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Gen Z dreams of a ‘Ralph Lauren Christmas’ in a dollar store American economy

2026-03-10 14:53:12 By John Jones

This holiday season, a new obsession is sweeping through American homes: the “Ralph Lauren Christmas.” But it’s not just luxury shoppers and Manhattan brownstones getting swept up in visions of tartan, velvet, and brass candlesticks. Instead, millions of budget-minded Americans are piecing together their own versions of ‘90s holiday opulence, raiding their local dollar stores and thrift shops to capture just a hint of Ralph Lauren’s famed festive glamour.

Opulence, on a shoestring

Yet what’s striking about the trend’s viral run is not a rush on luxury home retailers, but the sheer number of creators frank about finding “the look” at thrift stores, chain discounters, or dollar stores. Faux brass candlesticks, plastic nutcrackers, and off-brand plaid blankets are hauled out as budget stand-ins for the designer’s signature style. Where original pieces can easily cost hundreds, the challenge—and the thrill—is achieving the aura of a Ralph Lauren Christmas at a fraction of the price.

This isn’t just driven by aesthetic longing—it’s economic necessity. Inflation and rising costs have pounded the holiday budgets of most Americans, with many stretching their dollars further and starting their holiday planning earlier. Retailers themselves are leaning into the trend: Even premium guides to replicating the “heritage” style pair aspirational items with affordable alternatives from mass-market stores.

Consumers chase traditional cues—tartan throws, velvet ribbons, gold baubles—sourced wherever they can be found. Social media groups and YouTube channels brim with tips for “dupes” and convincing DIYs that evoke the comfort and warmth of the Ralph Lauren look, minus the price tag. For many, assembling these elements isn’t aspirational irony but an earnest desire to conjure the cozy, elegant holidays they remember from childhood or Hollywood movies.

Nostalgia, or something more?

Some critics online question whether this “trend” repackages basic Christmas traditions under a new label. Yet for others—especially millennials and Gen Z creators who grew up yearning for catalog holidays—“Ralph Lauren Christmas” describes a mood as much as a collection of objects: a longing for warmth, security, and family gatherings in uncertain times.

The style’s core motifs—a roaring fire, deep jewel tones, layers of texture—evoke not just designer luxury, but memories of grandparents’ houses and TV holiday specials. In a jittery economy, the comfort found in ritual, tradition, and a whiff of elegance conjuring “old money” (another breakout search term) feels especially magnetic.

No matter where it’s sourced, the Ralph Lauren Christmas is less about brand names and more about atmosphere. The Ralph Lauren Christmas of 2025 owes as much to nostalgia and the ingenuity of ordinary Americans as it does to Madison Avenue—proof that with enough fairy lights, brass-look candlesticks, and dollar-store tartan ribbon, anyone can conjure up a bit of ‘90s opulent holiday magic.

For this story, Fortune used generative AI to help with an initial draft. An editor verified the accuracy of the information before publishing.

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Fortune Archives: The war on Big Food

“Big Food is under attack from Startup Granola,” Fortune’s Beth Kowitt declared in 2015. She explained: “While consumers have long associated the stuff on the labels they can’t pronounce with Big Food’s products—the endless strip of cans and boxes that primarily populate the center aisles of the grocery store—they now have somewhere else to turn… And that has brought the entire colossal, $1-trillion-a-year food retail business to a tipping point.”Recommended VideoKowitt’s fascinating deep dive explores how America’s biggest food companies—including Campbell’s, Nestlé, Hershey, and General Mills—were evolving to cater to this shift in consumer tastes. They had become eager to go beyond the kind of vague gestures toward “natural” food that Stonyfield Farm cofounder and chairman Gary Hirshberg aptly dismissed as “the barn on the package.”Today, amid the ascendance of the “Make America Healthy Again” campaign championed by the Trump administration and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., food companies face a new set of cultural headwinds around what we eat and why. But as the New York Timesreported recently in a feature about the Amazon-owned Whole Foods, the ideological fault lines are far from clear. The natural food chain that helped “elevate the organic movement from niche lifestyle to booming product category” now faces criticism from both sides of the political aisle on issues like whether to ban seed oils from its shelves. Kowitt’s reporting is a useful reminder that the “paradigm shift” in Americans’ food consumption was never a simple adjustment for companies. Take the polarizing issue of labeling for genetically modified foods (GMOs), for instance. As Kowitt wrote, “Polls show that the vast majority of consumers say they support labeling products that contain GMOs, even though regulators—and established scientific organizations—have declared such modifications safe. Big food companies, however, have poured millions of dollars into overturning state initiatives that require labeling.” There are no easy solutions. But “the smartest thing you can do as a CEO right now is to side with the consumer,” Stonyfield’s Hirshberg told Kowitt in 2015. That’s probably still good advice.

