Nearly three-quarters (73.5%) of US adults at least sometimes check prices or inventory online before visiting a store, according to a May survey from Locala and ĢAV.
Historically, search engines and social platforms acted as gateways, linking to other sites for consumers to continue reading, researching, or shopping. Now, those platforms are answering queries directly within their own ecosystems, resulting in a “zero-click search.”
The findings: Financial institutions (FIs) that have enabled buy now, pay later (BNPL) for debit cards see increased card usage frequency, higher spending, and larger purchases, per recent equipfi analysis cited by The Financial Brand. Why this matters for FIs: The BNPL explosion is over, as user growth decelerates and the industry reaches maturation. But FIs can still find value in BNPL. By integrating BNPL directly into existing debit card programs, banks stand to increase card usage, strengthen customer loyalty, and boost revenues. This strategy also turns debit cards, a very traditional banking product, into something that can better meet consumer needs. Today’s banking customers crave flexibility—and it’s especially important to Gen Zers.
The news: 53% of US consumers cited a lack of human empathy and understanding as a concern with using Gen AI-powered customer service tools, per a survey conducted by American Express. Our take: GenAI will be an engine for automizing easy wins, like personalized customer service experiences or customized rewards. However, the tool needs to be selectively deployed for best results. Consumers also still desire access to live representatives for human touches that genAI cannot generate. Issuers who can provide a blend of both in their customer service experiences stand to win the approval of all age brackets across their cardholding base.
The news: Buy now, pay later (BNPL) firms are exhorting the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) not to write new rules about how installment loan histories would affect federal home loan eligibility. Our take: BNPL providers are divided on whether furnishing their loan information supports or hurts their espoused mission for financial inclusion and helping consumers access credit. Affirm appeared the odd one out by offering more transparency about its consumers’ financial health. However, if HUD moves ahead with new loan eligibility rules, its customers could end up the better for it, while reporting naysayers Klarna and Afterpay will have to scramble to set up their customers for success
The US consumer is in good shape, according to the CEOs of Dick’s Sporting Goods and Urban Outfitters—despite a recent dip in confidence and tariff fears. Urban Outfitters’ and Dick’s Sporting Goods’ confidence in the health of the consumer shows that despite the strain of tariffs and uncertainty, shoppers remain willing to spend on products that they feel are worth the investment.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of the most interesting retailers for the month of August. Each month, Arielle Feger, Becky Schilling, and Emmy Liederman (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 Arielle Feger and Emmy Liederman will defend their list against Principal Analyst, Sky Canaves and Senior Analyst, Blake Droesch, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.
The news: Google Cloud is creating its own blockchain, named Google Cloud Universal Ledger (GCUL), for payments and financial products. Our first take: The post-GENIUS Act environment has major institutions scrambling to get a first-mover advantage on stablecoins. Google likely is betting that it’s better positioned to offer clients and financial institutions than Stripe’s Tempo or Circle’s Arc because its blockchain service simplifies integration for multiple currencies and assets, stabilizes fees, and is designed for safety—as a private and permissioned system, it benefits from Google’s tech security stack.
Abercrombie & Fitch reported record revenues in Q2 as soaring demand among Gen Z teens for Hollister offset weakness at its namesake brand. Abercrombie is navigating the current environment as well as any retailer—especially one with considerable tariff exposure—could. While minimizing tariff costs remains a key priority, Abercrombie’s sharp focus on the fundamentals—delivering products that people want—will help guide it through uncertainty.
Kohl’s reported a better-than-expected Q2 profit as it controlled expenses and reintroduced phased-out product assortments, hinting at early signs of traction despite sales declines. The retailer is taking steps to stabilize, but it faces a mammoth challenge to move sales to growth—not just lessen the declines. As shoppers scrutinize every dollar they spend, Kohl’s needs to show it can deliver the right products at the right price—and find ways to stand out in an increasingly crowded field by bolstering loyalty perks, leaning more on personalized offerings to consumers, and communicating clearly what it wants to be known for. That won’t be easy for a retailer whose core shoppers remain heavily reliant on coupons and discounts.
The news: Online retail traffic from generative AI (genAI) sources is exploding, highlighting how AI tools are intercepting and guiding the product search journey. GenAI traffic to US retail sites grew 4,700% YoY in July, per Adobe Digital Insights. 38% of US consumers have used genAI for shopping, and another 52% plan to do so this year. Our take: Brands need to market to both machines and people to avoid being excluded from AI results. Success will involve understanding how models interpret product data and reviews and aligning messaging with the signals AI uses to index and recommend products.
While AI advancements have sparked litigation between publishers and tech giants—The New York Times’ lawsuit against OpenAI for copyright infringement being the most prominent—some publishers are embracing AI partnerships as an essential revenue driver amid shaky search traffic.
The news: Klarna is now available in-store at over 400 Walmart Canada locations. Canadian Walmart shoppers can scan a QR code at assisted lane checkouts to choose between Pay in Full or Pay in 4. Only purchases over CAD 50 will be eligible for Klarna’s financing. Our take: Klarna’s partnerships with Walmart in the US and Canada are major coups for the BNPL player. Affirm’s dominance stateside is driven by its strategic partnerships and strong Affirm card adoption. Klarna should continue staking out new tie-ups with major retailers and boost Klarna card use to secure a stronger presence in Canada.
The luxury industry has a counterfeit problem. Counterfeits pose a serious challenge for brands and the growing number of secondhand platforms that specialize in luxury resale. The more convincing these superfakes get, the harder it will be for companies like LVMH to justify their high price points—and harder still for platforms like Vestiaire and The RealReal to keep fake goods off their marketplaces.
Successful retail partnerships create value beyond what either brand could achieve alone. “One plus one makes three is the ideal situation, where both parties bring something to the table that the customer values and as a result, both businesses and brands benefit,” said Brian Berger, founder and CEO of Mack Weldon, on a recent episode of “Behind the Numbers.”
US ad spend with financial media will reach over $600 millions this year, according to ĢAV forecasts, but still represent a small fraction of the commerce media landscape. "This is a really nascent space. There aren't many players that make up this cohort of financial media networks (FMNs), and they represent a really diverse array of types of financial companies," said our analyst Sarah Marzano during a recent episode of "Behind the Numbers."
Visa’s retreat reflects regulatory chaos and rising data access fees, signaling broader instability for fintechs and the future of “open” banking in America.
On today’s podcast episode, we discuss our ‘very specific, but highly unlikely’ predictions for the future of digital in 2026 and beyond. Why browsers will become the new AI battleground, what does it mean if agentic AI doesn’t take over shopping, and can GenAI actually lead to more of the jobs it can easily destroy? Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Senior Director of Briefings, Jeremy Goldman, Principal Analyst, Sara Marzano, and Vice President of Content, Paul Verna. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.