Western Union will launch a stablecoin to power crypto remittances in the first half of 2026, per a press release. The stablecoin will be called the U.S. Dollar Payment Token (USDPT) and will run on Solana’s Bitcoin infrastructure. As more remittance players pivot toward crypto, they face a bind of a customer base that is more likely to trust in-store cash transactions than novel digital methods, which makes a strong retail presence necessary for success. Targeted advertising campaigns educating remittance senders about the benefits of digital transfers with incentives for new customers could help convert more users to crypto.
Target’s plan to win holiday sales relies heavily on in-store activations and a steady stream of deals throughout the last two months of the year. All of Target’s nearly 2,000 stores will be transformed into “nostalgic Alpine villages,” complete with festive décor and weekend events throughout the season. The retailer will also offer weeklong deals and host an earlier Black Friday sale to accommodate consumers' price sensitivities. Target is hoping that an emphasis on joy and whimsy—and discounts—will help it recapture some much-needed spending.
JPMorgan Chase will launch a digital-only retail bank in Germany in 2026. And Santander revealed that its US digital-only retail bank, Openbank, attracted over $6 billion in deposits in its first year. For a traditional bank, running a digital-only bank is a strategic choice rather than the side project it may seem. Rebuilding the technology stack and experience from the ground up fosters necessary digital transformation and enables business growth in new markets. To break out of a mold, bankers should think big about their options: A small subsidiary built from scratch can reshape the business.
The branch is key to consumers’ choice of primary bank, but banks overall fall short of a compelling customer experience, according to a recent study from Adrenaline. Delivering a seamless, modern branch experience means breaking down silos between teams across digital, ATM, call center, and in-person channels. With customers expecting frictionless interactions, the old compartmentalized approach won’t work anymore. Branches need to offer pared down, basic services that are traditionally expected combined with consistent, high-touch interactions that dovetail with digital services.
Wealthtech funding for 2025 is set to double last year’s figure and has already hit $4.2 billion as of September, according to a CB Insights report. And based on year-over-year hiring, three of the top five fastest-growing fintech segments fall under wealthtech. In our September 2025 report “Winning the Great Wealth Transfer in Wealth Management,” we noted that banks face three key considerations in competing against wealth techs: How to blend self-service and human connection, how to personalize services, and what investment vehicles to offer.
Amazon is continuing to see success with its maturing ad offerings. Q3 advertising services reached $17.7 billion, up 24% YoY, while net sales increased 13% to $180.2 billion. Q4 guidance points to continued confidence, with Amazon expecting growth between 10% and 13% YoY. Amazon’s ad success indicates that it will continue to be a promising opportunity for marketers that offers a unique proposition combining data-driven targeting, commerce integration, innovative ad formats, and the ability to reach consumers both onsite and offsite.
Visa and Mastercard reported strong growth in their most recent earnings. Visa’s net revenues increased 12% YoY in its Q4 2025, per its earnings release. Mastercard’s net revenues grew 17% YoY in Q3, per its earnings release. Lower-income consumers are more sensitive to tariff-induced inflation and other economic events. If lower- and medium-tier cardholders pull back on spending, their premium counterparts who are more insulated from economic pain can keep spending afloat. Issuers are following the same strategy: Citi, Chase, and American Express all launched or revamped premium cards this year.
Amazon beat expectations in Q3, helped by an extended Prime Day sale, expanded rural access to same- and next-day delivery, and healthy cloud and advertising growth. The company's AI investments are taking center stage as the company looks to improve efficiency, boost engagement, and keep third-party AI agents at bay. From a retail standpoint, Amazon is on firm footing. The retailer’s ability to offer unparalleled convenience, wide selection, and Prime membership perks are enabling it to gain share in an uncertain environment.
Due to the Trump administration's crackdown on direct-to-consumer (D2C) pharma advertising, drugmakers face a greater need to develop strong strategies to effectively reach the healthcare professionals (HCPs) who prescribe their treatments. Pharma marketers must use digital tools and channels, including social media and AI, to create credible engagement strategies that offset decreased consumer exposure to drug ads.
