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.

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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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By contributing writer Rob McLean

Expect plenty of Swifties to rush to Homer’s Music and Gifts shop in Omaha, Nebraska, as soon as the record store, which is credited by Visit Nebraska as having one of the best collections of vinyls in the state, opens its doors on Saturday.

Store manager and fellow Substacker MarQ Manner anticipates Taylor Swift fans coming out in droves on April 18 for “Record Store Day,” a bi-annual celebration of all things vinyl (there’s also an RSD event on Black Friday). It’s a day when major labels and musicians release exclusive record pressings of albums, new recordings and other related accoutrements that music lovers can only find that day in brick-and-mortar, independent record stores and not in chain stores such as Target and Walmart.

Among participating musicians is Swift, who is releasing her single “Elizabeth Taylor” on 7” vinyl on Saturday. Homer’s, located in Omaha’s historic Old Market District downtown area, has ordered more copies of the “Elizabeth Taylor” recording than any other exclusive record release slated for RSD, Manner told Punk Rock Bach.

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Universal Music Group, which owns Republic Records — Swift’s U.S. label partner — did not respond to requests for comment about how many copies would be available of the single or the level of demand it expects to see for the RSD exclusive.

Other musicians and bands with records available Saturday include David Bowie, Wire, Ethel Cain and many others.

Manner said Homer’s has long been involved in Record Store Day, and was one of the first 300 stores nationwide to participate in the event.

“It is extremely successful for us,” he said.

Amoeba Records in Hollywood, California, said on Instagram that it will also have exclusive releases, limited edition t-shirts and goodie bags to mark RSD. Brooklyn-based For the Record, meanwhile, will start selling records at 8:30 a.m. ET.

Elsewhere in New York, Rough Trade at Rockefeller Center plans to have live acts during the day, including Superchunk, Incendiary and Friko, as part of iNDIEPLAZA 2026 — a performance on Rockefeller Center’s plaza.

Vinyl makes a comeback

Rick Johnson, Record Store Day’s coordinator, said the event dates back to around 2007 or 2008, and was started as a way to support independent record stores by incentivizing more people to visit them amid the dominance of digital music.

The founders, Michael Kurtz and Carrie Colliton, along with a few other record store owners, approached music labels and artists to ask if they would release a special pressing or recording on the third Saturday in April, according to Johnson, and make it available exclusively for sale in physical shops.

Fast-forward nearly 20 years and the third Saturday in April has become a regular celebration for music lovers around the world. Johnson said the event takes place in the United States, United Kingdom, Mexico, Japan, France, among other countries.

Top bands and musicians also show up to support the day. For instance, Lenny Kaye of The Patti Smith Group made an appearance at the RSD 2024 event at Schoolkids Records in Raleigh, North Carolina.

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Despite streaming services like Spotify and Tidal making music available at any time, vinyl records are still widely popular. The Hollywood Reporter reported that vinyl revenue exceeded $1 billion in 2025 and sales grew more than 9% year over year.

“The vinyl boom started in the late 2000s as a more niche trend among audiofiles and indieheads, with alt-rock figures like Jack White serving as early trailblazers evangelizing the format,” the entertainment news publication reported.

While record lovers this Saturday will have a big list of albums and other exclusives to choose from, Manner said he has his eye on something with which many people may not be familiar.

“So there’s an artist named ‘MC 900 Ft. Jesus,’ a kind of obscure Hip Hop Jazz artist from the 90s,” he said. “I never thought I’d see this reissued on vinyl. I’m very excited for that.”

— This article is also published on Punk Rock Bach, a weekly music journalism newsletter without the industry gloss. It is written and edited by Rob McLean. You can subscribe to the newsletter here.

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NYX Professional Makeup, a Gen Z-friendly and affordable drugstore cosmetics brand, is expanding beyond the face to now offer beauty care for the whole body.

The Los Angeles-based brand, whose makeup products range from under $10 to $20, announced on Tuesday its first foray into body care with the launch of its “Fat Oil” body collection.

NYX said the body care line builds on the viral success of its non-sticky Fat Oil lip gloss products that feature the easy-to-use large applicator wand. The new body collection includes body oils, hydration lotions and fragrances.

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The new scents include: “Caramelt Mami,” a blend of rich caramel and pistachio cream, “Sugar Baddie,” a mix of vanilla cookie and whipped cream, “Coconut Cutie,” inspired by tropical coconut and sweet peach, and “Juicy Boo,” a mix of juicy clementine and fresh mango.

