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.

Cross-border ecommerce continues to rise in popularity among US consumers, even as growth in the number of buyers slows. In 2023, the US will rank second globally in total cross-border buyers, with 69.8 million, per our forecast. It will trail far behind China’s 280.0 million, but that’s because of relative population sizes.

Gen Zers are flocking to emerging payment methods, but card-based options, led by debit cards, remain supreme. Payment providers must align offerings with Gen Z’s preferences now as their spending power grows.

The rise of shopping apps selling ultralow-cost goods from China is drawing more value-driven US consumers. But are their strategies sustainable over the long term?

The past six months have been a roller coaster of rising consumer-goods costs, uneven employment news, and increased optimism about the end of the pandemic—all mixed with a tightening of discretionary spending. In September, consumers were cutting back on dining out and entertainment. What are they doing now?

Worsening economic conditions will take their toll on Latin America’s digital ad market this year. Despite gains of 12.7%, digital ad spending will fail to outpace the rate of inflation for the first time since we began tracking the region in 2011. Here are our latest forecasts.

CPG brands hike prices to pad their margins: Companies are leveraging data to minimize the share of consumers who trade down to less expensive options. (This article was written with the assistance of ChatGPT.)

Speculation about which regional bank might fail next is rising as the Fed and Treasury balance policy moves.