The Amazon Effect New DTC toolkit Store of the Future Carter’s unveils brand refresh as it courts more Gen Z and millennial parents Carter’s, a giant in the children’s apparel space, is unveiling its first major brand refresh since 2000, repositioning its marketing and messaging with Gen Z and millennial parents in mind. Carter's CMO Sarah Crockett walked Modern Retail through what led up to the rebrand. Big-Box Briefing: Retailers get direct tariff relief. Their shoppers likely won’t Tariff refunds are great news for the corporate balance sheets of big-box retailers, and less so for consumers tightly squeezing their wallets. Walmart gets close to $3 billion in tariff refunds Tariff refunds continue to bolster the balance sheets of big retailers while consumers remain constrained by higher fuel prices and other macroeconomic factors. Other news to know Inside Walmart’s evolution Walmart+, the retailer’s paid membership program, has launched in Canada , marking the first time it has been available outside of the U.S. Walmart announced it would begin delivering Subway items as part of Express Delivery, either on its own or alongside other products such as groceries. Walmart executives are now training associates to use AI widely throughout the organization. Walmart has announced Upstream Facility Services , a new business through which it will sell its in-house maintenance services to other U.S. companies. From prototype to Target shelves, inside Nori’s 10-month development timeline The Nori Cloud launched in Target in July 2026 after a 10-month development timeline. Meta Lab, known for AI glasses, is nearly doubling its retail store footprint Meta Lab plans to open six new locations this fall as it continues its push into wearables. The company took Modern Retail through its retail plans and addressed ongoing privacy concerns. Kroger’s ad business sees most profit growth since 2021 Retail media is becoming increasingly critical to one of the nation's largest grocery chains as Kroger reported its best retail media profit growth since 2021. Where Boll & Branch draws the line on AI-generated advertising As companies take a stance on AI use, Boll & Branch is one of many brands integrating generative AI into their ad imagery and copy. On this week's episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, Boll & Branch Chief Creative Officer Kristen Deyko spoke about the brand's playbook and frameworks around the use of AI. Reformation says active customers grew 23% in first public earnings report Reformation touted the strength of its loyal customer base during its first call as a publicly traded company, as executives sought to sell Wall Street analysts on the power of its direct-to-consumer flywheel. Walgreens says it’s focused on ‘higher-performing’ ad placements as it tries again with digital screens Walgreens wants to make digital in-store ad placements a bigger part of its retail media business. The chain plans to add digital screens with advertising and educational content in 1,200 of its stores beginning in October, a partnership with in-store media firm Looma. Big-Box Briefing: Dick’s leans on youth sports in pitch to advertisers The leader of Dick’s Sporting Goods’ advertising division hopes to recruit CPG brands, quick-service restaurants and even automakers to run campaigns in its stores and other channels. His pitch to brands and agencies last week centered around the retailer’s presence in youth sports.

What to know about new proposed tariffs on Canadian goods A fresh round of Trump tariffs on Canadian goods were announced this week that target industries like dairy, alcohol and automobiles. Nike says it expects $986 million in IEEPA tariff refunds Nike says it’s in a better financial position as it awaits nearly $1 billion in refunds related to IEEPA tariffs. Marketplace Briefing: Online merchants welcome Trump customs crackdown amid wave of tariff evasion pitches Online merchants are encouraged by a new Trump administration effort to crack down on customs fraud after a surge in tariff evasion schemes rattled sellers over the past year. Why fragrance is the new key to commanding a premium price tag The new life cycle of a brand cancellation The big business of dorm decor with Urban Outfitters Instacart launches custom AI assistants for retailers, and its own Retail giants like Walmart, Kroger and Amazon have launched AI assistants allowing consumers to ask for recommendations or curated shopping lists. Now, Instacart has made it easier for other retailers such as regional grocers to follow in their footsteps. Walmart finally starts supporting Apple Pay and Google Pay By the end of this year, shoppers will finally be able to use Apple Pay and Google Pay in Walmart stores, ending years of frustration that the retailer didn’t support what is now a nearly ubiquitous payment option. Unpacked: How agentic AI is reshaping the consumer journey This Unpacked guide, sponsored by Talon.One, explores how brands can make their loyalty and promotions agent-ready, as agentic commerce evolves from a theoretical concept into practical applications, and AI agents begin to handle the end-to-end shopping journey for consumers. Brands Briefing: Customer-service phone lines are getting a second look thanks to AI fatigue Sproos, Made In and Trade Coffee are among the brands betting on customer-service phone lines to stand out in the AI age. Why Lands’ End is showing up at college football game days this fall Lands’ End is doing a concerted marketing push around college football this fall, as part of its quest to introduce the brand to more people. Chief Marketing Officer Sarah Sylvester, who joined the company a little over six months ago, spoke with Modern Retail about why she thinks college football game days are a moment that Lands’ End can own. Brands Briefing: Instagram DMs are proving to be a gold mine for product development Made In, Plainspeak and Springrose are among the brands turning to Instagram DMs to collect feedback, talk with shoppers and source ideas for new products at a time in which digital marketing costs continue to skyrocket. Aerie soars in back-to-school sales, while American Eagle works to ‘balance’ denim As the back-to-school season dies down, Aerie is continuing its hot streak. Meanwhile, American Eagle is still dealing with sales slumps as it works to reposition its denim business. Hulken races to build up inventory ahead of holiday season sales spike Adding stock is the key to Hulken’s holiday strategy in 2026 as it embraces a larger wholesale presence. Here’s how the brand is preparing for its busiest Q4 yet. AI is changing retail commerce integrations, but it isn’t vibe coding AI is changing how retail commerce teams build, manage and scale integrations. But the next phase isn’t about generating more code — it’s about creating faster, more reliable workflows with the governance and controls needed to support retail operations. Sponsored by Celigo. How clinical research is being used as a growth engine Companies like AG1, Ritual and Blueland are investing in clinical research as a way to fuel brand growth. Executives at these companies share why they think it’s an important differentiator.