Just over a fortnight ago, Taylor Swift released her latest album The Tortured Poets Department, chronicling the heartbreak of love lost and the pitfalls of fame—and with the introduction of her #ForaFortnightChallenge, she also fulfilled an activewear brand’s wildest dreams.

To promote the album released on April 19, Swift posted a YouTube Short showing clips from her life as a “fortnight recap,” which included a shot of her on a pickleball court wearing a lavender athletic skort. The video has amassed over 91 million views, and while the singer is shown wearing it for only a second, the Instagram account @TaylorSwiftStyled quickly identified it as the brand PopFlex’s Pirouette Skort in “digital lavender.”

The $60 skort has since enchanted consumers, seeing a 700% sales lift, according to Shopify, which powers the DTC brand’s site, selling out in every color and size in a matter of minutes. It’s been a surreal experience for PopFlex founder and CEO Cassey Ho, the pilates maven behind Blogilates who debuted the brand in 2016. “The coolest thing about the entire experience has been the community support and just genuine excitement for me, because I’ve been a Swiftie for so long,” Ho told Retail Brew.

But, as Ho noted, “virality is something you can’t really plan for,” and PopFlex has been hustling to respond both to the spike in popularity and the reignited fight against dupes that Ho knows all too well.

Keep reading here.—EC

Who is the consumer of 2024? Are they ultra-picky? Are they leaning back toward brick-and-mortar shopping? Do they delight in the chime of tap-to-pay on credit card machines?

So. Many. Qs. Which is why Placer.ai leveraged historical and current foot-traffic data + trade area analysis to better understand the current retail landscape. They give you: Meeting 2024’s Consumer.

This white paper was made to give retailers (and curious readers) a look at the consumer trends likely to shape ’24 and beyond.

Which segments have benefitted the most from previous years’ shifts? What characterizes the modern consumer? And how are legacy brands fairing?

Find out in Placer.ai’s white paper.

Remember 2010? Apple released the iPad, a baby-faced Mark Zuckerberg was Time’s Person of the Year, and Lady Gaga wore the meat dress. Oh, and a new generation of humans hard launched. Now, they’re starting to come of age.

By 2029, the spending power of Generation Alpha, the cohort of youngsters born between 2010 and 2024, is expected to reach $5.46 trillion, according to research-based advisory firm McCrindle.

Those numbers alone should be enough to make a CFO’s ears perk up. But if you need more convincing, consider this: “Every organization, every brand, every product is just one generation away from extinction,” Mark McCrindle, the social researcher credited with coining the term “Gen Alpha” and founder of McCrindle, told CFO Brew.

Keep reading here.—NP

In celebration of National Nurses Week, 28 brands are offering exclusive deals on everything from travel and sporting goods to apparel and beauty, furniture, and appliances. We’re sure all the nurses out there will hold off on shopping until they’re off the clock.

Here’s what else is going on in retail this week:

In data: Costco will release its April sales data on Wednesday. The numbers will be a first look at buying patterns for the month, coming ahead of the more comprehensive federal sales data coming out later in May. For context, the club store’s March data showed sales increased 6.4% year over year, while the Census Bureau report estimated that US sales grew 3.6% YoY in March.

In earnings: It’s a slightly less busy week for retail earnings, but an interesting assortment of companies is still on deck to report.

Keep reading here.—AV

Protect your crew. This Construction Safety Week (yes, you read that right), turn to Zoro.com for the safety products your business needs. From PPE to safety signage to lockout tagout supplies, Zoro helps you put safety first—every single day. Take a look at Zoro’s vast array of equipment and supplies.