On today’s podcast episode, we discuss what’s still holding Amazon back in grocery — and what could finally move the needle. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Principal Analyst Sky Canaves, and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch.
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Become a ClientPodcast advertisers are shifting toward brand awareness campaigns, which grew from 52% to 56% of total US podcast ad spending between Q3 2024 and Q3 2025, according to a November 2025 report from Magellan AI. Meanwhile, direct response campaigns dropped 4 percentage points to 41%.
More than half of US holiday shoppers (55%) plan to make purchases online, according to an October 2025 survey from the National Retail Federation.
Cyber Monday generated a record $14.25 billion in US online sales, rising 7.1% year over year and slightly surpassing expectations despite a Shopify outage. Strong momentum carried through the Cyber Five period, highlighted by a 9.1% Black Friday jump, while inflation steered shoppers toward categories like electronics, apparel, and furniture. BNPL usage hit an all-time high with $1.03 billion in spending, and mobile devices drove most purchases at 57.5%. The season’s performance underscores resilient demand but also a more price-sensitive consumer increasingly reliant on value and flexible payment options.
Dick's Sporting Goods is using interactive sports experiences in its stores to build better opportunities for advertisers on its retail media network. “We’re seeing what we’re doing [with] in-store advertising as an extension of what we’re doing with our retail environment holistically,” said Dick's Sporting Goods vice president of retail media David Young, at a recent retail media session hosted by DPAA.
Marketing professionals see AI leading to several shifts in consumer behavior that will greatly impact the fundamentals of digital advertising in the next 2 to 3 years, per a Funnel and Ravn Research study of in-house marketers and agency professionals. As AI reshapes digital and search advertising, the brands that thrive will be those who seize the opportunities presented by AI-driven changes.
Samsung is showcasing its Z TriFold foldable just as chatter intensifies around Apple’s first foldable, expected in 2026, per The Verge. The TriFold unfolds into a 10-inch display—essentially a tablet that folds down into a phone—clearly aimed at productivity, multitasking, and Samsung’s vision of pocketable computing. Brands should prepare for content to stretch across larger, flexible canvases. Build adaptable layouts, vertical-first creative, and productivity-friendly experiences that respond to multi-window use. Those who design for these hybrid screens will gain an early advantage in a premium, high-engagement segment.
Out-of-home (OOH) ad revenues reached an all-time Q3 high, according to the Out of Home Advertising Association of America (OAAA). OOH ad revenues grew 4.5% YoY in Q3, reaching $2.13 billion—the 18th consecutive quarter of growth reported by OAAA. Sustaining investment in OOH will remain critical because the format offers reach unmatched by other channels by leveraging high-traffic locations and providing unavoidable exposure.
Costco has filed suit against the Trump administration to secure the right to a full refund of the IEEPA tariffs it paid this year, tying its claim to a pending Supreme Court ruling on whether Trump had authority to impose the duties. The company also seeks to pause tariff collection as the case unfolds, citing a December 15 liquidation deadline that could make the payments unrecoverable. With businesses stuck in prolonged uncertainty and others filing similar protective suits, Costco is taking a pragmatic, defensive step to shield itself from a costly legal limbo.
Shein and Temu are under intensifying global scrutiny as US, European, and Chinese authorities tighten oversight of Chinese-affiliated ecommerce platforms. Texas is investigating Shein over forced labor and safety concerns, while Sen. Tom Cotton is urging a federal probe into IP theft at both companies. The pressure extends abroad, with Shein’s French marketplace suspended and China demanding sales data to combat tax evasion. With de minimis advantages eroding and consumer trust wavering, these platforms must strengthen marketplace quality and local partnerships to remain competitive amid rising regulatory risk.