Anna Hensel

1 week ago | modernretail.co | Anna Hensel

In early February, retailers were still feeling optimistic about 2025. Though shoppers had grown fatigued by inflation, multiple brands and retailers, ranging from Walmart to SharkNinja, said during their earnings calls they were forecasting growth for the full year based on the value they believe they deliver to consumers, or based on key growth initiatives like a strong pipeline of product launches.

1 week ago | modernretail.co | Gabriela Barkho |Anna Hensel

As most tariffs on China remain in effect, brands of all sizes are assessing how best to counterbalance the 145%-plus tariff rates. One of the most pressing questions they are grappling with is whether or not to cut their marketing budgets. It’s one of the most immediate ways that brands can slash costs — but it can come with significant long-term drawbacks.

1 week ago | modernretail.co | Anna Hensel

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts • Spotify On this week’s episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, the staff goes deep into modern marketing strategies. First up, executive editor Anna Hensel and senior reporter Gabriela Barkho talk about what was top of mind for executives at the Modern Retail Marketing Summit. Tariffs, and how to respond to them, were a hot topic of discussion.

1 week ago | modernretail.co | Anna Hensel

Welcome to Modern Retail’s Marketing Week, coinciding with the Modern Retail Marketing Summit in New Orleans. In daily features, we’ll be breaking down influential brands’ 2025 marketing playbooks. Plus, follow along for stories on leading brands’ marketing strategies and valuable takeaways from Summit discussions. Ben Yahalom, CEO of apparel brand True Classic, is used to running a lean — but also fast-growing — operation. True Classic launched in 2019 as a DTC-only brand.

2 weeks ago | modernretail.co | Anna Hensel

Meghan Hurley, vp of marketing at Claire’s, believes that one of the key differences between Gen Z and Gen Alpha is that the latter has a “much more immersive” experience with technology. Members of Gen Alpha were born between 2010 and 2024, roughly, with the eldest members hitting their teenage years — meaning they are now squarely in the cohort that Claire’s, a jewelry and piercing retailer that caters to teens and tweens, wants to target.