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

retailbrew.com

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

Alex Vuocolo

Walmart is bringing AI-powered tools to the in-store experience, and shoppers who use the technology are spending 25% more on average, according to Tracy Poulliot, SVP of shopping experiences at Walmart US.

 with OpenAI last month, the retail giant primarily focused on how the integration would allow shoppers to purchase items through ChatGPT’s Instant Checkout. In other words, it was all about updating the e-commerce experience. CEO Doug McMillon even called the tech a replacement for the search bar. 

The new announcement significantly expands the ambit of Walmart’s AI capabilities, effectively extending some of the benefits of online shopping to the in-store experience. Using the Walmart app, customers can now search for sales and promotions, compare prices, and look up the availability and location of items at any Walmart store. They can also create wish lists sortable by aisle, “turning the trip into a quick, easy, and joyfully organized shopping experience,” per the company.

 In addition, Walmart revealed new capabilities for its GenAI-powered digital assistant, Sparky, including curated shopping lists, short audio clips based on product descriptions and reviews, and digital showrooms where customers can mix and match products against an immersive backdrop, including holiday-themed scenes.

The announcement came just a few days before rival Amazon signed a 

 with OpenAI. The artificial intelligence company will now run workloads on Amazon Web Services’s Nvidia chip-powered infrastructure. 

These are just the latest instances of retailers cozying up to the leading AI provider. As chatbots such as ChatGPT become a major shopping channel for online shoppers, many retailers are 

 and partner with OpenAI rather than wait on the sidelines. Walmart’s partnership with OpenAI is just one of the highest-profile collaborations. Platforms such as 

Image of Sparky, Walmart's AI shopping agent, assisting a shopper in a virtual chat

Walmart brings AI-powered tools to the in-store experience 

Walmart just revealed a new suite of tools designed to bring the power of artificial intelligence into brick and mortar stores. 

Erin Cabrey

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

Jeff Ustin is vice president at bagel seller Western Bagel, which opened Los Angeles’s first bagel bakery in 1947.

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

I make sure our customers have a consistently great experience—from the quality of the product to the warmth of our service—while keeping the business healthy and growing. That means leading our team, managing operations, and making decisions that connect our brand to the community in meaningful ways. At the heart of it, my job is about making sure every guest or customer leaves happier than when they came in.

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

I’m not active on LinkedIn, but one thing you might not know is how hands-on I am with day-to-day operations. I spend time in the stores, talk with our teams, and interact directly with customers. I believe great leadership means being present where the work happens, listening to feedback, and staying connected to the people who make our success possible.

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

 Overseeing a product refresh that balanced tradition with innovation—introducing seasonal flavors while keeping our classics exactly the same. It was exciting to see customers try something new while still coming back for the bagels they’ve loved for years. For me, it was a reminder that our products are more than food; they’re part of people’s routines, memories, and family traditions.

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

The “experience-first” movement, where customers don’t just buy a product, they connect with a brand story. In food retail, that means creating moments beyond the bagel itself, like knowing they are being made fresh or sampling new creations in-store. But the real magic is in who eats the bagels—families gathering on weekends, friends catching up over breakfast, and regulars who’ve made us part of their daily routine. Those shared moments are what turn a simple bagel into a lasting memory.

I don’t drink coffee, but I do appreciate how popular our black coffee is with customers—simple, classic, and dependable. I’ve seen it bring people together at the counter in the morning, the same way a fresh bagel does.

Worst piece of advice you’ve received? 

“Just follow trends and you’ll stay ahead.” I’ve learned that chasing every trend can dilute a brand’s identity. The real key is knowing your customers, staying true to your core, and only embracing trends that genuinely align with your brand. That’s how you build trust and keep customers coming back—not because you’re chasing the latest thing, but because you consistently deliver something they value.

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

A plain bagel with cream cheese—and it still is today. It’s simple, timeless, and just as satisfying now as it was back then. I love that something so straightforward can still bring joy to people of all ages, whether they’re grabbing breakfast before school or picking up a dozen for the office.

A portrait of vice president at Western Bagel, Jeff Ustin.

Coworking with Jeff Ustin

He’s vice president at Western Bagel.

Halloween is behind us, and while this should mark the start of the holiday shopping season, many Americans are facing economic uncertainty around how they will pay for their food this week. Over the weekend, the US Department of Agriculture 

 to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), leaving 42 million Americans in danger of losing the benefit if the federal government doesn’t tap into contingency funds to pay for the program.

