Aldi is the latest grocer to turn to Instacart to do the heavy lifting on its e-commerce website. Aldi U.S. just launched a new website and app powered by Instacart's white-label e-commerce and fulfillment platform, Storefront Pro.

Tariffs

Why Dame is refunding $10,000 in tariff surcharges to customers

March 03, 2026

Dame is refunding customers who paid its “Trump Tariff Surcharge” last year, becoming one of the first brands to proactively return money tied to President Donald Trump’s now-invalidated tariffs.

Marketplace Briefing: Online merchants aren’t lowering prices despite Supreme Court ruling

February 26, 2026

Many Amazon sellers and online brands say they won’t cut prices despite the Supreme Court ruling that struck down Trump’s tariffs.

Other news to know

Top Stories Apr 01

Brands Briefing: How oral-care brand Boka made the jump from Erewhon to Walmart

March 31, 2026

Boka's premium, fluoride-free toothpaste is now available at 4,500 Walmart stores. The 11-year-old brand’s trajectory shows the appeal and challenge of transitioning from a luxury, niche player into a mass-retail CPG brand.

Coach won over Gen Z in North America. Now it’s stepping up its focus abroad

March 31, 2026

After seeing success with its Gen Z strategy in North America, Coach is now scaling that approach internationally.

Malibu taps creator Sabrina Brier for ‘Get Ready With Me’ campaign to promote new Pink spirit

March 31, 2026

For its new Malibu Pink spirit, rum brand Malibu tapped creator Sabrina Brier and fashion brand LoveShackFancy for a "get ready with me"-style campaign.

Home brands target renters as ownership remains out of reach for many

March 30, 2026

Homeownership is getting less and less achievable by the year, especially for young people, leading home furniture and decor brands to change their marketing strategies.

Tariffs

Why Dame is refunding $10,000 in tariff surcharges to customers

March 03, 2026

Dame is refunding customers who paid its “Trump Tariff Surcharge” last year, becoming one of the first brands to proactively return money tied to President Donald Trump’s now-invalidated tariffs.

Marketplace Briefing: Online merchants aren’t lowering prices despite Supreme Court ruling

February 26, 2026

Many Amazon sellers and online brands say they won’t cut prices despite the Supreme Court ruling that struck down Trump’s tariffs.

Red and black sneaker on a black hightop on an orange background

Footwear brands navigate uncertainty after latest tariffs flip-flop

February 25, 2026

Shoe brands, which are out billions of dollars from U.S.-imposed duties, are trying to find their footing after recent tariffs whiplash.

Shoptalk

E.l.f. Beauty’s chief digital officer shares her strategy for the AI era

March 30, 2026

In an interview with Modern Retail, E.l.f. Beauty’s chief digital officer, Ekta Chopra, shared the four pillars that guide the beauty brand’s approach to AI implementation.

Lowe’s wants to roll out personalized website to all customers by end of 2026

March 27, 2026

The humble e-commerce site is getting a major upgrade at Lowe’s. The company is expanding a feature that uses customer data to personalize its website and, essentially, hopes that all customers will have a personalized website by the end of 2026.

Why Wayfair isn’t ‘dogmatic’ about its AI usage

March 26, 2026

Wayfair chief marketing officer Paul Toms spoke with Modern Retail about his philosophy when it comes to AI usage: “I actually find in retail folks are very hesitant.”

Podcasts

Technology

What went wrong with ChatGPT’s Instant Checkout

March 27, 2026

OpenAI’s pivot away from Instant Checkout within ChatGPT underscores that shoppers simply aren’t ready to hand off the checkout experience to an AI agent. Modern Retail examines what went wrong and what retailers are pivoting to next.

Sales from major brands on TikTok Shop nearly doubled in 2025, drawing Ulta and Sally Beauty

March 26, 2026

TikTok Shop logged more than 103 billion U.S. searches with e-commerce intent in 2025, while total transaction volume rose nearly 80% year over year.

How retailers can address the Black Friday trust crisis one shopper at a time

November 26, 2025

John Shapiro, Chief Product and Technology Officer, Lightspeed Commerce From November to the start of the new year, this season marks one of the busiest times for retailers around the globe — and one they prepare for months in advance. According to the National Retail Federation, 91% of consumers plan to celebrate the winter holidays, […]

Marketing

Pink-purple shelves with soda cans and glass bottles of various colors on a dark blue background

Class-action lawsuits over nutritional claims on the rise in MAHA era

March 26, 2026

Food and beverage brands face rising class-action lawsuits over nutrition claims such as calorie count, fiber and protein doses. The MAHA era has pushed brands to build a playbook on navigating these consumer protection filings.

Poshmark unveils its first major app redesign in 15 years amid online thrifting boom

March 25, 2026

Poshmark is rolling out its first major app redesign in 15 years, spotlighting sellers, AI-powered tools and personalized discovery to capitalize on demand for secondhand shopping.

Brands Briefing: Beyond Yoga looks to stretch its men’s business

March 24, 2026

Beyond Yoga has started investing more in men’s clothing when it comes to merchandising and marketing, its CMO told Modern Retail.

Operations

Marketplace Briefing: Why Amazon is moving Prime Day to June from July, and what it means for sellers

March 26, 2026

Amazon is planning to move Prime Day to June from its usual July slot this year, shaking up the timing of a sales event many brands rely on.

Chewy

After nailing subscription, Chewy eyes AI and new categories

March 26, 2026

With a strong subscription business, Chewy’s next challenges are in AI updates and new categories. Here’s what the company disclosed during its fourth-quarter earnings on Wednesday.

The multichannel growth playbook: How brands expand to TikTok Shop and Walmart without breaking operations

March 16, 2026

Selling across platforms is no longer optional, but it’s easy for brands and retailers to find themselves expanding into new channels the wrong way: They add TikTok Shop too early. They duplicate teams and tools. They watch performance fragment instead of grow. To be successful, brands have to do more than simply go multichannel. They […]