The Modern Retail Podcast

This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, special projects editor Melissa Daniels speaks with Kris Malkoski, the president of learning and development at Newell Brands who oversees operations for household brands including Graco and Sharpie. They go behind-the-scenes into how the 100-year-old baby gear brand Graco, known for its affordability against higher-priced start-ups, is approaching pricing strategies in an increasingly volatile retail environment thanks to AI, tariffs and cost-conscious shoppers.

Daniels interviews Malkoski about how Graco mitigated tariff-related price increases, how the brand is increasingly using AI to help dial in what prices a customer is comfortable paying, and how brands and retailers work together to align on pricing and assortments. Their conversation also gets into:

The product development teams that play a role in keeping pricing competitive and affordable

 How AI is changing the way Graco approaches customer personas

 The ways Newell Brands works with retailers to help inform pricing and layout strategies that move units

On this week’s episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels are joined by executive editor Anna Hensel to unpack how AI is reshaping marketing workflows and creative output.

As customer acquisition costs rise and shoppers grow more discerning, brands are using AI to sharpen targeting and streamline production. But many remain cautious about replacing human talent or handing over mission-critical work to fast-evolving technology.

In a blow for President Donald Trump's tariff agenda, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Feb. 20 that the Trump administration exceeded its authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in a 6-3 decision. In other words, they deemed that the sweeping tariffs he issued on Liberation Day against nearly every U.S. trading partner were unlawful. Now, many people in the retail industry, whose companies have been impacted by these tariffs, are left wondering what will happen next in the days and weeks to come.

In this emergency episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, executive editor Anna Hensel, special projects editor Melissa Daniels and senior reporter Gabriela Barkho break down what the Supreme Court ruling means for brands and retailers. They get into:

Their initial reactions to the news that the Supreme Court struck down President Trump's tariffs.

 Whether or not brands and retailers will be able to get refunds for the tariffs they paid over the past year.

 What this could mean in the push for more domestic manufacturing.

 What they'll be watching next as President Trump vows to impose his tariffs agenda through other means.

In 2026, the term direct-to-consumer, or DTC, has become somewhat of a pejorative within the retail startups ecosystem.

Enter: “DTC 3.0,” or what’s dubbed as the most sustainable and profitable version of the model to date. The term was popularized last year after an X post by Cody Plofker, the CEO of Jones Road Beauty, though a debate has emerged on what the phrase entails.

On this week's episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporter Gabriela Barkho is joined by two veterans of the DTC landscape who started their brands in the 2010s. Nate Checketts, co-founder and CEO of Rhone, and Melissa Mash, co-founder and CEO of Dagne Dover, argue that the term DTC, in and of itself, is antiquated. The two also weigh the pros and cons of being an early player in the "DTC boom," and their approaches to raising venture capital and building more sustainable brands.

This week's episode discusses:

How do founders characterize the different phases of DTC?

A look back at being part of the DTC 1.0 wave, then navigating the next two phases amid increased challenges. 

How events like the Covid-19 pandemic and tariffs helped shape the DTC channel.

Building an enduring brand through a slower, more sustainable growth model.

This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, special projects editor Melissa Daniels is joined by senior reporter Julia Waldow to dive deep into the world of brand activations happening around Super Bowl LX. Many brands don't have the $8 million to drop on a Super Bowl ad. In turn, they're tapping pop-ups, concerts and other IRL experiences to drive awareness before millions of eyeballs in the Bay Area, where the Super Bowl will be held at Levi's Stadium.