Cracker Barrel’s first rebrand in nearly 50 years backfired. The company’s stock lost nearly $100 million after introducing a more minimalist look

Cracker Barrel’s new logo refresh, has sparked major backlash from critics who view it as a loss of tradition and a “woke” move, even briefly wiping nearly $100 million off the company’s market value. While some argue the change erases the brand’s Americana identity and nostalgia, branding experts say the modest update is part of a broader modernization strategy and reflects the tension between preserving tradition and staying relevant.One Americana brand isn’t getting the barrel-of-monkeys response they were hoping for when launching their new logo this week. Recommended VideoCracker Barrel—one of the most iconic restaurant chains in America, deeply rooted in Southern food and hospitality—this week revealed a new look. A tweak to the logo removes the man sitting on a chair and leaning on a barrel, and the font appears to have slightly changed. Photo courtesy Cracker BarrelAnd some people are absolutely outraged, with many going as far to say its new, simplified logo is a signal of Cracker Barrel going woke. “Cracker Barrel didn’t just lose its logo. It lost its soul,” wrote an X user called @DesireeAmerica4, whose bio section reads: “Unapologetically America First. Igniting debate. Standing tall for the everyday American.”“This isn’t modernization. It’s extermination of Americana, of warmth, of memory,” she continued. “Congratulations, Cracker Barrel. You’re now Woke Barrel. Nobody asked for this.”Cracker Barrel lost nearly $100 million in value in trading on Thursday. The stock slightly rebounded Friday, up about 0.25% in the late afternoon.Cracker Barrel didn’t immediately respond toFortune’s request for comment. The new logo is all part of CEO Julie Felss Masino’s turnaround plan for the restaurant. She said last year the chain wasn’t “as relevant as we once were,” and announced plans to update its menu and eateries. The new logo is “now rooted even more closely to the iconic barrel shape and word mark that started it all,” according to the company. “On the surface, it’s a modest refresh. But when a brand is built on tradition, even a small design change can feel like a cultural shift,” Evan Nierman, founder and CEO at crisis communications firm Red Banyan, toldFortune. “It touched a nerve because it challenged what some customers felt was sacred about Cracker Barrel.”Is the Cracker Barrel rebrand really that big of a deal?Cracker Barrel’s rebrand has really struck a chord with some people, particularly those who subscribe to a MAGA-leaning lifestyle. They argue it rids the brand of its deep Southern heritage and that the brand has become too sterile. One TikTok user satirically said in regards to the new Cracker Barrel logo: “I don’t want this woke crap. What DEI hire made this logo?”Steak N’ Shake even chimed in on the logo change and reshared the X post from @DesireeAmerica4 with a comment in a style mimicking President Donald Trump’s Truth Social posts: “Fire the CEO! Thank you for your attention to this matter!” While Cracker Barrel “took a stab at modernizing and showing cultural relevance,” Mary Delano, chief marketing officer at ad agency Moosylvania, toldFortune, it lost its old-fashioned identity. “This could potentially offend the restaurant’s core fans, who see the chain’s rocking chairs, comfort food and nostalgia as the elements that make Cracker Barrel feel like that home away from home,” said Delano, who’s helped bring iconic brands like Pink Whitney to market.Although the new logo was “more of a tweak than a total overhaul,” said Tenyse Williams, digital marketing adjunct instructor at George Washington University and the University of Central Florida, it feels bigger because of the political climate we’re in.“Cracker Barrel is nostalgia for many, especially customers in the South and Midwest who feel ownership and pride over the brand,” Williams toldFortune. “For a brand that hasn’t changed its logo since 1977, even small changes to a symbol so tied to Americana can feel magnified.”Nierman argued, however, Cracker Barrel’s new logo doesn’t erase its legacy. Rather it softens its image. “Cracker Barrel has long leaned into a version of Americana that felt frozen in time,” he said. “This update suggests the brand is finally acknowledging that the world around it is changing, and it wants to be part of that future.”Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation SummitMay 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.

