September 28, 2026

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The week starts with news that two New England brands, Dunkin’ and L.L.Bean, are collaborating on a limited-edition line, including versions of the outdoor retailer’s famous Boat and Tote bag and Birdseye Sweater in Dunkin’s orange and bright pink colors. There are also little Dunkin’ x L.L.Bean cup sleeve versions of the sweater and tote bag, turning an ordinary hot or iced coffee into one that’s…wicked pissah!

In today’s edition:

—Erin Cabrey, Jeena Sharma, Alex Vuocolo

STORES

Say it again

Sign for Groceryshop, a grocery industry conference in Las Vegas

Erin Cabrey

Retail Brew swapped the Big Apple for Sin City last week, heading to Las Vegas for Groceryshop to hear industry leaders weigh in on the industry’s most pressing topics.

As it turns out, the biggest topics on grocery’s mind are the same ones—AI and the concept of “value”—as last year. But they weren’t necessarily retreading old ground: As retailers have executed more consumer-facing applications for AI, discussions became more results-driven than theoretical, while many grocers shared a more nuanced approach to the idea of value than in years past.

Keep reading here.—EC

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CONSUMER BEHAVIOR & TRENDS

Boo-gie budget

People shop for Halloween items at a home improvement retailer store

Frederic J. Brown/Getty Images

Sure, it’s still September, but it’s never too early to start talking about Halloween.

For starters, as Retail Brew previously reported, NRF’s Halloween survey shows that Americans are expected to spend a record $13.5 billion on Halloween this year, exceeding 2025’s $13.1 billion.

That figure might seem like a contradiction to consumers’ current cautious approach to discretionary spending, but Method1’s national study of 1,200 US consumers found 45% are more permissive about indulging than they were a year ago.

Still, per NRF, 49% of shoppers will start purchasing items for the occasion in September or even before that, much like last year, with a noticeable uptick in the number of people shopping before October over the past 10 years.

For now, Halloween spending is projected to remain relatively steady this year, averaging $115.14 per person compared to $114.45 in 2025. But that doesn’t mean shoppers aren’t keeping a close eye on their budgets and being more deliberate about what they buy for the holiday.

Keep reading here.—JS

Sponsored By Wunderkind

It’s a buyer’s market. 51% of consumers already use AI to shop this BFCM season, 46% plan to spend more than last year, and 40% deliberately abandon carts hoping for a follow-up offer. Wunderkind’s insights can help you make heads and tails of these signals ahead of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Dig into the research.

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swapping skus

Today’s top retail reads.

Wigging out: Despite tariffs, Chinese exports of wigs and hair extensions rose 12.4%. (Business of Fashion)

Abso-trucking-lutely: New York City will distribute a total of $5 million to businesses that agree to receive deliveries during off-hours to help ease traffic. (Gothamist)

Leica house on fire: How the storied camera brand Leica went from near-bankruptcy to record sales. (the Wall Street Journal)

Build what’s next: Find your next career opportunity when you join Diageo’s commercial talent community. Help leading brands win with customers + create growth strategies that last. Sign up here.*

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Written by Erin Cabrey, Jeena Sharma, and Alex Vuocolo

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