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Tariffs will upend the status quo: Retailers need to brace themselves for a new era of protectionist trade policies that drive up costs and eat into consumers’ spending power.

PYUSD has struggled to gain significant adoption. The Trump admin could change that

This deviation from prior months’ trends may signify consumers are starting to pay off their debts and cut back spending

Amazon will begin selling its ad tech to third-party retailers: The new Amazon Retail Ad Service will give companies access to the retailer’s advanced targeting and sizable advertiser network.

JCPenney joins forces with Aeropostale’s owner to form Catalyst Brands: The new company aims to tap into its vast pool of customer data to cross-sell across its portfolio.

Meta’s healthcare ad changes go into effect: Healthcare advertisers will need to get creative and experiment with different approaches to effectively reach their target audiences in light of the changes.

Transcarent to acquire Accolade for $621M: The deal could lower costs for employer and health plan customers. It’s also an indicator that more digital health M&As will take place in 2025.

Ad-supported streaming grows: 66% of US viewers prefer affordability as Netflix and Amazon refine ad strategies with lighter loads and live content.

DirecTV and Dish challenge the Disney-Fubo merger: Legal fight over Venu Sports launch highlights antitrust concerns in sports streaming.

Disney will attract major attention at Upfronts: Ad-supported subscribers surpassed 157 million, giving it a leg up over the competition.

Logistics and the supply chain will take center stage this year: While a port strike may be off the table, rising costs and geopolitical tensions will force retailers to make hard choices.

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Over half of retailer executives say that they implemented a return fee to discourage customers from initiating returns, according to October 2024 data from Optoro. Thirty-nine percent of executives said they launched a fee to discourage excessive or abusive returns, while 20% said it is to make it difficult or discourage customers from returning products.

The National Retail Federation (NRF)’s Big Show is happening in New York City this weekend, and will offer an opportunity for retail media networks (RMNs) to pitch themselves to advertisers. Even though retail media is huge—exceeding $62 billion in US ad spend this year per our forecast, most of those ad dollars will go to the biggest RMNs. The remaining players are vying over the same $8.58 billion that isn't scooped up by Amazon, Walmart, or Target.

As of February 16, 2025, Google will sanction advertisers to use digital fingerprinting, a data collection technique that gathers information about a particular device, browser, or user.

There’s no replacement for TikTok, especially for small or up-and-coming creators who rely on TikTok to build an audience and start monetizing. However, creators strongly favor Instagram for audience growth.

Tech CEOs align with Trump, signaling support for deregulation and reduced scrutiny. Contributions and softened content moderation show efforts to foster smoother government relations and spur investments.

The technology will improve banks’ customer service and help them deliver more personalized interactions.

Marks & Spencer, Tesco flag challenges as UK economy weakens: Confidence is slumping due to concerns over tax hikes and sluggish consumer demand.