Retail Brew delivers the latest retail industry news and insights surrounding marketing, DTC, and e-commerce to keep leaders and decision-makers up to date.

Retail Brew

Jeena Sharma

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Martha Stewart in garden apparel line for Tractor Supply

Martha Stewart joins forces with Tractor Supply

Tractor Supply has joined forces with Stewart for an apparel line featuring eight items that you can, yes, buy. 

Why is Martha Stewart selling garden apparel for a farm supply company?

Andrew Adam Newman

Should retailers make shoppers buy additional items to get one that’s in high demand?

Plus, you weigh in on whether working from home should preclude promotions. 

Hot Topic: Should retailers make shoppers buy additional items to get one that’s in high demand? 

Low income fast food consumers pull back on spending

A quarter of consumers making less than $50,000 a year said they were eating less fast food: survey.

Fast food joints face uncertainty as low income consumers pull back on spending

Stores

Erin Cabrey

As college students head to their campus bookstores this fall to shop for sweatshirts and snacks, they’ll also be greeted by a display of scents from Bath & Body Works.

The fragrance and body care retailer is launching at 600 college campuses, its first large-scale distribution expansion beyond its own stores. It’ll sell body and lip care, hand soap, hand sanitizers, candles, wallflower diffusers and bulbs in their own branded displays within the stores at schools like George Washington University, Georgia State University, University of Florida, Boston College, and Vanderbilt University.

The move “allows us to reach our Gen Z customers where they are and when they need us most,” its chief merchandising officer, Betsy Schumacher, said in a statement.

Scents that’ll be sold include Champagne Toast, Mahogany Teakwood, and Warm Vanilla Sugar, along with selections from Everyday Luxuries, its “prestige-inspired” fragrance line that’s 

the retailer gain favor with Gen Z, which it says is a “key demographic.” In Piper Sandler’s semi-annual Taking Stock With Teens survey, Bath & Body Works 

 the top 10 of female teens’ favorite beauty destinations for the first time in six years, usurping Target, and was ranked female teens’ No. 1 fragrance choice.

 former Nike executive Daniel Heaf as its new CEO in May, taking over for Gina Boswell. On his first earnings call in May, Heaf said he saw an opportunity for the retailer to grow by attracting younger consumers and men, and aimed to explore “new forms of distribution beyond our own channels strategically and thoughtfully” to bring in new shoppers. The company also considered Gen Z preferences for its new Gingham+ store design rolled out earlier this year, incorporating more areas to test products and using a neutral color palette.

Bath & Body Works’s success with teens comes as another teen and tween mall staple, Claire’s, 

 for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time after first filing in 2018. The company said in the filing that growing competition, lower foot traffic, and the impact of tariffs and inflation, contributed to its struggles. Claire’s, too, has tried to attract new audiences through scents, 

 a Gen Z and Gen Alpha-targeted fragrance and body care line last year.

Bath & Body Works to sell on college campuses in Gen Z push

The retailer’s success with younger consumers comes as another teen mall staple, Claire’s, files for bankruptcy. 

In what’s quickly becoming the true Gucci fashion, sales for the retailer 

 25% YoY, as part of the broader decline in Kering’s Q2 revenue.

The numbers are hardly shocking for two primary reasons: Luxury is in a very obvious slump with many major retailers struggling, and Gucci has been at the forefront of this struggle with disappointing results quarter after quarter.

Bret Bero, assistant professor of practice in management at Babson College, calls it a “revenue challenge.”

“There may be other things that they need to fix and turn around, but when you have that greater revenue decline, the clock starts ticking,” he told Retail Brew.

He added that the brand’s biggest challenge over the years has been the loss of its core customers as it went through a series of different creative directors each with their own vision.

“They’ve moved obviously, through the eras having different customers, and that’s fine, because each generation pursues something different,” Bero said. “But going from Tom Ford to Alessandro with his androgynous look, I’m not sure what the core selling proposition is right now if I am one of the older customers who grew up from the Tom Ford era and some of the more classic definitions of what Gucci means.”

To Gucci’s credit, it’s possibly why the retailer brought in 

 earlier this year. The former creative director of Balenciaga is known for his statement-making looks and his signature designs, which is exactly what Gucci might need to reestablish a strong identity and redefine its core customer.

“He may fail, but I would rather take a shot with somebody who’s got a defined image and message,” Bero said.

Michael Prendergast, luxury expert at Alvarez & Marsal’s consumer and retail group, agreed, adding that for Demna’s vision to work, it has to be a “perfect alignment of the stars” as he’ll need to understand what makes Gucci tick and what are the brand’s core attributes that can work with its audience in the long term.

