As 2026 FIFA World Cup officially gets going on June 11, all kinds of consumer brands — fast-food chains, jewelry sellers, toymakers, snack and beverage producers and fashion brands are creatively jockeying for ways to cash in on this major global marketing event that promises to grab a big chunk of the world’s attention over the coming weeks.

How big? More than 4 in 10 adults worldwide will follow the World Cup, according to YouGov, a market research and data analytics firm.

The Soccer World Cup is the most-watched single sporting event globally and this year’s tournament will have 48 teams from around the world compete in more than 100 matches involving over 1,000 players in total. The matches will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico with the final match taking place at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 19.

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On the eve of FIFA World Cup 2026, check out these eye-popping stats in a report from Bank of America Global Research:

• The tournament is projected to engage more than 6 billion people globally, up from 5 billion in 2022.

• A FIFA-WTO study estimates that the 2026 World Cup could add about $41 billion to global GDP and support more than 800,000 jobs, including 185,000 jobs in the US.

• The final match of the tournament could consume up to 7% of global internet traffic.

• Sectors best positioned to benefit from World Cup-driven demand include travel & lodging, beverages, sportswear, restaurants, broadcasting, social media, and online betting.

For brands across all of these sectors, and others, the gigantic marketing opportunity that comes with a tie-in to the World Cup can’t be ignored.

To that end, here’s a sampling of how brands are capitalizing on this year’s World Cup fever:

FIFA is sparking World Cup fandom on Roblox: FIFA is chasing young and adult soccer fans during World Cup 2026 with the launch of “FIFA Super Soccer on Roblox.” FIFA, and gaming and media company Gamefam, have partnered on an activation that brings the biggest sports event of the year to life on Gen Alpha’s virtual platform, Roblox. As the official home of FIFA on Roblox, FIFA Super Soccer features all 48 participating national teams, a FIFA World Cup 2026 stadium, gameplay quests, exclusive player rewards and connections to the tournament including live standings and scoreboards. The action in FIFA Super Soccer will also extend across five other games.

World Cup 2026 Squishmallows: Thank FIFA for a fresh spin on the viral Squishmallows plush toy that first appeared in 2017, and has sold more than 485 million worldwide. The three 8-inch plush toys inspired by the FIFA World Cup 2026, and its host countries, include Clutch the Bald Eagle, Maple the Moose, and Zayu the Jaguar.

Add some sparkle and patriotic fervor to watch-day fits: If ever there was an event tailor-made for adding some sparkle to game-day excitement it’s the Soccer World Cup, and one viral beauty brand is all over it. Fazit, maker of glitter freckle makeup patches, has partnered with beauty lounge franchise Blushington (that provides hair blowouts, professional makeup applications and other services) to provide Fazit’s Team Soccer Collection Patches as an exclusive $15 add-on service available beginning June 11th, the opening day of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, across Blushington’s lounge locations in New York City, Houston, and Boca Raton.

“At Blushington, we’re always excited by the intersection of beauty and sports, and the way those worlds come together through culture, identity, and self-expression,” said Nicki Maron, Co-Founder of Blushington.

Chipotle wants to look the part: Chipotle will launch a “Matchday BOGO” on June 11, giving fans who wear a soccer jersey after 3 p.m. local time on Thursday a buy-one-get-one entrée offer in the U.S., UK and Canada. The fast food chain also unveiled a limited-edition soccer jersey of its own inspired by soccer culture and streetwear that is available for its loyalty program members. The back of the jersey features the number 53, representing the number of Chipotle’s ingredients in its dishes and the fact that only 53 jerseys in total will be made available.

Charmed by soccer: Pandora, the world’s largest jewelry company, released new soccer-themed charms that celebrate the sport’s biggest event.

Gap embraces World Cup mania:

Gap has launched two exclusive collections for the football fandom, in collaboration with Ouigi Theodore, founder and creative force behind The Brooklyn Circus. The football-inspired clothing and accessories collection pays tribute to soccer’s style influences. Products from both collections are available on gap.com and in select Gap $stores across key host cities. The OuiGap collection is also available internationally, including in the United Kingdom, Turkey, China, Vietnam and Mexico and Japan.

Score a McDonald’s limited-time FIFA World Cup 26 meal: McDonald’s is giving fans a limited-time FIFA World Cup 26 meal and Happy Meal, with a chance to score collectible keepsake cups featuring global soccer stars and one of 23 Squishmallows plushies, including the official mascots for FIFA World Cup 26, representing the three host countries: Canada, Mexico, and the United States.

