November retail sales surge past expectations: Shoppers shifted their spending up a gear amid a flurry of deals and concerns over tariff-related price hikes.

Amazon, Starbucks workers threaten strikes as the labor movement loses steam: But mixed signals from Trump could raise unions' hopes as they fight for concessions.

Amazon working conditions are back in the spotlight: A potential strike looms, and a Senate investigation found the retailer manipulates workplace injury data.

Temu, Shein, and TikTok Shop are winning this holiday season: Sales growth for all three outpaced larger players like Amazon and Target in November.

In a bid for influence, tech leaders risk backlash as they align with Trump, aiming to steer antitrust cases and secure growth opportunities

Target’s net sales grew just 0.9% in Q3 2024, well below Walmart’s growth of 5.0% and Amazon’s 8.7%, according to company earnings releases.

Amazon takes on social media influencers’ product testimonials: If influencers don’t disclose their relationships with sellers, those merchants could find themselves suspended from the platform.

Claiming anticompetitive behavior, Google asks the FTC to break up the exclusive partnership, arguing that it locks rivals out and entrenches Azure’s dominance.

Roku wants to open the CTV door for small and midsize brands: A partnership will allow brands to repurpose ads designed for social media to run on its platform.

Regulation will disrupt some digital players, while retail media and genAI adoption will create opportunities across advertising and commerce.

Amazon takes on Swiggy and Flipkart in India: The retailer will begin testing a 15-minute rapid delivery service in Bangalore.

Consumer payment method choice will expand in 2025 as real-time “pay by bank,” iPhone NFC access, and digital credentials take center stage. And financial media networks will turn more payment providers into marketers.

AI will become deeply woven into daily life in 2025. Autonomous agents, smart devices, AR glasses, search engines, and digital twins are making AI an ambient presence in how we work, shop, browse, and interact with the world.

By Q2 2025, Netflix and Max will be the only streaming services to have average CPMs higher than $30, per our September 2024 forecast.

Fifty-eight percent of US households are “extremely concerned” about inflation: While grocery price growth has normalized, the rapid increases over the past few years continue to influence shopping behaviors.

Hinge Health joins Amazon’s Health Conditions Program: Amazon’s platform will draw attention to Hinge’s services, while encouraging consumers to make related purchases from the e-commerce giant.

After the Ai Pin flop, Humane shifts gears, marketing its AI-powered assistant CosmOS for devices like cars and smart homes, but competition is fierce.

Amazon offers $25 flights to young adult Prime members: The perk, available for the second-straight year, is one of many ways the retailer aims to hook shoppers on Prime.

Our annual Trends to Watch report for Canada highlights expected developments in the country’s media and advertising market for 2025. Next year, we anticipate a shift in media buying will favor domestic publishers and retail media channels, while large platforms will contend with the new Digital Services Tax.