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Anna Hensel

@ahhensel.bsky.social
636 followers 237 following 174 posts

I'm a retail journalist based in Minneapolis; I love writing 1,000 word stories and I hate writing 100 character bios.

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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 07/09/2026
I'm hiring a reporter at Modern Retail focused on big-box retailers. This reporter will own coverage of Walmart, Target and more. Digiday Media is a remote company, so we're open to candidates all over the U.S. Check out our job listing here! #journojobs www.linkedin.com/jobs/view/44...
linkedin.com
Modern Retail hiring Reporter in United States | LinkedIn
Posted 6:23:56 PM. Modern Retail, Digiday Media’s retail-focused digital publication, is looking for a reporter to…See this and similar jobs on LinkedIn.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 14/05/2026
NEW: You may have heard about dynamic pricing recently. More people are wondering how retailers may use their personal data to set prices, and Maryland recently just passed a bill banning dynamic pricing. Modern Retail published an explainer on what this all means www.modernretail.co/technology/u...
modernretail.co
Unpacked: What Maryland's dynamic pricing ban says about the electronic shelf label debate
Maryland passed the first U.S. law banning data-driven price hikes on groceries, but it stops short of restricting electronic shelf labels or frequent price changes.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 01/04/2026
A new fun story we just published: why some brands are releasing real products on April 1 www.modernretail.co/marketing/ap...
modernretail.co
April Fools' Day gets real: Why some brands are choosing to release actual products on April 1
With so many fake products being teased for April Fools' Day, some brands are trying to stand out with real product releases and giveaways.
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Kyle Stokes @kystokes.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
I'm a journalist. Here's the story based on a ridealong I did >> www.axios.com/local/twin-c... My rapid response ridealong host and I talked through concerns beforehand. I agreed that certain details about communication wouldn't be included, nor would identities of other RR volunteers w/o consent.
axios.com
How Minnesota's rapid responders track ICE agents in real time
Observer group activities have become a central point of tension between the Trump administration and the state's elected leaders.
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Chris Ingraham @cingraham.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Check out the first paragraph in that screenshot. That's how you frame a story.
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The Tennessee Holler @thetnholler.bsky.social · 27/01/2026
Does this mean Texas gets invaded now? Or is that only after intrepid reporter Nick Shirley gets a scoop? www.fox4news.com/news/48-texa...
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
NEW: I spoke with some corporate Target employees about how the company has been talking to them about the ICE surge (much of it avoids mentioning the word "ICE") and saw an FAQ resource page Target put together: www.modernretail.co/retailers/ho...
modernretail.co
How Target is talking to corporate employees about the ICE surge in Minnesota
Target has sent corporate employees some communication related to ICE's increased presence in Minnesota, as it avoids publicly commenting.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 19/01/2026
Hi, I'm a retail journalist and I'm looking into a few things related to Target and the ICE surge. I have a couple questions I'm looking to ask corporate Target employees under the condition of anonymity (meaning your name wouldn't appear in any story). You can reach me on Signal at 651-356-5217
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 14/01/2026
👋 Do you work at Target's Northern Campus? If so, I have some questions for you about something I'm looking into. DM me if interested, and I'm happy to keep you anonymous
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Dare Obasanjo @carnage4life.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
In an ironic twist, Amazon blocks Perplexity from buying items from its website on behalf of users with an AI agent only to have the same exact feature called “Buy for Me”. Amazon doesn’t want to be disintermediated but is happy to disintermediate others.
modernretail.co
Brands are upset that 'Buy For Me' is featuring their products on Amazon without permission
Online merchants say Amazon’s “Buy for Me” AI tool listed their products without permission, forcing them to opt out after the fact.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 16/12/2025
Happy Thriftmas to all who celebrate! Why more shoppers are turning to secondhand gifts this holiday season www.modernretail.co/tariffs/the-...
