We expect back-to-school sales to rise just 0.7%: Inflation is having a big impact on what consumers buy and when they buy it.

Prime Day isn’t impervious to economic slowdown, but it’ll do just fine: We still expect the event to generate more than $12.5 in revenues this year—and boost spending on other sites too.

On today's episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss how inflation got so high and which metrics retailers should be looking at to determine the economic reality of this moment. Then for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the top two companies reacting the best to economic uncertainty—and which two are reacting the worst. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Briefings director Jeremy Goldman and analyst Zak Stambor.

Consumers shift their spending from goods to services: US household spending rose at its slowest pace this year in May as inflation dragged on people’s purchasing power.

Purpose-driven ads fall short in attracting audiences: A new study reveals that purpose-driven ads are underperforming, especially as consumers prioritize lower prices in an uncertain economy.

Online consumer spending in the US was flat in Q1 2022 from the same quarter a year prior, as shoppers pivoted away from their pandemic-driven digital spending habits. While brick-and-mortar saw growth, the increase was just 3%.

Industries focus on savings and comfort as inflation bites: Marketers design messaging to help consumers cope with higher prices.

Our exclusive analysis of 12 companies unpacks key trends in Latin America retail ecommerce, providing retail professionals with a better understanding of the current landscape and insight into what these trends mean for the industry at large in 2022.

Inflation is taking a toll on UK households: The rising cost of living has shoppers cutting back and trading down as some workers strike for wage increases.

Whitney Birdsall, senior forecasting analyst, worked on our latest forecast for US retail and ecommerce sales in Q2. She tells us how recent market turmoil, supply chain issues, and economic uncertainty could impact our forecast, which measures the total value of all the merchandise sold on ecommerce platforms

On today's episode, we discuss the actual viability of the sharing economy: What should we make of Uber's diversification efforts and are Airbnb's latest changes enough to power the company up and to the right? "In Other News," we talk about the travel industry's optimism in the face of inflation and ad spending's positive outlook in the face of recessionary fears. Tune in to the discussion with our Briefings director Jeremy Goldman.

Watch the on-demand replay of our webinar, The Era of Uncertainty, as our analysts address key questions about the rapidly shifting landscape for social media, retail and ecommerce, and financial services.

Harrods delays its summer sale due to supply chain challenges: Logistics continues to challenge retailers, even as the Asia supply chain shows signs of healing.

When it comes to loyalty programs, 61% of consumers worldwide would use them more if rewards were applied automatically. More than half would be tempted if they could use rewards across multiple brands, personalize their rewards, or track their points easily.

An infographic guide for marketers looking to understand today’s retail market

Advertising reacts to the uncertain economy: Ad spending will remain strong this year, but the challenges ahead are many.

Consumers want to buy sustainable products: But inflation is driving them to trade down, which may slow sales of products made from recycled materials as well as organic foods.

Rising prices have US adults lowering their costs, and 51% of these cost-cutters are spending less on dining out. Other expenses are in their crosshairs as well: 47% are shelling out less for clothing, toys, travel, and entertainment.

Retailers struggle with online returns, but charging won’t help: Brands like Asos and Boohoo should focus on improving the customer experience to help mitigate the effects of inflation and bracketing.