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The news: Higgsfield鈥檚 Soul is the latest AI-powered image- and video-generation service that鈥檚 fine-tuned for 鈥渇ashion-grade realism,鈥� making the output resemble professional photos and videos without the plasticky, overprocessed feel of typical AI visuals. Our take: For less than $10 a month, freelancers and marketing teams can now fast-track campaign proposals and client pitches with high-quality visuals. As AI tools become more accessible, the advantage goes to creatives who learn to shape them strategically鈥攖hose are the ones who鈥檒l win the big contracts. Marketers should treat tools like Soul it as an accelerant, not a replacement. Use it to prototype fast, align on visual direction, and cut production waste.

The situation: Nike鈥檚 turnaround will likely take some time. In FYQ4, the company鈥檚 sales fell 12% YoY (11% on a constant-currency basis), reflecting what CFO Matthew Friend called the 鈥渓argest financial impact鈥� from the company鈥檚 reset strategy. Still, he expressed confidence that 鈥渉eadwinds will moderate from here,鈥� emphasizing Nike鈥檚 focus on execution and controlling what it can. Our take: Turning around a company the size of Nike is like trying to turn around an ocean liner in rough waters. Change takes time, especially amid headwinds like tariffs and shaky demand, and execution missteps keep dragging on performance. Nike is adjusting course鈥攍eaning back into wholesale, cleaning up its inventory, and getting more surgical with product drops鈥攂ut calm seas are still a ways off.

The rest of the year is top-of-mind for leaders in marketing and retail, which they expect to be challenging but riddled with opportunities to stand out from competition.

Ultimately, the goal is to get users familiar with the idea of purchasing products from their TVs: 鈥淵ou can imagine a world where you are sitting down with your family to watch a movie on your Vizio TV, and we鈥檙e able to then allow you to buy pizza,鈥� Seth Dallaire, chief growth officer of Walmart US, said in an interview at Cannes Lions.

In the first half of 2025, tariffs rattled retailers, consumer trust wavered in the face of muted DEI efforts, and fast-fashion platforms like Shein and Temu braced for policy whiplash. Meanwhile, private label products surged in popularity, and the retail world took a closer look at generative AI鈥攏ot just for buzz, but for tangible impact across the shopper journey. Here are the top stories from H1 2025 and why they matter for the rest of the year.

We expect Pinterest鈥檚 US Gen Z user base to rise 4.5% this year to 25.1 million鈥攆aster than any other generation except Gen Alpha. Everything is shoppable: Given Pinterest鈥檚 growing influence over consumers鈥� purchase decisions, it鈥檚 no surprise the platform is leaning into shoppable content as a way to capitalize on commercial intent and attract ad dollars.

It may be in their home mailbox or at a retail pop-up in town鈥攖actile and IRL activations that connect online and offline. Tactile experiences are more 鈥渕agical鈥� for consumers.

The insight: Gen Z consumers are starting their purchase journeys more often on Google properties, including YouTube and Gemini, according to a Business Insider report citing Morgan Stanley data. Our take: Google is doing a good job of leveraging the popularity of YouTube and increasing interest in genAI-powered shopping tools to win over younger shoppers and establish itself as the first port of call in their customer journeys.

More than an AI pilot, Green Dot Assist will roll out across the US and Canada in fiscal 2026 as part of CEO Brian Niccol鈥檚 effort to reverse slowing US sales and restore brand efficiency. Starbucks showcased the tech to 14,000 managers, signaling confidence in scalability. Can AI brew efficiency?

Screen-fatigued shoppers are rediscovering the thrill of real-world discovery by flipping through catalogs, queuing for pop-ups, and going on retail tourism. Josh Golden, CMO at Quad, shares how Gen Z and millennials are craving these encounters, 鈥渞eturn on touch鈥� as a measurable metric, and how blending physical and digital elements can lift loyalty and sales.

The news: Global Payments rolled out a retail point-of-sale (POS) system under its Genius platform targeting small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). Our take: Despite that clout, as other merchant service providers also diversify their offerings through verticalized software, hardware, and partnership integrations, Global Payments鈥� Genius will enter a crowded POS space with its offerings nearly indistinguishable from Stripe鈥檚, Square鈥檚, or Toast鈥檚 hardware and software lineups.

