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.
Swiss sneaker brand On Holding will skip holiday discounts to reinforce its premium positioning, co-founder Caspar Coppetti told CNBC. The strategy follows a strong Q3, with adjusted EPS up 300% YoY and revenue rising 24.9% to 794 million francs, beating expectations. While rivals like Nike and Hoka are cautious about global demand, On raised its full-year forecast for the third consecutive quarter. Positioned in the “accessible luxury” segment, On continues to benefit from affluent consumers’ spending power and consistent innovation, helping it sustain growth despite broader economic softness and market headwinds.
40% of global consumers say they’ve gone out of their way to spend less on US products in response to tariffs, with Canadian consumers leading the way, based on July data from Morning Consult.
US online sales jumped 8.2% year over year to $88.7 billion in October, with $9.1 billion spent during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days and rival promotions, according to Adobe Analytics. The surge highlights ecommerce’s growing clout, driven by social and influencer-led shopping. Despite resilient consumer spending, rising reliance on Buy Now, Pay Later and record credit card debt hint at mounting financial strain. With forecasts pointing to slower but still solid holiday growth, the season is set to reflect a polarized economy—strong at the top, stretched at the bottom, yet collectively keeping ecommerce momentum alive.
The world’s largest digital platforms are increasingly treating AI as the foundation of a new commercial paradigm, according to recent earning calls from Google, Amazon, and more.
Amazon’s quiet expansion of its low-cost apps, Haul and Bazaar, into 25 markets highlights a cautious strategy to counter Shein and Temu without diluting its core brand. Despite marking Haul’s first anniversary with an unannounced two-day sale on November 10–11—aligned with Veterans Day and Singles Day—the company offered little promotion, even as it ramped up marketing for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. The understated rollout suggests Amazon views Haul less as a major growth engine and more as a defensive play to retain budget-conscious shoppers amid cost-cutting and automation efforts.
As shoppers flock to LLM-powered searches to learn more about products and set shopping budgets, Salesforce data reveals new opportunities for brands looking to have a firm hold on their customers' journeys.
Visa and Mastercard reached a settlement with merchants to lower interchange fees in the US, ending a 20-year battle in the courts, per SEC filings. The networks will lower their average effective interchange rate by 0.1 percentage point for five years and cap standard US credit rates at 125 basis points. Small businesses trying to maximize their bottom lines by declining premium cards need to incentivize their consumers to switch to a compatible payment method. Offering discounts or loyalty programs contingent on standard credit cards, debit, or cash can help mitigate dissatisfaction while changing their consumers’ payment behavior patterns.
Samsung is reportedly in advanced talks with Barclays to develop a co-branded Visa credit card, per the Wall Street Journal. The card’s cash-back rewards would funnel back into cardholders’ Samsung accounts to encourage spending on Samsung products and services. To accelerate users’ adoption of the card, tech companies with payment ambitions should build a flywheel to lock in new consumer spending patterns. By centering rewards and device upgrades to the same credit card and wallet, consumers can find both the products, services, and financing they desire all in one place.
"The magic where I see it is all that you have done through the year actually get puts into practice and see the result during the holiday season," said Minyi Su, marketing lead at Bluemercury, during a recent episode of "Behind the Numbers."
Convenience continues to outweigh cost savings for many shoppers, driving strong growth across the grocery delivery market. Instacart led the sector in Q3 with a 14% increase in orders and a 10% rise in gross transaction value, while Uber and DoorDash also posted solid gains. As online grocery adoption accelerates, Instacart is doubling down on affordability through price parity and loyalty integrations to counter economic pressures. Convenience remains a powerful growth driver, but its durability will depend on how effectively delivery platforms balance ease with value as consumers grow more price-conscious.
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Gen AI tools are making it easier to carry out ecommerce fraud. Bad actors are increasingly using genAI tools to trick moderation teams, Nicolas Waldmann, the head of external affairs for TikTok’s global governance and experience unit, told Business Insider. That includes creating more convincing listings for fake or counterfeit products, as well as fabricating brands. While AI slop is not unique to ecommerce marketplaces, the stakes are high—especially for emerging ones like TikTok Shop that are still trying to win consumers’ trust. Shoppers who lose money on products that don’t exist are unlikely to become loyal customers, and widespread fraud can deter consumers from purchasing in the first place.
Saks Global will close nine Saks Off 5th stores next year, a move that will help it cut costs as it navigates increasing headwinds. While Saks is positioning the closures as an opportunity to optimize its off-price footprint and elevate the customer experience, it’s likely that the company’s cash-flow challenges and vendor troubles played a major role in its downsizing. Off-price could have been a real opportunity for Saks to win over price-conscious shoppers. Instead, the retailer has become a cautionary tale about the importance of staying in vendors’ good graces and what can happen when those relationships falter.
Amazon has launched its low-cost shopping app, Amazon Bazaar, in 14 international markets including Argentina, Hong Kong, and Nigeria, expanding the reach of its Temu-style platform first introduced as Amazon Haul. Offering mostly sub-$10 items and interactive deals, Bazaar targets price-conscious shoppers across fashion and home goods. The move underscores Amazon’s strategy to capture growth in emerging markets while competing with Shein, Temu, and TikTok Shop. However, as nations tighten import rules and close tax loopholes, the company’s discount-driven model may face mounting logistical and regulatory challenges in sustaining profitability.
Affirm’s gross merchandise volume (GMV) increased 42% YoY to $10.8 billion during its fiscal Q1 2026 (ended September 30, 2025). Healthy performance across its POS integrations and its debit card is key to why we forecast Affirm will remain the dominant US BNPL player against its chief competitor, Klarna, by a margin of $4.7 billion in US volume. While Affirm notched its second quarter of profitability at $81 million in net income, it’s going to need to widen its margins to compete with the rewards PayPal can offer consumers, such as 5% cash back on Pay Monthly loans.
Block’s gross profit increased 18% YoY to $2.66 billion, per its Q3 2025 earnings release. Expanding buy now, pay later solutions can help payment platforms grow volume heading into the holiday season as consumers grapple with economic uncertainty and the pressure of gift buying. Providers who can leverage rewards like cash back and/or interest-free options serve to secure consumer loyalty during a time of economic stress.
Adyen launched two point-of-sale (POS) terminals ahead of the holiday season, per a press release.As SMBs approach the critical holiday season, POS providers need to offer value to court cash-strapped vendors, reminding them the importance of a reliable, durable terminal system. Add-ons like AI-powered software can help convince vendors the value of their hardware with high-powered tools to boost conversions and payment volume.
69% of US Democrats ages 65 and up trust mass media, compared with 17% of US Republicans in the same age group, according to a September Gallup survey conducted by ReconMR.