Target brings World Cup energy to its parking lots: Target is transforming select Target store parking lots in Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston and Clifton, New Jersey into interactive play spaces with mini soccer pitches, games, giveaways, hands-on activities and family-friendly experiences. Visitors even get to walk through a players tunnel on their way inside.

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The popup, open until June 20, offers limited-time pickled bites like hot dogs with pickles, pickle grilled cheese, pickle cocktail on select dates, and fun merch that includes exclusive pickle-inspired slides.

Eddie Andre, Grillo’s Pickles very first employee and its vp of branding, told us about how the brand launched in 2008 by selling pickles made with a 100-year-old family recipe out of a wooden cart in downtown Boston.

Today, Grillo’s Pickles is available nationwide at grocery stores, including Whole Foods Market, Target and Walmart locations.

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Dear reader: Bagable.com is turning the spotlight on our fav products

The sun is hot in a crystal-blue sky and we’re dreaming about a walk in the sand. It’s definitely time to dress up with our trendy summer nails 💅

At Bagable, we’re loving Nails.INC 4-in-1 polish that gives a gel-like longwear finish without the need for a UV lamp. The 4-in-1 formula includes a built-in basecoat, treatment, color and topcoat in a single bottle.

We tried a bunch of colors and even hopped on the “jelly nails” trend with Nails.INC x Smucker limited-edition collab on a nail polish line inspired by the Smucker’s fruity jelly.

It’s been a few days and we’re waiting for the color to chip! We’re putting these in the bag 🛍️

Set in a Founding-era tavern brought to life, Bagable.com was invited to a unique tasting of the new four-pack beer lineup (priced at $18) that was inspired by the authentic beers of the country’s original brewers and were once poured in Colonial American taverns and enjoyed by the nation’s Founding Fathers.

The beers include George Washington Porter, James Madison Dark Wheat Ale, 1790 Hard Root Beer and No. 3 Ginger Honey Ale, and are now available for a limited time, while supplies last on GiveThemBeer.com.

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If ever there was a summer to hit the road for a much-needed break from everyday life, it’s the summer of 2026.

Yes, gas prices are up - by a lot- because of the ongoing US-Israeli war in Iran layered on top of car owners heading into the warmer weather period when prices at the pump typically trend higher.

Meanwhile, households across America are also repeatedly digging deeper to afford groceries and other day-to-day necessities at a pace that isn’t keeping up with increases in their paychecks.

Against this stressful economic backdrop, vacationers this year are still hoping to get away, recharge, indulge in new and meaningful experiences and do it in a cost-efficient way. Many will choose to avoid costlier air travel (which can add up and exceed the price tag for road trips based on a few factors) in favor of driving.

“Even amid economic uncertainty, consumers are still finding ways to prioritize travel and spending on the experiences that matter most to them,” said Lauren Lazarus, senior vice president of insights and analytics with GSTV.

GSTV, a digital content and advertising media platform which operates a national network of video screens at more than 29,000 fuel retailers and convenience locations across the country, is able to get a read on Americans’ travel intentions.

The company’s network reaches about 40% of American adults, or about 115 million monthly unique viewers. GSTV recently tapped into this audience to assess their upcoming travel plans, popular destinations and ways to make trips more affordable this year.

“People stop at convenience stores a lot when they are traveling, and you see that tick up over the summer,” Lazarus said in an interview with Bagable.com. “Every year, we want to better understand how our consumers are traveling - are they looking to travel the same way, is the summer road trip alive and well, or even better than before.”

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According to the survey findings, 38% of people polled in the 2026 GSTV summer travel insights survey said gas prices have not derailed their travel plans, while 72% said they planed to travel by car in the coming months.

At the same time, people are being very intentional with their summer trips, especially younger vacationers, who are planning their road trips around specific IRL experiences such as ultimate sporting events that include the FIFA World Cup (which kicks off on June 11 with the United States hosting 78 of the matches), popular music concerts or creating new memories with family and friends.

Of those polled in the survey who said they would be attending a World Cup match, 53% indicated they would drive one hour to five hours or more.

Also, 45% of respondents said they are driving but choosing destinations closer to home and seeking city adventures, while 57% said they will travel more this summer than last year. The survey polled 500 respondents from January 2026 to March 2026 and was conducted by MFour Mobile Research for GSTV.

In money-saving moves, 27% of road trippers, who are parents, are expected to pack snacks or meals to take on the go instead of loading up on food and drinks along the way at gas station convenience stores.

“More than one in three travelers are planning to drive over 500 miles on vacation this year,” Lazarus told Bagable.com. “These are pretty hefty road trips. The other finding that stood out is this theme of leaning into IRL experiences, especially among Gen Z. They really want to be among other people and make connections in person. It was an interesting insight into this [digital-native]generation.”