modernretail.co
The year of Thriftmas: Why secondhand gifts could finally go mainstream this holiday season
Secondhand gifts are shedding their stigma as shoppers, squeezed by tariffs and inflation, turn to thrift stores and resale sites.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 29/10/2025
Minneapolis Bluesky -- there's a reporter on my team (@modernretail.bsky.social) looking to talk to current or ex Target employees about yesterday's layoffs. If you or anyone else you know might be interested, DM me or email me at anna@modernretail.co. Happy to talk under the condition of anonymity
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 27/10/2025
Have you gotten a surprise tariff bill after ordering from a foreign site? Don't expect the issue to slow down anytime soon www.modernretail.co/operations/w...
modernretail.co
Why US shoppers are still getting hit with tariff invoices on overseas e-commerce orders
Online shoppers are getting blindsided with tariff invoices from shipping carriers and U.S. customs, and the issue could drag on for months.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 25/09/2025
Quince customers say they are receiving tariff bills from FedEx sometimes days or weeks after receiving their orders. Quince says it's an error on FedEx's end, and customers are not responsible for it www.modernretail.co/operations/q...
modernretail.co
Quince customers mistakenly hit with tariff bills
DTC brand Quince says some of its customers are mistakenly being hit with tariff bills despite the brand having absorbed the fees.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 19/08/2025
Are shoppers still boycotting Target, and exactly how much is it hurting the company given everything else that's going on? Here's my feature that attempts to answer the question -- give it a read! www.modernretail.co/operations/a...
modernretail.co
As Target faces issues on multiple fronts, these once-loyal shoppers are still boycotting the chain
Six months after calls to boycott Target over its pullback on DEI policies made news, some shoppers say they are still avoiding the retailer.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 11/07/2025
Godspeed to every brand that hasn't put out any Love Island content to date and is now frantically trying to come up with something funny to post on social media before the finale
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 16/06/2025
Kenny So, the co-owner of 30-year-old Chalice Collectibles, has seen fads come and go from Beanie Babies to Jellycats. But he says he's never seen anything like the fervor around Labubus. More here on the crazy prices that Labubus are fetching on resale sites www.modernretail.co/marketing/th...
modernretail.co
The rise of Labubunomics: How merchants and marketplaces are cashing in on the viral Pop Mart toy
Labubu dolls are a viral sensation, thanks to TikToks, “blind boxes," celebrity fans and more. And on resale sites, prices keep climbing.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
Can sales of lipstick and men's underwear really tell us whether or not we are headed for a recession? On the latest episode of the Modern Retail Podcast, we debunk popular retail recession indicators. This was a fun one to record! www.modernretail.co/operations/m...
modernretail.co
Modern Retail Podcast: Nike's Amazon return, E.l.f's big Rhode bet, and debunking recession indicators
This week's Modern Retail Podcast gets into the news of Nike returning to Amazon and E.l.f buying Rhode, plus a talk about recession indicators.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 18/04/2025
I wrote about how small business owners are going on a media blitz right now warning about how catastrophic these tariffs will be if they're not changed www.modernretail.co/operations/c...
modernretail.co
CEOs go on a media blitz to warn of the 'existential threat' posed by tariffs
Retail CEOs are posting daily on LinkedIn, appearing on CNBC and writing letters to their representatives to warn of the dangers of tariffs.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 13/03/2025
Breaking news, if Bluesky cares about this! Kohl's has stopped Amazon returns at some locations -- it appears to be a test, and may just be temporary for now www.modernretail.co/retailers/ko...
modernretail.co
Kohl's has stopped accepting Amazon returns at some store locations
Store associates at Kohl's retail locations in Leominster, Massachusetts; Washington, Missouri and Eau Claire, Wisconsin confirmed that those particular stores are no longer accepting Amazon returns.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 05/03/2025
“Holding a Loko can means being wild, sharing insane moments with friends and really creating your own epic story." Four Loko is back (actually, it turns out they never left, just removed the caffeine) and is trying to reinvent itself for Gen Z www.modernretail.co/marketing/in...