Yves Saint Laurent was the hottest luxury brand this year, beating Coach, Prada, and Bottega Veneta: It’s a clear ‘signal of the shifting landscape’

With the luxury industry in turmoil and challenges like tariffs and rising costs facing most fashion retailers, it hasn’t been easy determining which brands are resonating with consumers this year.Recommended VideoBut Lyst’s Q3 2025 Index offers some perspective on the “hottest brands and products” over the last three months. The index, which analyzes shopper behavior from “more than 160 million annual users across thousands of brands and stores,” featured French luxury retailer Yves Saint Laurent emerging at the top of the list for the first time.In second, third, and fourth place were Miu Miu, COS, and The Row, respectively. Coach, Prada, and Bottega Veneta followed closely, snagging the fifth, sixth, and seventh spots. Rounding out the top 10 were Loewe, Ralph Lauren, and Chloé.Though Kim Kardashian’s Skims ranked lower at No. 15, the brand saw a 271% YoY increase in demand.As for Saint Laurent, its iconic Le Loafer was a standout among shoppers searching for loafers. Other products making waves this season included Havaianas’s flip-flops and COS’s chunky cashmere sweater, both of which landed among Lyst’s “hottest products.”According to Lyst, the current landscape “rewards clear creative direction and consistent execution.”“The top brands this quarter reflect what we’re seeing across the Lyst platform: Shoppers want to feel confident in their choices,” Emma McFerran, CEO of Lyst, said in a statement. “Customers are shopping with intention, wishlisting versatile pieces that work across seasons, and gravitating towards brands with a clear identity.”Although the rankings shifted since the previous quarter, retailers like Saint Laurent, COS, Coach, The Row, and Miu Miu continue to dominate, remaining in the top 10 of Lyst’s quarterly index.“Fashion fans appreciate a clear, consistent vision that is powerfully articulated by a great, recognizable product,” Katy Lubin, VP of brand and communications at Lyst, previously told Retail Brew. “Customers also increasingly care about value, and the inclusion of brands like Coach and COS alongside the luxury players who have dominated the index for years, is a signal of the shifting landscape.”This report was originally published byRetail Brew.

Krispy Kreme will give you a free doughnut in August—if you’re wearing the right shoes

Krispy Kreme and Crocs are teaming up to introduce a doughnut-inspired pair of shoes.The owners of that footwear will get a free doughnut on Aug. 9.It’s pretty easy, if you’re patient, to get a free doughnut from Krispy Kreme. The company lures in customers regularly with promotions for holidays and special events. But if you need a mouthful of that glorious glazed fried dough now, there’s another way to get a freebie: Buy some Crocs.The doughnut chain and the footwear company have teamed up to offer a limited-edition pair of Crocs inspired by the company’s glazed offering. They’ll go on sale Aug. 5 (packaged in a Krispy Kreme box). And if you strut into any Krispy Kreme location wearing them on Aug. 9, you’ll get a free doughnut.The Crocs come equipped with interchangeable chocolate and strawberry icing dipped toe caps. Also available will be a five pack of Jibbitz charms, which include the Krispy Kreme sign, a hat with the company logo, and several doughnut varieties.To get your hands on a pair, head to participating Krispy Kreme locations on Aug. 4 and place an order or scan the Crocs QR code that will be on display. (You can learn if your local store is participating in the sale at this website.)“At Crocs, we’ve always believed in comfort you can customize—and now, with Krispy Kreme, we’re serving up style that’s glazed with personality and sprinkled with style,” Terence Reilly, chief brand officer for Crocs, said in a statement. “Because when it comes to self-expression, we ‘doughnut’ hold back.”It’s not just a shoe deal. To mark the occasion, Krispy Kreme will offer a special dozen made up of the company’s original glazed, chocolate iced with sprinkles, and strawberry iced with sprinkles. That collection of treats will be available from Aug. 4 to 10.So how much will the Krispy Kreme Crocs cost? Good question. The companies did not announce a price.Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation SummitMay 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.

Target foot traffic is still suffering 6 months post-boycott. An industry veteran says the retailer’s problems are bigger than curtailing DEI