“It's not enough just to have a cult following,” he said. “You have to truly understand and have almost sort of a brand whisperer creative mindset to truly understand what makes the brand successful.”

Both Prendergast and Bero, however, are confident in 

, the new CEO of Kering. While he does not have a luxury fashion background, he does have a strong reputation for turning things around, like he did as CEO of Renault.

“He is the sort of guy that is driven to get results and builds teams to do that,” Bero said.

Meanwhile, Prendergast called de Meo an “operational guru” who will likely be able to balance growth, innovation, assortment selections, and investment of inventory in the “right product” alongside tackling financial and operational challenges.

But whether it’s Demna or de Meo, we’re likely not going to see the real impact of these executive changes for the next 6–12 months. Until then, it’s pretty much a waiting game. Add tariffs to the mix, and things only get murkier.

“Prices are elevated, consumer sentiment and demand drop—what’s going to happen then?” Prendergast said. “That will be right around the time where they need to get traction in their turnaround, and when they can have new product on the floor and new operational efficiencies. So it is a very challenging time for them to be entering or have started a transformational turnaround.”

Can Demna and Luca de Meo save Gucci?

Despite major creative and executive changes, Gucci continues to struggle but things might turn around.

Alex Vuocolo

Wayfair saw revenue rise in Q2 while keeping prices consistent and sticking to its “inventory-light” business model, CEO Niraj S. Shah told investors on Monday.

 to ask if the Covid-era furniture boom is coming back after 

, though this optimism may be premature, according to Wayfair.

“I wouldn’t say the category is doing great,” Shah said. He described the market as “bumping along the buttom” after three years of significant declines fueled by low housing turnover, a macro-trend that usually translates to furniture purchases.

How does that reconcile with the company's relative success? “Our strength is structural and specific to Wayfair,” Shah said.

He pointed to three main pillars that are supporting the business. One is its “core recipe,” which is providing value on price, selection, availability, and speed of delivery, he said. The second is technology investment, and the third is an ongoing organizational overhaul.

It also just pays to be a major player in this kind of market, he added.

“You have hundreds of billions of dollars of spend in this category, and it is very fragmented,” he said. “It’s arguably far too fragmented and the strong players are providing an experience that’s much, much better than what the average participant can provide.”

As for the potential impact of tariffs on the furniture chain, Shah said, “The benefits of this model continue to prove self-evident despite the various ebbs and flows of the broad business environment.” He described Wayfair’s model as flexible due to the company’s deep bench of 20,000 suppliers and more than 30 million products.

“Suppliers take different approaches to managing cost increases,” he said. “While some may pass through price increases, others who want to win share in a demand-constrained environment will choose to keep their prices more competitive, and we use all the methods at their disposal to do so.”

Wayfair drives higher sales despite tariffs and stagnating market

The furniture outlet is growing while sticking to its “inventory-light” model and keeping prices down in the process. 

Wayfair drives higher sales despite tariffs and stagnating furniture market

It’s never too early to start selling giant skeletons. Starting today, Home Depot’s 2025 Halloween collection is available for purchase on its app. This includes its famous 12-foot giant skeleton, Skelly, as well as an expanded pantheon of giant-sized creatures. The phenomenon, known to some as “

,” is spreading among retailers looking to get a jump on the spooky season.

Here’s what else is going on in retail:

 If you’re looking to find new products, you’ve got multiple options this week. 

 began on Sunday at the Javits Center and will run through Tuesday, featuring a mix of products ranging from toys to jewelry. Meanwhile, in Las Vegas from August 3–6, 

 is showcasing new consumer merchandise available for wholesale buying. The event features more than 1,800 vendors and more than 1 million products.

The Brand House Collective, formerly Kirkland’s, is reopening its first Bed Bath & Beyond store under its new name: Bed Bath & Beyond 

The store will open this Friday in Nashville, Tennessee. CEO Amy Sullivan called the reopening a "fresh start for a brand that means something special to so many families.” In honor of the relaunch, the company is also bringing back the Bed Bath & Beyond coupon.

The big retail earnings this week all come out on Wednesday, with results from McDonald’s, Shopify, and DoorDash. For background, McDonald’s reported its biggest decline in same-store US sales since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, with the fast food chain pointing to a pullback in spending from its lower-income customers. Shopify last quarter said it was relatively insulated from the effects of tariffs, though we’ll see if things have played out as expected. DoorDash, meanwhile, reported record first-quarter revenue.

