Retail Brew // Morning Brew // Update

May 08, 2026

Hi, a Mattel investor is pushing for the toy company to put itself up for sale, claiming it’d be better off owned by private equity, a media company, or even a rival. It would appear even Barbie’s Dreamhouse isn’t immune to corporate takeover drama.

In today’s edition:

—Andrew Adam Newman, Jeena Sharma, Erin Cabrey

STORES

Crews control

Brunt

When customers enter Brunt Workwear’s flagship store in North Reading, Massachusetts, which opened last weekend, they may wonder if the contractor is still scrambling to finish the job. After all, it would be hard to miss the porta-potty perched against a wall. Or that the wall itself is made of unfinished plywood, its mill stamps still visible. Or that several empty oil barrels are sitting on the concrete floors.

But for the 6-year-old workwear brand, there’s a method to the…drabness. The store, the DTC brand’s first, which is very much complete, is meant to evoke the jobsites where the brand’s core consumers—trade workers—spend their working life.

“What we wanted to do was bring in materials that were familiar to our customer base,” Eric Girouard, founder and CEO of Brunt, told Retail Brew. “So that they felt at home and like [the store design] really recognized and represented where they’re spending their time on the jobsite.”

The brand—which has eschewed crossing over into fashion or expanding into the pet and kids categories like workwear standard-bearer Carhartt—tapped design firm Bergmeyer, whose retail work includes Wilson’s experiential flagship in New York, to bring its showroom-cum-jobsite to life.

Keep reading here.—AAN

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MARKETING

Fit check

REI

REI is raising the bar on diversity and inclusivity in the retail industry.

A year after retailers like Target distanced themselves from DEI, the specialty outdoor retailer has announced its latest Product Impact Standards for 2026, which expand on existing expectations for both sustainability and inclusion across its sprawling network of more than 1,400 brand partners.

This includes guidelines for brand partners with regard to representation across race, age, gender identity, body size, and ability as well as stricter guidance to avoid cultural appropriation and ensure on-model imagery reflects a wider range of body types.

Keep reading here.—JS

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

Turning the labels

Walmart

Once seen as a budget-conscious trade-down for consumers, private label products are increasingly finding their way into the carts of higher-income shoppers.

According to a new study by consultancy firm Simon-Kucher, 44% of high-income shoppers (those making $5,000+ a month) are buying more private label products than they were a year ago, compared to 34% of consumers with lower incomes.

Of those higher-income consumers, 39% are regularly purchasing premium private label products, while 27% of consumers across income cohorts say they’ve purchased more premium private label products than last year.

Keep reading here.—EC

SWAPPING SKUS

Today’s top retail reads.

Still open: CEO Ryan Cohen’s proposal to merge GameStop with eBay was met with skepticism by Wall Street. (the New York Times)

Dressing down: Sweetgreen reported its biggest sales slump since the pandemic. (Bloomberg)

Not lovin’ these prices: McDonald’s CEO warned of a further slowdown in consumer spending. (CNBC)

AI isn’t universal: AI support builds loyalty for some and drives others away. Learn what your customers actually want in Klaviyo’s playbook. Get your copy.*

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☕ Why Brunt’s flagship looks like a jobsite