The Modern Retail Podcast

From oral care to shower filters, many categories are bleeding over into the so-called wellness space.

That begs the question: What exactly constitutes a wellness product?

This episode of the Modern Retail Podcast explores the blurring boundaries of the health and wellness market. To discuss this phenomenon, host Gabi Barkho is joined by Glossy West Coast correspondent Lexy Lebsack and Rachel Hirsch, founder and managing partner at Wellness Growth Ventures, which has invested in brands like BelliWelli and Flaus.

The episode breaks down the definition of a wellness product as the category increasingly intersects with food, beverage, beauty and even home gadgets. The panel also delves into growth areas and trends to watch, including hormone health, oral care, gummy supplements and GLP-1 support, highlighting how major retailers and brands are adapting to this convergence.

This episode dives into:

Why everyone is cashing in on “wellness”

How consumers’ longevity goals are driving CPG trends

The line between a health product and wellness routines

Halloween is no longer just for children trick-or-treating. The holiday has transformed into a multi-billion-dollar season increasingly fueled by adult consumers.On the latest episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporter Gabi Barkho explores the "Adultoween" phenomenon alongside Katherine Cullen, senior retail analyst at EY and Danielle Sporkin, senior vp of media & marketing for Ferrero North America.From lawn animatronics to spooky cocktails, adults are spending more time and money celebrating Halloween than ever before. In this episode, we’ll explore what’s driving this trend, how brands and retailers are adapting, and what it means for the broader retail landscape. And this growth is being reflected in the sales figures. According to NRF data, consumer spending on Halloween is expected to reach $13.5 billion this year, up from $8 billion in 2012.This episode gets into:

How the 'kidult' trend is being driven by millennials and Gen Z consumers as they embrace nostalgia, collectibles and celebrations that extend beyond October 31.

The “Adultoween” trend being partly fueled by people seeking real-world connection in an increasingly AI-driven digital world.

How brands and retailers are capitalizing on expanded categories, including outdoor lights and indoor decor like candles and pillows.

Peer-to-peer resale platform Depop is trying to differentiate itself from the competition through the power of music.Driven by data showing that 56% of the Depop community attends live music events, the company recognized there is an opportunity to cater to users scrolling its app for secondhand concert looks. To capitalize on this insight, the company scaled its popular shop drop model, in which prominent musicians list items directly from their personal wardrobes. To date, it has collaborated on drops with the likes of Kacey Musgraves, Zara Larsson and Olivia Rodrigo.Beyond digital storefronts, the London-based company is also increasingly showing up at global music events, such as sponsoring Rodrigo's 2026 Daisy Chain Fields Festival with an interactive pop-up featuring secondhand apparel and accessories. And this year, the company named Larsson the face of its global 360 campaign.This week, Steve Dool, senior director of brand and creative at Depop, joined the Modern Retail Podcast to break down the company’s music-focused marketing strategy. He discussed:

How Depop has positioned itself at the intersection of fashion and music.

Working with major musicians who happen to already be Depop users.

Tapping into pop culture and live music in organic ways.

Amazon’s Prime Big Deals Days has fundamentally altered the retail calendar, turning October into the official kickoff for holiday shopping. What started out as a summer event has expanded into a crucial Q4 marker. The deals are now driving consumers to research and buy earlier each year amid sustained inflation.

In just a few short years, the fall event has become a key acquisition channel and testing ground for sellers ahead of Black Friday. Consumers are increasingly researching deals days in advance, comparing prices and deals before making purchases.

On this week’s Modern Retail Podcast, executive editor Anna Hensel and senior reporter Gabriela Barkho are joined by Joe O’Connor, senior director of innovation and growth Tinuiti, to discuss the evolution of Amazon's Fall Prime Day.

This episode dives into:

The rise of earlier holiday shopping.

Strategic ad budgeting that targets the right audience.

Capitalizing on post-Deals Days momentum until Black Friday.

Three years since the debut of TikTok Shop, brands are still weighing whether it’s worth investing in the social commerce channel.

In the past year, Whisker, the maker of Litter Robot, finally took the plunge, joining TikTok Shop primarily to secure an early adoption advantage on the platform and reach younger demographics like Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

Whisker CMO Hew Loyd joined this week’s Modern Retail Podcast to discuss the pros and cons of DTC brands betting on TikTok Shop.

Despite being a high-consideration item at $699, Litter Robot found early success on TikTok Shop due to its unique, visually-appealing features. The product’s automated self-cleaning process is what the company calls a "thumb stopper” for audiences, which gets curious users to pause and see how it works. This virality and subsequent TikTok Shop sales have created a halo effect for the brand, with Whisker anticipating that its TikTok Shop presence will drive sales across other channels, like its direct-to-consumer website and Amazon.

In this episode Loyd discusses:

Whisker’s firm pricing strategy, with the company opting to stay away from the go-to aggressive discounting strategies many TikTok Shop merchants adopt.

Gaining first-party data by onboarding TikTok Shop customers to the Litter Robot app.

Carefully scaling Whisker’s affiliate program by prioritizing niche content creators over a high-volume posting approach.