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Lab-grown diamonds have hit a new level of market dominance. For two months this year, India, a global diamonds powerhouse for polished diamonds, exported more lab-grown diamonds than natural ones.

“India’s diamonds industry has crossed a major threshold,“ Edahn Golan, jewelry industry analyst and founder of Edahn Golan Diamond Research & Data, told Bagable.com.

According to Golan, the Gem & Jewelry Export Promotion Council of India released recent data that showed India’s gross loose lab-grown diamond exports totaled 1.3 million carats in March and 1.4 million carats in April of this year. That compares with gross volume of natural diamond exports from India of 1.2 million carats in March and 1.3 million carats in April of 2026.

By volume, 51% of exported diamonds in March from India (which accounts for as much as 90% of all diamond cutting and polishing globally) were lab-grown, he said, while in April the share stood at 50.4%.

Golan, in a research note, called it a “major shift, arguably a tectonic one” for the diamonds industry as consumer demand (especially among Millennials and Gen Zers) for lab-grown diamonds continues to grow in the US and elsewhere.

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“It’s not surprising that this has happened,” Golan told Bagable.com. “One, India is a major diamonds polishing center and it also makes a lot of lab-grown diamonds. It’s a top two producer of lab diamonds in the world after China. At the same time, India’s imports of rough lab-grown diamonds, mainly from China and Dubai, are also rising.”

Second, it’s a sign of where diamonds demand is going, primarily in the US because the US is the biggest consumer of diamond jewelry and accounts for more than 50% of global retail demand for the gemstone, he said.

“The diamond industry is going through a major change. In 2025, 75% of all lab diamonds, whether they are loose diamonds or set in jewelry, were priced under $2,500. The main driver of growth of lab diamonds is engagement rings.”

Last year, almost 54% of all engagement rings sold in the US contained lab diamonds that were most likely polished in India, Golan said.

Gen Zers are actively choosing man-made diamonds. “The average marriage age in the US is 28/29 years old and these are older Gen Z,” he said. “They’re looking more at price, not necessarily value. Natural diamonds of a certain quality and size are expensive. Younger consumers may aspire to own them but perhaps can’t afford to. Instead, they look for a version of a natural diamond they really like that is also low cost. Lab diamonds give them this option.”

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For instance, the average retail price so far this year of a loose three-carat lab diamond is about $3,000. A similar natural diamond of that weight would cost about $35,000, Golan said.

Despite this shifting sentiment that favors lab diamonds among younger consumers, Golan said India’s lab diamond exports outpacing natural diamonds “does not signal the demise of natural diamonds.”

The two products may be chemically similar, but economically they operate in entirely different orbits in terms of their value disparity, he said.

“I think about the role that an engagement ring has played historically. Pre World War II, it was about stored value. In Asia, fine jewelry today is still bought on the basis of weight because in tough times, you can sell it to get some financial relief,” he said. “Engagement rings represented that promise, that if anything dire should happen, the ring was something that could be sold to quickly provide money. The question I keep asking myself is if this preference for lab diamonds is sustainable in the long term.”

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Bagable.com took a walk with a few furry four-legged friends from Bideawee Pet Adoption Center in NYC this week, courtesy of EltaMD Skincare.

The ☀️ was out, temperatures were soaring 🥵 and it was still a great day to be reminded about the importance of skin health, and giving back.

EltaMD, in partnership with the Melanoma Research Foundation, has launched a limited-edition colorful version of its UV Daily Broad-Spectrum SPF 40 that features custom artwork by UK-based artist Lucy Kirk.

For every purchase of it, the brand is donating one sunscreen to the Melanoma Research Foundation, up to $1 million in retail value to support broader access to sun protection.

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Olive Kim knows a thing or two about K-beauty.

Widely recognized as a pioneering force in making Korean skincare and cosmetics become mainstream in the US, the beauty entrepreneur now wants American shoppers to level up to K-beauty 2.0. — in other words — “K-Wellness.”

“What you’re consuming is now a big part of K-beauty, which I like to refer to as K-Wellness,” Kim said in an interview with Bagable.com. “We’ve seen K-beauty take off in the past decade in the US. More recently, it’s evolving and there’s so much more awareness and interest in the real function of K-beauty, which is the concept of ‘inner beauty.’ We would like that to mean being kind and gracious to others. Another dimension of it is inner beauty fueled by what you consume.”

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Kim is the former co-founder and CEO of Los Angeles-based K-beauty brand, The Crème Shop. The K-beauty brand was founded in 1988 and it introduced affordable Korean skincare and makeup products in cute packaging to American consumers.

