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On a sidewalk, an unassuming junction box sits strapped to a fence. Inside, dozens of keychains, stickers, mini figurines, and other novelties wait to be discovered by eagle-eyed passersby or trinket traders who have traveled across the city to exchange their treasure. Trinket trading has taken off on social media in recent weeks. The trend first originated in Philadelphia, where Phillys Trinket Trove began documenting the contents of a repurposed junction box on TikTok in September of last year. @phillytrinkettrove We’ve rebranded and made some upgrades! After a small identity crisis, we’re back as @phillytrinkettrove. Same little box full of joy with a new name and some minor upgrades for use-ability! Come visit and leave some trinkets or take some trinkets. Find a little sunshine in this crazy world! trinket #trinkets #sidewalkjoy #philly #phillypublicart #visitphilly original sound – Philly Trinket Trove It has since spread nationwide, with communities from New York to San Francisco setting up their own boxes of assorted knick-knacks for anyone to stop by and trade. The only rule: Give a trinket, take a trinket. @onefinedaynyc The cutest little trinket boxes around NYC! Ive been seeing quite a few of these around West Village and Chelsea and had to share Commerce Street & Bedford Street W12th St & W4th St W23rd St & 10th Ave W20th St & 8th Ave . . . #westvillage #trinkets #ducklibrarynyc Walking Around – Instrumental Version – Eldar Kedem TikTok creators across the platform have jumped on the trend with enthusiasm, documenting what they find and what they leave behind in vlog-style videos. Others are announcing new trinket box locations, inviting neighbors and fellow social media users to spread the word and join the fun. @bevvvvs Update! WE MADE IT! It was everything I ever hoped for @sunset.trinket.trade thank you for bringing community together through a shared love of trinkets! #trinkettrade #sfbayarea #sanfrancisco #sunsettrinkettrade #thingstodoinsf show me how – <3 While the trinket boxes are primarily aimed at children, trinkets themselves are having a moment globally. Since hitting the market in 2019, Labubus have become a global phenomenon, sparking a viral craze for the palm-sized monster dolls in 2025. Smiskis and Sonny Angels, both cutesy figurines, have also had their own viral moments as blind boxes continue to populate social feeds. Even Michaels and Walmart have begun carrying their own mystery boxes to capitalize on the trend. @itsalexissimone Replying to @2amores UMMM DID YOU KNOW @Walmart HAD THESE LABUBU BEAUTY STYLE BLUND BOXES?! Im obsessed actually #walmartfinds #walmartblindbags #beautybublindbox #newatwalmart2025 #blindboxopening original sound – ItsAlexisSimone In much the same way, the trinket box trend offers a wholesome moment of surprise. Instead of encouraging people to purchase something new, it promotes the more sustainable idea that one persons trash is another persons treasure. Like little free libraries or geocaches before them, trinket boxes lean into whimsy and analog activities, two trends forecasted for 2026 as antidotes to brainrot and digital fatigue. Across social media, one of the biggest trends right now is being offline. Analog bags, snail mail and grandma hobbies have all been trending in recent months. The hashtag #AnalogLife is up 330% this year, according to TikTok data shared with Axios, and analog wellness was named a top trend for 2025 by the Global Wellness Summit. Parents have long expressed concern about the iPad generation and the impact of growing up glued to screens and reliant on technology for perpetual distraction. Here, something as simple as a trinket could offer a small moment of respite in an increasingly saturated technological world. Just make sure to leave something behind for the next person.
