Modern Retail

This week's Modern Retail Podcast explores how categories like food, beauty and home gadgets are reshaping the definition of wellness. buff.ly/sZGkMor

Cotopaxi is releasing new products every other day, from Nov. 1-11, through a campaign it's calling "Cotodays." It's part of the brand's plan to build awareness ahead of the crowded Black Friday/Cyber Monday period. buff.ly/oCi7RSa

Customers who use Alexa for Shopping are spending 50% more than those who don’t, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy said during the earnings call on Thursday. buff.ly/AL2EZuN

Within the past week, nearly all the major brick-and-mortar retailers — Target, Walmart, Kohl’s, Best Buy and Macy’s, to name a few— have put out press releases trumpeting their holiday offers. We summarized the key points to watch from them. buff.ly/XbSq6dC

Join this webinar on Nov. 12 as experts from NewAge Products and ElevenLabs discuss how NewAge successfully runs AI voice agents across support calls. Sponsored by ElevenLabs. buff.ly/9hY6Bsd

Brands like Celsius and Vuori are using the NYC Marathon to host pop-ups, shakeout runs and recovery events to tap into the booming running culture. buff.ly/GYrNuED

Mahjong is having a moment in the U.S. as a new generation discovers the pastime — and brands are cashing in. buff.ly/InDt7XS

Intake Breathing raises $62 million to expand its nasal strips into retail and continue to position better breathing as an important part of everyday wellness routines. buff.ly/ew5BI5U

Bradley Keefer, Chief Revenue Officer, Keen Decision Systems The advertising industry has a talent problem it desperately needs to confront: AI is eliminating the work that used to develop future leaders, and most agencies aren’t building a replacement pipeline. No one wants to discuss entry-level jobs, but those jobs are how people obtain three years […] buff.ly/zCAhUy5

Vera Bradley is seeing its first growth in years after zeroing in on small silhouettes, bag charms, and social and digital channels. buff.ly/icmA3CQ

AI is starting to show up more in conversations around executive incentive plans. But those conversations are still largely relegated to the tech industry. Here's why it's still an anomaly in retail. buff.ly/md1NRKj

Holiday sales success is measured by revenue booked, but profit and loss is decided long after that, when returns arrive. Sponsored by Swap. buff.ly/jjMc3IK

More marketplaces and delivery platforms see easy returns as the key to winning more sales, as evidenced by some news from TikTok Shop and DoorDash this fall. buff.ly/YVkyIjr

Retailers and logistics players are taking a more surgical approach to holiday hiring with flexible staffing and a focus on logistics cross-training in anticipation of a $1 trillion sales season. buff.ly/MvmGUKO

Tony D’Onofrio, president, Sensormatic Solutions  The holiday season is a time to unplug. Schedules become more flexible, families come together and many workplaces shift into a lower gear — except for those working in retail. Then, the holiday experience is something altogether different.  Far from a signal that relief from the grind is near, it’s […] buff.ly/oVmNMV5

From "mega lives" to TikTok shows to exclusive products, here's how QVC is gearing up for its 40th holiday season. buff.ly/R9DZZKN

Adults are fueling $13.5 billion in Halloween spending thanks to the rise of "Adultoween," growing seasonal categories like home decor, and food and beverage. buff.ly/0aMqbdr

Ahead of this year’s holiday shopping season, Walmart’s sales team has begun directly approaching brand clients offering on-site brand lift studies. Three agency execs told Digiday they’ve had multiple clients approached, but declined to name which clients. buff.ly/rX7YsJm

As more brick-and-mortar retailers launch their own third-party marketplaces, brands have more paths than ever before to reach new customers but also new systems to master. Brands and agencies sound off on what the key to success looks like on Walmart, Target and more. buff.ly/IiYJCYg

In Modern Retail+ Research’s holiday report last year, brands and retailers expressed conservative expectations for their 2025 holiday revenue. This year, however, marketers are more optimistic. buff.ly/nkym1LV