Grubhub is partnering with Instacart to power its grocery ordering as the Wonder Group-owned platform works to better compete with DoorDash and Uber. Instacart will manage fulfillment and delivery through its 1,000-plus retail network, marking the first time its grocery experience is embedded in another app. The deal expands Instacart’s reach to Grubhub’s urban, suburban, and college users while helping Grubhub diversify into grocery and pharmacy delivery. As rivals deepen partnerships and retail media strategies, both companies aim to boost order volume and ad revenues, leveraging collaboration to counter intensifying competition in the delivery market.

Wayfair extended its 2025 winning streak with Q3 earnings that far outpaced expectations, posting 70 cents per share and $3.12 billion in revenues, driven by rising orders and strong US demand. The retailer’s strategic pillars—Wayfair Rewards, Wayfair Verified, and new physical stores—continue to enhance customer loyalty and omnichannel strength. AI innovation, including its Muse engine and Discover tab, is boosting engagement and conversion. Despite housing headwinds and tariff pressures, Wayfair’s results underscore resilience, though sustaining momentum amid tightening consumer budgets remains a challenge.

Live shopping platform Whatnot raised $225 million in its most recent funding round, valuing the company at $11.5 billion, double its worth at the beginning of 2025. Platforms like Whatnot are introducing live shopping to a new generation of consumers who are more dialed into social video than channels like HSN and QVC. The company has generated $6 billion in gross merchandise value this year, more than twice last year’s amount. However, livestream commerce remains a tiny drop in the vast ocean of ecommerce, making it more useful as an engagement and community-building opportunity than as a sales driver.

Recent announcements from Amazon signal its intention to lean on international markets to power growth. The retailer expects to quadruple ecommerce exports from India by 2030 to $80 billion. It is also investing $2.8 billion in Belgium and the Netherlands, and recently launched ultra-fast delivery in the UAE. To achieve international success, Amazon must continue strengthening its local logistics network. Expanding fulfillment capabilities allows it to offer its trademark delivery speed, enabling it to appeal to more shoppers. That makes it a more valuable channel for external vendors, helping to increase product selection (and revenues from third-party seller services) and keep the company’s flywheel turning.

Thanksgiving dinner costs are set to surge this year as turkey prices climb sharply amid renewed bird flu outbreaks that cut US turkey production nearly 10% YoY, according to the USDA. With demand peaking and supply at a four-decade low, wholesale turkey prices have soared, but some retailers see an opening to highlight value. Aldi, Walmart, and Dollar General are promoting low-cost holiday meal bundles to appeal to price-conscious shoppers. Still, rising grocery costs and broader economic pressures could dampen consumer spending this holiday season.

Retailers are accelerating “Holiday Cyber Creep,” launching deep discounts earlier than ever as competition for consumers’ limited holiday budgets intensifies. Ulta, Lowe’s, Best Buy, and Walmart have all unveiled October and early November promotions, extending the traditional Cyber Five into a months-long event. While early deals aim to capture cautious Gen Z and value-conscious shoppers, a new AlixPartners report warns that constant promotions are dulling their impact. That's forcing retailers to shift focus from nonstop discounts to standout experiences and personalized service to sustain engagement through the holiday season.

Lululemon announced a deal with the NFL to sell fan apparel for all 32 teams. The collection will include men’s and women’s clothing, along with accessories. Lululemon, like Abercrombie & Fitch and Best Buy before it, sees the NFL partnership as an opportunity to appeal to the league’s massive and engaged fanbase. In lululemon’s case, it has a strong chance of winning over the growing numbers of women who, thanks to Taylor Swift, are tuning in more often to games, and looking for stylish ways to rep their favorite teams.

ChatGPT is less effective at converting shoppers than nearly all traditional channels except paid social, according to a working paper by researchers from the University of Hamburg and the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. That finding is consistent with EMARKETER’s latest report on AI search, which shows that traditional search engines continue to dominate discovery. Retailers should certainly be thinking about how to optimize their websites and listings for discovery on generative AI engines—but those efforts shouldn’t come at the expense of SEO, since the vast majority of shoppers continue to surface products via Google and other traditional channels.

A new wave of layoffs is hitting corporate America, with major firms like Target, Nestlé, Starbucks, Amazon, Rivian, and GM announcing significant job cuts amid slowing consumer demand and rising costs. More than 946,000 job cuts have been announced this year, the highest since 2020, deepening economic uncertainty. With consumer sentiment at a five-month low and a government shutdown straining millions of workers, inflation and surging insurance premiums are adding pressure. Our take: cautious companies may inadvertently fuel the downturn they fear, amplifying anxiety across the broader economy.

Procter & Gamble’s strategy of delivering innovation over discounts is helping it navigate economic uncertainty better than many of its peers. While other companies lose sales to private labels, P&G’s US market share is rising as shoppers opt to pay more for products they perceive to be higher quality. Rather than follow competitors by discounting heavily, P&G is focused on delivering superior products—in addition to messaging that emphasizes the potential cost-savings of using them. That strategy allows it to offer more value to customers (and raise prices) without losing loyalty.