It took a while for K-beauty to gain traction. By the early-to-mid 2000s, younger consumers caught on. Sheet masks, BB creams, lip tints and the Korean beauty trend of “glass skin” went viral, elevating K-beauty to new heights.

By then, The Crème Shop had also expanded into major retailers, including CVS stores nationwide. In 2022, K-beauty was no longer a niche concept to western consumers. That same year, a South Korean beauty conglomerate acquired a majority stake in The Crème Shop for $120 million, and then fully acquired it in 2025.

According to NIQ, a market research and consumer insights firm, K-beauty sales in the US surged to $2 billion in 2025- up 37% year-over-year—led by purchases of skincare and haircare products and their more widespread availability, including on Amazon and in retail chains such as Sephora and Ulta .

Kim currently is fully focused on her new endeavor called “Clöud Café,” and on educating K-beauty fans on K-beauty’s holistic approach that seeks to boost beauty and health from the inside out.

“K-beauty isn’t just about topical. There’s a lot more nuance to it,” she said.

While the skincare and cosmetics part of K-beauty has ballooned into a fast-growing multi-billion-dollar slice of the US beauty industry, K-Wellness is still in its infancy.

“If I had to put a number on it, we’ve seen maybe 5% to 10% of K-Wellness coming to the US so far,” Kim said.

With that in mind, Kim launched Clöud Café, a line of hydrolyzed, marine collagen-infused flavored instant coffees and teas, and Collagen Gummies by Clöud Café, (a line of marine collagen-infused gummies) in 2024.

“After being in the K-beauty world for so long, I really had tried everything on my face,” said Kim. “I realized at that point that what was on the outside is also a reflection of what is going on on the inside connected to what I was eating, supplements I was taking and my other consumption habits.”

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“Long story short, I created Clöud Café connecting two of my most functionally necessary things, collagen and my other love, coffee,” she said.

After about a year invested in research and development, and testing more than 150 formulas, Clöud Café rolled out into Ulta stores in March this year within the Wellness by Ulta Beauty section of curated products that focus on inner health. The brand also entered and Target in early May.

The products include black coffee, strawberry matcha latte, royal milk tea, matcha latte, strawberry milk zero, vanilla latte, and hot choco zero, priced at $14 for a 10-pack of black coffee and $14 for a 7-pack of all other flavors.

The brand is also available on Amazon and specialty Asian products stores.

“I’m a huge advocate of collagen as an anti-aging supplement. I wanted to create a product that made collagen consumption very easy,” said Kim.

“I also drink an insane amount of coffee a day. What’s surprising to a lot of people is that South Korea is one of the top manufacturers of instant coffee. I had this crazy idea of putting two and two together,” she said. “Clöud Café became that idea of creating an experience where you get a delectable drink and it can also help you in your glow-up phase.”

If they have any concerns about the ingredients, Kim said buyers of Clöud Café products (which are all manufactured in South Korea) can consult with their doctors “to be extra safe.”

Kim also teased more products coming from Clöud Café. “There’s so much more that we’re working on regarding new flavors, products and innovation,” she said. “We’re very excited.”

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Dubai chocolate had its sweet, frenzied viral moment with consumers. Now, on to the next most-wanted flavor to grip our palate.

It may not be as exotic as pistachio cream mixed with finely-shredded crunchy pastry but it is something immediately familiar to us. It’s a fruit, and a flavor, that instantly evokes juicy sweetness and warm summer breezes.

Let’s get reacquainted with the humble watermelon.

After an intense love affair with the highly decadent Dubai chocolate dessert - and the flavor concept seeping into everything from iced matcha lattes, ice cream bars, donuts to even pizzas — tastemakers are now gushing over watermelon, a naturally-grown green ball of water (92%) with some natural sugar thrown in.

As a flavor profile, watermelon has erupted as the hottest thing in town. We’re definitely seeing it in beverages.

According to industry publication BeverageDaily, new watermelon-flavored launches are rapidly popping up in sports drinks, bottled tea offerings, sparkling water and alcohol brands.

Wendy’s last month debuted a new lineup of watermelon-flavored beverages: Watermelon Lemonade, Watermelon Sparkling Energy, and Sprite Watermelon.

“With spring comes warmer weather and refreshing changes in routines, and we are seeing an appetite for bold flavors that mix comfort and discovery," Lindsay Radkoski, chief marketing officer with Wendy's, said in a statement.

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Jumping on the watermelon wagon, McDonald’s in April unveiled its first-ever lineup of refreshers and crafted sodas. Among the flavors - you guessed it - watermelon, or specifically, its Strawberry Watermelon Refresher, which blends strawberry and watermelon flavors with a lemonade base and freeze‑dried strawberries added in for “visual flair.”

Watermelon is appearing more frequently on restaurant menus.