Category:
E-Commerce
Target CEO Michael Fiddelke is reshuffling his leadership team and making other changes shortly after stepping into the top job at the retailer that has struggled operationally. Rick Gomez, the 13-year Target veteran who oversees the chain’s vast inventory of merchandise, will leave the company. And Jill Sando, the chief merchandising officer overseeing a handful of categories like apparel and home and who has been with the company since 1997, will retire. Lisa Roath, who oversaw food, essentials, and cosmetics, will take Fiddelke’s previous job as chief operating officer, the company said Tuesday. Cara Sylvester, who had been chief guest experience officer, will become the company’s chief merchandising officer. The changes will allow Target to move with greater speed, Fiddelke said. Its the start of a new chapter for Target, and were moving quickly to take action against our priorities that will drive growth within our business, Fiddelke said in a release. Gomez and Sando will remain with the company for a short time to help with the transition, but the changes become effective Sunday. Also on Tuesday, the company reiterated its profit guidance. It is also increasing investment in store staffing at stores while eliminating about 500 jobs at distribution centers and regional offices, according to a memo sent to employees that Target shared with The Associated Press. The cuts make up just a tiny fraction of Target’s overall employee count of more than 400,000. It is the first substantial change under Fiddelke, a 20-year company veteran who took over for Brian Cornell this month. The company’s decision to choose an insider surprised many industry analysts who believe the company needs new ideas as it tries to revive sales. Target has struggled to find its footing as many Americans have cut back on spending. Customers have also complained of disheveled stores that are missing the budget-priced niche that long ago earned the retailer the nickname Tarzhay. The company has also been buffeted by consumer boycotts and backlash after it scaled back its corporate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. It has also faced protests for what some critics see as an insufficient response to President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics in Minneapolis, its hometown, where two U.S. citizens where fatally shot last month by federal agents. Target has not commented publicly after federal agents detaining two of its employees this month although Fiddelke sent a video message to the companys 400,000 workers calling recent violence incredibly painful.” Fiddelke was one of 60 CEOs of Minnesota-based companies who signed an open letter in January calling for state, local, and federal officials to find a solution after the fatal shootings. Anne D’Innocenzio, AP retail writer
Category:
E-Commerce
Paramount is again sweetening its hostile takeover bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, while again extending the deadline for its tender offer as it scrambles for more shareholder support. On Tuesday, the Skydance-owned company said it would pay Warner shareholders an added ticking fee if its deal doesn’t go through by the end of the year amounting to 25 cents per share, or a total of $650 million, for every quarter after Dec. 31. Paramount also pledged to fund Warner’s proposed $2.8 billion breakup payout to Netflix under its studio and streaming merger agreement. The value of Paramount’s offer otherwise remains unchanged. The company is offering to pay $30 per share in cash to Warner’s stakeholders, who now have until March 2 to tender their shares. In a statement, Paramount CEO David Ellison said that the additional benefits announced Tuesday clearly underscore our strong and unwavering commitment to delivering the full value WBD shareholders deserve for their investment. Paramount wants to buy Warner’s entire company for $77.9 billion, with a total enterprise value of $108 billion including debt. Beyond studio and streaming operations, that includes Warner’s networks like CNN and Discovery. But it has a long way to go in terms of getting shareholder support which, according to recent company disclosures, has appeared to decline over the last month. As of Monday, Paramount said that more than 42.3 million Warner shares had been validly tendered and not withdrawn from its bid, down from over 168.5 million Warner shares on Jan. 21. Warner has about 2.48 billion shares outstanding in series A common stock today. Paramount would need more than 50% to effectively gain control of the company. Netflix and Warner did not immediately respond to requests for comment Tuesday. The new March 2 deadline marks the third time Paramount has pushed back the expiration of its tender offer, which it may keep extending. Paramount has also promised a proxy fight. Last month, the company begun soliciting proxies to challenge Warner’s agreement with Netflix. Warner’s leadership has consistently backed the deal it struck with Netflix. In December, Netflix agreed to buy Warners studio and streaming business for $72 billion now in an all-cash transaction that the companies have said will speed up the path to a shareholder vote by April. Including debt, the enterprise value of the deal is about $83 billion, or $27.75 per share. Netflix and Warner have maintained that their agreement is better Paramount’s bid. But Paramount argues that its offer is superior and on Tuesday pointed to a sliding scale value of the Netflix merger, which could range from $21.23 to $27.75 per share, depending on debt spanning from Warner’s previously announced spinoff of its networks business. Unlike Paramount, Netflix doesn’t want to acquire Warner networks like CNN and Discovery. Under Netflix-Warner’ agreement, Discovery Global would become its own separate public company before their merger is closed. The prospect of a Warner sale to either company has raised tremendous antitrust concerns from lawmakers worldwide. The U.S. Department of Justice has initiated reviews of both Warner’s agreement with Netflix and Paramount’s hostile bid with all three companies disclosing that they’ve been in contact with the DOJ over requests for more information. The companies have argued their proposed deals will be good news for consumers and the wider entertainment industry, claiming that merging will give streaming customers more content through bigger libraries. But unions and other trade groups have warned that further consolidation in the industry could result in job losses and less diversity in content with particularly negative consequences for filmmaking. Wyatte Grantham-Philips, AP business writer
Category:
E-Commerce
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