Industry

Glossier, once the crown jewel of DTC beauty, just announced another pivot: CEO Kyle Leahy is stepping down, with founder Emily Weiss back in the mix to help find her replacement. The move comes days after Glossier expanded its fragrance line and declared it’s entering a “new phase of growth” (Retail Dive). The headline? Glossier is now profitable. And with retail sales hitting nearly $300 million in 2023—driven by Sephora distribution and a replatform to Shopify—it’s clear the brand has learne

In June 2025, a funny thing happened: some of the world’s loudest brands went quiet. According to Modern Retail, nearly 40% of Fortune 500 and Global 100 companies scaled back Pride campaigns this year—and not one planned to increase them. The reason? Political pressure. A full 61% of executives cited the current U.S. administration as influencing their decision to dial it down. Let’s call it what it is: fear. Brands like Target, once known for vibrant, front-and-center Pride displays, shrunk

In June 2025, Dude Wipes closed a private equity deal with TSG Consumer Partners—and it’s not just a “funny brand gets funding” headline. It’s a case study in how DTC operators can build sticky brands, scale into retail without bloating, and still hold onto the thing that made customers care in the first place. They didn’t raise on potential. They raised on receipts: $220M+ in retail sales, distribution in 25,000+ doors, and a household name built around bathroom humor. Let’s unpack the actual

TikTok Shop is surging. Meta’s dialing back. And Shopify brands are caught in the middle—testing budgets, shifting bets, and trying not to get whiplash from algorithmic whack-a-mole. As of June 2025, we’re deep in a platform tug-of-war for eCommerce dominance. One’s a discovery engine turned storefront. The other’s a retargeting machine turned link-out channel. The only wrong move? Betting it all on one. Budget Flow in 2025: What’s Actually Getting Funded Marketers are shifting spend fast—an

Most mid-sized Shopify brands follow a well-worn roadmap: launch DTC, scale through paid ads, then aim for Sephora or Target. Skimpies didn’t get the memo. The TikTok-native brand just made its first national retail appearance—not at a luxury boutique, but at TJ Maxx and Marshalls, signaling a bold new approach to DTC growth (Modern Retail). This isn’t just an offbeat expansion move. It’s a calculated shift—and a signal to DTC founders that the rules are changing. TikTok Shop Was the Launchpa

Back-to-school (BTS) no longer starts in August. In 2025, it kicked off right after Memorial Day, as major retailers raced to front-load promotions—and parents followed, wallets in hand (Retail Brew). For DTC brands, this isn’t just a calendar shift—it’s a competitive test. The brands that plan earlier, message smarter, and build around Prime Day will win the new BTS window. Those that don’t? They’ll miss it entirely. June Is the New August This isn't a theory. It's in the data: Metric202

Shopify’s Summer ’25 Edition isn’t a cosmetic update—it’s a strategic play for operators. This rollout gives lean DTC teams access to tools that once required expensive dev stacks: AI-generated storefronts, real-time analytics, and global infrastructure that just works. Whether you're redesigning your PDPs or opening up new markets, here’s what actually matters—and how brands are putting it to work. Horizon: Your Developer Just Got Replaced Shopify’s new Horizon theme makes designing a store