On today's podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of the most interesting retailers for the month of May. 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 Analysts Arielle Feger and Sara Lebow will defend their list against Senior Analyst Zak Stambor and Analyst Rachel Wolff, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.
Abercrombie & Fitch opts not to stock up on inventory despite tariff risks: The retailer is staying lean in order to chase trends and maximize full-price sales.
Capri eyes recovery with Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo: Quarterly revenue decline is smaller than expected, but challenges could complicate rebound efforts.
Separating research from product lets Meta build faster, think longer term, and prove it’s serious about becoming more than a social media company.
Neon fuses AI search, code generation, and digital agent tools into one browser—aiming to outpace Google by doing the work, not just finding it.
48% of US adults want brands to be clear and thorough about price increases, explaining the reasons, including tariffs, according to March 2025 data from Collage Group.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how much the merger with xAI can move the needle for X, if the social platform can recoup the kinds of ad dollars it was making before Elon Musk bought them, and where X users have migrated to (if anywhere). Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, and Analysts Marisa Jones and Emmy Liederman. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.
Google is monetizing AI search interfaces aggressively: But users, advertisers, and publishers remain skeptical of trust, data, and fairness.
Last week’s announcements by Google to expand its AI search experiences came with big changes for advertisers. Google will offer more ads in AI Overviews and is also testing ads in its fully chat-based AI Mode.
Incrementality has always been the holy grail of retail media. But lately, it’s taken on greater importance as ad budgets are squeezed and retail media networks (RMNs) fight for their share of ad dollars.
We examine which improvements could help banks boost loyalty.
Ad agency consolidation is shaking employee confidence: Many fear layoffs, unclear futures, and eroding culture as leadership focuses on cost-cutting.
Temu parent PDD’s profits fell 47% in Q1 as global and domestic challenges pile up: The company’s operating model is ill-equipped for today’s protectionist trade policies.
Changing regulatory stances and incentives could coax banks into crypto to avoid payments disintermediation.
Internal upheaval and delays have stymied X’s payments ambitions, but new beta tests could get the app back on track.
The issuer’s increased acceptance on multiple Caribbean islands dovetails with its cardholders’ travel preferences.
Adverse weather and poor crops have driven up staple costs: Coffee is up 58% over the past three years, and cocoa soared 316%—with tariffs further compounding price pressures.
Amazon breaks its silence on grocery business: CEO Andy Jassy is “very bullish” about retailer’s prospects as more customers stock up on everyday essentials.