Social issues can pose opportunities and hurdles for marketers: Brands must exercise care when taking a stand on social issues, recognizing that insincerity can alienate consumers.

On today's episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss how retailers build a sense of urgency and the goals of retailer-specific holidays beyond just sales. Then for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the top three examples of effective retail holiday marketing and discuss a miss. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analyst Suzy Davidkhanian and Briefings director Jeremy Goldman.

Nike and Fanatics form a symbiotic alliance: The two sportswear giants are partnering to expand the college sports apparel market and deepen their hold on athletic merchandise.

Insider Intelligence spoke with Stacey Howe, vice president of ecommerce at Cotopaxi, about running an outdoor gear brand with human sustainability and its approach to retail expansion.

Not all venture funding has dried up: Former Snap executive Imran Khan’s luxury ecommerce site Verishop raised $40 million in a Series B funding round.

NIkon to end DSLR line: Smartphones have an opportunity to seize the camera market, but smaller bodies and lack of long lenses will be tough to overcome. Computational photography could help fill the gaps.

The layoff-hiring puzzle: In what seems like a paradox, scores of layoffs coincide with hiring growth. Tech moves away from broad expansion plans while still needing software innovation to stay afloat.

Walmart uses EV deal to strike out at Amazon: The big-box retailer’s agreement with Canoo explicitly prevents the automaker from selling to the ecommerce giant.

From hiring help to layoff harm reduction: Responding to shifting market conditions, startup Continuum shifts its focus to helping companies deftly execute layoffs. But another strategy adjustment may be necessary.

US inflation hit a new four-decade high in June: That’s causing some consumers to pull back on spending and others to wait for sales events such as Prime Day.

In 2023, 5.5 million US adults will use cryptocurrency to make payments, a jump of more than 350% in three years. That said, this figure represents a meager 2.3% of US internet users, showing that crypto payments are far from mainstream.

EVs on track to surpass adoption targets: An electrified future could happen sooner thanks to a range of prices and model choices, high gas prices, and promised charging infrastructure.

Rivian grew too quickly: The EV truck maker rushes to reduce its workforce after a hiring surge and persistent economic headwinds. The intensifying layoff trend could be a sign of strife in various industries.