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In today鈥檚 episode, we talk about how much debt consumers have, which buckets it lives in, and the likelihood of a 鈥榙ebt jubilee鈥�. Join the discussion with host and Head of Business Development Rob Rubin, Senior Analyst Grace Broadbent and Senior Director of Forecasting Oscar Orozco.

Hunkering down: As shoppers brace for higher costs, they鈥檙e finding new ways to manage their spending. Households are doing laundry less often to save money on detergent, P&G CEO Jon Moeller said.

Fewer, smaller discounts could make Prime Day less enticing to shoppers鈥攐pening the door to competitors like Walmart that are able to offer better value.

Gen Zers are most likely to experience a problem with the payment method. These concerns could weaken BNPL transaction growth

In the increasingly crowded retail media space, hiring could be one strategy for networks to differentiate themselves from competitors.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss why the new funnel begins at checkout, what kinds of offers customers are most receptive to when getting ready to click the buy button, and how to avoid showing someone something they already have. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Vice President of Content Suzy Davidkhanian, Senior Director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman, and Senior Vice President of Solutions and Operations at Rokt Jon Humphrey. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Nearly three-quarters (74%) of US sell-side retail media decision-makers rank creative services as one of the most important services/solutions that retail media networks (RMNs) offer, according to Dentsu鈥檚 2025 Retail Media Industry report.

Despite being a leader in AI use, the BNPL provider said leaning on AI for customer service lowered support quality

To compete, fintech still must measure up against regulated and consumer-favorite card-linked installment plans.

SNAP rollbacks could shrink grocery baskets and curb discretionary spend: With household spending already under strain, further benefit cuts risk triggering a broader pullback in consumer demand.

Some shoppers will scale back spending altogether, while others will seek savings by turning to discount retailers, private labels, or secondhand sellers. We forecast back-to-school sales will rise 3.0% this year, a slowdown from 3.3% growth in 2024. Retail ecommerce back-to-school sales are set to increase 6.8%, a deceleration from last year鈥檚 7.4% gain.

In March, Meta rolled out new carousel ads that drive both ecommerce and in-store purchases, with early tests showing a 21% higher incremental return on ad spend compared to ecommerce-only formats, Meta鈥檚 group lead for retail and ecommerce Karin Tracy told Adweek. Why it matters: Meta is chasing retail media, a fast-growing category with US spending projected to rise 18% in 2025 and 16.8% in 2026.

As retail media鈥檚 share of digital ad spending continues to grow, brands that have not yet sorted out how their national, trade, and shopper dollars fit together will fall behind their competitors. Smaller RMNs will have to get better at telling their story. Small- and midsize advertisers remain open to experimenting with RMNs.

This launch could revolutionize PayPal鈥檚 in-store ambitions鈥攁nd provide real competition for Apple Pay

But its megadeal with Worldpay and FIS will transform its business and expand its revenue opportunities

In Mexico, more than half of online shoppers noted that AI has enhanced their overall shopping experience, whether through personalized product recommendations or gift ideas, according to a September 2024 Dynata survey.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss how tariffs will impact private labels, if private label still a synonym for 鈥渁ffordable鈥�, and some unofficial awards for the 5 most interesting private label players. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Principal Analyst Sky Canaves and Analyst Arielle Feger.

Expanding to another major retailer like Wegmans is a huge opportunity for Instacart to push its tech mainstream, backed by sizable consumer interest: Only 9% of customers currently use smart carts in their grocery shopping, but 64% of shoppers would be eager to try it, according to the Progressive Grocer. For Wegmans, introducing Caper Carts could help boost volume.

This deck provides critical data to help retailers benchmark their own retail sales against the wider market.

In Q3, retailers struggled with shopping trends upended by extreme summer weather along with a threat of incoming tariffs. Here鈥檚 how they addressed these challenges in their Q3 earnings calls and what it could mean for the industry heading into 2025.

This will enable shoppers to order items like tennis balls and tomatoes in one basket and receive them within hours. A more seamless experience could help Amazon capture greater grocery share, especially as many consumers shop across multiple retailers.

US hospitals increase use of robots for surgical procedures: But healthcare marketers must do a better job educating the public on how robotic-assisted surgery works as more folks shop around for the best surgical care.

Rebalancing the assortment: In recent years, Kohl鈥檚 leaned into trend-driven items to attract new customers, alienating core shoppers. The company is now working to restore balance across its merchandise mix. For example, Kohl鈥檚 reintroduced fine jewelry last fall, rolling out 200 in-store jewelry shops. That move helped boost Q1 jewelry sales by 10%, signaling early traction.