Summerween begins and Bed Bath & Beyond returns 

Plus, major trade shows showcase products. 

This Week in Retail: Summerween begins and Bed Bath & Beyond returns 

Behind many CPG giants’ headline-making acquisitions of consumer brands are the equity firms that not only cut those fledging brands a check, but also provided strategic guidance to help them grow.

With two noteworthy strategic exits in five years, growth equity firm Aria Growth Partners—which invests $10 million–$30 million for minority stakes in companies across food and beverage, beauty, personal care, supplements, and household products—has proven to have a keen eye for brands with the potential to make it big.

The firm’s first investment was pimple patch maker Hero Cosmetics in 2021, which Church & Dwight 

 for $630 million in 2022. In 2023, Aria invested in organic popcorn brand 

Now it’s gearing up for a fresh swath of investments, as the firm earlier this summer announced it had raised $152 million for its second fund. Jackie Dunklau—who founded Aria Growth alongside Trevor Nelson, co-founder of OUAI and Shake Shack investor Alliance Consumer Growth—broke down what sets Aria apart and made its first investments successful, and the types of brands it’s looking for now.

As many consumer funds garner multibillions in capital commitments (Consumer investment firms TSG Consumer and L Catteron, for example, have closed funds for $6 billion and $11 billion, respectively, in the last few years), Aria was formed in 2020 to fill “a bit of a void” for consumer brand founders raising smaller funding rounds, Dunklau said.

“We want to be able to be flexible and meet the founders where they’re at, while still being able to provide this really hyper-focused consumer specialist expertise,” she said.

Aria found early success in Hero Cosmetics and LesserEvil, which both “unlock[ed] a big market opportunity,” Dunklau said. Hero found an edge by becoming an affordable market leader in a relatively new acne care product with pimple patches, she noted, while LesserEvil’s vertical integration allowed it to sell organic popcorn cooked in coconut and avocado oil at a price equal to or less than competitors. But they were also different—Hero Cosmetics launched and sold within five years, while LesserEvil 

While brands that are growing a new category like Hero and entering a space dominated by big CPGs like LesserEvil can both find success, Dunklau said, the former avoids a “market share fight” and offers “unlimited upside potential” as they recruit new customers into the space.

 Now, with its second fund, Aria is looking for brands with revenue between $10 million to $50 million (though it could go above $50 million for the “right opportunities,” Dunklau said). Ideal brands prioritize “health, sustainability, and transparency,” which “remain resilient even in downturns,” she said.

Aria is focused on omnichannel businesses—companies with a presence on Amazon or other DTC channels, as well as at least one major brick-and-mortar partnership, Dunklau said.

“We want to see that you can both convince a consumer to buy you when they hit their landing page, and they can spend, two, three minutes reading about the product and the ingredients and everything about it, but also you can convince them when they’re walking by for two to three seconds on shelf,” she said.

The company is still looking for consumer brands that provide value in some way, she noted. When evaluating brands, Aria compares prices to competitors and considers gross margin structure to see if brands could lower prices to be more competitive or be able to raise prices if needed due to supply chain issues like tariffs, she said. A focus on value doesn’t necessarily mean they have to be the cheapest product or sell only in mass channels. Portfolio brand The Inkey List, for example, is among the brands with a more accessible price point at Sephora.

While Aria spends time “getting an understanding of how [a product is] made, how proprietary or defensible is what the company is doing,” Dunklau said both brands that use co-manufacturers and those that self-manufacture are of interest. Capacity for both is important, she noted, as the company is investing under the pretense that brands scale notably during that investment period.

Once Aria invests in a brand, it typically takes a board observer seat and joins quarterly board meetings, but connects with founders beyond that with help in areas like recruiting and interviewing, retail distribution, and new product development.

“What we love is when a founder feels comfortable enough to call us or email us, on a random Tuesday and say, ‘Hey, I have this decision in front of me, would love to hop on the phone with you guys and talk about it and get your thoughts on it,’’’ she said. “Those are just really great organic, valuable relationships that we try to have with our founders.”

Shopping carts filled with one hundred dollar bills

Hero Cosmetics, LesserEvil investor on focus of $152 million fund

Aria Growth Partners co-founder Jackie Dunklau shares what the firm is looking for after closing its second fund earlier this summer. 

Hero Cosmetics, LesserEvil investor talks focus for new $152 million fund

July was a big month for retail and CPG CEO moves, as makers of sweets, sneakers, spirits, and skin care were among those on the move. Here are the C-suite switch-ups to know:

 to Hershey to serve as its new CEO, effective August 18, following the retirement of Michele Buck announced earlier this year.

