Interest rates are rising. The housing market is cooling. Combine those factors with two years of home improvement projects during the COVID-19 pandemic and outlooks don’t look great for home improvement retailers. This has led them to focus on other revenue streams, including advertising, professional services, and loyalty programs.
But as macro economic headwinds continue, card networks may start cutting into the rewards that are bringing them this spend.
Amazon will capture more than half (51.1%) of all retail ecommerce sales in Germany this year, according to our forecast. Canada will have the second-highest share of Amazon ecommerce sales among the countries we track, at 41.5%, followed by the US, UK, Japan, and Mexico.
Amazon looks to its B2B ecommerce division for growth: The retail giant sees significant opportunities to expand Amazon Business into new markets in Europe and elsewhere.
High grocery inflation dents Canadian consumer confidence: Retail sales and volumes fell in February, even as overall price increases slowed.
P&G credits resilient US consumers and rebounding spend in China for its earnings beat: But increased promotional activity over the past few months could force the company to rethink its reliance on price hikes.
Inflation is starting to ease, but consumers remain cautious with their spending. This puts pressure on consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands and retailers to attract customers without affecting the bottom line.
Shein plots expansion with $145.2 million investment in Brazil, US marketplace: The company is looking to increase its reliance on local manufacturers to speed up fulfillment and better respond to demand. (This article was written with the assistance of ChatGPT.)
US retail media ad spend will hit $45.15 billion this year, an increase of almost 20% over 2022, according to our forecast. Growth will accelerate each year through 2027, when we expect spend to reach $106.12 billion.
Retailers struggle to find a balance between growth and sustainability: Efforts to reduce environmental footprints often run counter to the desire to grow sales.
Moving across the US-Canada border can be the first step toward international expansion for retailers. Canadian brands like lululemon athletica and Aritzia are thriving in the US. Meanwhile, US-based companies Lowe’s, Nordstrom, and Bed Bath & Beyond recently announced they were leaving Canada. And let’s not forget Target’s famous Canadian failure. Here’s a look at how brands on both sides of the border have fared, and the lessons you can learn from them.
Bumper profits, struggling investment banks, and swelling customer deposits were all themes in banks’ Q1 earnings.
GreenSky may be an attractive acquisition as consumers rely more on BNPL for essential purchases
This can help Square ward off disintermediation as softPOS volume grows
Autonomous food delivery robots gain momentum: Uber Eats’ food delivery robot test in Northern Virginia builds on the company’s delivery pilots in Miami, Los Angeles, and Houston.
Delivery isn’t as essential as it was early in the pandemic: That’s creating a challenging environment for pandemic-era winners such as Deliveroo and Getir.
Ikea has big plans to grow its US sales: It plans to spend $2.2 billion over the next three years to add 17 new stores and bolster its fulfillment network.