Back-to-school spending is steady in 2025, but shopper behavior is split. Parents are prioritizing tech and clothing—yet these are also the first to be cut when budgets tighten. Consumers are shopping earlier, seeking deals, and using AI to keep costs down. With shopping habits divided by generation and income, retailers must stay flexible, personalize offers, optimize for AI, and create seamless cross-channel experiences.

A new four-day format for Amazon’s tentpole event will shake up the playing field.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a fast-growing and lucrative ecommerce market. To tap into growth in the country, retailers and brands need to understand what motivates consumers.

Issuers can capitalize on the 46% of users who proactively seek out deals with their cards

Starbucks to lay off 1,100 workers in a bid for efficiency: The coffee company is also reducing its menu by 30% to improve order speed and consistency.

Consumers are constantly discovering new products, but actually getting them to buy is a different story. Advertisers must ensure product information is accessible everywhere, as consumers use multiple channels for discovery, research, and purchasing products. Here are five key stats to know about the shopping journey.

Solid December sales cap a year of healthy retail growth: But 2025 could be a different story, as tariff concerns keep all but the wealthiest consumers from spending freely.

DoorDash aims to transform how brands connect with customers through two new partnerships intended to make ads more relevant and shopping more personalized.

Retailers ended 2024 on a high: Holiday ecommerce sales surged by nearly 9% YoY as steep discounts and tariff fears spurred spending.

In 2025, retailers will redefine value by blending discounts with innovation, empathy, and personalization. Brands will prioritize authentic connections, engaging audiences through in-person experiences, and highly targeted campaigns powered by advanced technologies like AI. Let’s look at three key marketing themes industry experts believe will shape 2025.

In response to rising costs, retail in 2024 was dominated by consumers’ desire for deals and discounts. And as President-elect Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs will raise some prices even higher in 2025, consumers may turn to in-person shopping to control their spending.

Affiliate marketing is evolving, driven by diverse partners like influencers and tech providers, broadening its scope beyond traditional ROI and measurability. As marketers move away from big tech, the channel's flexibility and control are increasingly valued for driving growth and customization.

Consumers are cautious with their spending, so retailers must maximize every interaction in the purchase funnel. Here are three ways retailers may be leaving money behind, and what you can do about it.

Consumers are starting their Halloween shopping earlier, but they are expected to spend slightly less than last year, indicating that while excitement is high, consumers are more budget-conscious. Retailers can capture this early and cautious spending by offering competitive prices, prioritizing in-store promotions, and creating a one-stop Halloween shopping destination.

Olive Garden inks delivery partnership with Uber following parent Darden Restaurants’ poor quarter: The company missed sales and earnings expectations as consumers cut back on restaurant visits.

A truncated holiday spending period with fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas and the election will throw a curveball to retail sales this season, our analyst Sky Canaves said on an episode of the “Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail” podcast. In-store retail will see healthy growth, consumers will continue holding back on splurges, and mobile will uplift overall ecommerce. Here are three trends we’re predicting for the upcoming holiday season.

Coupons play a bigger role in purchasing decisions as consumers become increasingly value-conscious. More than a quarter (26%) of US adults are using more coupons this year because of the state of the economy, according to July 2024 data by Prosper Insights & Analytics and the National Retail Federation. Here are five stats to better understand how and where consumers are seeking savings.

Urban Outfitters and Pacsun are tapping into Pinterest and in-person experiences to get students and families shopping, while Meijer, Walmart, and Target are focused on value. Those are just a few brands that made our Unofficial Most Interesting Retailers List, Back-to-School Edition, for July 2024.

Retailers must continually test and adapt their strategies to find what resonates with consumers ahead of the holidays. An extended holiday season requires a dynamic approach to promotions, while brands aiming to reach Gen Z should use creators and video ads. Here are three pieces of advice on a successful holiday ad campaign from Meta and two of its advertising partners, ​​Ogee Beauty and AS Beauty.