Express Scripts partners with independent pharmacies: We examine the possible motivations behind PBMs’ recent efforts to support smaller pharmacies.

GLP-1s effectively combat kidney disease: A new study highlights Ozempic and Wegovy’s promise in the renal space. We address the prescription drug spending elephant in the room.

Google rushes to fix bizarre AI search results: It’s hardly the first time that generative AI has gone off the rails, but it could undermine Google’s core business model.

Ad-supported streaming surges: Major platforms embrace ads as price hikes drive subscribers to more cost-effective options.

Restaurants ramp up hiring in preparation for a busy summer season: But operators face an uphill battle to win over value-conscious customers.

Golden Goose soars toward IPO: But its timing could prove challenging given the high-profile struggles of labels like Kate Spade, Stuart Weitzman, and Gucci.

Google could help shake up the Indian ecommerce market: The tech giant will invest $350 million in Walmart-controlled Flipkart and plans to bolster the Indian company’s tech infrastructure.

xAI raises $6 billion to challenge OpenAI, which announced a new AGI safety committee. Rivalries could intensify as AI companies continue to take on the personalities of their founders.

T-Mobile is buying most of UScellular’s wireless operations for $4.4 billion, strengthening its rural 5G access while pressuring competitors to secure similar deals.

Creators are diversifying their revenue streams beyond influencer marketing. That’s a net positive for the creator economy, but it also puts some creators in direct competition with brands for consumer spending.

Nearly a quarter (23%) of US adults say they research a product online and purchase it in-store, according to a November 2023 survey by ESW.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss why Amazon is pulling back from "Just Walk Out" technology, how the Atlantic magazine turned things around, what will ignite TV shopping, whether LinkedIn testing TikTok-like videos is a good move, what science says about how to be happy, and more. Tune into the discussion with vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian, analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, and vice president of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti.

October’s and November’s share of US digital holiday consumer spend has not shown a consistent increase since 2018, despite retailers moving their holiday sales earlier, per an April 2024 report from Comscore.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the capabilities (good and bad) of OpenAI's new GPT-4o, what the disbanding of the companies "superalignment" team means, and whether we're witnessing the birth of the next super app. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Jacob Bourne and Gadjo Sevilla.

Nearly half of US adults who have made a purchase via shoppable commerce have done so on social media, according to our February 2024 survey conducted by Bizrate Insights. But budding partnerships between brands and streamers may shift more commerce toward connected TV (CTV) platforms, especially around live events. For example, Paramount piloted a shoppable experience during the CMT Music Awards, NBCUniversal launched a new shoppable ad format ahead of this Summer’s Olympics, and Amazon added shoppable ads to its Amazon Prime platform.

Short-form videos are difficult to monetize since they don’t offer pre-, mid-, or post-roll ads. Instead, ads are placed between videos, making them easy to skip. As a result, platforms embracing longer videos stand to rake in more ad dollars. Brands, meanwhile, have more opportunities to get in front of users via advertising on lengthier videos, though creating their own longer content presents challenges.