Here’s what else is going on in retail this week: 

A handful of Q3 earnings are coming out this week. First up today is Simon Property Group. The mall operator is coming off a 

, when a tight market for rental properties allowed the mall operator to hike rental rates. Next up is Shopify on Tuesday. The e-commerce platform is also coming off a 

, when it achieved 31% revenue growth. And lastly, McDonald’s is reporting on Wednesday. The fast food chain saw a healthy rebound in same-store sales, which jumped 3.8%, in Q2, but CEO Chris Kempczinski still 

 about the resilience of its low-income customer base

 in Newport Beach, California, from Monday through Wednesday. The event will bring together industry leaders to discuss the slowdown in the beauty category, the growing strength of the wellness category, and new challenges and opportunities from tariffs and artificial intelligence.

IEEE, a professional association for technology workers, just released the results of its “Impact of Technology in 2026 and Beyond” study. The survey covers how AI will impact the retail industry in 2026, AI’s role in enabling warehouse automation efficiencies, and an overview of market adoption trends for agentic AI.

SNAP benefits, McDonald’s reports earnings

 Plus, Glossy is hosting a summit on beauty and wellness in California.  

This Week in Retail: SNAP benefits, McDonald’s reports earnings

Retailers that begin piping “Frosty the Snowman” into their stores before Thanksgiving this year may get some complaints of “

,” the notion that some stores can jump the gun when they amp up the winter-holiday vibes before Black Friday. But a new 

 suggests that only 20% of consumers believe retailers ought to wait until after Thanksgiving to introduce their winter-holiday music, decor, and 

One in three respondents (33%) said the right time for retailers to commence the in-store holiday sensory experience is early November, while 24% said mid-to-late November and 22% said as early as October.

You won’t be shocked to learn that the survey was conducted not by the Grinch, but rather by Mood Media, an experiential media company whose offerings include in-store music, scent, and signage. The survey polled US adults aged 18 and older.

While 32% of those surveyed said the multisensory holiday atmosphere has no influence on their shopping behavior, others perk up when reminded that Santa Claus is indeed coming to town. More than 4 in 10 (41%) said stores’ holiday ambiance prompted them to spend more time in stores, “

” in retail parlance, while 6% said the opposite—that holiday ambiance drives them out of stores sooner.

Retailers are “trying to get there first before each of their competitors and they’re expanding the season from two months to four months,” Elaine Luther, a business management professor at Point Park University, 

 Pittsburgh’s CBS News affiliate, KDKA. “And it just takes away from the specialness of it.”

But Kate Hardcastle, a UK-based consumer and retail analyst, believes that Christmas coming to stores ever earlier is a strategy to delight rather than alienate consumers.

“While some may view the early onset of Christmas as a sign of commercial overreach, it’s ultimately a cultural signal,” Hardcastle 

 in Forbes. “We are creatures who seek connection and celebration, and Christmas—no matter when it starts—is the ultimate expression of that need.”

Christmas Cottage interior ornaments decor holiday

Most consumers OK with stores beginning holidays before Thanksgiving

The findings by Mood Media indicate “Christmas Creep” backlash may be overblown.

Most consumers OK with stores beginning holiday music and decor before Thanksgiving: survey

“I spend a lot of time on Zillow,” Scott Tannen, the CEO and co-founder, with his wife, Missy, of the luxury bedding and home brand Boll & Branch, told Retail Brew in a recent interview. “Zillow is my favorite sport, actually.”

Tannen is not in the market for a new home. He was telling us about how Boll & Branch, which launched in 2014 as a DTC brand highlighting fair-trade practices and organic cotton, is turbo-charging its brick-and-mortar strategy, nearly doubling its footprint, from eight to 15 stores, over the last year.

“You’re looking at average household income, you might as well also be looking at number of bedrooms,” Tannen said of his Zillow proclivity. “It’s not a surprise that Dallas”—where a location 

 in 2023—“is our top store.” Homes in that area have “some of the largest square footage relative to the lot sizes in the country.”

“If you look across our store mix, you’re going to start seeing a trend…We are in Birmingham, [Alabama]—very large houses relative to their market size. We’re not in downtown Chicago; we’re out in the western 

In Bethesda, Maryland, where the company opened its latest store in October, Zillow 

 the current average home value at $1,107,992, up from $843,132 in 2017.

There isn’t unanimity when it comes to other DTC bedding brands’ approach to stores:

Brooklinen also is bullish on brick and mortar, growing from just two stores in 2022 to eight today.

, revealing in June that it would close most of its 26 stores, and today lists just 

While opening flagship stores in New York City is an aspiration for 

 retail brands, Boll & Branch has thus far eschewed the city, favoring instead locations in affluent markets (with no shortage of McMansions with many beds to outfit), including Boca Raton, Florida, and Greenwich, Connecticut.

