The cash-pay discount hub will offer fewer drugs than GoodRx and have limited reach, but drugmakers must still promote it to drive prescription volumes, especially for uninsured drugs.

Hims & Hers said on its recent earnings call that it’s in active talks with Novo Nordisk to make Wegovy available on Hims’ platforms. Hims and Novo both have an incentive to reignite their partnership. Hims’ pricing edge in the GLP-1 market is fading, while Novo could use GLP-1 sales from Hims’ sticky customer base to make up some of the market share it has recently lost to Lilly.

Cigna will eliminate prescription drug rebates for many of its commercial health plans and instead offer discounts directly to consumers beginning in 2027. Cigna’s decision marks a big shift in the way prescription drugs are priced and paid for, and could pressure CVS and UnitedHealth to follow. Patients are beginning to see some lower drug prices online and at the pharmacy counter, but they’re also facing more complexity and responsibility. Healthcare and pharma marketers need to engage these more empowered and potentially overwhelmed consumers with clear, actionable communications.

The news: Pharma commercialization company Eversana bought digital health tech Waltz Health and is creating direct-to-consumer (D2C) and direct-to-payer models that cut out rebate negotiators, or pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs). Our take: D2C sales are the most palatable of the Trump administration’s drug pricing policies for pharma companies. But with limited in-house tech expertise, drugmakers need to partner with service providers. Health tech companies that offer D2C end-to-end solutions can create new revenue streams, while helping pharmas cater to Trump and patients’ demand for affordability and convenience.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how to best decide who to partner with, the right conditions for a successful store-in-a-store relationship, how to approach long-term partnerships versus one-off collaborations. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and guest host, Marcus Johnson, Vice President of Content, Suzy Davidkhanian, and the Founder and CEO of Mack Weldon, Brian Berger. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

The news: Skims, the shapewear brand founded by Kim Kardashian, is on an expansion tear as it nears $1 billion in annual sales, per Business of Fashion. The company plans to open 16 stores in the US this year, bringing its total domestic footprint to 22. Over the next nine months, Skims expects to establish itself in seven new markets—including stores in Mexico, London, and Dubai. Our take: While stores are hugely important to Skims’ growth, the company has several advantages over the rest of the D2C field. Unlike most other D2C companies, Skims doesn’t need to rely on its stores as billboards given its high-profile founder, who is also a fixture of its ad campaigns. Its partnership with Nike will give it access to an even larger audience and smooth its entry into the athleisure category—assuming production delays don’t get in the way. The launch will also considerably increase Skims’ retail presence without needing to invest in premium real estate.

US retail and ecommerce sales growth will take a hit in 2025 as unpredictable changes in tariff policies ripple through the economy, shaking consumer confidence.

Direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands like Eyebuydirect are overcoming traditional barriers in high-consideration purchase categories like eyewear.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how to get folks to buy something they can’t go and see in a store, how D2Cs should be thinking about generative AI, and how one DTC is negotiating the tariff minefield. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Principal Analyst Sky Canaves and CEO and president of Eyebuydirect Sunny Jiang.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how department stores are getting on, how they’re evolving, and what the contemporary department store needs to do to stick around. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Vice President of Content Suzy Davidkhanian and Senior Analyst Carina Perkins.

Consumers are turning to digital channels for medical information and advice and to research healthcare products, treatments, and services. Here’s what healthcare and pharma marketers need to know about converting information-seeking consumers into customers.

This year’s festival highlighted a maturing creator economy, a reality check for AI, and bigger and bolder brand activations and marketing trends.

Warby Parker joins forces with Target: The D2C eyewear brand will open five shop-in-shops as it doubles down on physical retail.

Deckers relies on scarcity to drive Ugg, Hoka growth: That tactic paid off with record sales and profits during the holiday quarter.

Nike's recent struggles highlight the risks of an ill-timed shift to direct-to-consumer (D2C) sales. The sportswear giant's sales slumped 10% YoY for the quarter ending August 31 as competitors gained market share.

Dockers’ poor sales weighed heavily on Levi’s Q3 performance: The retailer is looking to offload the brand in order to focus on booming demand for its core denim products, as well as its Beyond Yoga business.

Nike pulls FY guidance amid sales slump: Incoming CEO Elliott Hill has the difficult task of reinvigorating the brand and ramping up innovation to win back market share.

This is the first installment of our “Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks” series, which helps retailers calibrate their sales mix against the market.

This is the first installment of our “Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks” series, which helps retailers calibrate their sales mix against the market.

This is the first installment of our “Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks” series, which helps retailers calibrate their sales mix against the market.