The Modern Retail Podcast

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. Listen to Lexy's episode on dupes on the Glossy Beauty Podcast

Allison Smith, an e-commerce platforms reporter at Modern Retail, discusses the troubling decline in Modelo beer sales, influenced by cultural and economic shifts affecting the Hispanic consumer base. She delves into how brands must adapt to these changes, emphasizing the significant spending power of Hispanic Americans. The conversation also covers the slow start of Prime Day, exploring evolving consumer behaviors and strategies adopted by sellers in response to competition and pricing fatigue, revealing insights on the retail landscape.

This week, exciting developments in retail take center stage. Unilever’s massive acquisition of Dr. Squatch signals a shift in the men’s grooming sector. Meanwhile, DTC brand Parachute closes most of its stores to concentrate on e-commerce. The discussion also highlights changing consumer behavior, with deal-seeking shoppers and emerging retail trends impacting sales strategies. Plus, the challenges of navigating boycotts and tariffs reveal the complexities brands face in a rapidly evolving market.

Julia Waldow, a reporter at Modern Retail, dives into the burgeoning world of private labels, revealing how these store brands are transforming consumer shopping habits. Despite a slump in retail sales, nearly 70% of shoppers are attracted to private labels for better value. Waldow discusses Kraft Heinz’s initiative to eliminate artificial dyes by 2027, showcasing a broader shift towards cleaner products. The conversation also highlights how retailers are leveraging these brands to enhance profitability and attract trend-focused consumers.

Lee Mayer, Co-founder and CEO of Havenly Brands, Jiake Liu, Co-founder of Outer, and Nicole Chaloux-Pinette from Perigold join to discuss the Labubu doll craze and its impact on retail trends. They explore how viral collectibles are reshaping consumer behavior and driving resale markets. The conversation shifts to the retail employment landscape, highlighting significant job losses and challenges in the furniture sector amid a housing slump. Together, they share innovative strategies to adapt, engage customers, and thrive in today’s shifting market.

Julia Waldow, a reporter at Modern Retail, dives into the dramatic drop in Temu's U.S. user base and its implications for the e-commerce landscape. Graham Nearn and Kate Ridley from PMI Worldwide discuss Stanley 1913's evolution, focusing on their successful transition from outdoor gear to modern lifestyle products. They explore the impact of viral trends like Dubai chocolate on brand strategy and consumer engagement. The conversation emphasizes the importance of adaptability and fostering connections with consumers in today's retail challenges.

Anna Hensel, Executive Editor at Modern Retail, joins for an engaging discussion on the latest retail news. Nike is making a comeback on Amazon after six years, along with price hikes on its premium items. E.l.f. Beauty is also raising prices while acquiring Hailey Bieber's skincare line, Rhode, for a whopping $1 billion. Hensel debunks myths around recession indicators like the Lipstick and Men's Underwear Index, revealing how these quirky metrics reflect consumer behavior during economic uncertainty.

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.