got its return rate to less than half of the industry average

This week, co-hosts Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels are joined by senior reporter Julia Waldow to dive into takeaways from the National Retail Federation's 2026 conference; it's the retail industry's biggest conference, and typically sets the tone for the year. The mood at NRF was cautiously optimistic, with brands and retailers showing off their best use cases of agentic commerce and AI tools to help with checkout and discovery. Waldow explains how the week also saw announcements from the likes of Google, and Microsoft about the tools they're deploying for retailers to try. But at the same time, executives said there is still some friction, with many attendees themselves saying they don't trust AI to do their shopping for them. Barkho discuss how beyond technology, brands talked about how to court today's shoppers by focusing on value, and the ways they're looking to stay relevant. Other key themes discussed on the show include: How AI in retail has shifted from hypothetical use cases to case studies of practical applications  The far-fetched robotics and technologies seen on the Expo Floor  Brands becoming less vocal about tariffs and immigration-related challenges as they focus on growth in a complex landscape

Kicking off the new year, the Modern Retail Podcast is delving into all things wellness. This week, senior reporter Gabi Barkho is joined by Rachel Hirsch, founder and managing partner of Wellness Growth Ventures, which has backed brands like BelliWelli and Cure Hydration. Together, they predict what’s on trend and what’s on its way out, when it comes to health and wellness. The categories discussed include food and beverage, beauty, and fitness.  The emerging themes in 2026 include: The definition of wellness resolution is constantly evolving, especially as consumers try more trends and focus on personalized routines.  Simplified routines and hero products have taken the throne from multi-step routines. Strength training, GLP-1s and high-protein intake continue to dominate diet and fitness trends.

On this week’s Modern Retail Podcast, the editorial team dives into what’s to come in 2026. Senior reporters Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels are joined by executive editor Anna Hensel for a roundtable discussion on the biggest retail predictions in the coming year. Hensel, for example, is contemplating how AI will continue to shape e-commerce and the way people shop in 2026. Meanwhile, Daniels predicts that the creator economy will only get bigger as brands continue to invest in this marketing channel. With that, the team debates whether social media and other e-commerce channels will continue to bombard users with influencer content. Lastly, the team moves onto M&A prospects in 2026, including the biggest brands primed for potential acquisition as consolidation heats up.

On this week's Modern Retail Podcast, hosts Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels are joined by reporter Mitchell Parton to discuss the themes and trends that dominated retail in 2025. The year certainly didn't play out the way that many in the retail industry were initially expecting, as tariffs upended many companies' carefully laid plans for the year. Still, there were pockets of hope. Even though there weren't as many IPOs this year as some in the industry hoped there would be, there were still some promising acquisitions, like Church & Dwight buying hand sanitizer brand Touchland, and Harry's parent company Mammoth Brands snapping up diaper brand Coterie. Plus, consumers were still willing to turn out and spend -- even for hot trends and products that seemingly came out of nowhere, like Labubus. The episode gets into: A look back at how the Modern Retail Podcast team did with its 2025 predictions at the start of the year, involving M&A, TikTok Shop and tariffs.  Why private labels dominated this year.  Why 2025 was an eventful year for big-box retail, as companies like Costco, Walmart and Target had to navigate big changes.  How the biggest buzzword of the year, AI, shaped retail in 2025.

This week's episode of the Modern Retail Podcast kicks off with a discussion between co-hosts Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels about PepsiCo's announcement that it will be trimming its portfolio and cutting back prices as part of a new agreement with activist investor Elliott Investment Management. They also unpack the opportunities the conglomerate faces as it plans more innovation in the better-for-space, whether that's removing artificial colors and flavors, or including more protein, fiber and whole grains. Then on the featured segment (15:40), Daniels is joined by Modern Retail's Allison Smith and Julia Waldow to unpack the secondhand sales boom of 2025. Their conversation dives into the technological improvements, economic shifts and brick and mortar touch points that have helped drive more interest and sales in this growing category. They discuss how: Shoppers are increasingly considering used items due to cost savings.  Companies like Poshmark and ThredUp are using AI to help populate their marketplaces.  The rise of in-person estate sales and thrift store hauls as people look for the "thrill of the hunt."

