Retail Brew // Morning Brew // Update

March 18, 2025

It’s Tuesday, and retail watchers are still processing the latest monthly sales numbers, which came in lower than expected yesterday. The data adds to the already bad vibes swirling around these days, as consumer sentiment and business outlooks turn cautious.

In today’s edition:

—Andrew Adam Newman, Erin Cabrey, Jeena Sharma

STORES

Sub Red it

A Target employee photographed this diversity, equity, and inclusion bulletin board in a Target breakroom and posted it to Reddit. Its posters were torn down after the company rolled back its DEI program, according to the employee./Reddit

Earlier this month, on a subreddit for Target team members, an employee posted an image from a Target breakroom of a wall labelled “Diversity, Equity & Inclusion,” with a large bulletin board that was empty, except for remnants of tape and posters that had been removed.

“Damn,” the employee wrote. “Okay, so it’s like that .”

The employee was referring to Target announcing in late January that it was rolling back its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts. In its announcement, Target stated that the “next chapter” of what had been its DEI program would now be called “Belonging at the Bullseye,” and indeed, another employee commented on Reddit, “Yup, our DEI red board turned into a ‘Belonging’ board.”

Other employees reported witnessing managers tearing down posters that had been on their stores’ DEI boards, including one who identified as a “human resources expert.”

“As an HRE this shit sucks to have a front row seat to,” the employee wrote in another thread on the subreddit. “Watching my manager tear down our DEI materials and just fuckin throw them in the trash. Parinirvana day, Holocaust remembrance, right in the bin where Target feels they belong.”

Keep reading here.—AAN

Presented By LTK

Get beauty schooled

Staying up to date in the ever-evolving beauty industry is imperative, especially with new trends, brands, and influencers popping up on the daily.

For a better sense of today’s beauty landscape, join LTK on March 26 for a webinar to review their Beauty Consumer Study. Ally Anderson (Director of Strategy and Insights, Brand Partnerships at LTK) leads this deep dive into the study.

During this webinar:

They’ll go over insights from LTK’s Beauty Consumer Study and Northwestern University’s Retail Analytics Council brand study.
Explain strategies to foster lasting loyalty through community-building initiatives.
Provide exclusive tips and expertise shared by leading beauty creators and industry professionals.

All registrants will receive a recording, so you won’t miss out if you can’t make it. Sign up here.

RETAIL

Eye shadow of a doubt

Ulta Beauty store entrance sign at a mall, northern Idaho. (Photo by: Do...

Education Images/Getty Images

In her first earnings call as Ulta Beauty’s President and CEO, Kecia Steelman discussed the retailer’s sales decline amid “intense” competition, and her multi-pronged plans to jumpstart decelerating sales.

Steelman, who was promoted following CEO Dave Kimbell’s retirement in January, said last year was the first where Ulta lost beauty category share..

“I am aware of the challenges that we face,” she said. “Some of them are external, while others we own…It’s clear to me that how we’ve operated must change to ensure that we capture the opportunities in front of us.”

On the call, Steelman announced a new plan, Ulta Beauty Unleashed, highlighting efforts like brand building (focused on exclusive brand partnerships including Beyoncé’s hair care brand Cécred), personalization, and digital acceleration. It’ll also grow its wellness assortment, expand its international presence, and boost its retail media network, she said. The plan also involves organization changes, like shifting chief store operations officer Amiee Bayer-Thomas to the newly created chief retail officer role.

Keep reading here.—EC

MARKETING

All systems go

Peera_sathawirawong/Getty Images

If there’s one thing that’s remained a constant on retailers’ minds in the current economy, it’s how to keep customers loyal. While loyalty programs and discounting provide somewhat of a push for shoppers, a new study by travel technology company Arrivia reveals that the real trick lies in travel rewards.

In a survey of 1,094 US adults, 75% of respondents said they’d book travel via their loyalty program if they had the option. Meanwhile, 49% said they were more inclined to opt for loyalty programs that came with travel benefits.

It’s no surprise that consumers are seeking travel rewards even if it is through a retail loyalty platform as shoppers continue to value experiences over things. This is even truer for the younger generations.

Keep reading here.—JS

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SWAPPING SKUS

Today’s top retail reads.

All is fair: A US district judge has dismissed an antitrust lawsuit alleging that Amazon was using an algorithm to steer customers away from third-party sellers. (Reuters)

Buying bubbles: PepsiCo has said that it’s planning to purchase prebiotic soda brand Poppi in a $2 billion deal. (CNBC)

Cost of living: Home builders are anticipating higher home prices, as tariffs raise the cost of lumber and appliances. (the Associated Press)

A beautiful community: Join LTK on March 26 for a webinar on their Beauty Consumer Study. They’ll take a deep dive into new strategies to strengthen communities with leading beauty creators and industry experts. Register here.*

^{*A message from our sponsor.}

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