Why Costco Just Weaponized a Cabinet Member
‍Welcome to Friday, futurists.Â
It’s been a big year for Costco, and not merely because they grew revenue in the face of tariffs and expanded their retail footprint by 20+ doors overseas.
The house the Kirkland built have battled the Trump Administration at nearly every turn, from their defiant stance on diversity program expansion in the Spring—a stance that Costco alone took among the entirety of the retail and tech sector—to a recent lawsuit against the Trump administration for refund of tariffs, a suit that the U.S. Court of International Trade moved to consolidate with 19 other similar suits earlier this week.
Now, they're stocking up in bulk on the board. Biden’s Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo will join Costco's board, presumably to navigate more of the emerging trade wars and regulatory challenges ahead.
Raimondo, who reshaped the Commerce Department as Biden's Commerce Secretary, brings institutional knowledge of trade policy at a moment when Costco needs it most. Her appointment signals that the wholesale giant is no more backing down from its political positioning than it is on the price of its hot dog. Under Raimondo, Commerce took ownership of administration over CHIPS Act funds, as well as oversight and appointment of Executive Order on AI, which created the US AI Safety Institute (renamed the Center for AI Standards and Innovation under the Trump Administration).Â
Both of these initiatives were overseen by agencies of the Department of Commerce headed by an ambitious and visionary Secretary Raimondo. Without Raimondo paving the way for the modernization of the Department, we may not have had the visibility of the Howard Lutnick PR campaign this year, or his oversight of the tariff program.
It’s easy to misread the headlines: Costco is not stepping into politics, politics has stepped into the business of Costco.
The company is signaling that trade policy, industrial planning, and AI regulation are now competitive levers, not externalities. Appointing Raimondo is a bet that the next decade of retail leadership will belong to companies that treat policy like infrastructure and regulation like part of the supply chain itself.
Costco is telling the market that commerce is culture because policy, for better or worse, has become a core part of the product.
— Phillip
‍White….Groundbreaking. The internet has put its Miranda Priestly hat on after Pantone announced its 2026 Color of the Year. In case you missed the reveal, it’s PANTONE 11-4201, also known as Cloud Dancer. Pantone president Sky Kelley called the pushback, but the company attempted to make the case, saying it spoke to designers, artists, and makers to understand how they approach creativity. The takeaway is that the color serves as “a place of reflection to allow new avenues of creativity to break through.” NYT Styles reporter Jacob Gallagher noted: “Political implications aside, I do understand why a blank slate might be the right pick for this moment.” Color is culture.
‍E=My Coat’s Not Square. Levi’s Vintage Clothing is running a limited reproduction of Albert Einstein’s Menlo Cossack Leather Jacket. The jackets retail for about $1,060 and will be available in select Levi’s stores. Each of the 800 hand-numbered jackets will come with a replica of the Christie’s auction paddle the company used to purchase the original. This isn’t the first time Levi’s has brought back the legendary garb: the brand reproduced 500 jackets and sold them for $1,200 in 2018.
Fandom Flex. Ogilvy Consulting has released its 2025 Fandom Report, and it confirms something we’ve been overthinking the past year: it’s expensive to be a fan. Of course, fandoms extend far beyond films, books, and comic books. Fandoms can exist for any shared passion. With 86% of Gen Z identifying as fans and 64% identifying as content creators, they’re not just investing time and money in their fandoms; they’re investing creative bandwidth and space on their feeds. Ogilvy also confirmed our multiplayer thesis, noting that fandoms are participatory and, as a result, influence is bidirectional. In fact, 83% of Gen Z consumers said they know their engagement shapes how brands develop content and even products.Â
‍Who Doesn’t Need a Burrito Bag? BÉIS is leaning even further into the collab model by working with Chipotle on a new 11-piece travel collection. Dropping Dec. 8 at 9 am ET via the mobile app, the drop leans into Chipotle’s signature silver wrapper. Luggage tags, duffle bags, and carry-ons are wrapped in metallic silver, and prices range from $18 for a key charm to $378 for a large “Chipotle Roller” luggage. The first 5,000 orders in the US and Canada will include a free entrĂ©e code from Chipotle.Â
Our Take: Back in August, we reported on GAP’s collaboration with BÉIS, a move that helped GAP resonate with younger, hyper-online consumers, and allowed BÉIS to extend into a larger eCommerce and brick-and-mortar footprint. While the intentions of this collab were very clearly aligned with retail penetration, the new Chipotle drop follows the new chaos-merch playbook, which has brands tapping into unlikely partners and product extensions to generate both media buzz and demand.Â
The Dupe Trials Continue. Another fight against dupes is heating up, but this time it’s in the beauty and body care space. Sol de Janeiro has filed an amended complaint against MCoBeauty to expand its initial case to cover eight MCoBeauty fragrance mists that have the same color, packaging shape, and aesthetic as Sol de Janeiro’s viral perfume mist.
Robot Zoo. One of the standout installations from Art Basel was “Regular Animals,” a digital art piece that reimagines Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Picasso, and Andy Warhol as robot dogs “pooping out” photos touting distinct styles.
The artist, Beeple, stood inside a pen, moderating the dogs and offering the photos to onlookers. The experience reeks of sheer ridiculousness, but Beeple’s intent was to show each artist and big tech exec consumed and interpreted the world, and used these perspectives to shape our existence.
It’s profound, especially as we consider how the world and culture serve as big tech’s muse for a future utopia. Even moreso, considering this is the same artist who made $70M in an historic NFT sale in 2021.
Just Cut It. Nike has eliminated its Chief Technology Officer and Chief Commercial Officer roles as part of a major organizational overhaul. CTO Muge Dogan and CCO Craig Williams will both leave the company, while Chief Supply Chain Officer Venky Alagirisamy will take on the new role of Chief Operating Officer.Â
Our Take: Nike chief Elliott Hill noted in a memo to employees that this restructuring will help “eliminate layers,” but the news, especially the CTO’s removal, is jarring, given Nike’s previous commitment to technological innovation. However, the intent of Alagirisamy’s new role will be to better embed technology across the organization’s infrastructure, especially product design and development, a significant focus for the brand as younger entrants like Alo Yoga, HOKA, and On Running continue to take a bite out of its lunch.
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