American Express debuted Amex Ads, a new digital advertising platform that allows brands to connect with its 34 million customers, per a press release. Amex Ads will go live on AmexTravel.com before spreading to other Amex platforms. Amex has the power to link advertisers with high-spending consumers, which are driving the bulk of US spending during a period of economic uncertainty—and Amex’s earnings. By granting access to consumers who already are interested in prestige travel and dining experiences, advertisers can attach themselves to Amex’s strong brand halo for luxury experiences, delivering strong ROI for ad spend.

Payment providers are investing in AI to help streamline and personalize both the merchant and customer experiences

But its verticalized offerings may struggle to stand out in the crowded field

On today's podcast episode, we discuss what Chipotle has that Starbucks is trying to gain, how Starbucks can turn the ship around, and what its struggles tell us about the greater retail world. Listen to the conversation with our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analyst Sky Canaves and vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss why the restaurant industry is facing another year of uncertainty and how restaurants are boosting loyalty. Then, for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the top restaurant loyalty programs. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analyst Blake Droesch and senior director of media content Becky Schilling.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss whether GenAI is just a solution in search of a problem to fix, how the video streaming world has shifted already this year, how significant of an ad battleground the back seat of a cab can be, how fast people need things delivered, what the most popular pets in America are, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Blake Droesch and vice presidents of content Suzy Davidkhanian and Paul Verna.

In the third of five reports in our “Payments Ecosystem 2024” collection, we unpack how the lines between POS hardware and software are disappearing as providers push the innovation envelope.

The labor market is extremely challenging for retailers and restaurants: Quit rates are on the rise, which is making it difficult for companies seeking to improve the customer experience.

Consumers have shifted more their spending to dining out: But while restaurant industry sales are expected to rise 6.4% this year, the industry faces several challenges.

US food and beverage ecommerce sales will approach $80 billion in 2022, up 20.7% from nearly $65 billion last year. While the growth is impressive, it’s far slower than the 99.0% surge the category saw in 2020, when wary consumers pivoted to buying online at the onset of the pandemic.