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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.

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.

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

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.

But usage of the payment option remained quite limited compared with the share of buyers who use BNPL at any point during the year

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.

China鈥檚 deflationary spiral is expected to continue this year: A sharper-than-expected drop in prices in February underscores Chinese consumers鈥� extreme reluctance to spend.

However, the growing presence of holiday-related items on store shelves and holiday-related marketing messages carries a cost: Sixty-seven percent of consumers expect to have marketing fatigue by November 1鈥攚ell before the vast majority of holiday sales take place.

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.

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

Amazon鈥檚 BNPL partners鈥擜ffirm and Citi鈥攍ikely benefited from growing consumer demand for the tool

Retailers announced over 45,000 job cuts in January and February: Most resulted from bankruptcies, but the uncertain environment could drive more companies to cut costs.

Key stat: 40% of US holiday shoppers are using generative AI to find the best deals for specific items (the No. 1 use for the technology this holiday season), according to Boston Consulting Group. Salesforce estimated AI would drive $61 billion in holiday sales over Cyber Five this year, 19% of total global Cyber Five sales.

Inflation accelerated in January: Rising prices of eggs, chocolate, and other goods keep costs in the spotlight, potentially squeezing discretionary spending and pressuring retailers.

Go further: Read our Holiday Shopping 2023 report.

Tips to help retailers reach Gen Alpha, Gen Z, and beyond this holiday season. Walmart+ vs. Amazon Prime: Which has the holiday advantage? Exclusive鈥擥en Zs increase holiday spending despite broader pullback in discretionary categories. 4 analyst retail predictions about Cyber Five, retail media, and Walmart for the 2023 holiday season.

Tips to help retailers reach Gen Alpha, Gen Z, and beyond this holiday season. 4 analyst retail predictions about Cyber Five, retail media, and Walmart for the 2023 holiday season. US holiday ecommerce retail sales growth will return to double digits this year after slowing in 2022. Cost concerns are top of mind for this year鈥檚 holiday shoppers.

This strategy should help brands meet customer expectations during the competitive holiday season. Organic email marketing strategies are critical for budget efficiency. Focusing on quality content in email campaigns can extend marketing impact over a longer holiday season, notes principal analyst Andrew Lipsman in our Holiday Shopping 2023 report.

Start thinking about the 2024 holiday season. More like this:. Holiday season check-in: How Q4 is going and what that means for the rest of the year. The power of affiliate marketing: Why gift guides are everywhere this year. Walmart Marketplace sellers soar over the retailer鈥檚 holiday sales events. Younger consumers rely on TikTok for holiday inspiration, not purchases.

It gets to the point where it's like talking about the holiday shopping timeframe, where there's not as much new stuff to talk about. So I'll be curious to see whether the competitive landscape is able to shake things up.

Amazon Prime Day is a bellwether for the 2023 holiday season. More Chart of the Day:. 7/7 - Gen Z鈥檚 mind over matter. 7/6 - Beauty on a budget. 7/5 - Making ad-justments. 7/3 - Summer inflation. 6/30 - CTV gains on mobile. Methodology: Estimates are based on the analysis of survey and web traffic data from other research firms, historical consumer adoption trends, and demographic adoption trends.

That鈥檚 why we expect US holiday sales to grow by 4.5% this year.