Foot traffic at Target fell year over year for the sixth consecutive month in July, and while the slump began the week after the retailer backtracked on its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, some analysts say the real culprit is that Target is slipping on retail basics.Recommended VideoIn July, foot traffic at Target fell 3.8%, according to Placer.ai. Since announcing it was curtailing DEI on January 24, foot traffic has been down YoY for 25 of the last 27 weeks.While mediaoutlets (including thisone) have linked Target’s traffic losses to it eliminating some DEI initiatives (and the ensuing backlash and a boycott led by Black clergy), Walter Holbrook, an industry veteran whose resume includes 28 years as an executive at Kmart, believes that a bigger issue is Target struggling with the basics.Holbrook makes regular visits to a Target store in Jacksonville, Florida, and said that twice while shopping there on Sundays after church in the last two months, the store’s shopping cart corral was completely empty, something he documented once in a LinkedIn post. For the average consumer, the not-OK corral might have been just an inconvenience, but for Holbrook, a retail standard-bearer, “I could have exploded,” he told Retail Brew.“That’s the fundamentals,” Holbrook said. “If you can’t get that right, you can’t get anything right. If you don’t know that carts need to be kept filled on a Sunday afternoon, you’re in the wrong business.”Over the Fourth of July weekend, Neil Saunders, retail analyst and managing director at GlobalData, visited a Target and posted 15 photos on LinkedIn that documented shelves that were understocked (or completely empty), soiled, and in disarray.Target is “still not getting the basics right,” Saunders wrote in the post. “Fixture after fixture, including lucrative endcaps, are devoid of product. Essentials like kitchen paper are completely out of stock.”While there were “some nice ideas,” including a display with sundae toppings, “these things fall flat if you can’t get the basics right,” Saunders wrote. “Target is still training customers to ask: Why bother coming to the store?”Target did not respond to Retail Brew’s requests for comment about the foot traffic data and reports of issues like poorly stocked shelves.On August 10, the Wall Street Journal reported that about 40% of 260,000 Target employees who completed an internal company survey said they were not confident in the company’s future, a reported decline from a year ago.“While we recognize the hard work and progress under way, we’re not where we want to be,” Target CEO Brian Cornell told the WSJ.Middle ground: Ethan Chernofsky, CMO of Placer.ai, told Retail Brew that one of Target’s strengths is how it has found footing in what he calls the “bifurcation of retail” between luxury and value. Locating mini-stores within Target stores from retailers including Disney, Apple, and Casper creates a shopping environment that serves shoppers who don’t fit neatly in the luxury or value category but rather in the “middle” of both, Chernofsky said.“The ‘middle’ is, ‘I will spend more on the Disney toy for my kid, I will spend more on my iPhone, but I want to save money on socks,” Chernofsky said. “[Target] nailed that for so long, and that was what set them apart and made their growth so unique and special.”But in doing so, Chernofsky added, Target has raised expectations among consumers that they’ll have a more elevated experience than in a typical discount store, and he said his own experience is that the service at Target in the last year has not been as high as before, which he partly attributed to labor shortages faced by all retailers.“Labor shortages are more significant for someone who’s trying to nail that middle area,” Chernofsky said. “For someone who’s super value-oriented”—as opposed to being in that value-luxury middle—“if you’re not getting great service at Five Below, you’re not like, ‘Oh my God, nobody said hi to me.’”Ironically, perhaps, since his company’s data has been widelycited in documenting Target’s foot traffic declines over the last six months, Chernofsky believes the company’s ability to straddle discount and luxury is why it will rebound.“I’m weirdly more bullish about [Target] than I’ve ever been because I think the issues are very fixable,” Chernofsky said. “They live in this place where no one else is existing today, and that’s a really good place to be.”The cart of the deal: Cornell is expected to retire after his contract ends later this year and its board to choose a successor.“This decision by the board for new leadership is the most important decision in years for Target,” Holbrook said, adding that he also admires the retailer even as he’s found the shopping experience there wanting over the last couple years.“The retail industry is better off if we have a strong Target,” Holbrook said. “We need them to counterbalance everything else that’s going on, whether it’s Walmart or Amazon. We need that Target influence of fashion and style in the middle class that they can bring and capturing that aspirational shopper.”A few days ago, on Saturday, August 9, Holbrook sent us a photo he’d snapped at about 11 am at his local Target. The photo was of the store’s shopping cart corral.It contained a single cart.This report was originally published byRetail Brew.Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation SummitMay 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.

A Family Dollar store’s roof collapsed and killed a 68-year-old man two days after someone reported the building ‘slowly tilting’

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Part of the roof and front facade of a Family Dollar store in Kansas City, Missouri, collapsed Sunday, killing a 68-year-old man and seriously injuring a 50-year-old woman, authorities said.The building’s partial collapse occurred about 2:45 p.m. Sunday, the Kansas City Fire Department said. Two other people also were injured outside the building but were treated at the scene and refused further medical care, according to local television news reports.Those television reports showed part of the roof and front facade missing at what appeared to be the main entrance of the store, with brick, stone and wood debris on the ground.Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Hopkins said the man who died may have been walking by the building at the time. The woman who was seriously injured remained hospitalized.KMBC-TV reported that a public inspection record said that someone reported Friday that the building had begun “slowly tilting.” Authorities did not yet have an explanation for the collapse.Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation SummitMay 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.

