Material World

Millennials are blamed for disrupting a lot of industries, from cereal to soap, and now they're wreaking havoc on the jewelry industry. Customers today want timeless pieces that aren't so expensive they require a down payment, and they want to be able to collect items that can be customized into a truly personal look. In addition, they're browsing jewelry online and designing unique pieces. And young consumers are waiting longer to get married -- putting a dent in the engagement ring category -- and increasingly considering lab-made diamonds and other stones. These trends have put mainstream players like Signet's Zales, Kay and Jared in a tough spot. Lindsey Rupp and Kim Bhasin take a look at the changing trends in the industry and talk with New York startups Rebe and Catbird about what might be coming next.

Everyone knows it's almost impossible to eat just one potato chip. Why is America's favorite salty snack so addictive? Jenny and Lindsey dig into the science behind the mouthwatering taste, the evolution of the business from local to national and the diversification of flavors from plain to things like everything bagel with cream cheese, pico de gallo and crispy taco. Jenny travels to Frito-Lay's Plano, Texas headquarters to get the scoop on how chefs, cooking competitions and healthier eating are reshaping the chip business.

For the rich and famous, a name is often much more than just a name, and the Trump family hasn't shied from capitalizing on that opportunity. This week on Material World, we explain how Ivanka Trump turned her name into a brand. Now that the First Daughter has taken a position in the White House, what happens to her namesake company? Jenny and Lindsey speak with branding expert Allen Adamson on the challenges of using a person's name as a brand; actress and entrepreneur Jessica Alba on her decision not to use her name as her masthead and Bloomberg's Kim Bhasin on how the Ivanka Trump Co. is helped or hurt by the election of its founder's father.

Jenny and Lindsey are taking a vacation.

In our last episode, Jenny and guest host Craig Giammona explored how technology could shape the grocery industry's future. This week, Jenny and Lindsey look at what the biggest grocers are doing to stay on top -- and discover it has a lot to do with produce. As part of its plan to fight off competition, Wal-Mart, the world's biggest grocer, joined forces with an agriculture giant to design a new, sweeter cantaloupe. If the new melon is a success, it could set the stage for a makeover of the crucial produce aisle across the industry."The Cantaloupe Song" was written by Russ Rogers.

For decades, the experience of buying groceries has remained much the same — and stayed largely immune to tech disruption. But that may be about to change. Amazon's bid for Whole Foods shows that it's determined to revolutionize the way Americans buy their groceries. Jenny and guest host Craig Giammona talk with grocery experts about how stores are already changing — and the challenge that Amazon faces in charting a new future for the industry.

She's been called a role model -- but also creepy and superficial. So who is the real Barbie? Matt Townsend looked into an 58-year-old toy that's become much, much more than a mere plaything. He and Lindsey trace the life and times of this 11-and-a-half inch doll -- from her Eisenhower-era debut  her stumbles (who knew she struggled to compete with Britney Spears?) and what Mattel is doing now to revive her.

When you think innovation, Big Tobacco probably doesn't spring to mind. But Philip Morris International alone has spent more than $3 billion trying to create new products and push towards a “Smoke-Free Future.” Jenny and Lindsey dig into the tobacco industry's race to move beyond cigarettes and towards potentially better-for-you products. Philip Morris veteran Tony Snyder, talks about how the largest publicly-traded tobacco company in the world says its turning away from its core product; Businessweek's Felix Gillette describes how the move from “analog” cigarettes to “digital” gadgets snagged his interest; and Truth Initiative President Robin Koval discusses the importance of treating these innovations with caution.

From the success of Coachella to the cataclysm that was Fyre, music festivals are omnipresent these days, drawing colossal crowds and clogging Instagram feeds. But it isn't just partiers who have caught the festival bug -- consumer product companies want in, too. This week on Material World, Jenny and Lindsey examine how and why these gatherings have become the ultimate millennial experience and marketing mecca. They talk with executives from Live Nation, Heineken, and The Infatuation to get the scoop on what's behind the trend.

The beauty industry is on fire, thanks in large part to technology. Prestige beauty sales in the United States grew 6 percent to $15.9 billion in the year ending in February, according to the research firm NPD Group. Makeup alone rose 11 percent to $7.3 billion. Lindsey and Jenny talk to lifestyle website Goop and makeup brand Glossier about how the prevalence of social media and online shopping are driving some of these sales figures. Industry investor TSG Consumer Partners, with $5 billion under management, explains the opportunity smaller brands have to carve out a niche market thanks to the Internet and what makes these upstarts appealing companies to invest in or even buy outright. Bloomberg's Stephanie Wong breaks down how big, traditional players are trying to get in on the growth.

Americans love what they wear -- until it's time to throw it away. Each year, we generate 21 billion pounds of discarded clothing, amounting to 70 pounds per person. Now, as the world finally begins to address climate change, is there a business case for the fashion industry to invest in sustainability? Lindsey and Jenny talk brands including H&M, Levi Strauss and Timberland about what they're doing to make their products more green. With apparel at the beginning of its transformation, customers will need to demand improvements to help spur change.

