The trends that will dominate Black Friday and Cyber Monday, from AI search to experiential pop-ups

Cyber Week is here and the Modern Retail Podcast is breaking down the biggest shopping and trends to watch during this all-important shopping period. This week, Modern Retail senior reporter Gabriela Barkho is joined by staff from our sister site, Glossy, including senior fashion reporter Danny Parisi and Glossy West Coast correspondent Lexy Lebsack. Now that the sales week has officially begun, the trio discusses a number of brand strategies and shopper behavior they have spotted this season, including the first big test for AI chatbots assisting with gift search. On this week’s show, the staff’s roundtable covers topics such as: The modern gift guides and where shoppers are looking for holiday gift ideas, from brands’ own gift guides to ChatGPT suggestions.  The non-discounting marketing strategies, in which brands are instead offering shoppers perks like exclusive access to products and in-person pop-ups.  Other ways brands are standing out beyond traditional marketing sales, including limited-edition collaborations and even advent calendars.