Target still facing boycott from pro-DEI activists: ‘Leadership change doesn’t mean anything without a culture change’

Organizers of a Target boycott that began in January are pointing to their tactics as a hopeful sign that actions against corporate retailers can still make a deep impact.Recommended VideoWhen Target announced its current chief executive officer will be stepping down in February 2026 and an insider was taking the helm, those organizers saw it as a move in the right direction and stress more than ever that boycotts will continue as long as previous promises made to the public go unfulfilled.“It’s been now nearly 200 days and what all the statistics and economics are showing that since that boycott was announced on that Monday — every single week since then — Target foot traffic in nearly 2,000 stores has declined sharply and continues to decline,” said organizer Jaylani Hussein, at a news conference of the National Target Boycott movement outside Target’s Minneapolis headquarters late last week.Boycott organizers in Minnesota were among some of the first to galvanize when Target opted in January to follow other companies like Amazon and Walmart and forego diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. High-profile civil rights activists like the Rev. Al Sharpton and the Rev. Jamal Bryant also made similar calls for what they deemed a betrayal of previous DEI promises.Social justice advocates say this shows boycotting is a key tactic not to be taken for granted.Retail analysts say it’s difficult to gauge the exact impact of the boycott, since Target has faced a slump the last few years and a leadership change was in the cards. Still, groups like Washington-based DC Boycott Target Coalition insist falling foot traffic is “due in no small part” to a boycott that spans coast to coast.“The leadership change doesn’t mean anything without a culture change,” the group said in a statement, vowing to continue pressuring Target until the corporation sees its diversity goals as “more important than bowing to an administration that is filled with racism, failure and hatred.”Opponents began the national boycott in February, during Black History Month. Their strategy left some Black-owned brands with merchandise on Target shelves conflicted or scrambling.By April, Sharpton actually met with Target’s CEO Brian Cornell, who had been at the helm for 11 years. But, nothing concrete came of it.Target CEO change was long plannedCornell’s departure from the role had been in the works for several years.In September 2022, the board extended Cornell’s contract for three more years and eliminated a policy requiring its chief executives to retire at age 65. When Target’s chief operating officer Michael Fiddelke takes over, Cornell will transition to be executive chair of the board.In a call with reporters, Fiddelke attributed the sales malaise to many issues like focusing too much on basics and not enough trendy items, particularly in home goods.Data shows Target sales were already slidingStacey Widlitz, president of investment research firm SW Retail Advisors, said she believes that Target’s sales malaise has more to do with its operational issues — messy stores and poorly stocked shelves — not from its pullback from DEI initiatives.Unraveling them did not affect Target “exponentially compared to somebody else,” she said. “The consumer has a very short memory. If you have great, compelling product at value prices, they’ll forgive you.”The number of Americans who say they regularly shop at Target has gone down 19% since 2021, according to GWI, a behavioral attitudinal data provider. The number of Americans who say they do not shop at Target has risen 17%.The same analysis also looked at trends along party lines. Since last year, the number of regular Target shoppers who identify as Democrat has declined 13%. Inversely, the number of Republican customers has risen 13%. It’s not clear if that is due to Target’s $1 million donation to Trump’s inauguration or some other factors.Organizers are sticking to boycott strategyThe strategy of racial justice boycotts stretches back over 160 years, from Reconstruction era “Buy Black” campaigns stressing the Black American economic influence to the Montgomery Bus Boycott of the Civil Rights Movement. There have been more modern campaigns like the NAACP’s 15-year economic boycott of the state of South Carolina over its display of the confederate battle flag widely regarded as a symbol of hatred and slavery. The civil rights group ended its boycott in 2015 after the state removed the flag from its statehouse grounds, following the massacre of nine Black parishioners at a historic African Methodist Episcopal church in Charleston.Some Black creators on the social media platform TikTok rejoiced on the platform at the CEO leaving and credited the boycotts. Others cautioned that Cornell was essentially promoted but that the boycott is still needed.Black Americans’ buying power has climbed over the last 25 years and is now an estimated $2.1 trillion annually, according to Nielsen research.Part of the reason organizers say they have zeroed in on Target is because the company had heavily touted a commitment to DEI back in 2020 after protests erupted across the nation over the murder of George Floyd. That year, Target announced it would increase representation of Black staff by 20% over three years and invest $10 million in social justice organizations. In 2021, the company pledged to dedicate more than $2 billion toward Black-owned businesses before the end of 2025.In January, however, Target said it would conclude the hiring and advancement goals it had set.For boycott organizers, a reversal of those decisions is the only way to rectify the situation.“We’re expecting that Target is making good on the promises that it made. Otherwise there’s no point of discussion regarding calling off this boycott,” said Nekima Levy Armstrong, a civil rights attorney and past president of the Minneapolis chapter of the NAACP. “We’re asking people to join us, get involved and hold Target accountable for its actions.___AP Retail Writer Anne D’Innocenzio in New York contributed to this report.Fortune Brainstorm AIreturns to San Francisco Dec. 8–9 to convene the smartest people we know—technologists, entrepreneurs, Fortune Global 500 executives, investors, policymakers, and the brilliant minds in between—to explore and interrogate the most pressing questions about AI at another pivotal moment. Register here.

