Retailers and brands are launching shopping apps within ChatGPT and Claude at a rapid pace. But whether or not shoppers will embrace them at a rapid pace remains to be seen.
Amazon has joined the technical council overseeing Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol — an open standard designed to power AI driven shopping — after initially sitting out.
With almost no budget to run ads, the founder of new za’atar brand Hayati set out to gain social media followers via a strategic Instagram Reels series.
Tractor Supply is leaning into real customers, local events and multi-channel marketing to drive spring traffic -- especially in an age where customers are increasingly wary of AI-generated content.
At last week’s Modern Retail Marketing Summit, brand and retail executives used town-hall and working-group discussions to workshop their next strategies, considering current macroeconomic challenges. These are the practices marketers will be championing moving forward, based on these discussions.
Thousands of U.S. retail companies are eagerly awaiting tariff refunds from the Trump administration. But not all of them will share that money with their customers -- even if shoppers think otherwise.
While last week's announcement of the departure of Best Buy CEO Corie Barry was a surprise to many, the choice of Jason Bonfig as her successor is less so. Here's what we know about him
Shoe brands are under pressure as the U.S.-Iran conflict squeezes the global oil supply. Not only are higher oil prices driving up shipping costs, but they're also making shoe production more expensive.
Quip’s latest ad was entirely human-made, but it still received social media comments from people who assumed it was generated with AI. Here's how the brand responded.
Urban Outfitters likes to say it doesn't just create campaigns with Gen Z -- it also produces campaigns with them. UO's Cyntia Leo shares how the brand does exactly that.
Oral care brand Suri has put true circularity at the heart of its next product line, turning recycled toothbrush heads into soap dishes. Here's what it took to pull that off.
The latest episode of the Modern Retail Podcast — recorded live at the Modern Retail Marketing Summit in Huntington Beach, California — gets into what it means to be a lifestyle brand, featuring Mandy Fry of Z Supply.
This week, Best Buy dropped some unexpected news that's shaking up the retail leadership landscape: Corie Barry, one of just a handful of female CEOs of major retailers, will be out as its CEO beginning in late October.
Digital commerce is at a turning point. As artificial intelligence evolves, it is no longer simply a tool to support retail transactions behind the scenes. Instead, it is becoming a leading channel through which consumers discover products and make purchases. Major technology companies like Google and Microsoft are integrating AI agents into their search, browsing […]
At the Modern Retail Marketing Summit, Renee Lopes Halvorsen, chief marketing officer of Marine Layer, spoke about how the brand is looking to combat a growing sense of digital fatigue with more fun, tactile experiences.
After launching enterprise businesses around advertising, data and fulfillment, Walmart has pulled the curtain off its next big side hustle: a business through which it will sell its in-house maintenance services to other companies throughout the U.S.
Thorne's chief growth officer, Mary Beech, explained in a conversation at the Modern Retail Marketing Summit how the company has moved to a full-funnel marketing approach with new storytelling, channels and AI tools.
As gas prices climb, companies are rolling out limited-time fuel perks to attract cost-conscious shoppers, boost foot traffic and provide some relief at the pump.
The tariff refunds process has been smoother for some folks than others, according to conversations Modern Retail had with half a dozen brands and entrepreneurs.
The Future Leader Awards, presented by Digiday, Glossy and Modern Retail, recognize the next generation of leaders making a significant impact in their industry, with 10 years of experience or less. This year’s finalists demonstrate how growth is driven by leaders who pair sharp cultural awareness with disciplined execution. They identify new opportunities, expand into […]
At the Modern Retail Marketing Summit in Huntington Beach, California, ThredUp's SVP and head of marketing, Kristen Brophy, spoke about the company's approach to customer acquisition and, specifically, how ThredUp is trying to improve its forecasting with the help of AI.
Overall, agencies’ top concerns this year are client spending and the effects of AI. Thirty-eight percent of agency professionals anticipated that the biggest challenge the agency industry will face in 2026 is reduced client budgets, while 38% said the same about the effects of AI. That’s according to a Modern Retail+ Research survey conducted in the fourth quarter of 2025 among 62 agency professionals.
Lowe's is using AI to improve the mulch-buying process -- a critical piece of spring sales for the home improvement retailer. Through a new AI-powered feature called "Mulch Me Now," Lowe's Mylow AI assistant will help customers calculate how much mulch they need.
Five years after launching in Los Angeles, Goop Kitchen is coming to New York City with three locations this year. The company is hoping to bring its food-as-medicine concept to the masses.
For its latest campaign, Boston-based baseball cap brand '47 taped five different "vignettes" to show how people from artists to fishermen are wearing their hats abroad.
This Unpacked guide, sponsored by SheerID, explores how loyalty is no longer earned through rewards alone; it’s built through relevance, transparency and sustained commitment to understanding customers over time. Shifts in consumer behavior — specifically the desire for data privacy and instant, personalized recognition — and AI’s acceleration of the buying process are making traditional […]
DoorDash is expanding beyond food delivery into retail and apparel partnerships. Mike Goldblatt, DoorDash's VP of enterprise sales and business development for grocery and retail, says the expansion is a natural extension of the company's original vision.
OpenAI's ads manager -- which is still in testing -- bears a passing resemblance to Google’s own, according to a video of the dashboard that Digiday reviewed. Whether the functionality follows is another matter.
For years, the business case for customer experience was defensive: keep costs down, handle volume and prevent complaints from going viral. CX teams existed to contain damage, not create value. That framing is collapsing — and the retailers leading the shift aren’t just running their support operations more efficiently. They’re redefining the function of CX. […]
Puma is diving headfirst into artificial intelligence, a few years after it launched a Roblox experience and tested out NFTs. Here's how it's using AI to power everything from a store concierge to football jerseys.
