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The biggest ecommerce disruptors face a reckoning: The closing of the de minimis exemption is forcing Shein, Temu, and TikTok Shop to pivot, but it isn’t clear that shoppers will follow.

Consumers stick with Instacart amid uncertainty: The delivery platform’s orders jumped 14% in Q1 thanks to its Uber partnership and a lower minimum for Instacart+ members.

Private label sales growth outpaced national brands last year: Consumers' growing appetite for value is driving grocers to elevate their brands to compete against established names.

Turbulence in trade relations is changing how China’s ecommerce platforms do business in the US, with spillover effects on US retail and advertising.

A second federal judge has ruled that Google is a monopolist. This decision could have profound implications—depending on the remedies.

95% of women characters in US ads are portrayed in domestic and family roles, while only 3% are in leadership roles, according to a March 2025 CreativeX report. In worldwide ads, 71% of women characters are portrayed in domestic roles and 20% in leadership roles.

Meta revenues up 16% YoY in Q1: The company started the year off on a positive note, but tariffs could foreshadow strife.

More than just a cloud leader: Microsoft ad revenues surged 21%, gaming stabilized, and LinkedIn grew, too.

AI detection and watermarking could improve the user experience but deter brands and creators from experimenting with the technology.

Visual and audio data will feed Meta AI unless voice commands are disabled—placing an ultimatum between convenience and control.

WhatsApp’s importance to Meta goes well beyond social messaging: A forced divestiture could disrupt customer service, commerce, and loyalty worldwide.

OpenAI introduced product recommendations into ChatGPT on Monday, creating a potential opportunity for advertising—and a threat to affiliate marketing sites.

Whether brands are aligning their product with comfort food, launching fragrances, or prioritizing scent in their retail spaces, marketers are embracing multisensory experiences as another way to stand out in the digital noise.

Wayfair’s US sales rose 1.6% YoY in Q1: Despite growing macroeconomic headwinds and a frozen housing market, demand remained strong.

Pharma gains confidence around threatened Trump administration tariffs on drug imports: Big Pharmas are notching wins with the Trump administration through new US manufacturing and national security commitments, which improves the potential for tariff exemptions or delays.

CVS puts Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy (not Lilly’s Zepbound) on commercial drug formularies: Market reaction to the decision affirms how much influence PBMs like CVS Caremark have over prescription drug access. Eli Lilly may need to explore creative pricing strategies to improve access to Zepbound.

Halting US shipments reflects how tariff volatility is driving inventory risk, pressuring supply chains, and prompting a realignment of go-to-market strategies. Read online

Shoppers’ snack budgets are shrinking due to economic uncertainty: With little relief in sight, Mondelez, Kellanova, and Hershey’s are bracing for impact

Epic Games forced Apple to unwind App Store rules, setting a precedent that weakens Apple’s payment monopoly and threatens its fastest-growing services revenue stream.

Experts at Publicis’ HealthFront event recommend partnering with influencers who have smaller followings: Brands and marketers must assess key factors such as target audience, budget, and alignment with a company’s mission.

A flurry of interest and an unexpected announcement from PayPal show where banks see the biggest value of their own stablecoins.

Kohl’s fires its CEO for cause: The move leaves the struggling department store without a clear strategic direction at a challenging time for all retailers.

The tech is dominating recent headlines as retailer and consumer interest explodes

So far, neither network has seen signs of a consumer spending slowdown despite plummeting consumer sentiment

It wants to become a one-stop shop for businesses and consumers alike