Podcast · 275 episodes
The Modern Retail Podcast
by Digiday · English
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
Latest episodes
The rise of the AI shelfThe “AI shelf” in retail—how AI assistants (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini) recommend products and how brands can become “legible” to be included in the AI’s short list.26 Sep 2026 · 34 min
How Rothy's built a DTC footwear brand with staying powerHow Rothy’s (launched 2016) has sustained a DTC footwear brand through product-led growth, disciplined multi-channel expansion, and deliberate retail/wholesale strategy—while iterating core styles…19 Sep 2026 · 30 min
Where Boll & Branch draws the line on AI-generated advertisingBoll & Branch’s rules for using generative AI in marketing creatives, and where it draws the line to avoid deception and protect brand integrity.12 Sep 2026 · 32 min
All episodes
The rise of the AI shelfThe “AI shelf” in retail—how AI assistants (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini) recommend products and how brands can become “legible” to be included in the AI’s short list.26 Sep 2026 · 34 min · 15 chapters
How Rothy's built a DTC footwear brand with staying powerHow Rothy’s (launched 2016) has sustained a DTC footwear brand through product-led growth, disciplined multi-channel expansion, and deliberate retail/wholesale strategy—while iterating core styles…19 Sep 2026 · 30 min · 13 chapters
Where Boll & Branch draws the line on AI-generated advertisingBoll & Branch’s rules for using generative AI in marketing creatives, and where it draws the line to avoid deception and protect brand integrity.12 Sep 2026 · 32 min · 14 chapters
Why fragrance is the new key to commanding a premium price tagFragrance-driven premiumization in beauty, laundry, and home care—why scent is becoming a differentiator that supports higher prices, and how CPG incumbents and newer brands can win.5 Sep 2026 · 32 min · 12 chapters
The new life cycle of a brand ‘cancellation’The “new life cycle” of brand cancellation—how brands should distinguish short social-media storms from long-term reputational damage, and why the old “wait and see” PR approach fails in 2026.29 Aug 2026 · 33 min · 15 chapters
The big business of dorm decorBack-to-school dorm decor is becoming a major retail category, driven by Gen Z self-expression, social media “Dorm Talk,” and functional small-space design.22 Aug 2026 · 35 min · 15 chapters
The pros and cons of taking on private equityAndrea Faulkner-Williams explains the pros/cons of taking on private equity, using her baby-care brand Tubby Todd as a case study—how the 2022 majority-stake sale to NextPhase Capital changed…15 Aug 2026 · 31 min · 11 chapters
How Once Upon a Farm is shaking up the baby aisle with coolersOnce Upon a Farm’s strategy to place its refrigerated/frozen baby food in dedicated grocery coolers (and expand from 3,400+ coolers in 2025 to thousands more), driving category growth and changing a…8 Aug 2026 · 33 min · 16 chapters
The cyclospora outbreak is creating a PR headache for food businessesThe cyclospora outbreak tied to lettuce is creating major PR and consumer-trust problems for food brands and retailers, with confusion because multiple outbreaks are under investigation and guidance…1 Aug 2026 · 34 min · 14 chapters
Best Buy’s bet on Meta Ray Bans and shop-in-shopsBest Buy’s in-store “Meta Labs” shop-in-shops for Meta Ray-Ban glasses, built into its store “reflow” (moving computing to the center/side to free flexible space).25 Jul 2026 · 32 min · 11 chapters
How Bloom Nutrition is expanding internationallyBloom Nutrition’s international expansion strategy—how it entered new countries, uses TikTok Shop and partnerships for fulfillment/manufacturing, and localizes products, pricing, and marketing to…18 Jul 2026 · 27 min · 11 chapters
Inside AG1’s product expansion playbook (RERUN)AG1 CEO Kat Kohl explains why and how AG1 expanded beyond its single flagship powder, focusing on R&D, triple-blind/triple-randomized placebo-controlled testing, and scaling operations before…11 Jul 2026 · 39 min · 14 chapters
P.F. Candle Co.’s Made in America strategy (RERUN)PF Candle Co.’s “Made in America” strategy and how U.S.-made candles still get hit by tariff-driven supply-chain chaos, plus what they learned about planning, sourcing, pricing stability, and…4 Jul 2026 · 35 min · 11 chapters
Listener mailbag: How AI and Substack are changing affiliate marketingListener mailbag on how AI and Substack are reshaping affiliate marketing, including what makes affiliate partnerships authentic, how AI affects attribution and recommendations, and how brands should…27 Jun 2026 · 32 min · 10 chapters
Is Prime Day still worth it?The episode asks whether Amazon’s Prime Day (now a four-day event in June) is still worth it for brands in 2026.20 Jun 2026 · 40 min · 15 chapters
Why the World Cup is a make or break moment for retail this summerHow the 2026 World Cup (expanded to 48 teams, 104 matches across 16 cities in the US/Canada/Mexico) is becoming a “make-or-break” retail marketing moment amid high prices and consumer uncertainty,…13 Jun 2026 · 38 min · 10 chapters
The next era of Pride Month marketingHow Pride Month marketing has evolved from early “values” support to marriage-equality-era bolt-on campaigns, and now toward a more strategic, year-round, audience-specific approach that avoids…6 Jun 2026 · 39 min · 14 chapters
Pacsun's CEO on how the brand cracked its Gen Z strategyPacSun’s CEO Brie Olson explains how the brand rebuilt its Gen Z strategy through “consumers as co-creators,” using social listening plus youth-led programs, TikTok Shop virality, and a community app.30 May 2026 · 39 min · 15 chapters
Hits and misses from Q1 earnings seasonQ1 earnings season “hits and misses” for major retailers amid weak consumer sentiment, higher fuel costs, and soft home/D.I.Y. demand; focus on strategies to keep shoppers and grow.23 May 2026 · 33 min · 15 chapters
Why every brand is now their own media company, featuring Prince Street PizzaBrands creating “in-house” media content to build awareness and drive demand, using Prince Street Pizza’s original series Delivering Happiness as the case study; also touches affiliate marketing…16 May 2026 · 41 min · 19 chapters
The tradeoff economy: Why stressed shoppers are still spendingConsumer stress is at historic highs, yet spending persists because shoppers are constantly recalculating “price value” (is quality worth the price?) and making tradeoffs across categories rather…9 May 2026 · 32 min · 12 chapters
How TikTok Shop is winning over major brandsTikTok Shop’s rapid growth as major brands join, what’s driving sales (especially beauty), and how strategies like affiliates and live selling have evolved; whether TikTok Shop is must-have vs…2 May 2026 · 34 min · 15 chapters
What it takes to build a true lifestyle brandHow to build a “true” lifestyle brand, using Z-Supply’s evolution from elevated basics to a full women’s lifestyle wardrobe, plus marketing and distribution tactics that keep the brand consistent…25 Apr 2026 · 26 min · 16 chapters
The growing debate over digital price tagsThe debate over electronic shelf labels (digital price tags) and whether they enable “surveillance” or personalized pricing using customer data.18 Apr 2026 · 38 min · 17 chapters