Apparel and consumer electronics could get a boost from the back-to-school and holiday seasons. But home improvement may have a ways to go before the category rebounds.

Double-digit inflation and stagnant economic growth have hit Latin America’s retail industry. Retail ecommerce sales growth in the region decelerated to its slowest rate on record last year, but we expect it to reaccelerate in several key markets. Here are our latest forecasts, along with new breakouts for Chile, Colombia, and Peru.

UK retail sales are performing better than expected, with consumers still spending despite high inflation—but ecommerce will lose further share this year as shoppers continue returning to stores and cut nonessential spending.

Growing debt, high interest rates, and recessionary threats could spell trouble despite the positive spending patterns

How shoppers buy groceries online is changing: As consumers grow more cost-conscious, pickup’s share of digital grocery orders rises.

We expect back-to-school sales to rise 2.9%: While that’s a far cry from rates over the past two years, it is markedly higher than in 2019.

Arecession would put more than $200 billion in credit card issuer revenues at risk. Issuers must be fully prepared for weakened consumers hobbled by unemployment, depleted savings, and extra debt payments. And they should prepare for the toll that deteriorating credit card spending and loan risk could take on charge-off rates, merchant fee revenues, and interest income

Ad spend across digital channels has been mixed so far this year, with spend on social networks slowing and connected TV spend boosted by new ad-supported subscription tiers. Meanwhile, retail media is diversifying at a rapid rate as nonendemic retailers get in the game

Amazon Prime Day is off to a good start: Average order size so far is up over 7.7% compared with 2022; we expect total sales to top $8 billion.

Gen Z’s buying power is rapidly growing: Food and beverage companies looking to cater to the demo’s unique tastes can’t do so without incurring some risks, however.

Deep discounts may drive consumers previously holding back on big-ticket or discretionary purchases to splurge, while parents will keep an eye out for back-to-school deals. Walmart, Target, and Best Buy may see Prime Day-driven boosts in physical store traffic.

On today's episode, we discuss the implications of the Federal Trade Commission thinking Amazon tricked customers into signing up for automatically renewing Prime subscriptions, whether it makes sense for companies to force livestream shopping on Americans, if speciality stores really work, the impact of Facebook and Instagram restricting news access in Canada, whether reduced inflation can save the day, what a real work-life balance looks like, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian, vice president of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti, and analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf.

The cost-of-living crisis is forcing UK consumers to change where they shop to save money. To attract and keep customers, retailers and brands across all sectors need to invest in loyalty programs—and understand what shoppers want from them.

Borrowers struggling with inflation and rising interest rates can pay just the interest on their loans for up to six months—with no implications.

Nearly half of US adults said last month that they’re buying more brands on sale due to inflation, while 43% reported buying fewer products overall, according to Ipsos.

Inflation for pet food and services was over 10% in April, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. But the category has won a reputation of being somewhat recession-proof, thanks to its necessity for pet owners. “People will be spending more on the pets that they have already, despite the fact that it’s been a relatively inflation-wary populous,” said our analyst Jeremy Goldman on a recent episode of our “Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail” podcast.

Private label products give retailers more control over sourcing, manufacturing, and pricing, which they can use to offer items for lower costs, encouraging consumers to try new products, leading to lifelong brand ambassadors who will swear by your brand. Here’s how Target, Walmart, and Costco are labeling up.

Walmart sees growth opportunities regardless of the macroeconomic environment: The retailer looks to boost its international sales, improve its digital presence, and expand its retail media business.

We expect US cosmetic and beauty sales to grow 7.6%: While consumers are spending more selectively, they’re still willing to splurge on their favorite items.

A quarter of US adults recently cut their spending on video streaming subscriptions due to inflation, per a Morning Consult survey. Slightly less cut back on music streaming subscriptions (24%) and cable or satellite TV (23%). Across all entertainment categories studied, more adults either didn’t pull back or didn’t pay for the product or service in the first place.