"NYX Professional Makeup has always been a brand that pushes the boundaries of artistry and self-expression," Denee Pearson, global brand president for the brand, said in a statement. "As beauty evolves, we see that the community is looking for new ways to express their creativity beyond traditional face makeup. The Fat Oil Body collection allows us to deepen the brand's storytelling among the Gen Z audience.”

The Fat Oil body collection is available on nyxcosmetics.com and TikTok Shop, and will launch in stores on May 1.

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When spring weather hits, Trader Joe’s superfans are on high alert.

They know the countdown is on for a new release of one of the food retailer’s most viral products - its super affordable and highly-desired tote bags.

Last year in March, when word spread on social media that Trader Joe’s stores were stocked with new $2.99 pastel-colored mini tote bags, demand was so high that stores had to manage crowd control and limit purchase to two bags per customer.

Once they’re sold out, that’s it. Shoppers have to wait until next spring for another chance to score them.

Trader Joe’s is fully aware of the hype around its canvas totes: “When it comes to our reusable bags, our customers have made themselves abundantly clear: the smaller the tote, the bigger the sensation,” the company wrote about the bags on its website last year.

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So, who exactly are these cult-like fans who’ve turned the Trader Joe’s tote bag into a surprising global sensation, and why are they obsessed with them?

It’s not all that complicated.

Trader Joe’s mini tote buyers are largely motivated because of their viral appeal. As many as 54% of shoppers who’ve bought them admitted to doing so because of viral demand, and 30% said they own five or more of the mini totes, according to market research firm Numerator, which conducted a survey of more than 1,000 buyers of Trader Joe’s mini totes (510 purchased in 2025, 512 purchased in 2026).

Tote buyers said they grab one— or a few — because they’re cute or stylish, work well as a gift, or simply because they’re a “fun find.”

Although the bags regularly pop up on resale platforms, sometimes listed for ridiculously large sums of money, only 4.2% of shoppers indicated in the survey that they bought a bag with the intention of reselling it.

Shoppers who own a Trader Joe’s mini tote, many of whom are millennials (17%) and more likely to live in cities, said they use it for grocery shopping, running errands, as an everyday bag purse, or just as a collectible.

Almost 39% of tote seekers said they went to a Trader Joe’s store specifically to buy a tote bag, while nearly 60% of buyers said they got one during a normal Trader Joe’s grocery run. In March 2026, an estimated 7% of Trader Joe’s shoppers purchased a mini tote bag, the report said.

Some buyers took added measures to secure a mini tote, including going to a Trader Joe’s store early or right when it opened, asking employees about when the bags would be restocked, visiting multiple Trader Joe’s locations to find one, and asking friends and family to keep an eye out for the bags.

While the TJ tote is a coveted item, 62% of mini tote owners said in the survey that they would also be interested in buying a similar item from other retailers, including Target, Costco, Whole Foods, Aldi, Amazon or Walmart.

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Michaels, the arts and crafts seller, on Thursday unveiled an exclusive and wide-ranging collaboration with high-end home décor designer and potter Jonathan Adler that not only elevates the retailer’s offerings in a chic, stylish, yet affordable way, but also caters to younger consumers’ desire for personalization and self-expression.

The Jonathan Adler x Michaels collection, which lands in stores and online on April 17, spans home décor such as throw pillows, decorative vases, photo frames and table settings, exclusive crafting kits, and partyware and games, with many products featuring Adler’s signature style of bold, glamorous patterns and vibrant pops of color.

While items from Adler’s eponymous luxury brand (which was acquired in 2025) are pricey— ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars each — the partnership with Michaels intentionally makes the brand much more accessible to shoppers, with prices starting at $10 and going up to $300 for large wall mirrors.

“A big part of the value equation for us with this partnership was that we wanted to make sure it had the Jonathan design and quality aesthetic but at the Michaels-ized pricepoint,” Stacey Shively, Michaels’ chief merchandising officer, told Bagable.com.

“One of the most expensive item in the collection, for example, is the Mahjong set for $199,” she said. A variety of throw pillows are priced at $39.99 to $59.99.

“All of the pieces are meant to last, and maybe be passed on to someone else,” Shively said.

Customers can also choose between finished products and “unfinished” products, such as a vase from the collection that features a blueprint of an iconic Jonathan Adler design that they can then personalize by coloring it on their own.

