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HBO's hit show 鈥淭he White Lotus,鈥� is extending its off-screen influence with a series of retail partnerships. Though the show revolves around miserable rich people on vacation, it keeps viewers engaged with fashion, scenery, and unattainable luxury. Brands including Banana Republic, H&M, and Kiehl鈥檚 have seized the opportunity.

Despite its recent promise to spend $500 million on US infrastructure and jobs, Apple didn鈥檛 get iPhone tariff exemptions like it did under Trump鈥檚 first term. Apple may stop offering products and services in certain regions or raise prices, further dampening iPhone 16 sales.

Flashy new features meet AAA games, yet battery life shrinks and OLED gets ditched. Is this really a next-gen move?

How can retailers in grocery, the second-largest ecommerce category, optimize their online business to succeed?

In the US, social commerce will have a 6.0% share of total retail ecommerce in 2024, while in China, it will have a 29.3% share. UK social buyers make four social commerce purchases a month鈥攚hich is below the average in the US (five purchases a month) and in Hong Kong (seven purchases a month), per a January 2024 survey by Adyen. But social selling is gaining momentum.

The news: PayPal is rolling out PayPal Ads in the UK a year after launching the solution in the US, per a press release. PayPal Ads will launch in phases, with ads first visible to customers in July. The solution will allow merchants and brands to offer personalized ads to relevant PayPal customers based on the payment player鈥檚 shopping intent and transaction data.

Amazon wants to be where all ecommerce journeys begin: The company is testing an agentic AI-powered feature that helps shoppers buy select products directly from other brands鈥� websites.

While ABC, CBS, and NBC News remain the top news sources for US adults (19%, per Ipsos and Axios), younger audiences favor social platforms鈥�64% of adults aged 18 to 34 use it regularly for news, compared to just 26% of those 55 and older.

The service will roll out nationwide in the US beginning in May, when its exclusivity agreement with Uber ends, and will debut in Canada later this year. The opportunity: The deal is part of Domino鈥檚 strategy to boost sales from aggregator channels to $1 billion by 2026.

LEGO鈥檚 website is by far the most visited toy retail website among US consumers, with 5.89 million unique visitors in August 2024, according to data from Comscore Inc.

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Thirty-seven percent of US top executives see AI agents playing a central or complementary role in their businesses this year (see chart). By offloading repetitive data tasks to agents, marketers can redirect energy toward strategic planning, creative development, and revenue-driving decisions. Go further: Read our US Commerce Media Forecast 2025.

Rivian and Tesla see demand weaken in Q1: The two companies are struggling amid growing competition as more consumers opt for cheaper hybrid and gas-powered models in an uncertain economic and political climate.

Adjusted for inflation, consumer spending rose just 0.1% MoM in February after declining by 0.6% MoM in January, per the US Commerce Department. February marked the first time in over three years that US consumers reduced spending on services, with expenditures on food services and accommodations falling by 15% MoM鈥攁lthough some of the contraction was likely weather-related.

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.

At the same time, Dutch Bros is branching out beyond physical retail, partnering with Trilliant Food & Nutrition鈥攁 manufacturer of single-serve and ready-to-drink coffee鈥攖o launch a line of packaged coffee and related products.

Why it matters: GenAI is a small but fast-growing source of retailer traffic: While it pales in comparison to channels like paid search or email, visits to retail websites from genAI sources have doubled every two months since September 2024, per an Adobe analysis. GenAI traffic to retail sites shot up by 1,200% in February compared with July 2024, building on momentum from the holiday season.

Go further: Read our FAQ: How Trump Tariffs on Latin American Imports Will Affect US Brands.