Modelo beer sales decline & Prime Day deals week gets off to a slow start
On this week’s Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporters Melissa Daniels and Gabriela Barkho Barkho kick things off with a look at Constellation Brands’ declining beer sales. The Modelo and Corona owner is facing tariffs and weaker demand from its large Hispanic consumer base, which makes up half of its U.S. sales.
Later in the episode (9:27), Modern Retail’s e-commerce platforms reporter, Allison Smith, joins the show for a roundtable on how Prime Day and accompanying deals galore went over. With sales off to a slow start for Amazon’s four-day summer event, some wonder whether it’s a bellwether for decline in consumer sentiment.
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37:20
Dr. Squatch gets bought, Parachute store closures & a mid-year check in on 2025's biggest stories
On this week's Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporters Melissa Daniels and Gabriela Barkho begin with a rundown of this week's news. Kicking things off is an analysis of Unilever's $1.5 billion acquisition of men's personal care brand Dr. Squatch. Next is a look at DTC bedding brand Parachute closing the majority of its stores to refocus on e-commerce and core products. Finally, a roundup of all the sales retailers are launching to compete with Prime Day(s), including deals from Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Kohl's.
Then for this week’s featured segment (20:58), they get into some of the biggest forces shaping retail this year. There's a number of external factors impacting brands, and so many changing consumer behaviors that have led to a challenging environment, with May spending figures showing a slowdown and declining consumer confidence. Daniels and Barkho get into the trends shaping this environment like the deal-hungry shoppers, boycotts and -- of course -- tariff policy.
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45:19
Slowing retail sales, cleaner products from Kraft-Heinz, and the rise of private label
On this week’s episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporters Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels break down the latest May retail sales data and explain what it signals about consumer sentiment heading into summer. They also get into announcements from big CPG corporations like Kraft Heinz and General Mills about eliminating artificial dyes in U.S. products amid the "Make America Healthy Again" movement.During the featured segment, they're joined by reporter Julia Waldow for a deep dive segment on the rise of private labels. These days, store brands are not just cheaper alternatives to name brands but trendy and even viral products in their own right. About 40% of shoppers say they buy private labels to save money, and 60% say it's because it's a better value, per a Numerator survey.
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42:57
The Labubu craze, retail employment shifts and headwinds in the home goods sector
On this week’s episode, Modern Retail’s senior reporters Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels discuss two major topics shaking up the retail world. First, they dive into Labubu dolls, which suddenly seem to be everywhere. They explore how the viral phenomenon started and why it is driving big-ticket resale purchases. Then, they dive into recent news around the state of employment in the retail industry, as almost 11,500 retail jobs were cut in May, per Challenger, Gray & Christmas.
Then (13:30), this week's featured segment brings together three expert furniture executives to discuss how a historic housing slump is affecting the sector. Daniels leads a discussion featuring Nicole Chaloux-Pinette, head of category management and business development at Perigold; Jiake Liu, co-founder of direct-to-consumer outdoor furniture brand Outer; and Lee Mayer, co-founder and CEO of Havenly Brands.
Mortgage rates are at 6.89%, and the National Association of Retailers says April saw month-over-month transaction losses in all U.S. regions. This is a major headwind for furniture companies that typically rely on new home sales to help drive business. While the panelists all run very different businesses, they shared similar strategies around how to serve existing customers, create acquisition opportunities, and invest in opportunities that will lead to growth.
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Temu U.S. usership plummets, Spirit Halloween cancels season opener, brands go all-in on Dubai chocolate & Stanley 1913's next era
On this week’s episode, Modern Retail reporters Gabriela Barkho and Julia Waldow discuss several retail headlines from the past week. First up is the steep drop in Temu’s U.S. user base, prompted by the end of the de minimis loophole. Meanwhile, this year supply chain challenges are plaguing Spirit Halloween, which have caused it to cancel its annual grand opening event for the spooky season. Last, we look at how the viral dessert Dubai chocolate has infiltrated retailers, brands, and restaurant chains.
Later in the episode (18:30), Modern Retail executive editor Anna Hensel speaks with Graham Nearn and Kate Ridley, who respectively are the chief product and sustainability officer and chief brand officer at PMI Worldwide Brands, the parent company of Stanley 1913. Known for its huge insulated Stanley tumblers, Stanley 1913 has appealed to many different types of people throughout its 112-year-history: construction workers, hikers, new moms and more.
The Modern Retail Podcast is a podcast about all the ways the retail industry is changing and modernizing. Every Saturday, senior reporters Gabi Barkho and Melissa Daniels break down the latest retail headlines and interview executives about what it takes to keep up in today’s retail landscape, diving deep into growth strategies, brand autopsies, economic changes and more
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