We spend more time on TikTok than we’d like to admit, so we’re putting our excessive screen time to use by spotlighting the emerging brands and intriguing trends crossing our FYPs.

TikTok is full of hot takes—usually questionable, often controversial—but there’s one that’s simply sweet (and just a little bit salty).

Hot Take, a frozen, organic take-and-bake cookie-dough brand, has been taking over FYPs as its founders (and sisters), 22-year-old Elise and 27-year-old Gabrielle Brulotte, share the behind-the-scenes of building their two-woman company from scratch, from the “biggest eff-up to date,” which amassed 10 million views, to dough drops selling out in 20 minutes.

The brand began, initially as Gooey, in 2020, when the two realized they couldn’t find a high-quality cookie dough with a taste they liked in stores, so they decided to create their own, initially working some 12-hour days in a Seattle production kitchen to make the cookies.

• The cookie dough is shipped frozen, sold for $35 for a bag of nine large cookies, plus a packet of Maldon salt to sprinkle on top.

They posted their first TikTok in August 2020, but rebranded as Hot Take in 2022 to double down on their mission of promoting dessert as part of a “balanced life.” The brand has accumulated over 58K followers along the way, and now sells anywhere from 600 to 800 bags with dough drops on select Thursdays. And they haven’t spent any money on marketing.

Keep reading here.—EC

Did you know 69% of creators report that a brand’s relevancy to their audience is a top priority when considering a partnership? Each influencer has a unique voice, perspective, and ability to connect with audiences ranging from niche communities to millions-strong followings. Tapping into these influencers and forging powerful partnerships can be a major boost for your brand.

But creating a beneficial partnership can be challenging, so Marketing Brew created a comprehensive guide to drafting contracts, measuring KPIs, and picking the right influencers to represent your brand. Equip your team with the essential knowledge to venture into this thriving landscape.

Download the guide here.

We’re almost there, folks: the day when you can get a $450 power washer for two-thirds of the retail price.

Amazon’s annual Prime Day sale is tomorrow (and the next day), and comes at an interesting time for the company. While Amazon’s embroiled in a number of legal and regulatory headaches, this year’s Prime Day lands after cost-cutting measures including mass layoffs improved the company’s balance sheet in Q1.

One of the biggest thorns in Amazon’s side has been the sale of counterfeit products, but new FTC legislation that went into effect last month works in the company’s favor.

• The INFORM Consumers Act requires third-party sellers to meet certain standards, such as at least 200 separate sales or gross revenues of $5,000 or more over 12 consecutive months within the past two years.
• Last year, Amazon blocked 800,000 attempts by “bad actors” to sell counterfeit goods; in 2021, it blocked 2.5 million counterfeit storefronts, on top of 6 million in 2020, according to the company’s Brand Protection Report released in April.

Keep reading here.—KM

TikTok could debut an in-app retail store in the US as early as July to compete with e-commerce giants like Amazon and Temu, according to Semafor.

TikTok will buy its own inventory, such as toys and kitchen tools, largely from manufacturers in China, sources told the news outlet. The store will be separate from the TikTok Shop feature it began testing in November, where brands can sell their products on the app, though both will be included in a new e-commerce tab.

A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement to Semafor that the platform is testing a retail feature called Trendy Beat in the UK, but it doesn’t “have anything to share for the US.” Retail Brew received a similar statement. Trendy Beat offers products popularized in viral videos which are sold by a Singapore company owned by TikTok parent ByteDance, the Financial Times reported. TikTok filed a trademark application for Trendy Beat in the US on May 30, listing apparel from bathing suits to shirts and coats.

Keep reading here.—EC

Today’s top retail reads.

Talk of the brown: How retailers and other businesses are preparing for a possible UPS strike when its contract for 325,000 workers expires at the end of the month. (the New York Times)

On the rocks: Why long-revered bourbon and whiskey distillers in Kentucky are now facing resistance over taxes and ethanol emissions. “We’ve been their biggest advocates, and they threw us under the bus,” said Jerry Summers, judge-executive for Kentucky’s Bullitt County. (Associated Press)

Best footlong forward: How Subway revamped its menu and redesigned stores to try to reverse setbacks. (CNN)

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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.

The secondhand wedding dress market is booming, with fans of the practice citing both the financial savings and the environmental impact of making a new gown. White special-occasion and cocktail dresses from secondhand retailers have seen a 23% increase in sales this year compared to 2019, according to ThredUp data cited by CBS News.

You tell us: How would you feel about you or your betrothed walking down the aisle in a secondhand wedding dress at your wedding? Cast your vote here.

Circling back: Last time, we told you how the FTC had filed a lawsuit against Amazon for allegedly “tricking and trapping” customers concerning Amazon Prime. The lawsuit alleges that Amazon deploys “dark patterns” to get consumers to enroll in Prime without their consent and that the process of canceling Prime, which requires six clicks, is onerous.

So we asked if you were rooting for the FTC or Amazon in the lawsuit, and many of you are not, apparently, in the Jeff Bezos fan club, with 66.7% voting that you were rooting for the FTC, 27.9% rooting for Amazon, and 5.5% saying you did not know or weren’t sure.