Axie Infinity, a game where players breed and battle digital pets called Axies, mints all its pets as NFTs—so if players breed them well, they get more valuable Axies to trade. However, gamers have been less than welcoming to NFTs.

Current leading issues among consumers include sustainability and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), as well as mental health and wellness, better-for-you indulgences, pet ownership, and remote work, among others.

The news: For a quartet of US fintechs and smaller banking players that unveiled merger plans this week, their rationales can be summed up by paraphrasing Pet Shop Boys: “You got the bank charter, I got the technology. Let’s make lots of money!”. The proposed tie-ups entail:. Patriot National Bancorp buying fintech American Challenger Development Corp.

To date, many of China’s most popular podcasts have centered on hobbies, life advice, travel, and pet care. Latin America Will Lead All Regions in Podcast Listener Growth for Several Years. Finally, for broad-based growth in podcast listeners, look to Latin America. Although China will lead the world in growth out to 2025, its peer nations in Asia-Pacific won’t follow.

Beauty and personal care products tied with pet services as the discretionary category that respondents were least likely to cut back on, per an April 2022 consumer survey by First Insight. Only 16% said they would reduce spending, compared with the 42% who chose dining out and the 28% who selected fast fashion.

When petcare company Petco hosted a live fashion show and dog adoption drive in early 2021, it tapped creators to keep viewers engaged and bring in audiences. Petco promoted the event through a paid social ad campaign, in partnership with Blue Hour Studios.

There were some surprises within specific categories like baby products and pet care growing rapidly during the pandemic. The baby category was one of the fastest-growing categories this year.

Retail: Includes mail order/catalog, restaurants/fast food, drug stores, retail stores, cosmetics stores and merchants of apparel, home furnishings/textiles, toys, pet food/supplies, appliances, jewelry, and general merchandise. Travel: Includes airlines, car rental, hotels and resorts, cruises, destination marketing organizations; includes both leisure and business travel.