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The US and UK tout a trade agreement鈥攚ith a few caveats: The proposal would offer the UK some tariff relief while giving US businesses access to a $5 billion market opportunity, but it鈥檚 not a done deal.

Chase similarly weakened its Pay Yourself Back program for Sapphire Preferred and Reserve cardholders that lets cardholders redeem Chase Ultimate Rewards points outside of travel at a favorable rate. Our take: Consumers鈥� growing price sensitivities make them increasingly willing to enroll in loyalty programs. But the utility of those programs is entirely dependent on consumers finding them valuable.

Books, consumer electronics/tech, and video games follow only travel, insurance, and banking services as the categories consumers worldwide most prefer to buy online, according to a July 2024 from YouGov. Over three quarters (78%) of US consumers say that reviews from other customers are influential in their online purchase decisions, per September 2024 AfterShip data.

Category leaders go beyond traditional data, using consumer intelligence to predict behavior rather than just react. By tapping into unconventional insights like culture, entertainment, and social trends, brands can build more dynamic, human-centric strategies.

Their ability to execute complex multistep tasks independently鈥攍ike writing code, booking travel, and managing investments鈥攚ith minimal human oversight will allow users to focus on higher-value activities. Unlike basic chatbots that require step-by-step prompting, these agents can understand broader goals and autonomously determine how to achieve them.

Food services and drinking place sales (i.e., restaurant sales, restaurant delivery ordered online); travel sales; event ticket sales; payments such as bill pay, taxes, or money transfers; and gambling and other vice good sales.

With platforms joining in鈥攍ike Travala for crypto travel and Bitrefill for buying gift and phone cards with crypto鈥攕tablecoins are beginning to push crypto payments toward everyday use. Scandals, volatility, and crime are hindering trust in crypto. More than 6 in 10 consumers view crypto as unreliable and unsafe, per a February 2024 Pew Research Center survey.

The stimulus plan includes spending-inducing initiatives in sectors such as tourism, childcare, and education; smart cities; and trade-in programs for purchasing consumer goods. In the midterm, retail sales will gradually strengthen, increasing 4.0% in 2026 and 4.4% by 2028.

As non-retailers borrow the retail media model, many platforms are rebranding (or launching) as commerce media networks, travel media networks, and payment media networks. Content could be next. Publishers seeking to stay relevant may rebrand as content media networks. The move wouldn鈥檛 necessarily come with functional changes鈥攄igital publishers have always and will continue to serve ads.

Their ability to independently execute complex multistep tasks鈥攍ike writing code, booking travel, and managing investments with minimal human oversight鈥攚ill allow users to focus on higher-value activities. The tech giant battle for AI agent supremacy has begun. Major tech companies are rapidly commercializing AI agents:. OpenAI is preparing to launch 鈥淥perator鈥� in January 2025.

The card also offers travel benefits like TSA PreCheck, Priority Pass Lounge Membership, and statement credits to Blade鈥檚 Airport Pass, ClassPass, and BetterHelp. Why it matters: Given its innovative offering, Hypercard has the potential to gain a foothold in the corporate card market. This partnership can therefore help Amex boost its user base and payment volume.

More than half of Black consumers are willing to travel a bit farther to shop at businesses that carry Black-owned products, according to Nielsen. This preference also extends to media, with 68% of Black viewers stating it鈥檚 important for TV shows and movies to have diverse creative teams.

They could also grow their acceptance network into higher-spend categories like travel鈥攍ike Affirm鈥檚 partnership with Hotels.com. This article is part of 蘑菇AV鈥檚 client-only subscription Briefings鈥攄aily newsletters authored by industry analysts who are experts in marketing, advertising, media, and tech trends.

The news: Amazon is teaming up with travel site StudentUniverse to offer $25 domestic flights to members of its Prime for Young Adults program. This marks the second-straight year of the promotion, which offers 1,000 $25 domestic flight tickets daily from December 9鈥�13. The strategy: Cheap airfare is one of several ways that Amazon has sought to drive consumers into its Prime ecosystem.

The company listed automotive, entertainment, financial services, quick-service restaurants, and travel among the industries to which it would extend the offering. What factors are driving momentum for non-endemic advertising? Retailers鈥� first-party data has value that extends beyond endemic brands.

Expedia, for instance, introduced Romie, a virtual travel agent that can provide personalized trip recommendations or backup plans if issues arise during a trip. Many publishers, retailers, and travel services will likely introduce agents to enhance their apps or better explain their offerings. General app-based agents.