The housing market, alongside the pressure of inflation, fluctuating tariff policies and other financial situations such as being crushed with hundreds of millions in debt, has resulted in bankruptcy, closures or acquisitions for many prominent home chains. Most recently, Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. announced it was acquiring The Container Store.
Amazon is hitting pause on a controversial change to its advertising payment system after backlash from sellers who said the update would disrupt cash flow and billing flexibility.
Travelpro, a brand long known for its durable luggage and loyal base of airline employees, is using a new marketing playbook as it tries to win over younger consumers.
Lowe’s is expanding its loyalty ecosystem to drive repeat visits and deeper customer relationships, adding kids' programs, subscriptions and viral products as consumers put off homebuying and other big-ticket purchases.
Brands are jumping into viral comment threads on TikTok, Instagram and X to generate real-time engagement. Not only is this an effective tactic to gain more likes and followers, but it can also help strike creator partnerships on the fly.
After nearly going bankrupt in 2024, candy brand Behave lands on Target shelves this week. The company's founder credits TikTok Shop as a lifeline that helped save the business.
Kohl's is funneling more resources into its creator program, including through a new affiliate model, as it looks to boost revenue and raise awareness.
Two fast-growing advertising sectors -- retail media and the creator economy -- are increasingly becoming interlinked. Here's how more retail media networks are incorporating creator campaigns into their offerings.
Allbirds' downward trajectory is indicative of how fierce the sneaker competition has become, as newer and legacy players vie for market share. This week's episode of the Modern Retail Podcast digs into the state of the sneaker market, looking at which players are up and which ones are down.
Some sellers are calling for a one-day boycott of the company’s advertising platform next week, urging merchants to turn off their ads on April 15 to protest a new payment policy they say will strain their cash flow.
Even compared to other startups in the red-hot supplement space, Grüns has had a meteoric rise, announcing on Thursday that it is being acquired by Unilever less than three years after its products hit the market. Here's a timeline of what led up to the acquisition.
On Wednesday, Ipsy announced a new partnership with the WNBA as the official beauty partner of the Las Vegas Aces. The news comes as sponsorship and marketing investments in women's sports continue to rise.
Arts and crafts retailer Michaels is rolling out a new collection with designer Jonathan Adler as it leans into DIY decor trends that it hopes will resonate with the "maximalist" Michaels customer.
The application of artificial intelligence as a customer-facing element of physical stores is far from one-size-fits-all. AI use cases for in-store shopping, in discovery, research and checkout, still vary as brands are trying to figure out what consumers want from AI.
Google says its AI-powered ad tools are delivering measurable results for some brands as the world's largest seller of ads experiments with new ad formats, shopping integrations and AI-powered tools.
In the latest installment of "What's in Your Cart," The RealReal's Chief Merchandising Officer, Samantha McCandless, shares her personal shopping habits with Modern Retail, including her resale shopping strategy.
The merger between McCormick and the food division of Unilever highlights the never-ending demand for condiments and spices among Americans. Despite consolidation, the category is expected to continue seeing innovation from the food startup and private label players.
CPG brands are increasingly using limited-edition flavors and scents (LTOs) to drive sales and attract new customers. On this week's episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, Dude Wipes talks about how seasonal LTOs have become a big sales driver for them.
At this year's Shoptalk Spring, it wasn't enough for brands and retailers to talk about the ways that they think they will use AI. Now, the pressure is on for everyone to prove how they are using AI to increase output and drive sales.
Amazon will impose a 3.5% fuel and logistics surcharge on merchants’ fulfillment fees beginning April 17, as rising fuel costs tied to conflict in the Middle East pressure supply chains.
With so many fake products going around on social media on April Fools' Day, some brands are trying to stand out with real product releases and giveaways.
Aldi is the latest grocer to turn to Instacart to do the heavy lifting on its e-commerce website. Aldi U.S. just launched a new website and app powered by Instacart's white-label e-commerce and fulfillment platform, Storefront Pro.
Boka's premium, fluoride-free toothpaste is now available at 4,500 Walmart stores. The 11-year-old brand’s trajectory shows the appeal and challenge of transitioning from a luxury, niche player into a mass-retail CPG brand.
For its new Malibu Pink spirit, rum brand Malibu tapped creator Sabrina Brier and fashion brand LoveShackFancy for a "get ready with me"-style campaign.
In an interview with Modern Retail, E.l.f. Beauty's chief digital officer, Ekta Chopra, shared the four pillars that guide the beauty brand's approach to AI implementation.
Homeownership is getting less and less achievable by the year, especially for young people, leading home furniture and decor brands to change their marketing strategies.
Modern Retail Podcast co-host Melissa Daniels sits down with David's Bridal CEO Kelly Cook to go behind the scenes of the company's post-bankruptcy turnaround plan.
The humble e-commerce site is getting a major upgrade at Lowe’s. The company is expanding a feature that uses customer data to personalize its website and, essentially, hopes that all customers will have a personalized website by the end of 2026.
OpenAI's pivot away from Instant Checkout within ChatGPT underscores that shoppers simply aren't ready to hand off the checkout experience to an AI agent. Modern Retail examines what went wrong and what retailers are pivoting to next.
Wayfair chief marketing officer Paul Toms spoke with Modern Retail about his philosophy when it comes to AI usage: “I actually find in retail folks are very hesitant."