As legalized pot becomes more widely available, the race is on for brands to become household names. One in five American adults now lives in a place where he or she can smoke, eat, drink, vape or otherwise ingest cannabis as they please. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau laid out plans last week for the country to become the first Group of Seven nation to legalize it nationally. As the product moves out of the black market, cannabis is getting a makeover. Jenny and Lindsey dive into what's going on politically and how the industry is changing. Some ganjapreneurs are leaving Jamaican flags, giant pot leaves and highly potent strains behind in the quest to become the Coca-Cola or Budweiser of weed.

Food and beverage companies have long used buzzwords like "natural" and "healthy" to get shoppers' attention, a battle that's intensified now that foodie culture has gone mainstream. Whether it's organic, gluten-free or non-GMO, consumers are demanding more information about what's inside the stuff they eat and drink. And that, in turn, is forcing companies to navigate an antiquated and confusing regulatory system. Jenny and guest host Craig Giammona examine how the demand for information about what's in our food is playing out in grocery stores.

The man who helped turn Fireball whisky into a shot sensation is at it again, this time with ghost-pepper infused tequila. Recording a day in the life, Material World follows him around to find out exactly what it takes to make a liquor brand go viral. How do bars come by their selection of alcohol? Jenny heads to Boston to interview Ghost Tequila's founders, bar owners and tequila drinkers -- and to suss out if this startup spirits company can disrupt a giant industry.

Jenny and Lindsey explore what Trump's campaign to revive domestic manufacturing means at the mall. Some companies, including Knot Standard, the custom suit-maker that dressed the younger male Trumps for the inauguration, say the U.S. doesn't have the technological infrastructure or employee knowhow to get the job done. Others, such as hoodie-maker American Giant, say that's baloney. Either way, after a decade of plummeting prices, shoppers may need to prepare themselves to spend more on the clothes they've been coveting.

Immortality may remain forever the stuff of science fiction, but our ability to live long and prosper is finally within reach -- if a select group of so-called biohackers can be believed. Take Bulletproof founder Dave Asprey, so committed to the lifestyle that he plans to live to the age of 180. Or consider Jim Fadiman, who studies the benefits of microdosing on psychedelic drugs such as LSD and says small changes can have big benefits. They're just two of the scores of experts, professionals and skeptics whom Jenny and Lindsey spoke with for this week's Material World. We also explore more mainstream efforts to live better, from diet and exercise to smartphone apps that help less-committed people quantify their wellness goals and success.

Material World is taking a look at the basics -- underwear. Technology and innovation has infiltrated the rest of your closet. Now, entrepreneurs say it's time to upgrade your underwear drawer. There's plenty to pick from: The global men's underwear market is expected to expand to $11 billion in 2020 from $8.4 billion in 2015, according to Persistence Market Research. That 31 percent jump dwarfs the expected 14 percent growth in the overall men's apparel market to $33 billion in 2020, according to Edited. Jenny and Lindsey talk with the founders of My Pakage and Tommy Johns, mens' brands, and Thinx, the so-called period underwear, to explore trends driving this market. Plus, they host a consumer-expert panel to find out if the new products actually live up to the hype.

This year was full of surprises -- Brangelina called it quits, the U.K. voted to leave the European Union and Donald Trump became the next president of the United States. It's hard to predict what lies ahead in 2017. Jenny and Lindsey are joined by others on Bloomberg News's consumer team to do just that. They discuss what retail might look like next year. Skinny pants, beards and progressive advertising themes could be out. Shoulder-pads, fast food and sugar may be in. The team tries its best to guess what living in Trump's America will mean for shoppers.

The holidays are upon us, and with them a shopping season that can make or break a struggling retailer. Yet bankruptcy doesn't always mean the end. Many struggling chains linger well past their expiration dates and others find second lives under new ownership. The deciding factor is the strength of the brand. Join us as Lindsey and Jenny explain the bankruptcy process -- and why some brands survive while others don't. Jamie Salter tells us why he bought Aeropostale, the teen apparel chain, four months after it filed for bankruptcy in May. Bazillion Points book publisher Ian Christe describes his conflict with Borders, the bookseller that went out of business in 2011. Ryan Cotton, a managing director at Bain Capital Private Equity, explores what sets successful brands apart, while Bloomberg's Lauren Coleman-Lochner breaks down the mechanics of filing for bankruptcy.

This time of year feels like a continuous feast. With pumpkin spice lattes and apple pie and holiday cookies at every turn, Americans are constantly confronted by sugar. More than half of the nation's people are trying to eat less sugar -- and some are trying to quit altogether. So why is it so hard to tame that sweet tooth? Jenny and Lindsey dig into the ingredients that keep us chomping long past our necessary caloric intake: sugar, salt and fat. Jacqueline Raposo, a food writer and host of the "Love Bites" podcast, talks about the challenges of her month-long pledge to abstain from sugar. New York University's Nutrition and Food Studies Professor Marion Nestle explains why certain tastes appeal. Bestselling author and New York Times investigative reporter Michael Moss and Bloomberg's Craig Giammona speak to the companies that rely on sugar, salt and fat to attract consumers and how Big Food and Big Soda are being forced to change tactics.