The Modern Retail Podcast

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...

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...

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 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 bomb...

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...

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...

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 bri...

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 sh...

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...

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 Hatc...

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...

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...

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...

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...

On this week's episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels go deep on the much-hyped NikeSkims launch. They discuss the look and vibe of the collections that debuted this week and where it might find a white space in the athleisure market. Then on the featured segment (16:06), Daniels speaks with Modern Retail reporter Mitchell Parton to unpack craft retailer Michaels' new store layouts as it attempts to fill the voids left by Joann and Party City that went bankrupt earlier this year. Parton met with new Michaels' CEO David Boone to discuss h...

On this week's Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporter Melissa Daniels is joined by executive editor Anna Hensel. First they discuss Affirm's new rollout with Apple Pay to provide its buy now, pay later services in store (1:09). Then they unpack the trend of paper coupons making a comeback in some retail environments, with Kroger announcing it has been bringing back paper coupons to help appeal to value-mined shoppers or those who aren't comfortable with more digital savings programs (9:49). Then, on this week's featured segment (18:19), Hensel is joined by Digiday's senior marketing reporter Kimeko McCoy to talk about the...

On this episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabriella Barkho and Melissa Daniels break down Dick's Sporting Goods’ $2.4 billion acquisition of Foot Locker. They also discuss the debut of the Girl Scouts’ newest cookie, the Exploremores, and how the organization has evolved from door-to-door sales to SMS-powered marketing. For this week’s featured segment, Daniels sits down with AG1 CEO Kat Cole. The green supplement giant pulled in $600 million in revenue last year with a single SKU, but 2025 has brought major growth: a reformulated powder called NextGen with new flavors, the launch of its first sleep produc...

This week's Modern Retail Podcast kicks off with co-hosts Gabi Barkho and Melissa Daniels discussing the Kraft Heinz breakup. The split was announced 10 years after a merger between the corporate giants and reflects a broader trend among mega-conglomerates that are splitting or dividing up their portfolios due to changing consumer behaviors. Then they discuss Starbucks' health-conscious play with a new protein-packed cold foam to launch on September 29 alongside a new line of protein lattes. Then during the featured segment (15:19), Daniels is joined by Jessica Rolph and Rod Morris, co-founders of the Montessori-inspired toy company Lovevery. The 10-year-old...

This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabi Barkho and Melissa Daniels get into the news of President Donald Trump signaling the potential for higher tariffs on the furniture sector, and what it means for companies in the space. Then they get into the trend of travelers deciding to go to Europe for luxury shopping sprees in order to scoop up designer goods without any tariff-related cost increases. Then for this week's featured segment (16:30), Daniels is joined by Sonia Lapinsky of Alix Partners to recap how consumers spent this summer. They get into the nuances of...