Rising restaurant prices are reshaping how Americans dine out. As 82% of consumers notice higher prices, many are cutting back, especially lower-income households. This shift has boosted value-focused chains like Chili’s and Texas Roadhouse, which have gained market share through affordable bundles and barbell pricing strategies that balance cost-conscious and premium offerings. In contrast, chains that serve less affluent consumers, such as McDonald’s, have seen visits fall despite renewed value promotions. With profitability concerns mounting, operators face pressure to raise prices carefully while using targeted deals and loyalty programs to sustain demand and protect margins.

The fourth quarter is shaping up to be a strong season for travel companies catering to affluent consumers—but an uncertain one for everyone else. From the perspective of the Big Four airlines—American, Southwest, Delta, and United—holiday demand looks strong. But hotel operators are warning of weakness as interest in US travel declines. And while affluent consumers are driving travel spending, much of that money is being spent on international trips. That’s small consolation for the many retailers and restaurants that are counting on domestic demand to make up for declining inbound tourism.

Amazon is introducing “Help Me Decide,” an AI-powered shopping feature that recommends the best product for users comparing similar items. The tool analyzes browsing patterns, search history, and purchase behavior to offer personalized suggestions, along with explanations based on customer reviews and key features. Initially rolling out to millions of US shoppers, it joins Amazon’s growing lineup of AI-driven tools like Interests, Shopping Guides, and Rufus. While Amazon and rivals such as Google, Meta, and OpenAI are all racing to integrate AI into ecommerce, the industry is still testing which approach will truly enhance the shopping experience.

A string of solid earnings from Kering, Prada, LVMH, and Hermès could be a sign of a broader sector turnaround. All four companies cited improving conditions in the US and China, the two largest markets for luxury goods. A recovery in China would be a particular relief, as brands have struggled to engage consumers worried about the country’s property crisis and other economic challenges.

Hasbro and Mattel enter the 2025 holiday season on divergent paths after contrasting Q3 results. Hasbro outperformed expectations and raised its outlook, fueled by strong growth in its Wizards of the Coast and digital gaming divisions, while Mattel missed estimates and kept guidance steady amid cautious retailer orders and tariff pressures. Despite broader industry growth, slowing consumer demand and higher costs pose headwinds. With Hasbro’s diversified mix offering resilience if toy sales weaken, Mattel’s reliance on traditional toys could make it more vulnerable to price-sensitive shoppers this holiday season.

Unilever said its core business grew in Q3 as sales in North America rose for the fifth straight quarter, fueled by demand for new deodorants and beauty products. Unilever’s focus as it restructures reflects a wider industry trend: Companies are expanding their beauty, well-being, and personal care product offerings to meet demand for clean, natural, and sustainable goods and position themselves as lifestyle brands. Earlier this week, Lysol maker Reckitt Benckiser reported rising Q3 sales as consumers bought its self-care and germ-protection products. Unilever will need to keep leaning into premium products and digital engagement to keep up with consumer changes in everyday wellness.

Adidas raised its full-year earnings guidance to about €2 billion ($2.32 billion) after stronger-than-expected global results. Currency-neutral sales rose 12% year-over-year, led by double-digit growth across all major regions, while operating profit surged 58%. Gross margin improved to 51.7% despite currency and tariff pressures. The company is countering headwinds through pricing strategies and supply shifts, gaining ground as Nike continues its turnaround. With demand for its Samba and Gazelle lines boosting apparel and accessories sales, Adidas appears to be solidifying its momentum and strengthening its competitive position in key markets.

LVMH is reportedly exploring a sale of its 50% stake in Fenty Beauty, according to Reuters. The move comes on the heels of Kering selling its beauty unit to L’Oréal for €4 billion ($4.3 billion)—suggesting that, after years of aggressive expansion, the two luxury conglomerates are taking a more targeted approach to growth. The market for beauty—particularly cosmetics—is showing signs of softening, which could explain LVMH’s desire to sell. But it’s more likely that LVMH is attempting to raise cash ahead of a potential bid for Armani

The US government shutdown has entered its fourth week, becoming the second-longest in modern history and increasingly straining the economy. The travel industry alone has lost nearly $3 billion, while companies like Unilever are delaying major moves due to halted SEC operations. Grocers fear SNAP benefit disruptions that could hit Walmart and Kroger hardest. Oxford Economics estimates GDP growth could fall by up to 2.4 percentage points if the shutdown persists through Q4. With holiday sales already under pressure from weak confidence and high rates, the timing couldn’t be worse for retailers or consumers.

TikTok is mandating that sellers buy ads using its new tool, GMV Max, in order to participate in Black Friday and other holiday promotions. At the same time, it is making it harder for sellers to drive sales to platforms outside its system. The company is limiting merchants’ ability to advertise videos linking to their websites and other outside sources. TikTok’s attempts to tie sellers to its platform make sense given parent ByteDance’s ambitious US ecommerce goals—but such efforts will only be successful if TikTok can prove its importance as a sales channel.