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Social platforms vie for attention at NewFronts: Meta, TikTok, and Snap all debuted ad updates designed to remain competitive amid a backdrop of uncertainty.

The company鈥檚 acquisition spree could help accelerate growth despite an uncertain economic climate

But that late surge wasn鈥檛 enough to overcome a sluggish start to the holiday season. Q4 sales rose just 0.4% YoY and full-year sales increased 0.7% YoY in 2024. 鈥淔ollowing a challenging year marked by weak consumer confidence and difficult economic conditions, the crucial 鈥榞olden quarter鈥� failed to give 2024 the send-off retailers were hoping for,鈥� said Helen Dickinson, British Retail Consortium CEO.

National Burrito Day is this Thursday: Chipotle鈥檚 success with the made-up holiday has driven competitors like Qdoba, Moe鈥檚 Southwest Grill, and even 7-Eleven to offer their own burrito-centric deals.

Gaming audiences are a powerful force in back-to-school shopping, influencing both digital and in-store purchases. Activision Blizzard Media鈥檚 latest research reveals how this often-overlooked group鈥攎any of them parents鈥攁re planning early, spending big, and responding to mobile-first ads.

The news: Fresh off a holiday season featuring (mostly) hitch-free Christmas Day NFL games and a record-breaking 鈥淪quid Game鈥� second season debut, Netlix is gearing up for the WWE season, which will define much of its efforts throughout 2025. 鈥淪quid Game鈥� season 2 drew 68 million views in the first four days of release, Netflix said, breaking a viewership record set by 鈥淲ednesday鈥� in 2022.

A lot happens in a week, so every Friday we're going to analyze all the new data and provide you with some of the key takeaways. Welcome to the Friday 5. This week, teens want ads with products in action, consumers aren鈥檛 giving brands negative feedback, and St. Patrick鈥檚 Day doesn鈥檛 interest consumers as much as other holidays.

Total returns for the holiday season are expected to rise to $133 billion. An expensive problem: Returns cost retailers $890 billion in 2024, according to a report by the National Retail Federation and Happy Returns.

Anticipated tariffs are speeding up purchasing decisions, revealing a tension between economic caution and the desire to avoid future markups.

Darden expects consumers to keep splurging on restaurant meals despite uncertainty: But dining out could be one of the first indulgences to go once tariff-related price hikes take effect.

Retailers cut 57,804 jobs in Q1: That鈥檚 up an eye-popping 370% YoY as the number of retail bankruptcies grows amid an increasingly uncertain macroeconomic climate.

TikTok Shop is also set to play a bigger role in holiday sales this year: 31% of users have already bought a gift from the marketplace or plan to, per CivicScience. That proportion is higher for Gen Z users: 51% plan to get some holiday shopping done on the platform.

Chinese consumer spending dipped below pre-pandemic levels during Golden Week holiday: While there were some positive signs鈥攊ncluding higher daily spending鈥攕entiment remains subdued, which could bode ill for Singles Day.

The holiday season reigns supreme. Consumers spent a record-breaking $314.9 billion online globally between November 26 and December 2, according to Salesforce. Despite booming online sales, visits to stores and retail centers from November 24 to December 1 fell 2.3% YoY per Sensormatic Solutions.

It also offers a glimpse into the consumer mindset ahead of the ever-important holiday shopping season. This year, though, back-to-school growth will be harder to come by, with a slowdown in sales for college-bound students and plateauing growth rates in physical retail stores. Back-to-school season sales in 2024 will grow at their slowest rate in five years.

TikTok Shop expands in Europe as US fate remains uncertain: Launch in France, Germany, and Italy underscores push for growth amid pressure to boost sales.

Gap Inc expects its brands to be 鈥渢he winners in any challenging market鈥�: The retailer is confident its focus on product innovation, newness, and social buzz will insulate it from economic pressures.

As retailers pull the holiday season earlier and earlier, carriers are keeping pace by advancing peak-season surcharges. When peak-season surcharges were first introduced widely in 2017, they spanned 34 days; this year they will cover about 111 days.

Competing with the couch: While audiences have shown a desire to return to theaters throughout the year, Netflix will compete with theaters for attention this holiday season. Netflix is releasing the second season of South Korean hit 鈥淪quid Game,鈥� the most viewed show in the streaming service鈥檚 history, on December 26.

Walmart鈥檚 ad business fuels operating income growth: Retail media revenues jumped 29% driven by marketplace expansion.

Abercrombie & Fitch sees slowdown looming as tariffs take effect: The retailer expects sales growth and profits to be seriously pressured in 2025.

When you think of tax season, gaming or dating probably don鈥檛 come to mind. But for H&R Block, flipping that narrative is part of a larger strategy to meet the next generation of taxpayers exactly where they are鈥攚hether it鈥檚 in a virtual mansion on Roblox or swiping right on Tinder.

The theatrical atmosphere, particularly during holiday seasons, maintains its unique appeal despite streaming's convenience and cost advantages. But with streaming TV ad revenues forecasted to grow 19.3% in 2025 according to a new GroupM report, the pressure on theaters to innovate will intensify.