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NBCU will have to pay extra to keep the Macy’s parade: The retailer wants $60 million for a new Thanksgiving Day broadcast contract.

As Latin America’s digital revolution marches on, advertisers and retailers must keep pace with how and where consumers are spending their time—and money—if they wish to maintain a competitive edge in today’s rapidly evolving business environment.

Yeah, we're pretty positive on what we expect to see in terms of sales for the holidays. We expect an increase of close to 5%, 4.8 year on year in the last two months of 2024. That's a one-point bump on the same period a year ago. Online shopping, a driving force of that, expected to grow nearly 10% year on year in the November-December holiday period. (20:59):.

A new four-day format for Amazon’s tentpole event will shake up the playing field.

Consumer spending for the 2025 back-to-school shopping season will slow for the second year in a row as growth aligns with full-year retail. Ecommerce and K-12-focused purchases will drive overall spending.

Back-to-school sales will decelerate this year: Mounting macroeconomic pressures are prompting retailers to kick off promotions earlier and encouraging consumers to buy now rather than later.

The trend: A growing parade of retailers are front-loading July promotions to capture sales before the start of Amazon’s Prime Day event, which will run from July 8 at 12:01am PDT through July 11. Our take: There's a good reason that more retailers are joining Walmart and Target in attempting to get a head start on Prime Day. Amazon typically garners an outsized share of sales during its marquee event; we expect Amazon will account for 75% of US ecommerce sales during Prime Day this year.

The news: Amazon announced its Prime Day event will run from July 8 at 12:01 a.m. PDT through July 11, starting eight days earlier than last year and lasting twice as long as previous events. Our take: Amazon recognizes that while consumers have grown more selective about when and where they spend, many will still jump at the chance to save if they find compelling offers. By extending Prime Day’s duration, adding tech-driven shopping tools, and broadening its footprint across countries and third-party sites, Amazon is turning the event into an inescapable, large-scale retail moment. Even in a margin-squeezed environment, the visibility and sales potential of Prime Day may be too significant for sellers to pass up.

The news: Michaels is getting a head start on the spooky season. The arts and crafts retailer began stocking its shelves with Halloween merchandise this past Friday, marking its earliest-ever rollout of themed items. Our take: Michaels is betting that even as consumers pull back on discretionary purchases, they’ll keep splurging on Instagram-worthy seasonal décor—especially if they can get it first. From black rose wreaths to candy-colored pumpkins and disco-themed skeletons, the early drop positions Michaels to win over shoppers eager to get a head start on Halloween.

The news: Saks Global—the roughly year-old troubled parent company of Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus—says it is finding its footing and has no plans to close stores, Retail Dive reports. Our take: Saks Global needs more than fresh financing—it needs a clear strategy that will make clear how it can navigate economic headwinds and rebuild trust with suppliers. With luxury spending softening as consumers grow more cautious, execution in the months ahead will be critical—not just for stability, but for long-term survival.

The news: Paze notched a major partnership with Worldpay to expand its merchant network, per a press release. Our take: Groundwork has been set for Paze to take off. We predicted that Paze would make significant gains in 2025, and this partnership will help Paze establish its online presence and customer familiarity for strong back-to-school and holiday shopping spend.

Retailers are bullish on the holiday. Spirit Halloween, for example, is so optimistic about the season that it hired 25% more seasonal sales associates and store managers to work in its 1,525 locations this year compared with last year (and 43% more than it employed in 2022).

Zak, your holiday hot take kind of had to do with these discounts. Zak Stambor: Yeah.

Key Question: How much are holiday retail and ecommerce sales expected to grow, and which categories and retailers will benefit the most? KEY STAT: US holiday ecommerce sales will return to double-digit growth this year at 11.3% YoY, as growth rates for all retail channels return to a state of pre-pandemic normalcy. Executive Summary.

That would be the second-lowest number of seasonal holiday workers since 2009. That conservatism is evident among several retailers that have mapped out their plans. Target says it will add about 100,000 seasonal staff across its stores and supply chain facilities—the same number it has hired over the past three years.

We expect online cosmetics and beauty sales to grow more than twice as fast as in-store sales this year, in part due to efforts by Amazon and Walmart to broaden the selection of brands—particularly premium ones—offered on their marketplaces, as well as sales events like Amazon’s upcoming Holiday Beauty Haul.

US consumers will spend $3.2 billion on flowers this Mother’s Day: While NRF’s forecast is flat YoY, florists face tighter margins as tariffs drive up costs.

The growing trade war could dim America’s birthday and beyond: With flags and fireworks largely produced in China, July Fourth may be quieter—and holiday gifts scarcer.

The desire to save money is also driving holiday creep, as consumers look to lock down deals and spread out their purchases over a longer period of time. Nearly half—48%—plan to start holiday shopping before Halloween, per Bankrate.

The top reasons consumers start their shopping earlier include looking forward to the fall season (48%), avoiding the stress of last-minute shopping (38%), or because Halloween is one of their favorite holidays (37%). Younger consumers (ages 25 to 34) are even more likely to start their shopping early, with 56% shopping before October.

Zooming out: There’s little consensus among holiday forecasts this year, as forecasts range from 2% to 4.8%. That reflects the complicated landscape ahead. On the one hand, wages are up, inflation is down, and a US Federal Reserve rate cut should signal to consumers that the US economy has turned a corner and is approaching a soft landing.