AI is no longer a nice-to-have in retail, it’s becoming essential. It helps make shopping smoother, sparks product discovery, and guides motivated customers to make purchases. But trust still matters most. The retail playbook needs to adapt, using AI to enhance the shopping journey rather than replace it.
Adyen partnered with Simons, Canada’s oldest family-owned retail business. This tie-up will bring Klarna, AliPay, and WeChat to checkout. Deepening merchant partnerships help outsider or alternative finance platforms gain a foothold in new territories. Klarna has pushed tie-ups with Walmart, Bolt, and DoorDash to break into the US and Canadian markets, a formula that seems to be working as it waits for its Klarna Card to get off the ground in North America.
Gen Zers prioritize saving money. But they aren’t all putting their savings where it can help them make more money, per a recent PYMNTS study. Financial institutions (FIs) have an opportunity to help Gen Zers save faster, earning their loyalty. But to help them put that money to work, FIs must have more insight into what customers are doing with their money. Using open banking as an opportunity, FIs whose customers share their data with fintechs could have a more detailed view of what happens to their customers’ money. If they see money in non-interest-bearing accounts, FIs could send the customer a personalized message about how that money could perform in a higher-yield account.
Many younger prospective homebuyers have been waiting out mortgage rates in hopes of saving money, contributing to plateaued demand for new homes. However, creative or atypical mortgage products could spur demand. In this challenging economic environment, FIs have an opportunity to gain long-term loyalty by offering products that allow customers to realize their homeownership dreams. These products acknowledge the uniqueness of consumers’ individual financial situations. FIs should move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach and develop a full suite of specialized loan products. FIs can build these products in-house or partner with fintechs and other lenders to get them to market faster.
Condé Nast-owned magazine Wired is promoting an out-of-home (OOH) campaign for its upcoming politics issue in a massive brand marketing effort spanning cities including New York, Los Angeles, Austin, and Washington, DC. Wired’s omnichannel approach highlights how combining trust, talent visibility, and multi-format reach drives stronger engagement and brand outcomes.
A new Teads Connected TV paper shows AI has firmly entered the mainstream of video advertising. Sixty percent of marketers now use generative AI to create scripts, voiceovers, and visuals, while others rely on AI tools for audience insights, performance analysis, and real-time optimization. The findings highlight a clear opportunity—marketers that combine AI’s scale and predictive testing with human oversight can build campaigns that are both efficient and distinctive.
The holiday sales season is set to begin in earnest in October, with a number of retailers rolling out events to compete with Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days. Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Kohl's will all run sales that coincide with Amazon's October event, putting them in a better position to capitalize on shoppers' desire to get a head start on holiday shopping.
The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) lifted its outlook for global GDP growth this year citing tariff-related inventory frontloading, AI investments, and Beijing’s stimulus measures. But this resilience may soon fade: Global GDP growth is expected to slow to 2.9% in 2026, as tariffs and uncertainty begin to take their toll.
iOS 26 widening Apple Wallet’s functionality for travel; digital ID; order tracking; buy now, pay later (BNPL); and credit card information, per an article by 9to5Mac. iOS 26’s updates make physical wallets redundant. With digital ID, credit cards, and essential tickets all located in one app, consumers only need their phones to move through the world.
Now that most financial institutions (FIs) have deployed or piloted genAI, some recurring lessons have emerged. Implementing these lessons learned can help FIs prevent massive losses from failed pilots. Governance helps set expectations, parameters, and metrics before the bulk of the money is spent—helping prevent project failure and disappointment. 79% would prioritize governance if starting AI implementation over. Seventy-one percent of respondents would have engaged stakeholders earlier, involving them in planning meetings. This would help FIs ensure alignment and reduce delays that could arise from misunderstandings and disagreements partway through.\
Amazon will sell products from its Whole Foods private labels in Singapore, a country where it has no physical stores, per Bloomberg. That experiment could be repeated in other markets, giving the retailer an opening to grow its grocery business without investing in brick-and-mortar retail.
The FDA is considering a change to the labels of Tylenol and other drugs containing acetaminophen. The new label would warn that using these drugs during pregnancy might be linked to a higher risk of autism and ADHD in children. Marketers in this space will want to be transparent in ads and promotional materials that their medicine contains acetaminophen since consumers are far less familiar with ingredients than prescription drug brands. Campaigns should avoid using language overstating the certainty that acetaminophen isn’t linked to autism and re-emphasize that pregnant women should always consult their doctors before taking the medicine.
Walmart is adding pharmacy home delivery for specialty drugs that need to be refrigerated, such as GLP-1s, insulin and liquid antibiotic amoxicillin. Walmart’s move to add GLP-1 drugs to its pharmacy delivery services will be a customer pleaser and could force other players operating in retail and prescription drug markets to make similar moves as consumers grow increasingly frustrated with their drugstore experiences.
A new schizophrenia drug from Bristol Myers Squibb will get the same price tag in the UK when it launches next year, complying with President Trump’s demand to equalize US drug prices with other developed countries. Trump has public sentiment on his side, with most Americans eager for lower drug costs. We think drugmakers’ public pledges for price cuts and fairer global equality for select brand name drugs can appease both the Trump administration and consumers. Even limited price cuts can have outsized significance in the context of regulatory and public scrutiny.
DirecTV has launched on Vizio Smart TVs, broadening its reach and opening fresh advertising opportunities for brands, the companies announced Monday. DirecTV’s expansion into Vizio’s smart TVs dramatically widens its streaming footprint and gives advertisers a more measurable, performance-driven environment.
Nearly half of US adults have changed their streaming subscriptions in the past six months, with cost now serving as the top driver of both cancellations and new signups. Two-thirds of those who dropped a streaming service said it was too expensive, per YouGov. As cost sensitivity rises, building trust through easy trials and frictionless exits will be crucial. The platforms that focus on quality service and diverse content over hype and lock-in systems will make their offerings feel more like essential services.
The EU is investigating whether Apple, Google, and Microsoft are doing enough to curb online financial scams, per Ars Technica. The European Commission (EC) will send formal requests for information under the Digital Services Act (DSA), targeting fake apps, fraudulent search results, and scam accommodation listings on Booking.com. Ad campaigns appearing in search results, mobile apps, or Bing ads could face more scrutiny or be caught up in regulatory nets. Brands that lead with transparency and consumer protection will not only comply, but also gain an edge should platforms tighten controls.
Nvidia will invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI in $10 billion stages and supply the processors for 10 gigawatts of new AI data centers—an energy load equal to New York City’s peak demand or enough to power 7 million to 9 million US homes, per CNBC. Big Tech is locking arms to secure control of the AI future. These alliances blur the lines between investor, supplier, and customer, concentrating power among a few giants. If the project delivers, Nvidia’s dominance grows. If not, the “Stargate effect” looms—ambitious AI ventures that overpromise and underdeliver.
Toys R Us will open 10 new flagship stores and 20 seasonal holiday shops by year-end, doubling down on its return to physical retail. If the retailer can consistently find ways to make in-store shopping fun, its strong name recognition and nostalgic pull should help it recapture meaningful market share.