CONSUMER BEHAVIOR & TRENDS

Goodwill

Just minutes from downtown in Seattle’s Chinatown-International District sits the world’s largest Goodwill, a 70,000-square-foot flagship that has increasingly become a destination for travelers looking to score everything from vintage clothing to unique souvenirs.

The Evergreen Goodwill store sees about 18,000 visitors a week, while its donation center—the busiest of any Goodwill globally—averages “one car [load] every 55 seconds” when open, Alyssa Grigg, senior director of marketing and communications at Evergreen Goodwill, told Retail Brew.

As younger consumers increasingly look to secondhand stores for one of a kind gifts or even build vacations around it—a trend often dubbed “thrift tripping”—Evergreen Goodwill is leaning into it by touting the location as a place where shoppers can pick up anything from travel essentials, to souvenirs to take back home.

Keep reading here.—JS

      

Sponsored By Paradox, a Workday Company

If you’re waiting on a big bottleneck in your hiring process, that means you’ve got a revenue bleed that needs your attention ASAP.

So here’s something that could help: the 2026 Workforce Technology Report by the National Restaurant Association, supported by Workday. This report breaks down the financial impact of understaffing, with key data points like:

• The average time-to-hire for an hourly worker is 16 days, which means that being down just one front-line worker can cost a business an estimated $3k–$5k over three months.
• Brands using automated tools are capturing candidates while competitors sleep, slashing time-to-hire from weeks to just 1–3 days.
• 60% of short-staffed operators report increased employee burnout and turnover, and 59% are forced to pay higher overtime costs just to keep the doors open.

Stop the revenue bleed. Learn how you can hire workers faster with this report.

STORES

Jetcityimage/Getty Images

We crossed another TBD CEO off our list this month. Following in the footsteps of Kroger, Lululemon, and LL Bean—who all named their new CEOs this year—7-Eleven announced its new chief exec this month. Here’s more on that, and other July retail exec moves:

• Seven & i Holdings Co. picked Mauricio Levya, a former Keurig Dr Pepper exec, as CEO of 7-Eleven Inc., leading its US business. He fills the role vacated by Joseph DePinto, who retired at the end of 2025 and also joined Target’s board of directors this month.
• After facing backlash over her decision to modernize its logo last year, Cracker Barrel CEO Julie Masino is exiting her role next month. She’ll be replaced by David Deno, former CEO of Outback Steakhouse owner Bloomin’ Brands.
• Kering named Romain Spitzer, CEO of Fragrance Group LVMH Beauty, as CEO of Bottega Veneta, after its CEO Bartolomeo Rongone left to lead Moncler in March.
• Continuing executive changes under new CEO John Furner, Walmart’s US COO Kieran Shanahan is leaving his role, set to be succeeded by Walmart International COO Kyle Kinnard.

Keep reading here.—EC

      

MARKETING

General Mills

Brands are part of history. And some of that history might be interesting to the average person.

Did you know that Wheaties was behind what was likely the first commercial jingle, which hit the airwaves on Christmas Eve back in 1926? Or that Betty Crocker was reportedly the second most-recognized woman in America among homemakers (behind Eleanor Roosevelt, of course) in the 1940s?

Other history, though, is probably most valuable to the people who work at that brand. Say marketers are reviving a bizarre ad from the ’90s that’s developed a cult fandom over the years, as General Mills’s snack brand Gushers did last fall with “FruitHeads.” It would certainly help to be able to dig into old files and use everything you could from when that ad was created.

Enter the brand archive, which can be helpful for everyone from history aficionados to brand marketers looking to accurately reference a company’s own history.

Keep reading here on Marketing Brew.—KM

      

Sponsored By Paradox, a Workday Company

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swapping skus

Today’s top retail reads.

What’s the beef? China’s cattle industry is growing, thanks to high tariffs and rainier summers. (the New York Times)

Sky high: Prada posts high H1 revenue as demand from the Americas rises. (WWD)

Cult of success: As Reformation goes public, its loyal followers are staying on. (the Wall Street Journal)

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Jobs

Tired of one-size-fits-all job boards? CollabWORK highlights roles that reflect your interests and goals—delivered through communities like Retail Brew. Click here to explore the full job board.

• VP of Hospitality Operations at Bon Appetit
• Director, Packaging at TreeHouse Foods
• Associate Director, Loyalty & Consumer Engagement at e.l.f. Beauty
• Manager, Commercial Strategy (Personal Care) at Henkel
• E-commerce Merchandising Specialist (Shopify) at Polaris Industries