The Modern Retail Podcast

Jan 31 2025 467 ep. 31 mins 304
The Modern Retail Podcast artwork

The Modern Retail Podcast is a podcast about the retail space, from legacy companies to the buzzy world of DTC startups. Every Thursday, Cale Weissman, editor of Modern Retail, interviews executives about their growth and marketing strategies. And every Saturday Gabi Barkho, senior reporter, sits down with the Modern Retail staff to chat about the latest headlines in the retail world.

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Rundown: Brands shuffle import strategies, retail layoffs & Chili's makes a comeback

Jan 31 2025 21 mins  
On this week’s Modern Retail Rundown, the staff checks in on the latest tariff and import tax policy changes that are impacting U.S.-based brands. Meanwhile, layoffs across the industry continue as companies like Amazon, Shopify and Kohl's cut costs this month. Finally, Chili's parent company, Brinker International, reported positive sales as the casual restaurant chain underwent

How Whatnot is pushing social commerce forward amid TikTok's uncertain future

Jan 29 2025 34 mins  
During the weekend when TikTok was briefly offline, Whatnot -- a platform that lets online brands and merchants sell products via livestreams on its app and website -- saw its user numbers surge. "It was our biggest weekend for new sellers -- both in terms of news sign-ups and also sellers who went live for the first time," said Armand Wilson, vp of categories and expansion at What

Rundown: Theft ring to pay back retailers, TikTok updates and VF Corp layoffs

Jan 24 2025 22 mins  
In this week's Modern Retail Rundown, the staff discusses the latest retail news headlines. First, we dive into the latest developments about a retail theft ring that cost companies millions of dollars. Then, we check in on TikTok and what its future looks like. We end with reports of layoffs at VF Corp and what that means for the company.

How Renais is trying to make ultra-premium gin popular in the U.S.

Jan 22 2025 33 mins  
Renais has lofty ambitions to be the leading global ultra-premium gin brand. The company, which launched in 2023 in Europe and expanded to the U.S. last year, just raised a fresh round of capital and is working on expanding even further. It was founded by CEO Alex Watson and his sister, actress Emma Watson. Renais Gin isn't cheap -- it retails for around $60 a bottle. But it offers

Rundown: Joann's second bankruptcy, Walgreens looks for new anti-theft solutions & new FDA health proposals

Jan 17 2025 29 mins  
On this week’s Modern Retail Rundown, the staff gives an update on Joann's latest bankruptcy filing, the second in 10 months for the craft retailer. Meanwhile, Walgreens CEO Timothy Wentworth said that locking products in cases is hurting the retailer's sales, and Walgreens is looking for other creative solutions to reduce store theft. Furthermore, days after banning artificial d

How THC-infused beverage brand Cann is capitalizing on Dry January

Jan 15 2025 36 mins  
With New Year's resolutions in full force, brands are trying to cash in on Dry January. Cannabis-infused beverage brand Cann, in fact, usually sees its sales jump every January due to more people teetotaling. "I just got these numbers earlier today," co-founder and CEO Jake Bullock said on this week's Modern Retail Podcast. "So online -- where we get the data the fastest -- this fi

Rundown: J.C. Penney merges with Sparc, Amazon's new retail ad service & Target doubles down on wellness

Jan 10 2025 25 mins  
On this week's Modern Retail Rundown, the staff begins by discussing the latest retail merger. Struggling department store J.C. Penney is merging with Sparc Group to form a new fashion retail entity called Catalyst Brands. At CES this week, Amazon announced a new program called Amazon Retail Ad Service that allows other retailers to use the company's tech to create their own ad net

How Gregorys Coffee is taking the craft coffee business to scale

Jan 08 2025 37 mins  
Where Starbucks zigs, Gregorys Coffee zags. That's at least been the unofficial strategy for the cafe chain over the last few years. Gregorys, which initially launched in 2006 in New York but has expanded to more than 50 locations throughout the U.S., sits at the intersection of craft coffee and convenience. It first launched during the early years of the third-wave coffee boom. Gr

Rundown: Return fraud on the rise, Nordstrom going private and Big Lots' lifeline

Jan 03 2025 24 mins  
On this week's Modern Retail Rundown episode, the staff discusses several updates coming off of 2024. First up, a new report from Appriss shows that fraudulent returns totaled $103 billion last year out of a total of $685 billion in retail returns. Nordstrom announced it will go private through a buyout by the Nordstrom family in partnership with Mexican retailer El Puerto de Liver

The Modern Retail Podcast looks at what's ahead in 2025

Jan 01 2025 35 mins  
On this week’s Modern Retail Podcast, three members of the editorial team dive into what’s to come in 2025. Senior reporter Gabriela Barko, managing editor Anna Hensel and senior reporter Melissa Daniels had a round table discussion about the major issues facing the retail industry. Hensel, for example, has been keeping a close eye on the M&A landscape. “My prediction is that