Feed your baby with AI

Brick-and-Mortar’s Scarcity Economy.

Retail real estate has a supply problem, and it may be working in the industry's favor. Two retail real estate reports show how slowing developer activity may be affecting vacancies and where merchants plan to show up next. Colliers found that national vacancy is at 4.4%, with open-air center vacancies sitting at 5.5% and malls tightening 30 basis points to 8.5%. Demand is high, vacancies are low, and backfills are coming faster. The top US metro retail markets by vacancy rate include Los Angeles (5.8%) and Houston (5.4%). Construction is especially hot in Texas: Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and Austin have the most square footage under construction. 

CoStar’s data may offer some much-needed context: the company found that just 72.1M square feet of retail space is under construction nationally, significantly trailing the ten-year average. (Colliers put the figure even lower at 56.1M.) 

Restructuring, Live in 5.

The US Bankruptcy Court has approved QVC Group's prepackaged Chapter 11 plan, which will slash debt by more than $5B and establish a new $600M credit line. The company’s bankruptcy exit will officially kickstart its "WIN Growth Strategy," which is built around live social shopping.

Future Commerce has been openly skeptical of the QVC-as-livestream-savior narrative for years. Most recently, we questioned whether QVC's pivot to a "live shopping social company" would actually land with younger, digitally native shoppers, especially as apps like Whatnot add new depth to the livestream value prop. A cleaner balance sheet buys QVC time, but it doesn't answer our standing question of whether anyone under 40 wants to watch two hours of TV to buy a candle.

Get Thee Behind Me, Bieber.

If you ever wondered what it feels like to be Hailey Bieber, the new Hailey Jean from GAP may be the closest you’ll ever get. This new limited-edition denim capsule and campaign are the retailer’s latest approach to “nostalgia with a modern twist.” 

It all started with a social-media tease, featuring a mystery hand inserting a CD mix (oh, the memories) into an icy-blue CD player. The campaign’s ad spot doubles down on the “feels,” having Hailey walk through the cultural experiences of taking photos, chatting with friends, and buying a pair of jeans to the tune of the Cranberries’ “Linger.” It’s an experience that will give any elder Millennial or Gen Xer that swirly feeling of longing in their stomach. 

The hook, line, and sinker? This all took place in 1996, the year Hailey Bieber was born. 

Our Take: The connection to Bieber apparently came after she was snapped wearing a pair of the brand’s jeans in a now-viral photo. There’s an established “relationship” there, but it’s also a way for GAP to connect the old (its heritage) with the new (the 90s fashion resurgence). I

f anything, though, the decision reaffirms that this campaign is more designed to evoke anemoia than nostalgia. It’s not actually about getting GAP’s once-loyal customers back in the door; it’s about getting the new guard interested. But it has anyone who knows, follows, and loves Bieber now interested in GAP, so mission accomplished.

‍We spoke with Gap’s Damon Berger on the podcast about why the brand is investing in a specific class of cultural and entertainment figures, and this campaign is a testament to why (and how) it’s working. 

The Sack is Back. 

Google searches for "hacky sack" are up 1,700% year-over-year, and the hashtag #hackysacks is up 32,400% on TikTok. PlayMonster tapped Wham-O to capitalize on these social signals, sold out its entire online stock in May, and had to air-freight more due to demand. Now, PlayMonster is launching about 10 new styles as part of a "Hack to School" campaign and will likely use its vibrant social accounts to fuel it. Hacky Sack content has already surpassed 300M views on TikTok and Instagram. 

This is nostalgia-as-commerce playing out almost exactly as our "Commerce Captivity" essay described it. Gen Z and Gen Alpha mining the documented past for comfort and identity, at internet speed.

Juicy Big Apple.

Glossier has gone through some growing pains this past year. In addition to some executive turnover, it has closed most of its brick-and-mortar stores. But this boomerang effect back to a leaner operation has apparently allowed it to focus on the markets and experiences that matter most. The brand is getting lots of buzz for a new campaign that pays tribute to NYC, where the brand was founded and scaled. 

The new “I ♥ NY” Balm Dotcom is an apple-flavored ode to the city developed in partnership with the New York State Tourism Board. It’s making the rounds on social media for its unmistakable use of Milton Glaser's design, and it’s using a corner-store-inspired pop-up to bring the celebration into the physical realm. The “Balmdega” is connected to Glossier’s SoHo store and will host special events and giveaways through the end of August. The event microsite even has an interactive map, featuring team members’ favorite spots and locations included in the campaign. 

Psychedelic Investment.

Eli Lilly, the 150-year-old company with a portfolio that spans obesity care, autoimmune disorders, and cancer treatments, has acquired AtaiBeckley for $3.8B. This is a major milestone for investors after President Trump’s executive order directing the FDA and DEA to accelerate psychedelic drug reviews. Psychedelics have always been deemed untouchable for holdcos with “serious money,” but Eli Lilly is making a real statement by using profits generated from the GLP-1 surge to diversify its portfolio. AtaiBeckley’s biggest money-maker is BPL-003, a psychedelic nasal spray that aims to support treatment-resistant depression.

Formula for Trust.

Infant formula brand Bobbie has launched a new Feeding Concierge that combines advanced AI, expert-led community groups, and one-to-one clinical care. Ask Bobbie is central to the ecosystem, giving parents and caretakers access to feeding guidance and support, without the doomscrolling. 

Ask Bobbie’s responses are powered by a trove of expertise from industry voices, including board-certified lactation and feeding specialists, and years of feeding research. The tool was built with strict guardrails to eliminate AI hallucinations, routing parents to the Bobbie care team for a real-time chat session if a query falls outside of the tool’s core parameters. This is a commerce play that drives retention and loyalty, but it’s also a tool to support family wellness and healthcare. Another win for the sovereign consumer. 

Generative Cinema. 

Netflix may have seen membership and revenue growth in its latest quarter, but the company is still doubling down on cost savings, especially using AI. Nearly 300 of its owned programs use AI throughout their production processes, and the company said it plans to expand its use in the future to “deliver higher-quality output more quickly and at a lower cost.” The news comes after the company acquired InterPositive, the AI production company founded by Ben Affleck.