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Mercado Libre is beating Amazon at its own game in Latin America: The former is expected to represent more than half of all retail media ad spending in the region, while the latter continues to lose share to local players in Brazil and Mexico.

Latin America traditional media spending bounces back: Recovering out-of-home advertising will help lift outlays to prepandemic levels.

China鈥檚 manufacturing expertise is difficult to compete with: That has led some retailers to rethink supply chain diversification even as India, Latin America, and Vietnam gain traction as production hubs.

The news: Retail pharmacy chains and some state health agencies are changing how they navigate the upcoming vaccination season amid federal health agency policy and personnel shifts. Our take: Pharmacies have an opportunity to share information at the local level to ensure consumers are kept up-to-date on new vaccine rules in their state. They should create digital FAQs, be responsive to consumer questions on social media and in stores, and provide pharmacists with the latest information on vaccine access and restrictions through frequent one-on-one sessions. Not all consumers will be pleased with their pharmacy鈥檚 changes, but transparency and being a source of reliable information will help pharmacies build trust and loyalty in the confusing vaccine climate.

In-store retail media has long been a mysterious black box for marketers鈥攈ard to measure and optimize. But thanks to first-party shopper data and AI-driven measurement tools, that鈥檚 changing. Marketers can now pinpoint how shoppers engage with in-store campaigns and tie those interactions directly to sales.

Inside Reddit鈥檚 international push: Multilingual tools boost engagement as markets like India and Brazil emerge as key growth drivers for 2025.

High tariffs have become an unavoidable part of doing business in the US following the implementation of President Donald Trump鈥檚 sweeping reciprocal duties. Retailers are slowly becoming resigned to the fact that higher tariffs are here to stay鈥攆or now. But their ability to minimize business disruption is severely hampered by the fact that new tariffs can be imposed at any time, which could immediately turn any attempts to adjust sourcing into sunk costs. As e.l.f. Beauty CEO Tarang Amin told CNBC, 鈥淚t鈥檚 the uncertainty around the tariffs that make things more difficult.鈥�

Amazon Prime is deeply entrenched in the US, with 75% of households as members. Despite this saturation, Amazon sees growth opportunities in international markets and among underpenetrated US demographics: rural, younger, and lower-income consumers. These groups show untapped potential, said Jamil Ghani, Amazon Prime鈥檚 worldwide VP. Prime fuels Amazon鈥檚 ecosystem鈥攎embers spend more by using benefits like streaming, pharmacy, Grubhub+, and free shipping. In contrast, nonmembers often spend less over time. By expanding perks and appealing to new segments, Amazon uses Prime to drive loyalty, customer lifetime value, and resilience against macroeconomic shifts.

The news: British fintech Revolut is reportedly considering acquiring a US bank to rapidly obtain a US banking license, enabling faster expansion, per The Financial Times. It will likely target a low-cost, nationally chartered bank. Our take: Revolut鈥檚 potential acquisition of a US bank reflects a growing trend of successful fintechs becoming banks themselves through strategic acquisition rather than merely being disruptors. PYMNTS reported that multiple fintechs鈥攊ncluding Wise, Circle, and Ripple鈥攁lso recently applied for banking licenses with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. This means banks must lean into what differentiates them from the growing competition beyond charters and insured deposits, like long-standing reputations, excellent customer service, and customer-centric products and services.

Adverse weather and poor crops have driven up staple costs: Coffee is up 58% over the past three years, and cocoa soared 316%鈥攚ith tariffs further compounding price pressures.

Measuring creator performance is the top barrier to influencer marketing success (32%) for brand marketers worldwide, per an August 2024 CreatorIQ report.

Reddit鈥檚 global growth is now core to its business: Community-driven expansion and ad revenues abroad are transforming the platform鈥檚 trajectory.

The news: Save A Lot introduced a new Hispanic-focused store format鈥攊ts second鈥攊n partnership with Leevers Supermarket as it explores ways to build deeper connections with Hispanic consumers. The takeaway: The rationale for opening these stores is clear: Hispanic consumers wield increasing buying power and account for an outsize share of growth in categories like CPG, beauty, and food and beverage. By targeting these shoppers with formats and products best suited to their needs, grocers can win lasting loyalty.

The challenge: Chocolate makers are feeling the squeeze as cocoa powder prices have jumped nearly 16% YoY due to a global shortage, per Bloomberg. Our take: Small price increases add up鈥攅specially in an environment where consumers are still scarred by the coronavirus-era wave of inflation. Today鈥檚 shoppers are hyperaware of price hikes and increasingly willing to switch brands, delay purchases, or trade down. That puts added pressure on retailers and manufacturers to either justify price increases through quality and innovation鈥攐r find new ways to absorb rising costs without compromising brand trust.

The news: Spotify is expanding its automated podcast buying capabilities, giving advertisers the opportunity to reach podcast listeners through two automated buying channels. Spotify Ads Manager is evolving to give advertisers in several regions 鈥渄irect access to premium podcast inventory,鈥� including content from original and licensed podcasts.. Our take: The updates could enable Spotify to increase its share of ad dollars, attracting advertisers looking for more opportunities to reach engaged audiences representing key demographics. But to continue attracting spending, Spotify will need to shift some focus to drawing in more listeners to keep its podcast offerings attractive.

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鈥檚 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.

Chipotle lowered its FY sales forecast after same-store sales fell more than expected in Q2, marking the second-straight quarter of declining traffic as wary consumers think twice about dining out. Chipotle鈥檚 Q2 struggles clearly show that consumers are becoming much pickier about where they choose to spend their money. The vast array of meal deals available in the QSR marketplace means Chipotle can no longer compete on value alone鈥攎aking menu innovation and limited-time offerings even more necessary to drive traffic.

LinkedIn is scaling its BrandLink program with new creator-led shows and partnerships with publishers like BBC Studios, TED, and The Economist. Backed by sponsors including AT&T, IBM, SAP, and ServiceNow, the initiative reflects LinkedIn鈥檚 push into B2B video at scale. Since rebranding from the Wire Program in May, BrandLink revenues have grown nearly 200% quarter-over-quarter, while creator and publisher payouts more than tripled YoY. With US B2B video ad spend up nearly 18% this year, LinkedIn is positioning BrandLink as a premium marketplace balancing enterprise polish with creator authenticity at a time when audiences crave human-driven, unscripted content.

The news: NFL ads are more effective than anything on linear鈥攂ut ads during streaming-exclusive games outperformed in the 2024-25 season. Streaming ads were 66% more effective than the cable and broadcast average during the most recent NFL season, per data from EDO. Our take: With streaming platforms capturing engaged audiences for tentpole sports like the NFL, advertisers can leverage CTV not just for reach, but for its superior ability to drive measurable action through precision targeting and interactive formats that linear doesn鈥檛 offer.