The National Watermelon Promotion Board (the trade group representing more than 700 watermelon growers, shippers and importers nationwide) issued a research report earlier this year in conjunction with Menu Matters (a food and beverage consulting firm) that showed 16.3% of restaurants in the US added watermelon to their menus in 2025, up 30% from 2021.

Even non-food products, such as toothpaste, are embracing the fruit flavor. Mr. Bubble, the bath products brand, recently launched new spring products for kids at Walmart that include a Walmart-exclusive watermelon bubble bath.

Tastewise, an artificial intelligence-powered consumer research platform that surfaces emerging food and beverage trends, noted that watermelon adoption is up about 8% year-over-year. It said Gen Z consumers are adopting watermelon about 1.4 times faster than the general US population, and are the cohort taking the fruit “into recovery, energy, and spicy/alcohol-free territory.”

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“What is doing the work [of fueling this growth] is not the flavor itself but the functional story wrapped around it,” according to Tastewise’s analysis.

Its platform tracked functional “claims” tied to watermelon, such as “juicy,” “electrolytes,” “hydration,” and “refreshing” and found that about seven in 10 watermelon consumers tie the fruit to hydration, fitness, or wellness benefits, a higher health-claim density than nearly any other mature fruit signal in Tastewise’s database, the firm said.

“That is what is licensing watermelon’s expansion into categories where it historically did not belong. Watermelon now appears on menus from Smoothie King to Cracker Barrel, and Panda Express,” Tastewise said.

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It’s back to the drawing board with upcoming summer travel plans for a wide swath of households in America that are feeling the strain of tighter budgets. Families — and solo travelers - this year are rethinking, redesigning and making sacrifices to still be able to financially commit to their annual warm weather getaways.

While 60% of Americans still plan to travel in the summer (up from 3% in 2025), the persistent overhang of inflation and other financial stresses on their wallets is forcing many of them to be even more intentional with how and where they plan to spend their mid-year vacations, according to the Consumer Pulse Summer 2026 Survey from KPMG.

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The KPMG report (done in collaboration with consumer intelligence firm CivicScience) said people are making deliberate trade-offs in their everyday lives to still be able to accommodate cherished traditions, such as summer vacations.

Among them, consumers are cutting back on non-essential expenses, such as dining out, and shifting their self-care spending toward such everyday essentials as vitamins and skipping paid fitness classes.

They’re also exploring domestic travel destinations that are shorter and within driving distance from home versus international trips that require pricey airfares.

Both options are still costlier than a year ago as conflict in the Middle East pushes up gas prices at the pump and the cost of an airline ticket.

“Consumers are favoring shorter trips of one to three days over week-long stays, and nearly four in ten are anchoring their plans around a specific experience, such as a concert or sporting event,” Duleep Rodrigo, KPMG US Consumer & Retail Leader, told Bagable.com. “They’re also keeping trips closer to home: 69% plan to stay in the US, 62% plan to travel by car, and international travel is down to 21% from 28% in 2025.”

The Summer 2026 survey integrated two survey periods: KPMG’s survey of 1,544 US consumers from February 27 to March 18, 2026, and a CivicScience survey of 868-3,432 respondents from March 1 to March 23, 2026.

The survey captured responses across generational cohorts – Gen Z, millennials, Gen X, and baby boomers.

Among other money-saving attempts to ensure they can still go ahead with summer travel, the report said 27% of consumers have turned to AI to better plan trips (up from 14% two years ago) and 38% of travelers are prioritizing staying with friends or family this year.

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“When every dollar has to work harder, consumers are turning to AI to make sense of their options – and by the time they reach a hotel or airline, the shortlist is already set,” Braden Mark, KPMG US Partner (Travel, Leisure and Hospitality) said in the report.

The bottom line on summer travel in a time of spending restraint: "We're seeing a consumer who has done their homework. They know exactly what they want, whether that is a sporting event, concert, or vacation, and they're making trade-offs in their daily lives to make that a reality," said Rodrigo. "Even with higher gas prices, consumers are determined to keep their travel plans intact while demanding more value for every dollar they spend.”

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Outside of its more than 340 restaurants nationwide, the Columbus, Ohio-based fast-food chain also sells its Sliders in the freezer aisle in a variety of grocery stores.

Now, for the first time, the company is expanding the market for Sliders through a partnership that will make them available via automated hot-food vending machines located in venues such as college campuses, corporate settings, healthcare facilities and elsewhere.

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Marketers are facing an interesting conundrum. While consumers are living in the AI era, the younger generation among them — mostly Gen Zers and older Gen Alpha (aka “digital natives”) are also seeking a break from their ubiquitous virtual lives.