On this week’s Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporters Melissa Daniels and Gabriela Barkho kick things off with a look at the record-setting use of buy now, pay later payments over Black Friday weekend. The duo also gets into the holiday spirit by talking about the widespread impact of seasonal flavors. This year’s big trend? All things cranberry. Later on in the episode (23:41), Barkho sits down with Kelly Landrieu, principal planner of local & emerging brands at Whole Foods Market, who heads up its Local & Emerging Accelerator Program. In the conversation, Landrieu outlines the program’s role in bringing the buzziest young brands to Whole Foods’ shelves, which in the past has included brands like Poppi and Little Sesame. They also discuss: The dos and don’ts of startups successfully getting into Whole Foods Market.  Common mistakes smaller brands make when trying to grow in a national chain.  When to consider hot trends, like better-for-you soda and high-protein snacks versus a product’s potential longevity.

Cyber Week is here and the Modern Retail Podcast is breaking down the biggest shopping and trends to watch during this all-important shopping period. This week, Modern Retail senior reporter Gabriela Barkho is joined by staff from our sister site, Glossy, including senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and Glossy West Coast correspondent Lexy Lebsack. Now that the sales week has officially begun, the trio discusses a number of brand strategies and shopper behavior they have spotted this season, including the first big test for AI chatbots assisting with gift search. On this week’s show, the staff’s roundtable covers topics such as: The modern gift guides and where shoppers are looking for holiday gift ideas, from brands’ own gift guides to ChatGPT suggestions.  The non-discounting marketing strategies, in which brands are instead offering shoppers perks like exclusive access to products and in-person pop-ups.  Other ways brands are standing out beyond traditional marketing sales, including limited-edition collaborations and even advent calendars.

This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels dive into all the brand moments Barkho saw on a recent trip to BravoCon in Las Vegas. The event had a record number of shoppable activations, ranging from Wayfair studios to special-edition Reebok sneakers. Then they analyze the latest earnings from TJX, which showed net sales of $15.1 billion. That marked a 7% increase from a year ago, boosted by more foot traffic and value-driven shoppers. Then, in this week's featured segment, Daniels sits down with CharCharms founder and CEO Charlotte Trecartin to discuss the art of publicly building brands as a Gen-Z entrepreneur. While founders have been "building brands in public" for years, the strategy is becoming paramount for digital-native business owners who are sharing their wins and fails on TikTok, Instagram and Substack. Their discussion gets into: Why virality can help drive sales but doesn't indicate long-term viability Understanding what to share and what not to share when building your business Future-proofing ideas and concepts with legal and intellectual property safeguards

This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabriela Barkho and Julia Waldow kicked things off by discussing Amazon’s plan for a new Whole Foods store concept. The new layout, currently being tested in select locations, will allow shoppers to purchase more mainstream brands like Pepsi and Chips Ahoy while they do their Whole Foods shopping. The team also broke down the growing popularity of Advent calendars and why every brand from Dior to Kraft Mac & Cheese is releasing them. And in this week's featured segment, Modern Retail’s Melissa Daniels sat down with Reba Hatcher, the chief revenue officer at subscription brand Butcher Box, where the two spoke about the company’s growing loyalty program. Their discussion covers: The company’s decision to segment its subscriber base to personalize offerings to different customers.  Building a two-tiered loyalty program that rewards customers for the amount of dollars they spend and how often they order.  How features like add-on products are helping grow cart sizes

This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels unpack the news that Amazon is laying off about 14,000 people from its corporate workforce. They discuss what this says about how corporate America is responding to economic circumstances as well as the role of AI in reshaping workflows. Next, they talk through Lululemon's NFL collaboration and what it reveals about the athleisure giant's attempts to win over new audiences. From there (15:40), Barkho and Daniels sit down with Lawrence Berger, the co-founder of private equity firm Ames Watson that recently acquired Claire's following its Chapter 11 filing. Berger explains how the company's experiences reviving Lids, another legacy mall brand, are helping inform its Claire's playbook as it looks to update the stores and brand for a new era. Their discussion covers: The challenges Claire's faces with outdated merchandising and inefficient corporate practices  The behind-the-scenes fixes, like merchandising and store refreshes, that Ames Watson is planning  Why Ames Watson sees itself as an “atypical” private equity firm that aims for long-term brand revival rather than quick flips

