Cardi B Introduces Her New Brand via an Unconventional Retail Strategy | October 23, 2026
The Indicator | October 23, 2026 By Sonal GandhiThe Lead THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS Brands and retailers prepare for the holiday season through shopper AI agents, TikTok Shop live streams, and new creator initiatives. Challenger CPG brands are thriving as legacy conglomerates pursue high-value acquisitions to appeal to younger consumers. Annmarie’s natural skincare leverages AI to […]
“Romantasy” is the New Multi-Brand Collab Opportunity | October 16, 2026
The Indicator | October 16, 2026 By Sonal GandhiThe Lead THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS Brands are leveraging fresh tactics to cut through the noise, ranging from opening up fashion shows to transforming physical locations into live streaming studios. As automated AI tools gain traction across commerce, American Express unveiled a system designed to verify automated consumer […]
GLP-1s Cause Side Effects for Retailers | October 9, 2026
The Indicator | October 9, 2026 By Sonal Gandhi The Lead THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS The race for AI-powered shopping features escalates this week as ChatGPT debuts virtual try-on, while TikTok and Gap both launch shopping assistants. In beauty updates, Rihanna hosted a livestream on TikTok Shop for Fenty Beauty, and e.l.f. introduced its new fragrance […]
DoorDash Now Delivers Your Fit in An Hour | October 2, 2026
The Indicator | October 2, 2026 By Sonal Gandhi The Lead THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS Asian brands are in the news this week as Japanese menswear labels make waves in luxury market and Korean skincare brand Dr.G expands in the US In AI news – Amazon is allowing merchants to manage stores on Claude while ChatGPT […]
Big Brands Continue to Tap into Starpower to Stay on Top | September 25, 2026
The Indicator | September 25, 2026 By Sonal Gandhi The Lead THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS Big brands continue to tap into starpower to stay on top: Kenneth Cole partners with Joe Jonas, On with Mbappé while Gap is nurturing an emerging boy band. On the AI front, Amazon is blocking Meta’s shopping agent, and shoppers are […]
War in Iran is Coming for Your Closet | September 18, 2026
The Indicator | September 18, 2026 By Sonal Gandhi The Lead THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS In this week’s news, Carter’s is rebranding and Old Navy is launching a new activewear subbrand to recapture revenue. Nadine Kheirallah of Anastasia Beverly Hills provides advice on how to stay grounded in your career. Unexpected duty fees at delivery erode […]
The Indicator | June 26, 2026
The Lead’s weekly signal for brand and retail leaders. Subscribe Below! The Indicator | June 19th, 2026 By Sonal Gandhi The Lead THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS Etsy has a tongue-in-cheek response to mega-retailers and billionaire moguls. Legacy skin care brands are on top at Walmart.com. Knitwell group’s COO discussed how AI enhances relationship-selling at the The Lead […]
The Indicator | June 19, 2026
The Lead’s weekly signal for brand and retail leaders. Subscribe Below! The Indicator | June 19th, 2026 By Sonal Gandhi The Lead THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS Etsy has a tongue-in-cheek response to mega-retailers and billionaire moguls. Legacy skin care brands are on top at Walmart.com. Knitwell group’s COO discussed how AI enhances relationship-selling at the The Lead […]
The Indicator | June 12, 2026
The Lead’s weekly signal for brand and retail leaders. Subscribe Below! The Indicator | June 12th, 2026 By Sonal Gandhi & Kim Fox The Lead THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS World Cup marketing is trending this week as Nike and Adidas tap into nostalgia and beauty brands go after female football fans. Learn how Ruggable bet big […]
The Indicator | June 5, 2026
The Lead’s weekly signal for brand and retail leaders. Subscribe Below! The Indicator | June 5th, 2026 By Sonal Gandhi & Kim Fox The Lead THIS WEEK’S HIGHLIGHTS Creators are taking over traditional newsrooms and driving category growth in mass beauty. Steph Curry leaves Under Armour for Li-Ning. If you missed it, we’ve summarized the […]