Nike’s Olympics efforts kicked off in April, with the brand launching new products, hosting in-person events with athletes like Jordan Chiles and Sha’Carri Richardson, and debuting a controversial ad campaign.

Retail marketers should focus on brand marketing to combat consumers’ desire for value. That was the main theme from General Mills, Nike, Levi’s, and more brands’ recent earning calls. Oh, and if you can get Beyonce to name a song after your brand, even better.

Consumers spend cautiously as inflation perceptions, higher debt payments hurt confidence: But we expect retail sales growth to be healthy as buying power recovers.

68% of shoppers were deceived into buying counterfeits last year: Copycats’ rapid growth is a mounting problem for global players like Nike and Amazon as well as small merchants.

Established brands pivot to reembrace wholesale, while digital natives—facing rising ad costs—struggle to find their second act.

Self-reported spending is down 6% among US teens (which includes Gen Alpha and Gen Z consumers), but they are still shelling out on beauty, according to Piper Sandler’s latest Taking Stock with Teens survey.

There are certain products that just seem perfect for going viral on social media. Some, like the mystery flavors of Coca-Cola Creations or Mustard Skittles, are made for consumers who will try anything once. While others, like the sneaker collab between Nike and Tiffany & Co. appeal to consumers who want to show off.

It was a happy holiday season for several retailers: Lululemon, Abercrombie & Fitch, Crocs, and Pandora are among the companies that beat expectations over the final months of 2023.

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.

Digitally native D2C brands embrace traditional retail strategies: More are inking partnerships with retailers like Amazon and Walmart to expand their reaches and offset soaring acquisition costs.

Casper’s subway ads give commuters fun puzzles to solve while increasing its brand awareness. Albertsons Companies leverages a game to entice consumers to play for discounts and rewards. And Nike’s mobile app earns the brand a spot in consumers’ everyday lives. Here are five ways brands are embracing gamification across different stages.

On Running is firing on all cylinders: The performance footwear company grew D2C and wholesale revenues—as well as market share—in Q2.

Digitally native brands look for a new D2C playbook: Brands are embracing wholesale, physical retail, acquisitions, and even selling on Amazon to regain momentum and achieve profitability.

Embracing mobile gives consumers access to a branded experience both online and in-store, while in-store technologies bring the digital world into the physical. To cater to shoppers no matter where or how they shop, brands should also make sure they’re balancing in-store and online rewards as well as D2C and wholesale commerce.

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.

Nike and Hoka battle it out over young consumers and runners; Shein and Temu are caught up in controversies and litigation; and DoorDash and Instacart take different approaches to the same problem.

Consumers of all ages and income levels shopped Amazon Prime Day this year. Shoppers spent more this year compared with 2022, and despite a tough economic climate, Prime Day shoppers didn’t price compare as much as expected.

The pandemic accelerated investment in CX technology to meet rapidly changing needs. But as consumer priorities shift again amid high inflation, UK retailers need to understand which technologies are hitting the mark and which are not.

Digital D2C disruptors, like Peloton and Casper, will bring in about $100 billion less in US ecommerce sales than the $134.55 billion of their established counterparts this year, according to our forecast.