The global beer industry is confronting a sharp downturn as leading brewers like AB InBev, Heineken, and Carlsberg report falling volumes amid inflation, changing tastes, and growing alcohol moderation. With US beer production down and more breweries closing than opening for the first time in 20 years, consumers are shifting toward cheaper brands or alternatives like canned cocktails and THC drinks. AB InBev’s response—a $6 billion buyback, expanded no-alcohol lineup, and investment in premium RTDs—signals a broader industry pivot toward diversification and reinvention under mounting pressure.
Sprouts Farmers Market projects flat to 2% same-store sales growth in Q4, signaling a sharp slowdown after strong midyear gains as consumer spending cools. Q3 results missed expectations, with 5.9% growth versus forecasts of 7.4%. In response, Sprouts is emphasizing value through expanded private labels, unique product innovation, and affordable prepared foods, while leveraging its new loyalty program to drive repeat visits. Despite broader retail pressure and cautious shoppers, Sprouts remains optimistic—opening more stores than planned and leaning on its differentiated, health-focused positioning to sustain long-term momentum amid an industry-wide pullback.
Estée Lauder topped analysts’ profit and revenue expectations, aided by sales and market share gains in China and customer growth in the US. The parent of brands such as Clinique, Tom Ford, and Aveda said its results marked the start of its return to growth under a turnaround plan. Estée Lauder’s stronger-than-expected quarter shows that accessible pricing and product innovation is essential to growth in beauty, especially as competition continues to intensify. Gap Inc., for instance, is launching Old Navy Beauty, a youth-focused line of body mists and scents. Its move shows that even apparel retailers are muscling into beauty to lure Gen Z consumers, providing new pressure on established beauty brands.
Eli Lilly is offering cash-pay pricing for its weight loss drug Zepbound at Walmart. This is the first time Lilly has offered a retail pharmacy pick-up option to customers who order Zepbound through LillyDirect. Walmart will soon be the only retail pharmacy where customers paying cash for Novo’s and Lilly’s GLP-1 weight loss drugs can pick up their prescriptions. This will help the company benefit from increased foot traffic as more of Lilly’s customers enter its stores.
Novo Nordisk entered the escalating acquisition battle for Metsera with a rival offer of up to $9 billion, topping Pfizer's earlier $7.3 billion bid. The Metsersa takeover clash signals how difficult and costly it will be for some companies to enter the weight loss drug category through M&A. Developing novel obesity drugs that offer a significant advantage over current GLP-1s is challenging (see: Pfizer), but it could be the better option for some pharma firms that want to avoid potentially messy, drawn-out bidding wars.
Most video game players treasure the end of the year, both to splurge on their favorite hobby and to spend more time in-game.
YouTube is reorganizing staff within its product teams, which won’t directly involve eliminating any roles, per Business Insider. Starting November 5, those teams will fall into three categories with distinct priorities. At the same time, the company implemented a “voluntary exit program” with severance offers for US employees. YouTube’s now-separate product segments could open up new pathways for TV ads and influencer marketing, and brands should watch for how these siloed divisions could change campaign development and ad placement, and whether outreach with YouTube will become more complicated.
Netflix is testing vertical short-form video content on mobile devices to diversify its platform offerings. The streamer’s goal isn’t to compete with TikTok since it won’t feature user-generated content (UGC). Instead, videos will include clips from Netflix’s longer-form content, such as live events or stand-up comedy sets. Netflix’s move into shorts could create new ad inventory or brand placement opportunities, pairing the brand safety of curated clips with the engagement of short video. Marketers should keep an eye on how Netflix’s short-form ecosystem evolves.
A global Azure and 365 outage hours before earnings revealed the fragility of Microsoft's dominance, briefly disrupting apps and websites worldwide. But its latest earnings demonstrated its unmatched lead in enterprise AI. Azure and other cloud services jumped 40%, powering Microsoft Cloud’s 26% revenue surge to $49.1 billion. Despite the hiccup, Microsoft’s results confirmed AI’s full integration into its business model, with Copilot and Azure fueling recurring cloud consumption—and turning productivity into predictable, high-margin growth.
Nearly half (49%) of US holiday shoppers earning $80K–$99K are worried that gifts will cost more this year, found a July survey from Bankrate.