“We have solid wood trays in the collection that you can paint on or add your own diamond art to,” she said. “This will really appeal to younger customers.”

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For Adler, teaming up with Michaels organically made sense, he said.

“I am a potter, first and foremost,” Adler told Bagable.com. “I started my career 30 years ago as a craft person making stuff. I’ve had a wild ride, but throughout my career, I’ve always been a maker and craftsperson.”

“Michaels is sort of the Mecca of making. So it just seemed like the perfect marriage,” Adler said. “There is a Yiddish word ‘Beshert,’ which means ‘meant to be.’ This kind of feels ‘Beshert’ to me.”

Adler hopes the DIY aspect of the collection appeals to younger consumers.

“That’s the idea. Stop doomscrolling and make something,” he said.

In the catbird seat

Michaels is sitting in a sweet spot, ready to capture more market share and become the dominant destination for art and crafting needs after the recent demise of two rivals Joann and Party City.

And it’s moving fast.

Last year, the retailer acquired Joann's intellectual property and private label brands and significantly expanded its fabric, yarn and sewing business in a bid to win over Joann’s customers. Then Michaels jumped in after Party City’s exit to fill the void for party essentials by significantly ramping up its balloon offerings and party supplies, two of Party City’s most-popular sellers.

Just last month, Michaels, which operates more than 1,200 stores in the U.S., announced it was cutting prices on more than 3,000 items to entice more shoppers. Surprising its customers with unexpected collaborations appears to be another way to pull in new and repeat customers.

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“Sometimes you need a different reason for why a customer comes in your door. I thought we really needed an amazing collaboration that is the DNA of Michaels and the DNA of who we want to be in the future,” said Shively. “This partnership isn’t about just putting a designer brand on a basic product. The foundation of it has to be pottery, which is Jonathan’s story, and then the DIY aspect, which appeals both to younger and multigenerational consumers.”

Shively said the collaboration with Adler will be ongoing. “As long as we can keep creating this magic together, we’re going to keep making it happen,” she said.

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Is your spice rack woefully overcrowded — and yet — still not “perfectly” complete enough?

Spice maker McCormick is hoping to help ease this conundrum that’s likely playing out in kitchens nationwide with its new offerings.

The brand just released four new spice blends from its Signature Seasoning line that it said are designed to make cooking easier without sacrificing flavor, and help streamline the spice rack.

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Each all-in-one blend offering, for example, already combines multiple seasonings, herbs and spices all mixed together, thereby removing the need to use separate and multiple spices to get the specific seasoning blend.

The new products include:

● McCormick Garlic and Olive Oil Seasoning Blend: A blend of garlic, salt, oregano, thyme, rosemary, and extra virgin olive oil, ideal for seasoning pastas, salads, shrimp, roasted proteins, potatoes, and vegetables.

● McCormick Chili Garlic Seasoning: A fusion of chili garlic seasoning and asian-inspired flavor, this blend is made with a mix of garlic, paprika, and chili pepper, which adds a bold, savory garlic flavor with lingering chili heat and an umami-rich finish.

● McCormick Caramelized Onion Seasoning: This blend includes a mix of toasted onion, salt, and demerara sugar, which adds savory-meets-sweet flavor to roasted proteins, grilled veggies, pastas, burgers, and flatbreads.

● McCormick Chimichurri Flavored Seasoning: This seasoning includes a blend of parsley, oregano, jalapeño pepper, and garlic. One idea is to use it to make a vinaigrette by stirring the seasoning into red wine vinegar and oil.

The new blends (priced at $4.49 each) are available in grocery stores nationwide in mid April, and online beginning April 10.

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As tens of thousands of Transportation Security Administration workers grapple with nearly six straight weeks of working without pay because of a partial government shutdown, a maker of one essential product is offering them support.

California-based Munchkin, an infant and toddler brand owned by WHY Brands Inc., said on Wednesday that it has launched a “giveaway” program for its milk-based infant formula to affected families.

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“We understand that you are continuing to show up for work without pay—and that for some, the strain has become deeply personal, even forcing difficult choices about where to sleep and how to make ends meet. For families with infants, that burden is even heavier,” the brand wrote in a post on its website.

“Babies should not be affected by a government shutdown. No parent should have to worry about whether they can feed their child…. For TSA families with babies at home who are affected by the current lapse in pay, we will provide one can of formula per week, for as long as pay is disrupted,” the post said.