Many of them, more recently, are keen to pursue analog and tactile experiences.

How should brands and marketing experts respond and adjust their strategies to adapt, in real time, to these fast-moving shifts in consumer behavior?

Expect the topic to draw some collective brainpower at the upcoming fourth annual POSSIBLE Marketing Conference that kicks off in Miami Beach, Florida on April 27-29.

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The three-day leading industry event is slated to pull in close to 7,000 attendees and feature more than 100 speakers — among them tech entrepreneur and cofounder of Reddit Alexis Ohanian, Issa Rae (founder & CEO, Hoorae Media), Terence Riley, chief brand officer of Crocs, Casey De Palma (chief brand communications officer with Unilever US), Laurie Lam (chief brand officer, e.l.f. Beauty) and Jamie Richardson (CMO of White Castle)— discussing consumer marketing, the intersection of business and society, and technology and innovation in keynote addresses, masterclasses, interactive workshops and other sessions spread across multiple days.

Also included in this year’s event is a new Creator Economy Academy, where the focus will be on studying how marketers and brands can collaborate with creators, who are establishing themselves as the newest media powerhouses.

“We have a lot of retail CMOs speaking. That’s for sure a sweet spot for us,” Leah Steinhardt, POSSIBLE’s vice president of marketing, said in an interview with Bagable.com.

Another hot topic at the event will again center on creators. “It’s 100% extremely topical. In 2026, I don’t think anyone thinks about content creator or influencer marketing as an add-on,” Steinhardt said. “It is literally part of the marketing strategy now. To hear from Terence Riley, or Laurie Lam about how the creator/influencer component builds out their marketing plan for the year will be very insightful.”

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“Whether it’s the creator track, or sports marketing, which has gained a lot of momentum with the emerging celebrity athlete entrepreneur, or the influencer that’s driving marketing strategy, brands are trying to figure out how are these trends interconnected and how can we leverage them in the most authentic way,” said Steinhardt.

Retailers and brands are also navigating a turbulent environment as they factor in tariffs, economic pressures on households and the impact of geopolitical uncertainty on their businesses. “We are in uncertain times. It’s been interesting to see how this community of experts rallies around one another to offer support and guidance,” she added.

—Bagable.com is a media partner of POSSIBLE Miami 2026.

[Use code MARP000153RMS for a 30% discount off registration for POSSIBLE Miami 2026]

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Rodriguez is fascinated by what she’s observed lately of Gen Z couples’ vision for their big day. She describes it as a psychological shift in how GenZers, especially, are moving away from a “plastic perfect” social media-tailored approach to mark important life moments.

Despite being the first true digital natives, many of them, when it comes to their nuptials, are seeking authentically analog experiences that aren’t AI suggested or popular Pinterest Idea Pins but rooted in their own personal lived experiences, beliefs, cultures and traditions.

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White Castle just made it a lot easier to satisfy that late-night craving for its iconic small square “Sliders” by popping them into vending machines for easy access, anytime, and almost anywhere.

Outside of its more than 340 restaurants nationwide, the Columbus, Ohio-based fast-food chain also sells its Sliders in the freezer aisle in a variety of grocery stores.

Now, for the first time, the company is expanding the market for Sliders, which the family-owned business has been making since 1921, through a partnership that will make them available via automated hot-food vending machines located in venues such as college campuses, corporate settings, healthcare facilities and elsewhere.

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Automated Retail Technologies, maker of self-service fresh food kiosks, worked with White Castle to develop White Castle Crave & Go machines and deploy them initially in 1,000 locations.

“This partnership provides a fun new way for consumers to experience White Castle,” White Castle’s chief marketing officer, Jamie Richardson, said in a statement.

“Automated retail allows us to meet consumers when cravings strike — on campuses, in hospitals and at workplaces — while delivering the hot and tasty quality that has defined our brand for more than 100 years,” Richardson said.

White Castle said it will continue to test future product innovation and menu expansion specifically designed for self-service machines.

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It popped up on my feed. Its classy toile pastoral scenic design caught my eye. So I zoomed in to carefully study the bag. Hidden amid the trees was a little blue and white house with the word “Lowe’s” on it. Wait, what?

Lowe’s , the home improvement chain synonymous with selling power equipment, washer-dryers, plumbing fixtures, hardware repair sets and wall paint threw a curve ball with this tote bag, which has an alluring LoveShackFancy-like vibe to it, but without the hefty price tag.

On its website, Lowe’s describes the multi-purpose, limited-edition $20 canvas tote bag as perfect for stuffing with groceries, books, beach day items, or just every daily essentials.

One other idea: a gift for Mother’s Day.

