Home Depot’s Q3 results highlight a difficult operating environment as a stalled housing market, muted storm-related demand, and higher living costs limited shopper activity, leading to soft comparable sales and another earnings miss. While revenues slightly exceeded expectations, adjusted EPS declined and the retailer lowered its full-year outlook. The results point to broad, persistent headwinds—ranging from sluggish housing activity to tariff-driven cost pressures—that are expected to keep any recovery gradual and uneven even with added revenue contributions from the GMS acquisition.

At Web Summit, design leaders Joseph Lebus and Max Ottignon argued that sameness—not disruption—is the real threat facing brands in the AI era. As production accelerates, they warned, imitation becomes easier and distinctiveness becomes harder. With nearly 40% of digital video ads expected to be AI-generated next year, differentiation demands intentional judgment rather than automated output. Many marketers already rely on AI for creative tasks, but efficiency alone risks flattening brand expression. The future of creative advantage lies in context, immersion, and originality—areas where taste, curiosity, and human perspective still outperform machines.

Klarna’s revenues soared 28% YoY to $903 million, per its Q3 2025 earnings report. Gross merchandise volume (GMV) jumped 23% YoY, powered by strength in the US—where GMV cracked 43% growth YoY. Interest-bearing US loans accounted for over 244% of US GMV growth. Klarna’s blueprint for US consumers is connecting—for now. Younger, credit-averse consumers may be drawn to the Klarna Card’s debit-forward approach, but it still lacks a rewards structure compelling enough to pull consumers away from credit cards. While its membership rewards model did net 1 million signups in less than a month, issuers still face little threat from this card unseating their offerings.

US consumers’ rejection rates for new lines of credit hit a series high of 24.8%, up from 23.1% in June, while application rates remained stable (excluding credit card limit applications, which increased), per the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s SCE Credit Access Survey. As issuers tighten the purse strings for working-class consumers, buy now, pay later (BNPL) have an opportunity to steal market share. Integrating their buy buttons at point-of-sale (POS) and marketing their BNPL debt cards can help reach these consumers where they shop.

Global ecommerce is tightening as major markets close de minimis loopholes and China increases tax scrutiny, putting fresh pressure on platforms like PDD and its international arm Temu. Nearly 1 in 5 US consumers say shifting trade policies may discourage them from buying internationally, adding to the company’s challenges amid uneven spending in China. PDD delivered mixed Q3 results, with earnings beating expectations but revenue slightly missing. The overall picture suggests the company must transition from relying on duty-free advantages to strengthening marketplace fundamentals, even as improving user trends signal early signs of resilience

As marketing becomes increasingly digital, one channel still stands out for creating real connections: the branded products people hold onto. New research from the Promotional Products Association International shows how merch turns everyday items into lasting brand loyalty.