modernretail.co
Inside Four Loko's plan to reinvent itself for Gen Z
Fifteen years after removing caffeine from its drinks, Four Loko is focused on growing distribution and adding new flavors to appeal to Gen Z.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 04/03/2025
Today in asinine food discourse: someone who is upset to learn that Chick-fil-a (allegedly) uses MSG, preservatives, artificial dyes, trans fats and more because they thought Chick-fil-a was "OK." Yes, once fast food stops using MSG, then it will be healthy
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
If you are a millennial who wants to relive the early aughts, Limited Too is here for you -- once a favorite of teens and tweens during the early 200s, Limited Too relaunched last year and is now creating collections for adults, like a line of Zodiac-themed tees www.modernretail.co/marketing/li...
modernretail.co
Limited Too is ramping up adult collections in an appeal to millennials
After releasing its first capsule collection in larger sizes for the holidays, Limited Too is rolling out more clothes for adults.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 26/02/2025
Every critique of White Lotus is like "as someone who is rich or knows rich people this is NOT how this specific type of rich person would act"
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
When you open a pack of batteries, you've probably gotten used to to ripping open the cardboard back, before trying to keep the batteries from tumbling out of the plastic cavity. But now, Energizer and Duracell are ditching this packaging. Here's why. www.modernretail.co/operations/w...
modernretail.co
Why Energizer and Duracell are ditching plastic packaging
Energizer and Duracell are rolling out paper packages in a move that removes plastic and also improves the customer experience.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
Happy for da birds
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i can be your long lost pal @pallavi.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
if i text you this just know you’re cooked
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 05/02/2025
I don't really care about astrological signs at all, but I do jokingly chalk up the fact that I care a lot about fairness to being a Libra. And boy, it sure is hard right now to be a person who cares about fairness
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 03/02/2025
Calling it now: the tech MAGA folks are going to be the last true believers
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
On Tuesday, avid readers rejoiced as Bookshop.org said it would begin selling e-books. By mid-day Tuesday, the company said it was on track to sell over $30,000 in e-books on its first day and also netted about 2,000 new customers. www.modernretail.co/technology/h...
modernretail.co
How Bookshop.org is looking to cut into Amazon's e-books dominance
Bookshop.org is estimating it could capture at least 5% of the e-books market that's currently dominated by Amazon.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
Things have been so busy that I forgot the football playoffs were still going on and that’s how I became one of those people who googled “what time is the Super Bowl”
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 19/01/2025
I know some people who deleted TikTok on Saturday who now can’t redownload it even though it’s “back” because it’s not in the App Store. I saw other on Instagram say they won’t use the app now after the messages they’ve posted thanking president Trump
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 17/01/2025
Brands are among the "TikTok refugees" flocking to RedNote. But it's just a knee-jerk reaction. www.modernretail.co/technology/b...
modernretail.co
Brands are among the ‘TikTok refugees’ flocking to RedNote
As TikTok barrels toward a U.S. ban, American users and brands, or so-called “TikTok refugees,” are joining the Chinese app RedNote.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 16/01/2025
Inflation is fueling price paranoia. That can play. out in a number of ways -- someone with price paranoia might not trust that a retailer is offering them the best price on an item. However you define it, anxieties around pricing will be a defining theme in 2025 www.modernretail.co/marketing/ho...
modernretail.co
How inflation and dynamic pricing are fueling concerns of 'price paranoia'
Some shoppers have developed price paranoia as they have struggled to make sense of price hikes in recent years.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 15/01/2025
3 headlines on inflation: Core inflation slows to 3.2% in December, less than expected www.cnbc.com/2025/01/15/c... Inflation sped up in December, a fresh challenge for the Fed www.nytimes.com/2025/01/15/b... Inflation offers crumbs of comfort, big banks report www.reuters.com/markets/us/g...
reuters.com
Morning Bid: Inflation offers crumbs of comfort, big banks report
A look at the day ahead in U.S. and global markets from Mike Dolan
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 14/01/2025
Mark but no Priscilla?