Lowe’s hasn’t yet made a solid play at attractive, affordable totes. But this toile one is pretty enough to possibly even win over a few hardcore Trader Joe’s tote bag loyalists.

Trader Joe’s $2.99 canvas tote bags have a global cult-like following. They trigger lines of fans queuing up even before stores open and sell out quickly as soon as new stock arrives.

I reached out to Lowe’s about its new toile tote to find out if this one is potentially the first in a new collection of upcoming eye-catching totes from the retailer.

Lowe’s told Bagable.com that the retailer will indeed have another new tote pattern to follow the blue toile design, and that it will launch at the end of June.

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Sometimes, mom just needs a break. She certainly deserves one on Mother’s Day. While some gifts, such as time for herself without any interruptions, are priceless, plenty of us will surprise her with more tangible forms of appreciation that come with a price tag.

We’re digging deeper to celebrate mom this year on May 10.

Total spending on Mother’s Day is expected to reach a record $38 billion, outpacing last year’s total of $34.1 billion, according to an annual survey of shoppers by retail industry trade group the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics. The previous record was $35.7 billion set in 2023.

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“Mother’s Day remains a priority for many Americans, and they plan to lean into the holiday despite current economic uncertainty,” NRF chief economist, Mark Mathews, said in a statement.

Shoppers plan to spend an average of $284.25 per person on Mother’s Day, up from $259.04 last year, and the previous record of $274.02 in 2023, the NRF said.

As expected, flowers are the most popular gift choice (75% of shoppers plan on a flower delivery to mom), followed by greeting cards, brunch or dinner, gift cards and clothing or accessories.

Mother’s Day is one of the busiest days of the year for restaurants. Even as menu prices rise, families aren’t holding back on celebrations, according to a new report from Wells Fargo.

According to analysis from Wells Fargo Agri‑Food Institute, Americans will spend an average of $67 dining out for Mother’s Day in 2026, up roughly 4% from last year. The report indicated the uptick in spending will primarily be driven by higher labor costs rather than food alone.

Jewelry is a go-to option, too, along with gadgets and treating mom to an outing, such as a concert or sporting event.

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“Electronics, in particular, are a popular gift category this year, with expected spending on electronics surpassing $4 billion for the first time in the survey’s history.” said Phil Rist, Prosper’s executive vice president of strategy.

The survey, conducted from April 1-8, polled 7,877 adult consumers in the US.

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Its Endless Shrimp deal put Red Lobster’s business in hot water, and got canceled from the menu. Now, it’s back, but maybe don’t count on it staying permanently again.

Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun, in a social video on Monday, addressed the Endless Shrimp’s comeback.

“You’ve heard the rumors, and they’re true. Your favorite shrimp promotion of the last 20 years is back. That’s right. Endless Shrimp is here, but only for a limited time. So come in and enjoy your Endless today.”

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The seafood restaurant’s all-you-can-eat shrimp deal for $20 became an iconic menu item, and a permanent one “Here to stay, all day, every day,” in June 2023. It was designed to drive more customers to Red Lobster locations.

Big mistake.

The “Endless Shrimp” deal was too good to be true for the company, which filed for bankruptcy in 2024.

The restaurant chain, which operates more than 500 locations in the US, was already struggling with operational issues, inflationary pressures, debt and soft sales. The Endless Shrimp offer apparently also contributed to mounting pain for the business.

The company said at the time that the decision to make Endless Shrimp permanent amid all of the problems triggered supply chain turbulence because its shrimp supply could not keep up with demand, sometimes for days or weeks at Red Lobster restaurants. Moreover, Red Lobster was also grappling with other business issues with its shrimp vendors.

But all of that is in the past. Red Lobster emerged from bankruptcy in September 2024 under new CEO Damola Adamolekun and has decided to bring back Endless Shrimp in a limited way because of “endless guest requests” and “thousands of social media mentions” since it last appeared on menus.

Beginning April 20, Endless Shrimp is available for dine-in only at participating locations (most Red Lobster restaurants will offer Endless Shrimp at $24.99, with pricing varying at select restaurants) for a limited time in the following five options:

Marry Me Shrimp, tender shrimp in a tomato cream sauce, topped with a garlic and herb crumble, Shrimp Linguini Alfredo, shrimp tossed in creamy Alfredo sauce over linguini, Walt’s Favorite Shrimp, hand-breaded, butterflied shrimp lightly fried and served with cocktail sauce, Garlic Shrimp, shrimp sautéed in a garlic and lemon butter sauce and Island Coconut Shrimp, hand-breaded jumbo coconut shrimp served with Piña colada sauce.

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“QVC Group, which was once the retailer of the future, has rapidly become the retailer of the past.

