This week, small businesses express concerns about President Trump’s policies, private label brands gain traction, and Gen Z embraces AI for shopping. Meanwhile, TikTok music influences purchases, and excessive advertising drives cart abandonment.
Old is the new new: Across food and fashion retail, brands lean on nostalgic goods and practices to win over shoppers as inflation worries rise.
Over half of Gen Zers discover products primarily on TikTok and Instagram: Google’s relevance is fading as social search takes over.
They have higher customer satisfaction rates, adding to the competitive pressures
The company will lean on AI and stablecoins to maintain its momentum
Sponsored content from influencers can help the payments network as it tries to build brand awareness among younger consumers
Chinese retailers continue to see the US as an expansion opportunity: But they face higher barriers to entry, including the need for a fully diversified supply chain.
Neiman Marcus is the latest department store to shutter a prominent flagship location: The closure highlights legacy retailers’ struggles to adapt to the shifting retail environment.
Amazon is weaving shoppable video ads into its Rufus AI chatbot, creating a frictionless way for brands to capture shoppers' attention and drive conversions within search results
Walmart looks to make it easier for advertisers to buy its display ads: Walmart Connect’s new API should help it attract more ad dollars from smaller brands and marketplace sellers.
The BNPL player’s revenues doubled in Q4 thanks to users’ more frequent purchases
The tie-up also makes Marqeta a more attractive card partner for fintechs
Despite an industrywide push to grow via nonmerchant partnerships, BNPL players still rely on individual deals to reach large merchants
Foot traffic to Aldi stores grew 12.3% YoY in Q4 2024, over twice the growth of low-cost competitor Trader Joe’s, according to data from Placer.ai.
US consumer spending was resilient in 2024, but confidence is fading: Tariffs, layoffs, and inflation fears threaten to slow momentum as economic uncertainty looms.
Google’s latest move disrupted product review sites: That change challenged retailers reliant on those sites’ affiliate traffic.
Warby Parker joins forces with Target: The D2C eyewear brand will open five shop-in-shops as it doubles down on physical retail.
On today's podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of the most interesting retailers for the month of February. 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 Analyst Arielle Feger and Senior Analyst Sara Lebow will defend their list against Vice President Suzy Davidkhanian and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.
McDonald’s zigs when others zag: Rather than follow the lead of Denny's and Waffle House in adding an egg surcharge, the fast food giant is slashing the price of its Egg McMuffin.
Walmart recently bought Monroeville Mall near Pittsburgh, signaling either a massive retail expansion plan or a shrewd real estate grab. Either way, the purchase strengthens Walmart's market foothold while adding rental income. This isn't a random acquisition but a calculated move.