On today's podcast episode, we discuss why Amazon is pulling back from "Just Walk Out" technology, how the Atlantic magazine turned things around, what will ignite TV shopping, whether LinkedIn testing TikTok-like videos is a good move, what science says about how to be happy, and more. Tune into the discussion with vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian, analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, and vice president of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti.
Nearly a quarter (23%) of US adults say they research a product online and purchase it in-store, according to a November 2023 survey by ESW.
A2A payments adoption is more mature in the UK than in the US, making it a better market to launch the product
It’s going all-in on AI to protect consumers from an expected $13.73 billion in card payment fraud this year
Many BNPL firms already offer the consumer rights the CFPB wants to enforce, but the rule will have broad implications for BNPL and other fintechs
October’s and November’s share of US digital holiday consumer spend has not shown a consistent increase since 2018, despite retailers moving their holiday sales earlier, per an April 2024 report from Comscore.
Nearly half of US adults who have made a purchase via shoppable commerce have done so on social media, according to our February 2024 survey conducted by Bizrate Insights. But budding partnerships between brands and streamers may shift more commerce toward connected TV (CTV) platforms, especially around live events. For example, Paramount piloted a shoppable experience during the CMT Music Awards, NBCUniversal launched a new shoppable ad format ahead of this Summer’s Olympics, and Amazon added shoppable ads to its Amazon Prime platform.
The housing market continues to flounder: As long as it remains hard for consumers to buy a home, brands and retailers tied to housing will likely struggle.
SoftPOS is a form of mPOS that can turn any seller’s smartphone into a payment terminal.
L’Oréal deepens Luxe partnership with Amazon with Kiehl’s launch: The beauty company is banking on the retailer’s wide reach to boost customer acquisition and drive sales.
Wealthy consumers are driving summer travel demand: The share of affluent travelers is rising as cost concerns cause lower-income consumers to pull back.
It’s a tough time to sell apparel and footwear: VF Corp.’s Vans brand saw sales fall 26% in its most recent quarter, while North Face sales dipped 5%.
TJX, Ross Stores are bullish as shoppers search for value: Both companies raised their profit outlooks in anticipation of growing demand and continued market share gains.
Anthropic makes a breakthrough in AI safety research: It comes on the heels of OpenAI losing key safety researchers and bodes well for Anthropic’s marketplace reputation.
Amazon eyes a new opportunity to boost margins: The retailer is looking for ways to reduce its reliance on UPS, including having Amazon drivers pick up returns from customers’ houses.
The number of drugstores is falling: CVS, Walgreens, and Rite Aid have all closed hundreds of stores over the past five years amid growing competition from discount retailers and online sellers.
Consumers’ pullback on discretionary spend hits Target hard: The retailer’s sales continue to fall, while shoppers boost spending at Walmart and Amazon.
Petco is bullish despite short-term sales hit: The retailer expects the pet humanization trend to drive long-term success as Walmart, Tripadvisor, and Van Leeuwen also look to get a piece of the pie.
Temu parent PDD posts triple-digit growth in Q1 as value proposition resonates with consumers worldwide: But regulatory challenges in several important markets could slow momentum.