Cola lovers: PepsiCo has a prebiotic soda in the works for you—and it’s not Poppi

With the buzz around healthy sodas far from fizzling, Pepsi is doubling down on the emerging segment just months after acquiring one of its pioneers, Poppi, by launching a new innovation: Pepsi Prebiotic Cola.Recommended VideoThe product is “one of the largest new innovations in the cola category,” Mark Kirkham, CMO of PepsiCo Beverages US, told Retail Brew. Containing 5 grams of cane sugar, 30 calories, and 3 grams of prebiotic fiber, the new soda is aimed at giving consumers more soda choices, he said, as Pepsi tries to meet demand for more healthy options. It’ll be sold first online in Original Cola and Cherry Vanilla flavors for Black Friday and Cyber Monday, followed by a retail debut in February, priced at a premium to traditional Pepsi, Kirkham said.Poppi, whose acquisition was completed in May, also offers Classic Cola and Cherry Cola flavors with a nearly identical nutritional profile, but Kirkham sees the two as complementary, selling in two separate soda segments that reach different consumer sets.Kirkham broke down the new product, and how it fits into its portfolio alongside Poppi and aligns with Pepsi’s larger beverage innovation strategy.This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.Why did Pepsi decide to develop this product?One of the things we wanted to do is address two opportunities. One is the declining cola category. Particularly, we’ve seen occasions drop over time in the core, but especially in diet [soda], and also to look for new ways to deliver more, better-for-you functional ingredients into our core. And obviously this was early days in what has become the modern soda business, and we started working on this well over a year ago.We found…we could get to an amazing-tasting product that is no artificial sweeteners, that’s 5 grams of cane sugar, that’s got the taste of Pepsi…But also it’s got prebiotic fiber…And it’s the kind of ingredient that we’ve seen bringing new consumers into the category. The reality is, no one has that in cola, and obviously super complimentary to Poppi, who do have two cola SKUs, but that’s only 8% of their mix. We feel this is a great opportunity to: one; bring innovation to the traditional cola category; two, compliment this amazing new family member in Poppi—they are the leader in developing the modern soda category; and then three, offer choice. Offering choice to our consumers is the ultimate goal of these innovations…It’s a win-win for the consumer, and it’s a win-win for us.What are your thoughts about how similar those products are?A lot of what makes Poppi so special is it’s been built from the ground up. It always was clean label, natural ingredients. One of the biggest drivers there was always the apple cider vinegar. When you taste their cola, particularly their cherry and their regular cola, it’s a very different flavor profile than, let’s say, traditional cola, like we offer with Pepsi. We felt there are a lot of cola lovers out there that have this certain expectation of a cola flavor, particularly of Pepsi, but they also want alternatives in terms of different sweetener systems, or added benefits, or having lower sugar. Being able to address that part of the market that may not be being addressed through the cola segment within modern soda—that’s where the real opportunity is for us.The prebiotic soda space has been popping off for several years. What instigated the development of this product now?We were just listening to the consumer, and we were seeing the emergence of different segments in the category.This is about Pepsi, and Pepsi delivering a new product to address the consumers of cola, or, in the case of maybe some of the younger consumers who maybe didn’t grow up with cola like I did, right?…We’re bringing them in through the fact that this is only 5 grams of sugar, no artificial sweeteners, that it’s only 30 calories, and the prebiotic fiber gives it a new way to bring in a different audience and a new consumer.We actually think it’s a great opportunity for, let’s say, Gen X female diet cola drinkers. There’s an opportunity to really source from a broader range of consumers. This is not just a pure Gen Z play, which is very much what’s built modern soda. This is a broader play for cola lovers.How are you balancing innovating on the core versus bringing on acquisitions like Poppi?The reality is you have to do both…I like to say “core and more.” The only way you’re really going to drive growth in some of our categories is to really ensure that your core is healthy and that you’re continuing to innovate your core, but at the same time, you cannot miss out on these new and emerging categories, like what we saw in modern soda and Poppi. It’s a balanced approach that you need to take with innovation, but you must make sure that you’re doing both core and more, because we built this amazing brand for over 125 years. We’’ve helped create amazing products through our Diets, through our Zeros, but this next generation of consumer and as the category evolves, there’s opportunities to offer new innovation within the core, and that’s what we’re doing.This report was originally published byRetail Brew.Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation SummitMay 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.

