蘑菇AV

Meta AI updates hint at future advertising: The company鈥檚 chatbot will store 鈥渕emories鈥� and pull from user data to personalize answers.

Department stores need a reboot after sales fell 1.6% last year: Retailers like Kohl鈥檚 are searching for a winning formula to revitalize the struggling department store model.

NextRoll, in partnership with Audigent, recently used Google's Protected Audience API (PAAPI) advertising tool to generate nearly 5 million impressions in a privacy-safe way. As third-party cookies disappear, this new use case shows that large scale reach is still possible.

Victoria鈥檚 Secret鈥檚 rebooted fashion show resonated with Gen Z: That, alongside the company鈥檚 efforts to expand and refresh its assortment, resulted in a solid holiday performance.

Quince raised $120 million in new funding: The retailer鈥檚 strategy of selling low-priced versions of high-end apparel and accessories is working.

Streaming video prices were up 12.6%, well above the 3.6% consumer price index (CPI) increase, per an 蘑菇AV analysis.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of the most interesting retailers for the month of January. Each month, our analysts Arielle Feger, Becky Schilling, and Sara Lebow (aka The Committee) put together a very unofficial list of the top eight retailers they're watching based on which are making the most interesting moves: Who's launching new initiatives? Which partnerships are moving the needle? Which standout marketing campaigns are being created? In this month's episode, Committee members Analyst Arielle Feger and Senior Analyst Sara Lebow will defend their list against Senior Analyst Zak Stambor and Analyst Rachel Wolff, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.

The explosive rise of dupe videos鈥攚here shoppers hunt for budget versions of luxury items鈥攊s reshaping how retailers compete for customers. With rising financial pressures, shoppers are increasingly turning to store brands and lower-priced alternatives that mimic higher-end products. This shift is not just a matter of necessity but has also evolved into a culture where consumers proudly share their budget-friendly finds.

The image generator鈥檚 open-source availability raises concerns about potential misuse for deepfakes and misinformation, especially in the absence of robust AI safety regulations in the US.

Enterprises struggle to integrate AI agents with their existing tools and solutions, with 80% of IT leaders citing data integration as the key challenge.

Brazil鈥檚 ad market grew nearly twice as fast as the US last year: Advertisers seek expansion in high-growth LATAM region.

A series of major milestones are on tap for total media and digital media ad spending around the world in 2025, although growth will be uneven across countries and regions.

Affordable AI is a game-changer for marketers, but DeepSeek鈥檚 data privacy practices may scare off companies wary of Chinese server storage and security gaps.

Microsoft, Oracle, and billionaire investors are vying for a TikTok buyout, with ByteDance keeping a stake. The deal could reshape TikTok鈥檚 data security and advertising model.

As consumers get bored of brands鈥�72% said that 鈥渧ery few really stand out as different,鈥� according to VML鈥檚 2025 Future 100 report鈥攎arketers are turning to creative campaigns to attract attention.

Spotify and UMG expand their partnership: Companies offer new subscription tiers, premium content bundles, and artist-first royalty reforms.

Grocery is the second-largest ecommerce category we track, garnering $220.48 billion in 2025, according to our 鈥淯S Digital Grocery Forecast 2025鈥� report. Walmart is the top digital grocery retailer, capturing 31.6% of US grocery ecommerce sales in 2025, followed by Amazon (22.6%) and Kroger (8.6%).

Meta brings ads to Threads: The move marks a strategic push to monetize the app and offer an alternative to TikTok and X.

In December 2024, Google.com dominated generated AI (genAI) search with 16.5 billion visitors, while runner-up ChatGPT had just 517 million, according to Similarweb.

Younger banking customers care more than their older counterparts about banks鈥� diversity.

Working with Visa will bring the future P2P platform added trust and security鈥攁s well as real-time payment capabilities

The expanded partnership boosts merchant acceptance for both Fastlane and Pay with Venmo

LVMH beat analysts鈥� middling expectations in Q4: But the company鈥檚 1% growth suggests the luxury sector may take some time to bounce back.