The year of streaming price hikes: Streaming services became more expensive than ever in 2023, leading to a focus on bundles and cheaper AVOD tiers.

42.4% of US Gen Z banking consumers would consider their proximity to ATMs as a factor before choosing a new bank, while 28.8% would consider their distance to a branch, according to our survey. By contrast, 39.6% would consider the bank’s reputation.

Earlier this month, Pinterest hosted its Pinterest Predicts pop-up event, a showcase in New York City combining trends, predictions, photo ops, and shoppable displays. The pop-up offered insights into what experiential social commerce can be, and how brands can offer retail experiences without needing to stock products.

In January, the Retail Daily newsletter editors made four retail predictions for 2023. Some we got right (like the proliferation of Amazon Prime Day-type events) while some we missed the mark on a bit (it was not the year of AR).

Walmart’s grocery business is booming: The retail giant has benefited from consumers’ growing focus on cost and convenience.

More than half of Gen Zs choose where to shop based on private label selection: And they’re not alone in preferring store brands—90% of consumers will likely stick with private labels even amid easing inflation and grocery prices.

Gaming reigns supreme in entertainment despite economic pain: In 2024, the gaming industry is poised for transformative strides, fueled by Microsoft’s strategies after its Activision Blizzard acquisition and groundbreaking advancements in generative AI.

Foreign news publishers boost US presence: Access to vast audience offers opportunities to increase users and revenues.

As privacy laws tighten globally, the role of IP addresses faces challenges: Rising scrutiny could pose challenges for CTV advertising.

On today's podcast episode, we give out some 2023 retail awards for the most must-visit store, the company that came the closest to crashing and burning—only to course-correct at the last minute, the retailer you need to know, and the comeback story of the year. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analysts Blake Droesch and Sky Canaves.

Meta’s Threads app faces declining engagement and challenges to differentiate, while Elon Musk’s Twitter rebrand to X struggles with user resistance and brand identity.

Consumer spending patterns shifted in 2023: Retailers like Walmart, TJ Maxx, and E.l.f Beauty benefited from consumers growing cost consciousness.

TikTok is taking the lead on social commerce: But Meta, Pinterest, and Snap are trying to take back the spotlight by partnering with Amazon and focusing on shoppable ads.

TikTok faces ethical scrutiny over reported instructions to moderators: Favoring Amazon-related accounts could pose risks for platform integrity.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss consumer spending over the holidays, how transaction data can help brands build deeper relationships with their customers, and what's next for consumer purchase data. "In Other News," we talk about Google starting to phase out cookies in a few weeks and what to make of the economy's mixed signals. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and Jonathan Silver, founder and CEO of Affinity Solutions.

In January, we made a slew of marketing and advertising predictions, from streaming to ad measurement. We already know the elephant in the room—we didn’t even mention generative AI. But the predictions we did make were a mixed bag in terms of accuracy. Here’s a look at how we did.

The past decade saw programmatic ads diversify and become more mobile-dominated. Looking ahead, our analysts believe technology will continue to influence the programmatic ad channel. Addressability, driven by the impending demise of third-party cookies, will drive a surge in alternative identity solutions; ad tech will face consolidation fueled by demands for transparency and control; and AI will open advanced targeting and measurement capabilities.

Gen Z embraces messaging, search, and shopping: Social media trend reports shed light on 2024 priorities.

Interest in the metaverse waned in 2023, but we’re starting to see some of its technologies gain adoption. Generative AI superseded interest in immersive VR platforms, but it’s also pushing VR further into the future.

We might see generative AI hallucination insurance emerge in 2024: The tech is poised to introduce new opportunities, such as cost-effective, innovative solutions. But companies will also need to provide ways to mitigate risk.