Dupe culture powered e.l.f. Beauty to a 76% YoY sales increase last quarter: Gen Z’s favorite drugstore brand is reaping the rewards as consumers look for budget-friendly ways to stay on top of beauty trends.

Social commerce sales are continuing to rise steadily, reaching $82.82 billion in the US next year, per our forecast. But it’s getting harder to convert new buyers. Here’s how retailers can encourage more social media purchases and boost their social commerce sales.

Defying global challenges, Pinterest excels in Q3: Innovations and strategic partnerships bolster its market position.

Sales are quickly approaching $100 billion. Gen Z’s influence on social media habits, new commerce technologies from TikTok, and rising annual spending by buyers are the main factors driving growth. And with users now spending just shy of 2 hours on social media per day, there is plenty of room for brands and users to squeeze more sales.

TikTok’s latest strategy to boost social commerce sales relies on AI: The social platform is testing a feature that automatically links users to TikTok Shop without creator input.

The UK’s resale economy is thriving as shoppers look to save money and live more sustainably. Retailers and brands need to act—or risk losing out.

The US audience for voice assistants is nearing a milestone: 150 million users. Read on for figures from our latest forecast, including how many people are using smart speakers and how they use them.

On today’s podcast episode, we explore the problematic relationship between credit unions and Gen Z. • In our “Headlines” segment, we discuss an article from PYMNTS.com that revealed only 4% of Gen Z consumers bank with credit unions. • In “Story by Numbers,” we consider what credit unions can do to capture Gen Zers’ attention while working with tight marketing budgets, and which programs have helped Gen Z consumers manage their finances. • In “Actual CEO,” we discuss with our guest CEO what she is currently doing to engage with Gen Zers at her credit union. Listen to the podcast with host Rob Rubin and Tansley Stearns, CEO of Community Financial Credit Union.• In our “Headlines” segment, we dig deep on a recently published Insider Intelligence report covering our forecasts for ad spending by US banks and credit unions. • In “Story by Numbers,” we discuss how fewer mortgages are affecting banks' net interest income and what that means for their marketing budgets. We also examine Ally Bank’s increased ad spending. • In “For Argument’s Sake,” we talk about how large banks are doubling down on digital ad spending while smaller institutions are cutting their spending, which could lead to the eventual demise of smaller traditional banks. Tune in to the discussion with host Rob Rubin and our director of forecasting Oscar Orozco.

Gen Z teens cut spending in response to inflation: Shoppers in this cohort are shopping more often at off-price and ecommerce retailers to save money, although the beauty category is as resilient as ever.

As ecommerce growth returns to pre-pandemic levels, it will continue to drive total retail sales over the next few years. Retailers looking to drive sales need to focus on a seamless omnichannel experience and use deals to convince consumers to spend. Meanwhile, retail media’s growth shows no signs of slowing, but advertisers and retailers must work together to ensure future success.

Helping Gen Z save for retirement—and navigate competing financial priorities such as student loans—gives banks an opportunity to form long-term relationships with young investors.

The store is no longer the only place where consumers can discover and shop for consumer packaged goods (CPG) products. Younger generations are finding products via search and social media, while Amazon Prime Day offers shoppers the opportunity to stock up on essentials for less.

TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are where Gen Zers spend most of their daily time. Across the US population ages 18 to 24, time spent on TikTok will average 58 minutes per day in 2023, compared with 38 minutes for Instagram and 30 minutes for Snapchat.

US insurance digital ad spending growth will slow even further this year, lagging all other financial service sectors. Instead, insurers will focus squarely on maximizing their digital dollars.

Grocery shoppers are omnichannel shoppers, our analyst Blake Droesch said on a recent “Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail” podcast. That means consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands should employ a mix of digital and in-store advertising strategies to engage customers where they shop.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss how younger Gen Z consumers are most likely to discover grocery products, whether this new wave of celebrity-backed brands is different from previous ones, and what social media's role in all of this is. Then, for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the four elements a celebrity- or creator-led consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand needs to succeed. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Blake Droesch and Carina Perkins.

The old form of social networking may be dying. But our forecast shows people spend more time on social platforms, so marketers need to be aware of what the new era of social media looks like. Gen Z and TikTok certainly dominate social media headlines, but Meta maintains a stronghold, even as it struggles to make new endeavors like Threads take off.

Amazon explores standalone subscriptions as Prime user growth slows: The retailer could roll out separate grocery and healthcare membership services as early as this year.

TikTok continues to attract a lot of attention, both good and bad. The hype around its heavily engaged and coveted Gen Z audience is real. But concerns over alleged privacy violations have made it a target for regulators, and user trust of the platform has suffered as a result.