The brand shared with Bagable.com that families interested in the formula giveaway [780g per can] can sign up for the program to have product shipped for free directly to them.

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As GLP-1s usage expands among US households, consumers shopping for clothes could start to notice some size options that were previously available — and on the larger side — no longer being stocked by retailers.

Industry watchers expect to see the earliest impact of this downshift in clothing sizes in categories such as intimate apparel, according to a new report on Monday from market research firm Circana.

“With GLP-1 adoption accelerating, size is changing, but so is identity,” said Kristen Classi-Zummo, apparel industry advisor with Circana, said in the report. “As consumers rebuild their wardrobes, they’re reassessing what fits, what flatters, and what feels aligned with their lifestyle. Brands that plan for both the physical and emotional elements will lead. This isn’t a trend — it’s a structural change for the apparel industry.”

Nearly a quarter (23%) of US households are now using GLP-1 weight loss medications, according to a separate Circana report, which stated that new patient prescriptions for GLP-1 medications increased by 2.9 million, or 16%, from September 2024 to September 2025. “Although there is no ‘typical’ user, GLP-1 patients are more likely to be in the Gen X age demographic and come from households with incomes over $100,000,” the report said.

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As millions of consumers using GLP-1s experience changes in body size and lifestyle habits, Circana said the apparel market is entering a period that will be defined by what it calls the “Body Transformation Economy.”

Among the early changes in buying behavior, Circana found that 55% of active GLP-1 users have bought new clothes or footwear because of changing sizes, while one-in-four updated their wardrobes to refresh their appearance.

Intimate apparel, specifically, could present the earliest indicator of a demand-driven sizing shift triggered by GLP-1 usage.

In bras, larger band (42+) and cup (D) sizes are losing share, while mid‑range or smaller sizes — including band size 40 and B and C cups — are gaining share, the report said, adding that “these micro‑movements may represent the leading edge of broader fit changes that brands will need to address in size curves, inventory planning, and fit model strategies.”

Footwear also stands to benefit from GLP-1 usage, said Beth Goldstein, Circana’s footwear industry advisor. “Any wardrobe refresh creates a meaningful opportunity for footwear. Shoe sizes may change, and as consumers embrace healthier lifestyles and feel more confident in how they look, both athletic and fashion footwear stand to benefit.”

Hailey Bieber has one. So does Olivia Rodrigo, Travis Scott, Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, Sabrina Carpenter, and Christina Aguilera. Now Barbie, too, has a signature smoothie at the ultra-expensive grocery store Erewhon.

Los Angeles-based Erewhon is a celebrity and influencer hotspot, where a 24-pack of canned Erewhon spring water costs $80, a two-pack bundle of soup in a jar sets you back $50, and a store tote bag is priced at a hefty $143.

Then there’s Erewhon’s viral smoothies.

Erewhon’s $20 Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie debuted in 2022 to coincide with the launch of Hailey Bieber’s Rhode skincare brand in the same year. Bieber’s signature drink was crafted with almond milk, organic strawberries, bananas, avocado, collagen peptides, hyaluronic acid and sea moss gel, among other high-end ingredients. It triggered a TikTok frenzy.

So much so that since then, a slew of other celebs have attached their name and personalities to their own Erewhon smoothies.

The newest addition to the growing Erewhon celeb smoothie collabs is none other than Barbie.

To celebrate her March 9 birthday, Erewhon created “Birthday Wish Smoothie by Barbie.”

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The drink’s ingredients include organic oat Milk, organic coconut water, coconut whip, pure ground vanilla, sprinkles, organic certified Erewhon A2 whey, organic gluten-free oats, organic banana, organic tocos, organic goji berries, organic maple syrup and organic pitaya.

The price of this limited-time concoction (available only in LA until April 8): $21.

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Matt Owens knows better than to describe what “typical” items in a suitcase should include. That’s because his family’s unconventional retail business, built over decades of buying lost and unclaimed luggage, has found that people pack quirky, sometimes eccentric objects when they travel.

“With the number of years we’ve been doing this, you would think that we’d found everything under the sun,” Matt Owens, senior vice president of commercial strategy with Scottsboro, Alabama-based Unclaimed Baggage, told Bagable.com.

”But then, over the past year, we’ve received everything from Samurai swords to gold-plated [teeth] grills, a mysterious robot that we’re still trying to figure out what it was used for, and several great historic pieces of World War II memorabilia,” he said.