On this week's episode, co-hosts Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels get into the news of Quince dodging claims from Ugg's parent Deckers Brand that it unlawfully copied two of its best-selling styles. Next, they discuss the announcement from cosmetics company E.l.f that it will be offering live shopping on streaming service Twitch, and what that says about the potential resurgence of streaming in social commerce. Then during the featured segment (12:50), Daniels is joined by Kim Chappell, the chief brand officer at infant formula company Bobbie, to go behind-the-scenes of its latest campaign with Cardi B (Bobbie named her as its "chief confidence officer") and how the company infuses brand across all parts of their business. Chappell discusses: Why having a strong brand has helped grow Bobbie and gain customer trust  The combination of gut instinct, humor and parenting realities that goes into crafting big campaigns  How to know when and whether to weigh in on social or political issues

On this week's episode of The Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels discuss Mammoth Brands' acquisition of Coterie, a luxury diaper brand that's had a fast-growing subscription business since 2021. While the terms of the deal are undisclosed, it's a big move for Mammoth whose portfolio up until now has included adult body care and grooming brands like Harry's, Flamingo and Lume. Then they unpack the news that Unilever is offloading luxury skincare brand Kate Somerville 10 years after its acquisition. It's now owned by Rare Beauty Brands, which also skincare brands Patchology and Dot Dot Dash. But it's another sign that Unilever is looking to simply its portfolio and get out of the luxury category, as Unilever also shuttered another brand in the category, Ren Clean Skincare, in July. This week's featured segment is an interview with James Lang, the vp of marketplace at Ulta Beauty (21:22). The company in October announced its first-ever third-party marketplace that's integrated into its website. The move is an attempt to grow e-commerce business without being saddled with inventory, but Lang explains how the company worked quickly and efficiently to stand up the operation within six months after announcing it in March. They discussed: How Ulta learned from other retailers' mistakes when building its marketplace.  How it plans to use third-party sellers as a way to jump on trend  The challenges and benefits of selling unowned inventory as a trusted legacy brand.

This week on The Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels unpack how Amazon’s latest Prime Day reflected shifting shopper priorities, and what the end of Rite Aid indicates about the pharmacy industry’s future. Then (20:50), they’re joined by Bacardi’s Alex Tomlin and Southern Glazer’s Zach Poelma to explore how Gen Z’s health- and budget-conscious habits are transforming the alcohol category — from the rise of the spritz to healthier, cleaner cocktail ingredients.

On this week's Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels discuss the rollout of ChatGPT's new Instant Checkout feature that will initially support single-item purchases from Etsy sellers, and how brands are increasingly looking at third-party AI tools as a sales channel. Then they chat about Walmart's announcement that it's removing more artificial dyes and additives from its private label food products amid a growing drumbeat of customer demand for transparency and clean ingredients. Then on the featured segment (16:40), the hosts are joined by Taylor Capuano and Casey Sarai, who co-founded Cakes Body in 2021. Their discussion focuses on the company benefits they've rolled out to improve company performance, and how emerging brands can redefine corporate culture. The company blew up on TikTok and has now surpassed $100 million in revenue. This summer they also made their national retail debut in Ulta stores. Behind the scenes, though, Cakes offers benefits to employees like child care reimbursement and unlimited PTO that the founders say increases company performance in the long run. Their conversation dives into not only why Cakes offers such benefits but how it is adhering to this company culture as it scales, including: the importance of a $3,000 per month child care benefit that is used by around 20% of their team, how Cakes employees schedule and plan to accommodate week-long companywide quiet periods, even during the fourth quarter, and the advantages of being a bootstrapped company when it comes to deciding operational expenses.