What goes up, must come back down. The freight industry follows the rules of gravity, or more accurately, supply and demand.

The number of carriers operating in the US—a figure that peaked during the pandemic—is coming back down to Earth because demand from retailers has slowed as they have shored up inventories. Although new fleets are being added across the country in aggregate, new operators declined 17% in April compared to March, according to fleet management company Motive.

• The major caveat is that the industry saw 27% year over year growth in 2021, which was nearly 5x the 10-year average of 5.6%.

The traffic going in and out of distribution facilities is still significantly lower than in the past two years, but this might be a sign that the market is stabilizing, a potentially positive sign for retailers and consumers, Hamish Woodrow, head of strategic analytics at Motive, told Retail Brew.

“The other thing that’s helping a lot is supply chains being more efficient because there’s more capacity in the market,” he said. “It means you can delay decision making.”

The top 50 retailers by revenue had slightly more visits from carriers to their distribution facilities in April compared to the first three months of the year, but that’s typical coming out of Q1—the slowdown after the Q4 holiday rush. What’s not usual is that retailers are not going out of their way to stock inventories, which should continue throughout Q2, according to the report.

Keep reading here.—KM

There’s good reason for that. In-store kiosks are on the rise due to their low-cost ability to deliver an enhanced customer experience in both retail and restaurant settings. They’ve even inspired a few hilarious memes—the universal sign that you’ve really arrived.

The pandemic and ensuing labor crunch sped up the adoption of a lot of consumer-facing tech, and kiosks rest near the top of the list. So how do businesses use kiosks most effectively? Square is glad you asked:

• ordering and payment
• product info
• store wayfinding
• loyalty check-in

These are just a few of the ways retailers and restaurateurs use kiosks. And if you wanna tap into any of these customer experience enhancements, Square has the tips and tools to get you started.

“In recent months, Bud Light, The North Face, Target, and Kohl’s have faced increasingly aggressive backlash from far-right groups over partnerships and products relating to the LGBTQ+ community—or even the notion of inclusivity itself,” writes Marketing Brew’s Katie Hicks:

With Pride month kicking off, experts told us that brands participating have a responsibility to not only stand by their Pride products and statements of inclusivity, but also show tangible support for the LGBTQ+ community at a time when attacks against LGBTQ+ people, particularly trans individuals, are escalating.

Read the whole story here on Marketing Brew.

Folks, we are in the full swing of conference season—but before we get into that, if you were wondering why Grimace hijacked the McDonald’s Twitter account, it’s because his limited-edition purple milkshake drops today. Someone please taste test it and report back.

In events: The Retail Innovation Conference and Expo starts Tuesday and runs through Thursday, and features presentations, discussions, and demonstrations on innovations across the retail world.

Meanwhile, the Evercore ISI Annual Consumer and Retail Conference will feature fireside chats with executives who will broadcast the discussions on their company sites.

In openings: Apple plans to open roughly 50 retail stores over the next four years. One of them, in London’s famed Battersea Power Station, opens its doors Thursday.

In earnings: Kroger will host its Q1 earnings call on Thursday. CEO Rodney McMullen is determined to merge with Albertsons despite antitrust litigation and union pushback, and has said the company will fight it out in court if need be.

Keep reading here.—KM

Today’s top retail reads.

Don’t call it a comeback: Why retailers rarely survive after filing for bankruptcy protection. “If you look at the retail industry, the way that companies grow and decay is pretty rapid,” said Santiago Gallino, a professor at Wharton. (Marketplace)

Rouge awakening: Inside an exhibit of cosmetic artifacts from Guerlain, including the world’s first lipstick from 1870 and a pot of the original Nivea cream. (Associated Press)

Trailblazer: A popular documentary about Slim Pickins Outfitters, which is believed to be the first black-owned outdoor gear shop in the US, helped the store survive. (Footwear News)

Study up: Got back-to-school season on the brain? Join LTK on June 14 for a live virtual event on how creator marketing can help elevate brand awareness and drive results during B2S shopping.*

^{*This is sponsored advertising content.}

At the mall, it’s where band tees are the only tees. In Retail Brew, it’s where we invite readers to weigh in on a trending retail topic.

In France, Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire said that 75 food companies had agreed to cut prices on hundreds of products, a response to prices hitting record highs in recent months even though the costs of many product ingredients have dropped. Le Maire said the companies were earning “undue” profits and could face sanctions if they don’t drop their prices.

You tell us: If US federal officials determined food brands were making undue profits during an inflationary period, would you be in favor of the government stepping in to get food companies to drop prices? Cast your vote here.

Circling back: Last week, we asked whether a retailer’s decision to support or not support the LGBTQ+ community affected if you’d shop there. The majority (59.9%) of you said yes, a retailer’s decision to support or not support the LGBTQ+ community affected if you’d shop there, while 37.6% of you said it didn’t have an effect, and 2.4% didn’t know or weren’t sure.

Catch up on the Retail Brew stories you may have missed.

• How the fast-growing cannabis retail sector finds frontline workers
• A shoe brand that uses upcycled wine corks
• Gen Z reshapes the home improvement and furniture industries