On today's podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of the most interesting retailers for the month of March. Each month, our analysts Arielle Feger, Becky Schilling, and Sara Lebow (aka The Committee) put together a very unofficial list of the top eight retailers they're watching based on which are making the most interesting moves: Who's launching new initiatives? Which partnerships are moving the needle? Which standout marketing campaigns are being created? In this month's episode, Committee members Becky Schilling and Sara Lebow will defend their list against vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analyst Zak Stambor, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.
Canva acquires Affinity, challenging Adobe by expanding into photo editing and design after Adobe’s Figma deal collapses. Key to competition: Affinity’s one-off payment model.
Infrastructure to support quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and cryptocurrency could be falling behind the technology’s widespread adoption.
Unwitting users experience Google’s AI search: Google wants feedback from people who aren’t AI-inclined. Dealing with spam will help build a symbiotic hybrid search platform.
Zuckerberg’s second job as AI recruiter: There’s a mad scramble for top AI talent. Meta’s plan to build an artificial general intelligence will require attracting the best.
This is a problem considering younger consumers are BNPL providers’ core targets
They expect the same digital experience online and in-store—including payment choice. We look at how retailers can respond
It could eventually force Apple to open up its NFC capabilities to other mobile wallets, disrupting industry dynamics
This tactic reflects customers’ desire for stability and safety in the rocky year following last March’s US bank collapses.
On today's podcast episode (part 1), we discuss the details of what's going on with a potential TikTok ban, how grave of a threat TikTok might be, whether Americans actually want a ban, and the likelihood of TikTok getting banned this time around (out of 10). Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Minda Smiley and Max Willens.
Measuring creator marketing is tough. Affiliate links provide direct attribution, but many sales occur after consumers see creator content. Even MrBeast, the biggest individual creator on YouTube, sells his Feastables bars at retailers like Walmart, not just on social media. So how can advertisers using creator marketing measure the efficacy of creator campaigns?
Asia-Pacific remained a global hotspot in 2023, with six of the top 10 fastest-growing retail ecommerce markets worldwide. In particular, China's online shopping market showed signs of resiliency, with growth rates in the double digits.
“What’s really exciting about retail media is a lot of it is uncharted territory,” said Paul Longo, general manager of retail media at Microsoft. “We’re in inning two, inning three. What’s gotten us here will not get us where things need to be.”
Hispanic digital media usage rivals or exceeds that of the total population on most media platforms, especially Instagram and WhatsApp. Their strong online presence and enthusiasm for sharing product recommendations with friends make them both a target and an ally for advertisers.
Payment networks provide the infrastructure (rails) through which funds flow between payers and recipients. They come in different flavors based on settlement speed, supported transaction types, costs, and operational hours.
Mobile commerce growth increases the impact of a straightforward checkout process: Half of consumers surveyed consider how easy a merchant’s checkout process is when deciding where to shop.
South Korea cracks down on Chinese ecommerce players as their influence worries local retailers: AliExpress, Temu, and others will now be subject to greater scrutiny over consumer protection measures and other business practices.
Fast-food franchisees explore cost-cutting options as California minimum wage hike looms: Operators are laying off workers, outsourcing delivery, and investing in automation—in addition to raising prices.