Amid a legal battle with Ben & Jerry’s independent board over the ousting of CEO David Stever, Unilever 

 exec Jochanan Senf as the ice cream maker’s new CEO.

 its COO Shailesh Jejurikar, a 36-year vet of the CPG giant, to CEO. He replaces four-year CEO Jon Moeller, who’ll become the company’s executive chair.

 Michael Burke, chair and CEO of LVMH Fashion Group, as chair and CEO of LVMH Americas.

 its CEO Debra Crew is exiting her role by “mutual agreement” after two years. Diageo’s CFO Nik Jhangiani will fill the role in the interim, and the spirits giant 

 its former CFO Deirdre Mahlan to serve as interim CFO.

L.L. Bean’s president and CEO of 10 years, Stephen Smith, 

Converse President and CEO Jared Carver is 

 from his role, with Aaron Cain, VP and GM of Nike Global Men’s, relocating to Boston to take over.

 20-year Nike vet Maggie Gauger as its next CEO, its third chief exec in the past two years, replacing Chris Blakeslee.

 the company on a permanent basis, after assuming the interim role in May, when Kruti Patel Goyal left to become president and chief growth officer for its owner Etsy.

The National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) 

 Frank Gleeson, former head of food distributor Aramark Northern Europe, as its president and CEO, starting January 1.

 20-year Aldi exec Karla Waddleton to become US COO, filling the role vacated by Atty McGrath, who is set to become CEO of Aldi US on September 1.

 Arianne Parisi, former chief digital officer of JD Sports Fashion, as its CDO.

 Mercedes-Benz and Adidas vet Jan Brecht as its CTO starting September 26.

July’s most noteworthy retail C-suite moves

Hershey, P&G, Converse, and Athleta were among many brands with CEO changes. 

 spotlight Retail Brew’s readers. Want to be featured in an upcoming edition? Click 

Jen Burke is chief revenue officer at Faire, a wholesale marketplace for independent brands.

How would you describe your job to someone who doesn’t work in retail? 

I help the small shops you love discover the products their customers will love. At Faire, we support independent retailers and emerging brands by making it easier for them to find each other and grow. My role is to lead the teams that build those relationships—whether it’s helping a local boutique discover their next best-selling product, or enabling an up-and-coming brand to break into hundreds of new markets. At the end of the day, we make sure our marketplace is driving real, tangible value for the businesses that count on us.

One thing we can’t guess about your job from your LinkedIn profile? 

How much of my day is spent listening. Whether it’s a conversation with a customer, a teammate, or a cross-functional partner, listening deeply is often the most important—and underrated—part of my role. Understanding the nuances of what people need, what’s working, and where the pain points are is what allows us to stay close to our customers and make smart decisions that scale.

What’s your favorite project you’ve worked on?

 I like working on projects that involve bringing teams together around a singular, ambitious goal that will drive large customer impact. I’ve been fortunate enough to do that a few times at Faire, most recently to launch updates to Faire Insider, our free shipping program. For over a quarter, our entire sales team was focused on launching this product, which helps retailers save money and increase their margins. Programs like this help our customers be more competitive, and it’s really fulfilling when you get to see a group of people come together to bring an idea to life.

Which emerging retail trend are you most excited about right now, and why? 

I’m excited by the continued rise of data-powered retail—especially how analytics can empower small businesses. One of Faire’s superpowers is our ability to synthesize insights across a huge, diverse customer base. We’re just scratching the surface of how we can use that data to help retailers make smarter buying decisions. The idea that a neighborhood shop could have access to the same level of intelligence as a major chain is a game-changer for the future of independent retail.

 I’m simple—regular coffee with a splash of milk and a Splenda.

Worst piece of advice you’ve received? 

I got into sales by accident, but it turned out to be the most formative experience I’ve had. I joined ClassPass to be a general manager, but almost immediately I was sent on a flight to walk the streets of Chicago and sell studios to join ClassPass. If I had been too focused on staying within my perceived lane, I would’ve missed one of the most defining moments of my career. Growth comes from stepping outside your comfort zone, and in my experience, the roles that felt the most intimidating at first often became the most rewarding.

What was your favorite retail product when you were 15, and what’s your favorite retail product now? 

I love high-quality notebooks. I don’t think much has changed in that respect except maybe the brand and price point I’m willing to spend on one. Having a great notebook makes me feel more organized, and for whatever reason, no matter how hard I’ve tried, I find writing down my to-do list is a way more effective way for me to stay on task than putting it into a document or project management system on my computer.