These are only a handful of items that appear in the company’s third annual “Found Report,” which highlights a wide range of products — from the most common to the most valuable, and the weirdest — that were pulled out from last year’s lost and unwanted luggage.

“We even found the Miss North Dakota USA 2025 state costume pageant dress,” Owens said. “We got in touch with her to let her know that we had it,” he said, adding that the dress ultimately stayed with the company.

Items that end up with Unclaimed Baggage are “kind of a time capsule into society,” said Owens. “It’s one of my favorite things about what we do,” he said. “We look at trends over the years and have noticed that what we received 10 years ago is very different from what comes in baggages today,” he said.

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According to Owens, lost luggage trends in 2025 provide a snapshot of “how our habits, values and priorities are evolving.”

“We’re able to glimpse into what was popular in 2025, and also get a sense of what’s popular in 2026,” he said. Last year’s trends strongly pointed to the growing dominance of collectible culture, for instance, said Owens. “Travelers packed Labubus, even ‘Lafufus’, or fake Labubus, lab-grown diamond jewelry and travel cameras and microphones, which shows us that the influencer culture is not going away anytime soon.”

Trader Joe’s tote bags also made it on the list of popular “viral” travel products.

According to Unclaimed Baggage, nearly 10 billion passengers traveled by air globally in 2025. While most checked bags are reunited with their owners, a slim percentage isn’t. “A fraction of a percent of total checked baggage is still a pretty large number,” said Owens.

After a 90-day period, bags that could not be matched with their owners are set aside and travelers are compensated for their belongings. “We buy those bags by the tractor-trailer load and bring them to our warehouse in Alabama, where we process millions of items annually,” he said.

“We deal with all the major US airlines and we’ve also expanded the business to bus lines, rental car companies, casinos, hotels, public venues, really anywhere where things are lost or found,” said Owens.

Other noteworthy finds that made it into the 2025 annual report included a beekeeping suit, a $35,000 Rolex, a $10,800 Chanel handbag, a $12,500 Balenciaga leather jacket, more than 200,000 men’s T-shirts, more than 40,000 headphones, and a suitcase packed with rat poison.

$300 and a pickup truck got it started

Unclaimed Baggage, started by Owens’ grandfather Doyle Owens in 1970, bills itself as “the nation’s only retailer of lost luggage from airlines.”

“My grandfather, who was from rural Alabama and had served in the Korean War, was working as an insurance salesman in the 70s,” said Owens. One day, through a friend, Doyle Owens was introduced to a warehouse filled with lost luggage.

Owens said the friend, who at the time was working for Trailways Bus Lines, told Owens that there really wasn’t a set plan for the lost bags, which would probably end up in a landfill.

“My granddad, coming from a long line of entrepreneurs, decided to buy the bags,” he said. “He scrounged $300, borrowed a pickup truck, and drove up to Washington D.C. to collect the first load of bags. That’s kind of our origin story.”

From a scrappy family business that sold lost luggage items initially through a giant yard sale model, Unclaimed Baggage five decades later sells millions of lost baggage items a year (at a steep discount from their estimates retail prices) from its 50,000-square-foot physical store in Scottsboro and online.

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“The store stretches more than a city block and stocks 7,000 new items a day. It’s become one of the top tourist destinations in Alabama and attracts guests from all 50 states and more than 40 countries every single year,” said Owens. The store includes a museum featuring some of the most unique items found over the years, such as a Gucci suitcase filled with Egyptian artifacts.

Donating items, such as unclaimed wheelchairs, sunglasses, coats, and socks is also a core mission of the business, said Owens. “Socks are one of the top requested items from homeless shelters.”

Through a program called “Love Luggage,” the company also donates hand-painted suitcases to foster children.

“Oftentimes, these children don't have anything other than a black trash bag to carry their possessions. Suitcases are essentially our business and we’re able to give the children a personalized suitcase of their own,” he said.

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Butterbeer fans, rejoice! McCormick, the maker of spices and seasonings, has bottled the flavor of the iconic beverage from the “Harry Potter” series into two new limited-edition products that just hit stores.

The company unveiled a Harry Potter-themed Butterbeer finishing sugar (priced at $3.99) to sprinkle onto baked goods such as cookies and brownies. The other product is Harry Potter Butterbeer Flavor ($14.99), which can be added to pancakes, cupcakes, ice cream floats, and even hot chocolate.

McCormick said both products, which were created to mark the 25^th anniversary of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone,” are available at Walmart and Amazon , among other grocery retailers nationwide.

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