2025 saw an unprecedented number of factors putting pressure on companies' bottom lines. Amid tariffs, rising costs of living and doing business, and a pullback in consumer spending, it has been a tough year for consumer brands.

Heading into 2026, the Glossy team compiled a list of what we think will be "in" and what is on its way out.

2025 came with plenty of controversies and scandals. Fashion and beauty brands got caught up in familiar controversies, like accusations of racism and cultural appropriation. But there were also newer scandals, such as leaning too hard on AI in marketing. The way they responded to those scandals is worth analyzing.

American Eagle dominated the fashion conversation this year — from the Sydney Sweeney jeans campaign that ignited a weeks-long debate (though references are still rippling through American popular culture today) to the collaboration with Travis Kelce, announced just after his engagement to Taylor Swift. “I’m most proud that we didn’t just...

Jenny Breeden, svp of owned brand product design and packaging at Target, walked Glossy though some of the new speed-focused strategies the company has started adopting.

This week, we're discussing the K-shaped economy, a term that's recently come into vogue to describe the sharply diverging fortunes of wealthier Americans and the rest. At the higher end, consumers are still spending like nothing has changed, but lower-income consumers are cutting back on spending as costs of living...

A wave of new deals comes at the tail end of a year that has been rife with acquisitions and consolidations in the fashion world. From big-ticket acquisitions like Prada buying Versace to the plethora of smaller deals like Authentic Brands Group acquiring a stake in Guess and Gildan buying...

The company is relaunching its popular "greatest hoodie" with new materials, a new design and a slightly higher price point.

This month, Glossy brought together a group of leaders from brands that are investing in TikTok Shop to discuss what's working.