The concept of live shopping – which QVC helped to pioneer – is far from dead. However, where and how it is conducted has shifted dramatically. QVC moved too late and too indecisively to capitalize on the change from television to digital channels.

Arguably, QVC always had the infrastructure to service a newer model, but it failed to adapt its content, audience and reach strategy accordingly. As a result, it did not capture younger consumers where much live spending growth is coming from. It also increasingly felt old-fashioned and a little dull, even to its more mature audience.

The shame of it is that even QVC’s traditional business, while shrinking, still has some viability. Unfortunately, QVC’s ability to capitalize on it has been compromised by eye-wateringly high debt levels. This has allowed the company very little room to maneuver and makes every sales decline all the more painful. Not only has it been unable to make the investments required to shift the business, but it has also struggled with cash flow and day-to-day operations.

Bankruptcy may allow the necessary restructuring to give QVC the room to operate with better financials. However, it does not solve the need to reinvent and become relevant.”

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Mary Luz Rodriguez loves to host and celebrate weddings. She experiences a hundred or more of them every year at Living Sculpture Sanctuary, an events venue deeply entrenched in nature that she owns with her husband.

Rodriguez is increasingly fascinated by what she’s observed lately of Gen Z couples’ vision for their big day. She describes it as a psychological shift in how GenZers, especially, are moving away from a “plastic perfect” social media-tailored approach to mark important life moments.

Despite being the first true digital natives, many of them, when it comes to their nuptials, are seeking authentically analog experiences that aren’t AI suggested or popular Pinterest Idea Pins but rooted in their own personal lived experiences, beliefs, cultures and traditions.

Young couples want their wedding to be meaningful in a way that doesn’t blindly follow traditional guidelines or viral social media trends, Rodriguez said in an interview with Bagable.com.

What’s become popular: smaller-sized, intimate gatherings. The 300-person guest list is out the window and Gen Z and younger millennials couples are sticking to 100 or fewer guests, by choice, and not because of budget reasons.

“If you have more than 150 or 200 people, the bride and groom sometimes don’t even get a chance to stop by and say hello to everyone,” Rodriguez said. “I tell my brides, you close your eyes and open them again and people are already leaving because a wedding goes by so quickly.“

Prioritizing sustainability - and not that Insta-ready extravagant flower wall - is the new flex. Rodriguez said young couples are adopting environmentally-friendly measures, such as composting leftover wedding food and incorporating nature into the wedding décor.

“We’ve had some couples who don’t want any plastic, or even glitter, at their wedding,” she said. Instead, they ask for natural materials such as bamboo. “One bride didn’t want any flowers at all but a lot of greenery.”

Composting is a recurring request. “We work with some great vendors who come after the wedding is over and gather all of the food that can be composted,” Rodriguez said. Some couples even use the compost to grow their first garden together.

Some couple are incorporating such ancient rituals as Temazcal ceremonies and amethyst blessings to add unique dimensions to their wedding celebration and experience.

Also, Rodriguez has noticed an uptick in civil weddings ahead of religious ceremonies. Previously, fewer than 10% of couples who booked their weddings with her used to arrive already legally married. That number is climbing quickly, she said.

“Some young couples are in graduate school, or buying a house together first, or expecting a baby. They’re thinking, what’s the rush. Let’s do it right because weddings are expensive,” said Rodriguez.

“A labor of love”

The Living Sculpture Sanctuary, located in Davie, Florida (less than an hour away from Miami and from Palm Beach), sits on more than five acres of land surrounded by lush greenery, 100-year-old oak trees, waterfalls, a Zen rock garden, a plant nursery and a Bonsai center.

It’s also where Rodriguez, who is both an environmental attorney and an entrepreneur, and her husband Robert J. McKee, got married in 2015. But the area back then was far from the idyllic setting it is today.

“There was absolutely nothing here when I first saw it almost 14 years ago. There were no structures, not even a bathroom,” she said. But there was a Bonsai nursery that Robert tended to.

Friends and neighbors eventually started asking the couple if they would ever consider renting the space for weddings and other events. “It wasn’t the plan originally. We just wanted to get married here ourselves,” Rodriguez said, who lives a few minutes away from the sanctuary.

“We now also offer the space for yoga classes, pilates classes, nature-related classes like sound baths and meditation,” she said. “Next week on Earth Day, on April 22, we’re having special cultural music events at the sanctuary.”

Rodriguez said she’s “always felt at home and safe with Mother Nature. “It’s why I decided to practice environmental law,” she said.

She describes the sanctuary as a “labor of love.” “It’s a special place for me, with the canopy of majestic Florida oak trees, the water and the birds. It’s my healing place.”

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