From Rare Beauty’s scented billboards and Walmart’s truck tours to Dick’s Sporting Goods’ in-house production studios, here’s what the eight most interesting retailers from August have been up to, as ranked on our “Behind the Numbers” podcast.

1. Dick's Sporting Goods

Dick's Sporting Goods claimed the top spot for establishing its own in-house production studio, doubling down on content creation.

• The retailer has been producing high-quality content for years—its first feature documentary won an Emmy in 2014.
• This strategic move enables Dick's to be more efficient and agile with content production while complementing its recently launched content creator and influencer program.

"As brands and retailers have these owned and operated digital channels and access to reach an audience via social media, the idea for creating your own content, whether it's something that is very easy, low budget stuff, going all the way up to premium video or a documentary, it seems like a no-brainer," said our analyst Blake Droesch.

2. Walmart

Walmart earned second place with its "Your FYP on Wheels Tour," a fleet of delivery trucks traveling across the country to bring TikTok trends to life at concerts and live events.

• The trucks offer photo ops, free merchandise, and curated shopping experiences—including K-pop, retro gaming, and rodeo-themed trucks where customers can customize rodeo belts and purchase Western accessories.

This initiative comes as younger consumers are increasingly viewing Walmart in a new light.

"There is a trend more on TikTok where younger Gen Zers and maybe even Gen Alpha are seeing Walmart as cooler, especially now that Target has lost some of its magic," said our analyst Sky Canaves.

3. Rare Beauty

Selena Gomez's beauty brand secured third place for its first perfume launch, which featured scented billboards as part of its experiential marketing campaign.

• The brand also designed the perfume bottle to be accessible for people with limited mobility and dexterity.
• The rounded bottle is easier to hold, and it features a twist-to-lock cap rather than a removable one.

"This is good because it was an example of a brand that is typically very values-oriented...doing something in-house that actually proves that they care about it as opposed to just going out and donating. They're actually changing how they run their business," said our analyst Emmy Liederman.

4. Bath & Body Works

Bath & Body Works is expanding to over 600 college bookstores nationwide, targeting the influential college consumer market.

"College campuses need to expand the size of their mail rooms because so many people are getting PR packages," Liederman said, highlighting how brands are increasingly targeting college students who share recommendations within their tight-knit communities.

5. Crocs

Crocs opened a 4,000-square-foot store in New York City that spans a city block.

The flagship store represents Crocs' effort to position itself as a brand for everyone while creating an immersive retail experience.

"I think that Crocs is an example of a brand that has sort of figured that out, because they have stylish wedges...and I would never consider myself a Crocs person for the standard shoe," Liederman said.

6. Anthropologie

Anthropologie is opening stores exclusively for its in-house clothing line, Maeve, demonstrating the potential of well-executed private label brands.

"It really highlights the power of private label brands when done well and how far they can go," Canaves said, noting that Anthropologie is also building Maeve's brand identity through Urban Outfitters' rental service Nuuly and dedicated social media accounts.

7. Quince

Direct-to-consumer fashion brand Quince raised nearly $200 million in funding, valuing the company at $4.5 billion.

• The brand has positioned itself at the intersection of affordability and luxury, with $50 cashmere sweaters claiming to match the quality of $500 alternatives.
• "I think of them a little like if Temu and Prada had a baby, it could be Quince," Canaves said.

8. Amazon

Amazon rounds out the list for launching same-day delivery of fresh foods in over 1,000 cities, a significant move to increase market share in digital grocery.

"The same-day delivery of fresh foods is a really big deal for Amazon, which has been struggling to figure out a way that they can grow their market share in the digital grocery business for a long time," Droesch said. "It feels like they've really gone all in with this offering...the best possible way to increase our market share at all costs."

Listen to the full episode

This was originally featured in the Retail Daily newsletter. For more retail insights, statistics, and trends, subscribe here.