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 09/01/2025
It’s amazing what people will willingly tell reporters; that they didn’t either placed an Amazon Fresh order, for at the very least, didn’t cancel it in the middle of a wildfire
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 08/01/2025
Did you recently try to return an item, only to realize it was a final sale? Now, you might get a nudge to resell it on Poshmark. A returns processor is teaming up with Poshmark, adding a "Resell on Poshmark" button to the returns portals of nearly 3,300 retailers www.modernretail.co/technology/p...
modernretail.co
Poshmark is teaming up with Loop to resell non-returnable items
A new partnership between Poshmark and the returns provider Loop aims to make it easier for shoppers to resell non-returnable items.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 08/01/2025
I know we are a couple days past the cooking discourse now but I saw someone on TikTok claim they physically heave if they have to eat the same meal more than two days in a row
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
I see a lot of food startup CEOs cheering on the MAHA movement (or at least, saying things like "I'm all for more people reading labels.") But thing I don't see talked about enough is how the backlash against "ultra-processed foods" could hurt them. Protein bars are ultra-processed foods.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 06/01/2025
The reason why no one is covering this is because there are numerous examples of companies that have invested in these things over the years, and then abandoned them as economic cycles have changed and investing in something that doesn't directly drive revenue no longer makes as much sense
LinkedIn post describing a "massive trend" reporters are missing in media and marketing
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 03/01/2025
A rarity: A medical provider determined that they owed ME money
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 03/01/2025
*Clears throat* It was the week before Christmas when, all throughout retail, businesses were hustling to drive just one more sale. But those that had lost market share were putting the finishing touches on their Chapter 11s — with care. www.modernretail.co/operations/p...
modernretail.co
Party City and The Container Store add to a spike in retail bankruptcies in 2024
High-profile bankruptcies from Party City and The Container Store put a damper on the end of the year for the retail industry.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 02/01/2025
Big day for companies to announce price increases — Xcel Energy sent out this email announcing that they are pushing for a rate increase for Minnesota customers which on average would add nearly $10 a month to people’s electric bills
Screenshot of email from Xcel Energy outlining how they are requesting an increase of 9.6% in 2025 which would add $9.89 to people’s electric bills on average. Xcel is also requesting a 3.6% increase in 2026
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 01/01/2025
I wrote something a little more personal about how my thinking around change has evolved over the past couple of years-- I hope this is helpful for people overwhelmed thinking about the New Year! open.substack.com/pub/annahens...
open.substack.com
In 2025, change one thing
Change is hard! If you change one thing, that's an achievement
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 31/12/2024
After much googling I finally found this segment, and the bakery in question. It does sound like they have amazing prices — you can get loaves of bread for like $1-$2.40. But I have a lot of questions about this segment still
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 23/12/2024
The line at the Patina in Highland Park is ten people deep as everyone’s here shopping for last-minute Christmas gifts
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 19/12/2024
"You smiled at your gym crush 2,498 times and still never spoke to them" said one social media post from Gymshark. Every brand is itching to create its own version of Spotify Wrapped, posting tongue-in-cheek year-end recaps on social media. But some fall flat www.modernretail.co/marketing/wh...
modernretail.co
Why Spotify Wrapped-esque year-in-review posts took over Q4 brand marketing
Spotify Wrapped has become one of the most shareable brand marketing moments in the fourth quarter. And every brand is joining the parade.
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 13/12/2024
Waking up in the morning thinking about so many things (Haven, Maximillian, Buster, Blue, Trooper, Teak, Goliath, Rooster, Cabo)
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Anna Hensel @ahhensel.bsky.social · 13/12/2024
I got pitched by a PR firm to talk to someone about, among other topics, the M&A outlook for 2025. I replied and said sounds great, I'm actually working on a story on the M&A outlook for 2025 so this is perfect fit. Now they want more info on the angle of my story and what questions I want to ask
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