Influencer spending growth in the US will slow but surpass $13 billion in 2027, according to our March 2025 forecast. This comes earlier than we had projected in our March 2024 forecast, demonstrating accelerating growth. Click here to view our full forecast for US influencer marketing. Proving ROI is essential for credibility and continued investment.

DoorDash鈥檚 pitch: The acquisition will help make DoorDash鈥檚 ad platform鈥攏ow a $1 billion business鈥攁 more attractive proposition to advertisers who are increasingly demanding more from their retail media partners. To drive that message home, DoorDash also announced a host of ad updates鈥攎any AI-powered鈥攖o make it easier for brands to set up and manage their campaigns and attract users鈥� attention.

The insight: Growing GLP-1 usage could reduce McDonald鈥檚 annual sales by as much as $428 million, or 1% of system sales, according to an analysis by researchers at Redburn Atlantic. The impact could widen to 10% or more 鈥渙ver time,鈥� the analysts wrote, for brands like McDonald鈥檚 that are 鈥渟kewed toward lower-income consumers or group occasions.鈥� Our take: GLP-1s are just one of the many factors influencing what consumers eat. With economic uncertainty looming large, financial concerns are the biggest consideration for the majority of consumers鈥攚hich is why households are choosing to eat at home more often and increasingly opting for private labels at the grocery store.

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鈥檒l keep splurging on Instagram-worthy seasonal d茅cor鈥攅specially 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.

Lowe鈥檚 plans to link the creator network to its growing retail media network. Zooming out: Younger generations, especially Gen Z, are increasingly turning to influencers for advice鈥攁nd as these generations represent the next wave of homeowners, Lowe鈥檚 is using the creator studio as a key opportunity to attract an essential growth source.

The news: TikTok tweens and teens who make popular 鈥淕et ready with me鈥� skincare routine videos may be harming their skin. The takeaway: Amid the closer social media scrutiny, skincare health brands should be clear about products that are not made for young skin. Social media teams need to be aware and proactive when interacting with tween and teen content creators.

The news: Dick鈥檚 Sporting Goods鈥� retail media arm, Dick鈥檚 Media, is partnering with Roku to bring its shopper data to connected TV, per Adweek. Our take: Dick鈥檚 sees retail media as a long-term growth engine, and its partnership with Roku should enhance its ability to compete with larger players by combining rich loyalty data with precise streaming insights. While Dick鈥檚 Media already offered brands a robust mix of in-store and digital ad opportunities, the expanded Roku partnership enables more targeted, measurable, and high-impact campaigns鈥攅specially as connected TV becomes a core pillar in the modern advertising mix.

As advertisers navigate Google鈥檚 recent search changes that favor its emerging AI models, retail media strategies could offer them heightened visibility and control.

What do brands need to know about the next wave of digital growth?

After it debuts in 35 stores this month, the platform will expand across the US and Canada in fiscal 2026. Our take: GenAI enables companies to do more with less鈥攁 crucial advantage at a time when macro uncertainty is making many firms wary of increasing their headcount. As early adopters scale their efforts and share results, momentum will grow鈥攑rompting others to follow out of necessity, not choice.

The news: Budget concerns are top of mind for consumers as they plan their summers. Our take: Consumers鈥� inclination to save is likely to fuel anxiety in the hospitality industry鈥攅specially as uncertainty causes travelers to delay booking until practically the last minute.

The news: The gaming industry is doubling down on handheld consoles. Nintendo鈥檚 Switch 2 shattered single-day sales records with an estimated 3 million units sold at launch, outpacing the Sony PS4鈥檚 historic numbers. Meanwhile, Microsoft announced its first handhelds鈥攖he ROG Xbox Ally and the ROG Xbox Ally X鈥攑artnering with Asus to blend Xbox and PC gaming in a portable format. They鈥檙e expected to launch during the holidays. Our take: As cloud and console experiences merge into portable form, game design and ad models are set to evolve fast鈥攐pening up fresh real estate for marketers, game studios, and tech platforms alike.