Dick's $2.4B Foot Locker bet, the Girl Scout brand empire, and behind the scenes of AG1's product research
On this episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabriella Barkho and Melissa Daniels break down Dick's Sporting Goods’ $2.4 billion acquisition of Foot Locker. They also discuss the debut of the Girl Scouts’ newest cookie, the Exploremores, and how the organization has evolved from door-to-door sales to SMS-powered marketing.
For this week’s featured segment, Daniels sits down with AG1 CEO Kat Cole. The green supplement giant pulled in $600 million in revenue last year with a single SKU, but 2025 has brought major growth: a reformulated powder called NextGen with new flavors, the launch of its first sleep product AGZ, and a wholesale partnership with Costco. Cole shares how AG1 invests in R&D — from triple-blind testing to scaling supply chains — and why adding more probiotics or B vitamins comes with big costs.
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54:28
Kraft Heinz splits in two, Starbucks' protein play and what it takes to get on Walmart's shelves
This week's Modern Retail Podcast kicks off with co-hosts Gabi Barkho and Melissa Daniels discussing the Kraft Heinz breakup. The split was announced 10 years after a merger between the corporate giants and reflects a broader trend among mega-conglomerates that are splitting or dividing up their portfolios due to changing consumer behaviors. Then they discuss Starbucks' health-conscious play with a new protein-packed cold foam to launch on September 29 alongside a new line of protein lattes.
Then during the featured segment (15:19), Daniels is joined by Jessica Rolph and Rod Morris, co-founders of the Montessori-inspired toy company Lovevery. The 10-year-old company, which raised $132 million and brought in $237 million in revenue last year, most recently launched into Walmart. Their interview goes behind-the-scenes into how established direct-to-conusmer brands bring a fresh approach to a retail expansion, like using customer feedback and Walmart's insights to come up with new products, how to offer the same quality toys at a lower price point meant for mass audiences and balancing a national launch amid day-to-day operations
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Furniture tariffs, luxury shopping vacations and how consumers spent this summer
This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabi Barkho and Melissa Daniels get into the news of President Donald Trump signaling the potential for higher tariffs on the furniture sector, and what it means for companies in the space. Then they get into the trend of travelers deciding to go to Europe for luxury shopping sprees in order to scoop up designer goods without any tariff-related cost increases.
Then for this week's featured segment (16:30), Daniels is joined by Sonia Lapinsky of Alix Partners to recap how consumers spent this summer. They get into the nuances of deal-seeking behavior at a time when people are still adjusting to high inflation and increased prices, and how to best capture a fickle consumer. Lapinsky unpacks topics like: why even customers who trade down care about brand, how pulled-forward demand could impact Q4 and how brands can navigate the dual challenge of increasing costs and a highly promotional environment
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Target CEO out, Amazon doubles down on grocery, and Bullish's Mike Duda on scaling founder-led brands
This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabi Barkho and Melissa Daniels get into the big news of Target CEO Brian Cornell stepping down. Cornell will move over to be executive chair of the board, and be replaced by Target vet Michael Fiddelke.
On this week’s rundown, the team also discusses the latest investment Amazon is making in its grocery business as it evolves. The company announced free same-day delivery service for fresh groceries to over 1,000 U.S. cities and towns.
Then, for the featured segment (18:20), Barkho and Daniels are joined by investor Mike Duda of Bullish for an in-depth conversation about the many challenges startup brands are facing right now. The segment covers the challenges of fundraising and growing a young business, advice on how to market more effectively by spending less on social advertising, and other ways savvy brands can stand out in this tough market. In the segment, they discuss:
How the macro environment, tariffs and the overall decline of consumer sentiment is affecting retail brands
What it takes to fundraise in a competitive climate
How to get creative with brand marketing, grow the customer acquisition funnel and reduce reliance on expensive digital advertising
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1:01:51
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On's big earnings, Summerween's surge and why Sprouts is the new proving ground for CPG brands
This week on the Modern Retail Podcast, co-hosts Gabi Barkho and Melissa Daniels get into the news of how On running shoes led the pack of footwear earnings with a 32% year-over-year sales increase. Then they get into all things Summerween, as the trend of spooky decor in the summer starts to bleed into actual Halloween sale season.
Then for the featured segment (19:05), Barkho and Daniels get into why natural grocer Sprouts is becoming a go-to destination for CPG brands looking to make a wholesale splash. They're joined by Nicole Portwood, the chief marketing officer at beverage company Suja Life, who shares why Sprouts was the choice partner for their re-launch of legacy soda brand Slice -- and how it became the home of its exclusive, on-trend cherry cola flavor. They get into why Slice, a relaunch that dovetails with a better-for-you soda boom, found a fit in Sprouts, how Sprouts’ nationwide rollout model gives small brands a fast-track to scaling and why store programs like “New for You” and “Fresh Finds” drive discovery and repeat sales
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
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