The Goods (U.S. Edition) – Thread the Word
Welcome back to The Goods! This week we’re discussing hotels removing bathroom doors, one brand teaching Gen Z how to repair their clothes, and why we may see an uptick in retail mergers and IPOs this year.
Hack Talk: Cybersecurity Insights from the Holiday Shopping Season
The holiday season was not only a time for sales, it was also a time for scams. A reported 46% of holiday shoppers are likely to purchase something immediately if it is a good deal – often without vetting the source – creating a windfall for cybercriminals. Meanwhile, groups like the notorious “Jingle Thief” use phishing and smishing methods to steal big retailers’ credentials and carry out widescale gift card fraud. This type of fraud is all the rage among hackers, as gift cards don’t require extensive personal information and are hard to track down. From fraudulent websites to malicious links, consumers are looking to retailers to keep them informed and protected from these threats.
In today’s environment, cyber communications preparedness should be on every company’s New Year’s resolution list. Check out more from our experts here.
What’s In: This Week’s Trends
- Some Choice Words: Shoppers may be pulling back, but executives have found a different way to say it. Consumers aren’t buying less… they’re just being “choiceful.” The buzzword has taken over earnings calls as brands try to explain slower sales without sounding the alarm, popping up 70 times across 43 calls in 2025, according to FactSet. Translation: people are still spending, but they are buying fewer items, stretching budgets, and holding out for value. The trend goes to show that as sales continue to soften, so does the language executives use to describe it.
- Door Wars: Hotel bathrooms are having a privacy crisis, with more properties swapping traditional doors for sliding barn doors, frosted glass panels, or barely-there partitions. Hotels say it saves space and cuts costs, but guests are not exactly thrilled by the concept. One fierce bathroom door advocate and traveler has launched a “Bring Back Doors” campaign, tracking hundreds of hotels based on whether their bathroom doors close all the way or if they are made of glass. With more than 500 hotels already listed as falling in the “no door” category, it turns out that a closed-off bathroom might be the most underrated amenity of all.
- Make the Post of It: The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is making a new revenue play by opening its last-mile delivery network to outside bidders, including retailers. The last mile is the most expensive part of deliveries, with the Postal Service serving more than 170 million U.S. addresses six days a week. As a result, USPS is inviting companies to submit proposals for access to more than 18,000 local delivery units and processing centers. After warning it could run out of cash as soon as early 2027, the Postal Service is banking on major shippers and retailers to participate in the bidding process… and hopefully add billions of dollars in revenue.
Cash or Card: Consumer Behavior
What’s going on with the consumer these days? This week we talk about consumers putting their credit cards on ice in January and Americans becoming pickier with their energy drinks.
- I’m Not Buying It: A growing number of Americans are kicking off the year by purchasing… nothing. “No Buy January” – a social-media-fueled challenge to avoid nonessential purchases for 31 days – is gaining traction among Gen Z and millennials feeling squeezed by inflation and economic uncertainty. About 12% of consumers are joining the zero spend trend this year, according to NerdWallet, and Google searches for “No Buy January” hit a five-year high in December. Participants are cutting back on clothes, skincare, coffee, and takeout, with some even locking up their credit cards to enforce discipline.
- Fizzy Spell: Energy drink consumers are rethinking how they power through the day. Convenience-store energy drink sales climbed 10% in 2025, with unit sales up 8%, according to Circana data, but shoppers aren’t just chasing maximum caffeine anymore. Taste now rules, with 75% of consumers saying flavor influences their energy drink choice more than caffeine, and younger buyers caring as much about carbonation as the buzz itself. Health-conscious habits are reshaping routines too, with 34% of consumers drinking fewer energy drinks in exchange for caffeinated water, and 29% swapping in favor of functional flavored water.
Making Moves: Industry Transformations & Innovation
ICYMI, even industry icons need to reinvigorate their brand presence through unique and creative ways. Here are some new brand moves that you should know about:
- Back to Bass-ics: Walmart is tuning up its online marketplace with a major push into musical instruments and gear, hoping to hit the right note with musicians and creators. The retail giant is adding thousands of items, from keyboards and guitars to amplifiers, featuring brands like Fender, Roland, and Boss. Shoppers can expect a mix of brand-new and pre-owned gear, signaling Walmart’s intent to challenge specialized competitors like Guitar Center and Reverb.com. With this groovy move, the retailer is targeting specialized shoppers who tend to splurge on high-ticket and impulse buys, while also exploring collaborations with musical artists.
- And Then There Was Bun: Given slowing sales and the cooling demand for plant-based meat, Beyond Meat is jumping the bun and testing the waters with Beyond Immerse, a line of fruit-flavored, carbonated protein drinks made with pea protein, tapioca fiber, antioxidants, and electrolytes. Sold for a limited time online, the 60-100 calorie drinks deliver 10-20 grams of protein and seven grams of fiber in flavors like peach mango, lemon lime, and orange tangerine. The move signals Beyond’s attempt to extend its plant-based nutrition credentials beyond burgers and into a crowded, but fast-growing, protein beverage market.
- Thread the Word: Levi Strauss & Co. is teaching Gen Z how to repair and refresh their clothes. The Levi’s Wear Longer Project was inspired by a Levi’s-led survey of 601 adults, which found that over a third of Gen Z would keep clothing longer if they knew how to fix it. Developed with Discovery Education, the program offers free workshops and resources on sewing buttons, hemming, patching holes, and repairing tears. The initiative kicked off at Levi’s Eureka Innovation Lab in San Francisco, with more sessions planned throughout the year, including a Super Bowl weekend activation.
Capital Markets Corner
What consumer news is moving the market this week? Our investor relations experts break down this week’s trends and headlines.
- Let’s Make a Deal: Dealmakers at this year’s ICR Conference expect a resurgence of retail mergers and IPOs in 2026, following a slowdown in early 2025 due to U.S. tariffs. According to CEOs, M&A advisors and private equity investors who attended the conference, a notable pipeline of restaurant chains, convenience stores, and branded consumer businesses are preparing to go public, which could also accelerate private equity exits. This would build on dealmaking momentum in the second half of 2025, which was marked by a series of large transactions like Kimberly-Clark’s move to acquire Kenvue in November. The outlook suggests a more aggressive retail deal environment, also potentially spurring greater activist pressure for mergers, divestitures, or corporate breakups.
Word on the Hill
The Word Retailers have been on pins and needles awaiting the Supreme Court’s decision on the legality of the Trump administration’s tariffs.
What It Means: Even if the Court rules against the IEEPA tariffs, the administration could still pursue other avenues for imposing duties, though they would likely be more limited in scope and duration. The bigger question is what happens to the $200 billion these tariffs have generated so far. American consumers and importers absorbed 96% of those costs, according to a study released this week by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.
Meanwhile, on the Street… Trump threatened a 200% tariff on French wines this week after France refused to join his “Board of Peace.” That would push a $60 bottle of champagne to $180. At that price, “champagne taste on a beer budget” takes on a new meaning.
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The Goods (U.S. Edition) – Thread the Word
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