Nearly 4 in 10 (38%) US consumers already use AI for shopping, and another 52% plan to in the future, according to a new report from the IAB.
Venmo launched Venmo Stash, a bundled brand rewards system for users, per a press release. Cardholders can select handpicked bundles of their favorite brands—which include Uber, Lyft, Target, Walmart, and Sephora—to earn a flat 1% back on their purchases. Users can raise that rate to 2% by enabling auto-reloads to their wallets and 5% for adding at least $500 in direct deposits on Venmo each month. Injecting more choice into consumers’ rewards adds incentives to make a card top of wallet. Leaning into flexible rewards and card-linked offers can help secure younger consumers who are looking for value and functionality at checkout during economic uncertainty.
AI is reshaping the ad agency landscape and eliminating the need for entry-level hires, according to a Sunup report that found that 91% of US senior agency leaders expect AI to reduce headcounts and 57% have slowed or paused entry-level hiring.
Netflix advertising chief Amy Reinhard claimed the streaming service has 190 million monthly active viewers (MAV) worldwide—a new advertising metric the company shared after it stopped reporting subscription numbers earlier this year. Netflix wants to help advertisers more clearly understand an ad’s potential reach and ROI. Low churn, high-value content, and maturing ad offerings means Netflix will be an attractive option for brands for years to come—but the picture is about to get more complicated.
Another data-access domino fell this week as Charles Schwab followed Fidelity’s move to restrict credential-based access for fintechs and other third parties. Open banking for bank accounts has thrived in the private sector as banks, vendors, and trade groups have partnered to enable a rich ecosystem of fintechs and other software providers. Data security and liability are only reasonable excuses for FIs to kick third-parties out of their systems when they don’t have the resources to build alternative access methods.
Block’s latest earnings report revealed strong performance from Cash App, in contrast to Square's disappointing results. Banks once feared that neobanks would usurp them, but it’s now clear that these fintechs primarily compete with each other. After consolidating industry niches, they’ve scaled rapidly—expanding their product offerings as they fight for the same consumers.
PNC said this week that it would open more than 300 new or renovated branches by 2030, nearly 100 more than it had planned as of last year. The expansion is broad-based and includes branch investments in Florida, Tennessee, and Illinois. Branches are a crucial marketing tool for banks, even when their customers have largely migrated to digital channels—like an online retailer that has “showroom” stores with a curated selection of products. It’s not just about how many branches and where they are, but also how they are designed.
OpenAI’s push into commerce took a major step forward with the launch of in-app shopping on ChatGPT, though it will take time to gain traction as a meaningful retail sales channel.
Last week, Charles Schwab announced that it will acquire Forge Global for $660 million. Forge is a platform that lets retail investors buy and sell shares in private companies. Legacy financial services firms’ puts alternative assets on step closer to the mainstream. But the impact for retail investors remains to be seen. Companies that offer access to private shares have run into legal and financial trouble before, and the SEC has strict guidelines for who can invest in unregistered securities. Schwab is wise to tread carefully by limiting investments in private shares to the wealthiest investors to start.
Apple and Google are aligning around safer AI use and user data protection through their private cloud computing platforms. The dominant smartphone and mobile computing ecosystems now have security and privacy at the heart of their AI expansion, which addresses the desire for safer AI use. Brands that design within secure ecosystems—where AI learns preferences without revealing identities—will earn audience trust, regulatory protection, and enduring loyalty.
Singles Day transactions in China rose 17.6% YoY to 1.7 trillion yuan ($240 billion), according to Syntun, marking a slowdown from last year’s 26.6% gain despite extended campaigns and heavy promotions from Alibaba and JD.com. Platforms poured billions into vouchers and discounts, but longer sale periods diluted urgency and limited impact. The event’s waning momentum highlights China’s broader economic challenges—rising frugality, youth unemployment, and deflationary pressures. To reignite excitement, platforms may need to move away from drawn-out promotions toward shorter, high-impact campaigns that restore Singles Day’s original urgency and appeal.
Visa Direct will pilot letting businesses and platforms send stablecoin payouts to recipients’ crypto wallets, per a press release. The importance of the creator economy is growing for ecommerce. Over half of US social shoppers follow creators or influencers, and almost half (49.5%) of all US social shoppers have made a purchase based on creator content. Instituting quick and reliable stablecoin payouts for freelancers can help them retain key marketing contractor team members on social media platforms. However, crypto adoption has met resistance: Per a Kansas City Fed report, the largest predictor for cryptocurrency payments is payee preference, far outstripping speed, privacy, or cost.
This year, media and entertainment brands will spend nearly twice as much on linear TV ads (10.0%) as they will on over-the-top (OTT) streaming services (5.4%), according to MediaRadar data and an August 2025 EMARKETER forecast.
Airbnb and Instacart plan to launch a pilot program that would enable guests in select cities to order grocery delivery before and during their stays, per Bloomberg. The partnership is a win-win, offering Airbnb the chance to improve the guest experience, and giving Instacart an opportunity to expand its reach and boost ad revenues. As competition between delivery platforms heats up, deals like these are poised to become more common as companies look for new ways to win over customers.
Eli Lilly will no longer offer CVS Health’s prescription drug benefit plan for its employees, per Bloomberg. Lilly may have been considering another pharmacy benefits manager outside of this news. But it’s more likely that CVS’ choice to promote a rival drug (Wegovy) over Zepbound was Lilly’s breaking point—showing that even employee benefit plans can be used as leverage in the battle for weight loss drug dominance.
Paramount Skydance’s first full quarter under CEO David Ellison wasn’t flashy—but it was confident. Revenues were roughly in line, shares jumped over 10%, and management struck a new tone: Paramount is (re)building. Ellison and president Jeff Shell raised synergy targets to $3 billion, boosted film and TV output, and reaffirmed streaming growth through UFC integration on Paramount+. Ellison teased “buy versus build” ambitions amid merger chatter with Warner Bros. Discovery, signaling offense over defense. The message landed: Paramount’s next act is about agility and intent—a media giant betting it can grow faster by cutting smarter.
Amazon announced a breadth of AI-powered ad options on Day 1 of its annual Unboxed event designed to simplify campaign creation and deployment. Amazon’s new resources give advertisers a uniquely full-funnel solution that’s difficult to find in the crowded digital marketing world.
Amazon’s Prime Video maintains an average monthly ad-supported reach of more than 315 million viewers globally, the company announced at its 2025 unBoxed event. Amazon’s high-intent shopper base and ability to lead users through the entire marketing funnel offer a distinct advantage.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss why 7-Eleven is opening more stores even as foot traffic falls, explore its next engine of growth, and consider some bold moves that could help future-proof the convenience store giant. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Senior Analyst Blake Droesch, and Principal Analyst Sarah Marzano.