Retail & Ecommerce

The post-holiday hangover hit January’s retail sales hard: But the broader outlook for consumer spending remains strong thanks to healthy confidence and wage gains.

Crocs expects its namesake brand’s sales to rise 6% to 8% in Q1: That comes on the heels of a strong Q4 in which its margins significantly improved.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss how buying alcohol online is different, what Uber’s shutdown of Drizly means for its retail media business, and how consumption habits are changing. Then for "Red-Hot Retail," our analysts give us four spicy predictions about the future of alcohol. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analyst Blake Droesch and director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman.

The purchase could redefine smart TV advertising and give the big box giant an edge in revenue from shoppable ads and streaming fees.

These new capabilities can help Visa keep more B2B volume on its cards instead of alternatives like ACH payments

The feature would open up the prepaid debit card to a new volume opportunity and help the wallet compete against Google Wallet

Analysts warn of a customer “exodus” as regulations change how customers interact with the app

Over half (55%) of adults worldwide say that offering points or reward systems are the top way to keep them coming back, according to a November 2023 survey from Marigold in conjunction with Econsultancy.

Last December, TikTok user Lukas Battle posted a video proclaiming that 2024 is all about loud budgeting, which encourages consumers to open up about how they spend their money and take pride in saying no to unnecessary purchases.

Amazon faces a new antitrust challenge: Mexican antitrust regulator COFECE’s preliminary report claims the retailer (along with Mercado Libre) stifles competition.

UK retailers’ losses from theft doubled last year to £1.8 billion: Violent incidents are also rising, fueling calls for more government action.

CPG companies need a new playbook: Price hikes can no longer paper over volume declines at Kraft Heinz, Hershey, and PepsiCo.

Instacart’s ad growth slowed in Q4: That could create problems for the company as it relies more heavily on ads to offset softening grocery delivery demand.

Shopify’s Q4 revenues rose 24%: But the company projects its Q1 operating costs will eat into its profit—a surprise after it trimmed its expenses about 20% last year.

January’s hotter-than-expected inflation data shows that consumers are still under price pressure: But they’re handling it well, buoyed by higher wages and improving confidence.

Temu’s aggressive Super Bowl ad blitz paid off in engagement: But sales may be harder to come by as the retailer struggles to retain shoppers.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss how Amazon turned its ecommerce business around, how much its new AI shopping assistant moves the needle, and what's really driving its ad business. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Zak Stambor and vice president of content Paul Verna.

Sometimes, consumers don’t behave how we expect. Despite their digital-native status, Gen Zers still shop in-store, while baby boomers are all about new-kid-on-the-block Temu. And though they’re still mostly children, Gen Alphas are making their mark on the retail landscape.

Ulta Beauty is using in-store vending machines to bring more joy to the shopping experience, and AI enables it to analyze more customer data for personalization. The retailer is also training its store associates to engage younger beauty consumers.

The debit card gave Affirm a boost in active users and strong numbers, but to continue this pace of growth, Affirm may need to get creative