Starbucks asks customers in South Korea to stop bringing printers and desktop computers into stores as workers transform cafés into remote offices

Starbucks patrons in South Korea are setting up de facto officesat the coffee chain, bringing along their desktop computers and printers. The company implemented a new policy banning bulky items from store locations. In South Korea, where office space is scant, remote workers are using cafés as a cheap place to work.There’s getting cozy at a Starbucks to sip a latte and catch up on emails, and then there’s lugging your printer and desktop to the coffee chain to clock into work.Recommended VideoStarbucks South Korea is experiencing this exact phenomenon and is now barring patrons from bringing in large pieces of work equipment, treating the cafés like their own amenity-stuffed office space.“Starbucks Korea has updated its policy so all customers can have a pleasant and accessible store experience. While laptops and smaller personal devices are welcome, customers are asked to refrain from bringing desktop computers, printers, or other bulky items that may limit seating and impact the shared space,” a Starbucks spokesperson toldFortunein a statement.The company said it will continue to be a “welcoming third space.” The store policy change was first reported by theKorea Herald.Starbucks has been a fixture in Korea since opening its first store there, in the Edae neighborhood of Seoul, in 1999. South Korea has surpassed Japan in the number of Starbucks stores, boasting 2,050 to Japan’s 2,040 locations, despite having less than half its population.But the coffee chain’s crackdown oncagongjok, a term referring to individuals spending prolonged periods of time working at cafés, may indicate a changing attitude toward customers who may be loyal but taking Starbucks’ burgeoning efforts to become a cozy third space for granted. Starbucks South Korea is majority owned by retail giant E-Mart Inc. as of 2021. Starbucks continues to oversee its licensed business.For years, there have been pockets ofcagongjokas a result of the COVID-induced remote-work boom, as well as the rise of temporary-contract jobs following the 1997 Asian financial crisis, according to Jo Elfving-Hwang, an associate professor of Korean society and culture at Curtin University in Australia.“It’s quite a cheap way to work really,” Elfving-Hwang toldFortune. “You can just go and have a cup of coffee, work there—but people are taking it a little bit to the extreme nowadays.”Rising visibility ofcagongjokKorea has a strong tearoom culture, Young-Key Kim-Renaud, professor emeritus of Korean language and culture and international affairs at George Washington University, toldFortune.“Even when they were dirt-poor, people gathered in the tearooms to discuss things [like] literature, art, politics, or whatever, and felt that they were civilized,” she said.Butcagongjok—a portmanteau of the Korean words for café, study, and a word for a tribe that has taken on a pejorative meaning—has gained public awareness as a result of South Korea’s labor market and remote-work shift. The pandemic caused an influx of employees needing to work remotely, but as many Koreans returned to the office, government redevelopment restrictions limited how much space was available for businesses to set up their employees in office spaces—especially in South Korea’s capital of Seoul, where rent prices are skyrocketing as businesses fight over office spaces. Office vacancies in Seoul remained low last quarter at around 2.6%, according to April data from commercial real estate service CBRE, while rent for the offices increased on average 1.5% from the quarter before. Korean companies failing to find or afford office spaces has led some to let employees work in third-party co-working spaces or remotely, Elfving-Hwang said, leaving many to flock to cafés.“People just started working from home more, and [businesses] discovered that they didn’t necessarily need a space in the same way,” she said. “Part of the reason is that it’s become more of a practice that just a lot of companies discovered that they didn’t necessarily need an office of their own.”However, not all café owners are so sympathetic to changing labor culture, calling cagongjok “electricity thieves” and claiming patrons stay working at their businesses for hours while nursing just a single cup of coffee in that time.While the rise of remote workers in cafés marks the shift of coffee shops from a place of leisure to a place of work, Elfving-Hwang said, she said she believed it was only a matter of time before coffee shops itched to shift the balance back toward reputations of relaxation.“I was surprised it took so long,” she said.Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation SummitMay 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.

