Digital audio is quietly restructuring the listening landscape. Ad-supported streaming music is taking share from radio, podcasts are reaching record audiences, and Gen Z spends more time in Spotify's app than YouTube's. For advertisers, audio offers trusted voices and habitual daily attention at prices below video. This FAQ covers where listening is moving, why audio earns budget, and how to plan the channel in 2026.
Mobile-first travel booking is on the rise, but AI-forward booking may surge faster.
Higher prices reshape travel habits without derailing demand.
AI answers now drive more brand searches: Marketers should watch citation share and search lift, not just page views.
Despite macroeconomic uncertainty, consumers demonstrated resilience.
Record demand lifted revenues, while the company bets its marketing spend will strengthen long-term brand appeal.
Amazon keeps widening its lead: Delivery speed, AI tools, and advertising are driving growth while reinforcing customer loyalty.
Such financial sacrifices underscore relentless demand despite high costs.
53.3% of US digital buyers purchased clothing online in the past 30 days, more than 20 percentage points ahead of the next-closest category, pet products (32.5%), according to a February survey from Bizrate Insights and EMARKETER.
On today’s podcast episode, we present our “Unofficial Monthly Retailer Awards” (UMRAs) for July, including awards for “Most Impactful Campaign,” “Best IRL Initiative,” and “Greatest Under-the-Radar Move.” Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Senior Analyst Blake Droesch, Senior Editor Karen Jacobs, Senior Director of Content Becky Schilling.
US grocery volume is shrinking, and the drop-off has gotten steep enough that price increases can no longer cover for it. Unit sales fell nearly 2% YoY in each month from February through June 2026, according to a NielsenIQ analysis from Bain & Company. Prices are still climbing 2% to 3% annually, roughly in line with food-at-home inflation. But that pricing growth is no longer masking the volume story the way it did through most of 2025.
A friend's word still carries the most weight with holiday shoppers. But a close second is something brands rarely offer on their own: an honest account of a product's flaws. Some 41.9% of consumers said a trusted friend's or family member's recommendation made them feel confident in their last holiday purchase, according to a new survey of 1,001 US adults by EMARKETER and Reddit. Right behind that, 26.0% pointed to an honest discussion of a product's downsides alongside its strengths, ahead of expert reviews (18.7%) and influencer endorsements (12.6%). Shoppers are less interested in being sold to than in watching someone work through the tradeoffs.
Flat volumes suggest innovation alone may no longer overcome rising costs and growing demand for value.
Walmart’s early lead keeps widening as shoppers make speed a habit.
Creative revivals are drawing shoppers back, while investment pieces outperform fashion-driven categories.
Consumers showed resilience, with spending driven by the FIFA World Cup and higher tax returns.
More frequent visits and larger tickets show consumers are still willing to splurge on affordable indulgences.
Amazon drew 243.8 million US unique visitors across desktop and mobile in April 2026, close to the 342.5 million that Walmart, Temu, and eBay pulled in put together, according to Comscore Media Metrix Multi-Platform data.
When bridal boutiques start asking customers to sign weight-loss waivers and bra companies redesign products for changing body elasticity, it's clear that GLP-1 medications have moved far beyond a healthcare story. As adoption of GLP-1 medications reaches 12% to 15% of the US population, per KFF survey data, retailers across every category are discovering that changing consumer behavior requires more than just smaller portion sizes.
An FTC investigation adds to mounting trade challenges, creating more uncertainty ahead of the company's IPO.