One-third of US adults say prices are noticeably higher on certain products due to tariffs or shipping/import changes, according to a July survey from Omnisend and Cint.
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Become a ClientReddit’s Q3 earnings confirmed what advertisers have suspected: the platform’s community-driven ad model can scale profitably. Revenue jumped 68% to $585 million, crushing Wall Street estimates, while EPS of $0.80 easily beat forecasts. Global daily actives climbed 19% to 116 million, though US user growth slowed to 7%, down from 12% last quarter. Data licensing revenue rose 7% as Reddit continues to defend its content from unauthorized AI scraping—a fight central to its long-term strategy. For advertisers, Reddit’s results underscore its strength as a high-intent, performance-focused channel—even as slower domestic user growth raises questions about future expansion.
Retail is on the brink of a digital sea change as agentic commerce slowly makes its way onto consumer-facing platforms.
We expect US holiday sales to rise 3.6% in the final two months of the year, a slowdown from last year’s 4.4% gain, but much stronger than our May outlook, when we anticipated just 1.2% growth. The shift stems from consumers’ surprising resilience despite tariffs, inflation, and a softening labor market. Major retailers like Walmart and Amazon have reported steady demand, with tariffs adding only modest price pressures. However, spending remains uneven across income groups as higher earners benefit from wage and wealth gains. Retailers will need to emphasize affordability and value to attract cautious middle- and lower-income shoppers this season.
Walmart unveiled a series of AI-powered tools for its app to help customers with their holiday shopping. The new features, which include an in-store savings function and AI-generated audio summaries, are meant to make Walmart’s app more useful for in-store shoppers and to simplify discovery and purchasing for customers who prefer to transact online. Retailers should follow Walmart’s lead and use AI to make it easier for customers to surface deals and quickly find what they’re looking for, whether in-store or online.
Mobile gaming in-app purchase (IAP) revenues reached $21 billion worldwide in Q3 2025, per Sensor Tower—a number not seen since pandemic quarantines. Strategy, puzzle, RPG, and casino games led the field, with each bringing in over $2 billion. Time and money spent in gaming continues to rise, yet only 5% of media investments around the world go to gaming, per Dentsu. Start considering formats such as in-game ads, interstitial ads, and adjacent ads. Brands can also entertain partnerships for in-game gear and mini games. The time is now to boost advertising budgets for gaming platforms and titles as revenues grow.
Mastercard is reportedly nearing a deal to acquire Zerohash for as much as $2 billion, per Fortune. Zerohash provides infrastructure to connect fiat payment systems with crypto and stablecoins. We can expect Visa to pursue a big crypto acquisition in short order. Whether they see it as an existential threat or not, networks are waking up to the fact that crypto is here to stay—and they need to prove to investors and stakeholders that they’re taking it seriously.
Ascend Federal Credit Union launched a debit card-linked installment offering through a partnership with equipifi, per a press release. It’s difficult for credit unions like Ascend to compete with the top issuers on credit card programs. They lack the necessary funds and resources to launch expansive credit card rewards offerings. But they have a better chance of competing for customers’ business when it comes to debit cards. Offering perks like card-linked installments can set their programs apart and draw in customers who are looking for more flexible financing options without applying for a new credit card.
Southwest Airlines rolled out a rewards debit card, per a press release. The Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Debit Card runs on Visa’s network and is issued by Sunrise Bank in partnership with SoFi-owned Galileo’s card issuing platform. Offering a debit card helps Southwest tie customers closer to its loyalty program. But getting consumers to sign up may be a tough sell. Consumers who don’t have the credit scores or means to pay for a Southwest credit card may balk at parking $2,500 a checking account.