The Modern Retail Podcast

Digiday
  • 4.6 (80)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

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

  1. 6d ago

    Best Buy’s bet on Meta Ray Bans and shop-in-shops

    As an official sales partner for Ray-Ban Meta glasses, Best Buy is rethinking what it means to deliver experiential retail in the age of AI. This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, special projects editor Melissa Daniels sat down with Best Buy's executive vice president and chief revenue officer, Patrick McGinnis, to go behind the scenes into the development of the new 30-by-30-foot Meta AI shop-in-shops rolling out in select stores. It’s the latest example of how Best Buy is looking to position itself as a destination for cutting-edge technology — and it's also a case study into how legacy retailers can rethink the store experience for new audiences. Best Buy plans to have 50 stores selling the new Ray-Ban Meta frames by the end of the year, with the hopes of increasing that to as many as 200 or more by the end of next year, McGinnis said. The company knows there's demand for people to check out the specs in person; its own survey data shows that more than 50% of Best Buy customers say they want to see the Meta glasses in person before making a purchase. And since the retailer first launched smaller displays in 100 stores last October, more than 175,000 customers have completed a demo in a Best Buy store. But beyond creating a destination for people to try out cutting-edge tech in person, the shop-in-shop provided an opportunity for Best Buy to revamp its store layout, McGinnis said. It aims to have more flexible space for experiential retail, including for more AI-powered products, on the horizon.

    Best Buy’s bet on Meta Ray Bans and shop-in-shops

  2. Jul 18

    How Bloom Nutrition is expanding internationally

    For many U.S. retail startups, expanding international distribution is the ultimate goal to establish themselves as a truly global brand. In the era of digital storefronts and globalized social media presence, selling a product in foreign countries could pay off exponentially. But betting on this global growth means navigating all the friction that cross-border retail can bring.  Bloom Nutrition, which has been growing its energy drink line over the past year, is launching in multiple foreign markets that include Australia, France and the U.K.   Joel Contartese, the vp of global growth at Bloom Nutrition, joins the Modern Retail Podcast to discuss the advantages and challenges of distributing beverages in other countries. In this interview, he discusses: Why the beverage startup is betting on international consumers for longterm growth.  Navigating ingredient regulations in the European Union and South America, which differ greatly from the U.S.  Learning to tweak branding and flavors to localize for each international market.

    How Bloom Nutrition is expanding internationally

  3. Jul 11

    Inside AG1’s product expansion playbook (RERUN)

    Nutrition and supplement company AG1 famously built a $600 million business off of a single SKU. Then, in 2025, the brand made major leaps by introducing new flavors and a sleep supplement. CEO Kat Cole speaks with Modern Retail’s Melissa Daniels about how the brand grew its next generation of products from its own scientific research, and how it’s looking to scale through retail beyond its DTC roots.

    Inside AG1’s product expansion playbook (RERUN)

  4. Jul 4

    P.F. Candle Co.’s Made in America strategy (RERUN)

    In honor of July 4, this week the Modern Retail Podcast is revisiting an episode featuring P.F. Candle Company, which produces its candles in Los Angeles. Co-hosts Gabi Barkho and Melissa Daniels talked to founders Kristen Pumphrey and Thomas Neuberger about the advantages of and challenges of making products in the United States. Last year, the made-in-America debate was heavily tied to importing tariffs. But interest in American-made products is still high, as the founders highlight in the conversation on domestic production.

    P.F. Candle Co.’s Made in America strategy (RERUN)

  5. Jun 27

    Listener mailbag: How AI and Substack are changing affiliate marketing

    Few areas of digital marketing have exploded in recent years as much as affiliate marketing. What's more, it's actually proving effective: eMarketer in September said that affiliate marketing would drive more than $210 billion in US e-commerce sales that year. By 2028, that figure is expected to hit over $287 billion.But with that growth comes a myriad of questions about implementation and how brands can actually get results.This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabriela Barkho and Melissa Daniels answer listener questions around affiliate best practices and how it's changing amid changes in shopper behavior and media consumption.The conversation gets into: How to ensure authenticity in partners How AI is reshaping affiliate marketing The role of Substack and new media channels Balancing workload across channels

    Listener mailbag: How AI and Substack are changing affiliate marketing

  6. Jun 20

    Is Prime Day still worth it?

    Amazon Prime Day isn't as essential as it once was. But for some brands, it can still provide a meaningful sales boost.On this week's episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, special projects editor Melissa Daniels spoke with Katherine McKee, the fractional head of growth at Morphology Consulting, to break down the pros and cons of participating in the four-day sales event that is scheduled for June 23 through June 26.The two discuss: How Prime Day is resonating in 2026. The margin math of Prime Day. How brands can calculate their specific cost of participation and what gains they may be able to reap.

    Is Prime Day still worth it?

  7. Jun 13

    Why the World Cup is a make or break moment for retail this summer

    On this week's Modern Retail Podcast, senior reporter Gabriela Barkho is joined by executive editor Anna Hensel to talk all things World Cup marketing. This week, Modern Retail ran an editorial series on how retailers and brands of all sizes are taking advantage of the biggest-ever FIFA World Cup this summer. Malls are turning into hubs for fans, while retail media networks are looking at this as a critical moment to win over more advertiser dollars. As Hensel explains, this highly anticipated World Cup comes at a precarious moment for the industry, as retailers continue to worry that rising gas prices will lead consumers to cut back spending. The World Cup, then, will be a critical test for how resilient consumers actually are. Later on in the episode, Alyssa Grigg, senior director of marketing and communications for Evergreen Goodwill of Northwest Washington, joins the show to discuss how its Seattle store plans to capitalize on matches happening on its home turf. Seattle is hosting six World Cup matches, and the stadium happens to be minutes from the largest Goodwill in the world. So the thrifting nonprofit is hosting several activations and events throughout the tournament to drive tourist and fan traffic. In this interview, Grigg speaks to:  How thrifting has become a major tourism activity. Creating buzz through live, local-artist screen printing and vintage soccer merchandise. Turning the 70,000-square-foot Goodwill store into a "treasure hunt" destination, with help from local influencers and social media campaigns.

    Why the World Cup is a make or break moment for retail this summer

  8. Jun 6

    The next era of Pride Month marketing

    Pride Month is underway, marking a season of celebration that's become a mainstay for some brands. But earning the trust of LGBTQ+ audiences goes far beyond rainbow merch or a few social media posts. This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, special projects editor Melissa Daniels interviewed LGBTQ+ marketing specialists Matt Tumminello and Matt Wagner of Target10. Their conversation centers on earning trust with LGBTQ customers long before it's time for a Pride collection, starting with the ways companies used to show up and how that's changed over the years. The conversation gets into: How "Pride marketing" is in its third act as cultural winds change How earning trust with LGBTQ+ consumers takes more than a one-time campaign Winning strategies that start with authentic moments and messages

    The next era of Pride Month marketing
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Trailer

4.6
out of 5
80 Ratings

About

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

Information

  • Creator
    Digiday
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2026
  • Episodes
    550
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 6d5e9100-eb15-11f0-a1d9-0d456e0e9810
  • Show Website
    The Modern Retail Podcast

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