Elon Musk’s Tesla Diner is a next step in the beleaguered EV-maker’s plan to create an ‘all-encompassing brand,’ analyst Dan Ives says

Tesla is making its foray into the restaurant business,opening its first Tesla Diner on Monday. The concept is serving french fries and burgers, but also features charging stations, movie screens, and Optimus robots. As the EV maker continues to limp, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said the diner is a way for Tesla to revive its battered brand.A tuna melt served in a cardboard Cybertruck box is just all part of Tesla’s recovery plan. Recommended VideoThe EV maker has ventured into the hospitality industry, opening the first Tesla Diner in Los Angeles on Monday. The retro-futuristic restaurant, complete with movie screens and 80 Tesla charging stations, will also serve up diner classics, from $12 “epic bacon” to $4 tallow-fried french fries to $13 hot dogs. The restaurant has enlisted the help of Tesla’s Optimus robots to serve popcorn to patrons. The Tesla Diner also sells a line of merchandise. Early reviews on social media have praised the food, despite waiting an hour and a half in line for apple pie and hash browns.CEO Elon Musk has already eyed expansion for the open-24/7 concept, which he called an “island of good food, good vibes & entertainment.”“If our retro-futuristic diner turns out well, which I think it will, @Tesla will establish these in major cities around the world, as well as at Supercharger sites on long distance routes,” Musk wrote on social media. Tesla electric vehicles charge as people wait in line outside the Tesla Diner in Los Angeles on July 21. The diner, located along the Historic Route 66, is located at the site of a former Shakey’s Pizza Parlor.I RYU—VCG/Getty ImagesA Tesla Optimus robot serves popcorn to a patron at the opening of the Tesla Diner in Los Angeles on July 19. The diner is complete with movie screens and 80 Tesla charging stations.Carlin Stiehl—Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesAs other brands jump on the nostalgia-based dining concept—Cheez-It last year opened a Woodstock, New York, diner with Cheez-It milkshakes on the menu—Tesla’s foray into the restaurant business is an opportunity to build hype for a brand that’s taken a beating, according to Tesla bull and Wedbush Securities managing director Dan Ives.“It’s all about brand, and that’s everything that Musk is building in his next phase,” Ives toldFortune. “It fits very well with what they’re trying to do: They’re trying to lay out an all-encompassing brand that eventually goes from the car to the house to a restaurant to other areas of AI.”Tesla continues to struggle in California, where sales have declined for seven straight quarters, including an 18.3% crater in registrations in the state year-to-date. After launching its robotaxi pilot in Austin last month, Tesla has stoked concern for the product’s growth as the service has not yet scaled and has been subject to safety concerns following a near-accident. Musk has rested the fate of the company on the highly anticipated robotaxi, which has not yet created the returns needed to expand the company’s production of its Optimus robot.The restaurant concept, according to Ives, is “Musk building out the next leg of the Tesla growth story.” With a “cult-like following,” Tesla—a company that does not invest in advertising—can begin to incrementally attract customers.Tesla did not respond toFortune’s request for comment.Some food items at the newly opened Tesla Diner in Los Angeles are served in cardboard Cybertruck boxes.Carlin Stiehl / Los Angeles Times—Getty ImagesElon Musk: ‘War-time CEO‘Musk’s renewed focus on Tesla’s brand is what Ives had hoped for after months of pleading for the CEO to distance himself from President Donald Trump, for whom he served as “First Buddy” and ringleader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) tasked with uprooting bureaucracy and culling billions of dollars in federal spending.But Musk’s controversial role in the Trump administration alienated his eco-conscious customer base, stoking protests against Tesla and drawing ire from investors worried the CEO was taking his attention away from his flailing company. All said, in Musk’s 130-day stint as a special government employee that ended in May, he lost and gained $100 billion of his net worth, ultimately ending his tenure with $27 billion less in wealth than he had before Trump’s inauguration.In March, following Tesla recording its worst single-day sell off, losing $127 billion in market value, Ives called Musk’s proximity to the Trump administration a “brand tornado crisis moment” for Tesla. Now, Ives said the brand damage to Tesla is “contained,” albeit still here.The newly opened Tesla Diner in Los Angeles draws on a retro-futuristic look.PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP—Getty Images“Musk is now more of a wartime CEO,” Ives said. “And it’s about looking forward, not behind.”Earlier this month, Ives outlined in a note to investors how Tesla’s board can help Musk right the ship. He suggested creating an incentive-driven pay package that would give Musk a bigger stake in the company and more voting power in order to keep Musk focused, particularly on a framework to merge Tesla with xAI—a move Musk opposes. Ives also indicated the board should limit Musk’s political pursuits by setting up a committee to oversee his political ambitions, including donations.“Tesla is heading into one of the most important stages of its growth cycle with the autonomous and robotics future now on the doorstep and cannot have Musk spending more and more time creating a political party, which will require countless time, energy, and political capital,” Ives wrote.Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation SummitMay 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.