This week, in the runup to Labor Day, we’re re-featuring top stories from the last few months across our key coverage topics.

In June, PepsiCo used Cannes to introduce a new can.

Officially, it’s the Pepsi Smart Can, which Mark Kirkham, SVP and CMO of international beverages at PepsiCo, described as an “LED engagement platform” presented in the form of the soda giant’s classic beverage container.

The innovation, originating from the company’s Dublin-based team, is intended to be a new storytelling medium for the brand, as the device enables the company to deliver custom messages and offers to each recipient, starting with media and influencers, Kirkham told us. The video content displayed on the can was largely made by creators, and SVP and chief design officer Mauro Porcini said the hope is that it will spur the creation of content by the influencers who receive it.

The move comes a few months after Pepsi’s new visual identity—including a new logo and an updated color palette—began hitting shelves, and builds on its “Thirsty for More” brand platform. The innovation will serve as a unique method to garner brand impressions, Porcini said, and is a result of the soft drink company’s focus on entrepreneurial thinking in design.

Keep reading here.—EC

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Shoppers are already gearing up for their favorite autumn activities, according to the latest Shopify sales data shared first exclusively with Retail Brew. The e-commerce site’s top-selling items for August include a fall harvest’s worth of home baking supplies, hot drinks, and football-related items.

In anticipation of cooler weather, baking enthusiasts stocked up on equipment. Sales of cookie decoration kits popped 947%. Pastry blenders were up 370%, and food grinders and mills were up 247%. Bread boxes, cooling racks, and muffin and cupcake makers also saw increases. Shoppers were also eager to embrace the autumnal vibes, purchasing candy apples (up 378%) and hot drink makers (up 89%), even as the summer heat dragged on this month.

Keep reading here.—AV

Walmart is beefing up its online marketplace business, expanding its product selection with three new categories: high-end beauty products, secondhand items, and collectibles.

The “every day low price” retailer said it’s identified its marketplace business as a significant driver of growth in its fast-growing e-commerce success. Over each of the last six quarters, Walmart’s US e-commerce sales have grown more than 17%, Tom Ward, EVP and chief e-commerce officer of Walmart US, noted on a call with reporters.

Keep reading here.—VC

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