The history of American workwear brands that have also been embraced as fashion brands spans generations. Levi Strauss patented its rivet-enforced denim pants for laborers in 1873, and Carhartt introduced its sturdy bib overalls in 1889. More so than Levi’s, Carhartt still champions its popularity with hammer-swingers, but the brand has leaned into decidedly non-workwear lines, too, with popular products for pets and kids.

But Eric Girouard, founder and CEO of Brunt Workwear, the 5-year-old DTC brand, is doing everything he can to not become a fashion brand. And that stems from his upbringing in Bristol, Connecticut.

“I grew up roofing and landscaping when I was 14 [and] 15,” Girouard told Retail Brew. “All my childhood buddies went into the trades right out of high school.”

Girouard took a different route, working for fashion brands including Rue La La and M.Gemi, which features Italian-made shoes and handbags, but he remained close with those boyhood friends.

And they let him know they had little use for fancy loafers.

Keep reading here.—AAN

As if rising prices and tariffs weren’t already causing shoppers some serious stress, retail package theft is making things worse.

According to new research from Omnisend supported by FBI crime data, Americans lost $15.7 billion (amounting to 241 million parcels) to stolen packages in 2024. Nearly 1 in 3 households were victimized, per the study.

Each stolen package averaged around $65 in losses, while 85% of thefts amounted to less than $100. Most packages stolen were from retailers like Amazon (71.9%) and courier services such as UPS (31.3%), FedEx (29.7%), and USPS (28.8%).

Meanwhile, retailers covered only $6.5 billion in refunds, with 70% of theft victims saying they received a replacement. Twenty-three percent also said that the retailer did not take responsibility.

Keep reading here.—JS

It’s no secret that major retailers like Walmart and Amazon are struggling to adjust to the reality of tariffs, but it hasn’t been a picnic for small businesses, either.

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) say that tariffs have had an impact on their operations, according to a new report from Netstock, which makes software for supply chain planning. Among those feeling the tariff pinch, 44% said they’d absorb the costs rather than risk out-of-stocks by purchasing less inventory, or losing customers by passing costs on to them.

Netstock defines SMBs as companies with less than $250 million in annual revenue, and executives at those companies are, naturally, looking closer to home for suppliers thanks to tariffs. While 31% said they preferred offshore suppliers over domestic ones in 2024, that dropped to 28% this year.

Keep reading here.—AAN

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