“Even if they have more money in New York, they’ve got more bedrooms in areas that have homes,” Tannen said. “So when we get to a slightly more suburban area, the customer that becomes a believer—their potential lifetime value increases exponentially.”=

Some argue that because of the visibility, the value of the 

 of flagship stores in high-rent cities like New York, a store needn’t be profitable.

Tannen evoked the thought process of a retailer who might say, “‘My rent’s $2 million a year in [the Manhattan neighborhood of] Flatiron, and I’m doing a million and a half in sales out of the store’” but justifying it by the exposure of “‘how many people are walking by the door.’”

“It’s sort of an immature way to ultimately look at the business,” Tannen said. “You’re trying to build a business case to defend your decision, rather than making your decision based on a business case.”

Four years after it launched as a DTC brand, Boll & Branch 

 its first permanent store in 2018 at The Mall at Short Hills, which 

 itself as “New Jersey’s premier luxury destination,” after having success with a pop-up store in the same location.

“When we first started the business, I don’t think we ever envisioned having any physical [stores] whatsoever,” Tannen said.

But he soon saw the value of potential customers being able to touch the sheets, which with prices that today start at $279 for a queen set may cause sticker shock in those who’ve been purchasing their percales at big box and discount stores.

“We saw this massive performance change in the business, because customers could touch and feel the products,” Tannen said. “And they’re like, ‘Wow.’”

Today the stores feature what the brand internally calls “feel walls,” where its sheets in various fabrics that have been laundered 20 times hang for customers to see and, yes, feel how they hold up.

“That feel wall experience immediately demystifies the entire purchase in the category for someone and takes them from…I’m fine with my cheap Bed Bath & Beyond or whatever” sheets, he said. “And then they feel it, and they’re like, ‘OK, I get it. Now I get how nice this is.’”

Why Boll & Branch’s Scott Tannen obsesses over Zillow

The DTC bedding brand nearly doubled its retail footprint, choosing upscale markets where homes have more bedrooms.

Why Boll & Branch’s Scott Tannen obsesses over Zillow to choose store locations

 to know that grocery prices have been increasing, so it will come as no surprise that prices at US restaurants have been climbing, too.

 cold brew coffee rose 4.2% YoY, to $5.49, according to new 

 from Toast, a restaurant software platform with more than 148,000 locations. Less steep (and less steeped) was the increase for a beer, with the median price rising 2.2% to $6.47.

Moving from drinks, some median restaurant food prices for September to chew on:

 that US menu prices rose 3.7% YoY in September, slightly less than the 3.9% YoY increase in August.

 from restaurant software provider Restaurant365, 91% of restaurant executives reported that their food costs have risen this year, with 13% reporting some of their ingredients have increased by 15% or more. Nearly 80% said they expected tariffs to have an impact on their business this year.

Menu prices rising on items including cold brew, burritos, and wings 

Both Toast and the National Restaurant Association are clocking the increases.

 month for retail CEOs in September, chief execs (mostly) stayed put in October, but the same can’t be said for CFOs. Here are the retail exec moves to know this month:

 his role after eight years leading the marketplace, with President and Chief Growth Officer Kruti Patel Goyal, who was previously CEO of Etsy-owned Depop, taking the helm.

Following founder Giorgio Armani’s death in September, his eponymous fashion house 

 its deputy managing director and global chief commercial officer, Giuseppe Marsocci, as its next CEO.

 for a CEO to lead its coffee business amid 

 the company in two following its acquisition of JDE Pete’s, changing course after initially saying CFO Sudhanshu Priyadarshi would lead it.

 Johnson & Johnson alum Christopher DelOrefice as its new CFO following the departure of Paula Oyibo in June.

 Walmart US CFO Steve Schmitt will serve as its new CFO following the retirement of current CFO Jamie Caulfield.

 Nike and Adidas vet Ronald Reijmers to serve as its VP of global retail.

 Edgewell Personal Care COO Daniel Sullivan as its CFO, and Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s vet Michelle Israel as chief merchandising officer.

 Todd Cunfer, CFO of pet food brand Freshpet, as its next CFO, replacing Carrie Anderson, who is departing her role at the soup maker.

DSW CFO and Chief Administrative Officer Jared Poff 

 his role after more than 10 years with the shoe retailer.

 Crocs alum Jessica Alsing as its first woman CEO.

 that Patricia Gabriel, SVP and chief supply chain officer at Versace parent Capri Holdings, will serve as its next chief supply chain officer and global head of operations.

 PepsiCo alum Ricky Khetarpaul as its new CFO.

 the title for its global chief digital officer, Naveen Seshadri, who is now serving as global chief digital and AI officer.