The news: As opportunities for AI-powered ads grow, consumers remain hesitant and can even be turned off by a brand using the technology. Just 12% of US adults would be more likely to buy a product from a brand if they knew it used AI in its advertising, per CivicScience. Less than a quarter (22%) positively view brands that use AI-powered advertising, compared with 37% who view them negatively. Our take: Transparency and careful application of AI are key to avoid alienating users and build trust with consumers. Brands should introduce AI slowly by starting with prototyping ideas and generating backgrounds before diving into full-scale AI ad creation.
Over half of worldwide consumers (51%) want AI to improve their experience by helping them find products faster, according to February data from Twilio.
Last November, our analysts made some predictions about how the retail category would fare in 2025. Now that we’re halfway through the year, it’s time to check back in on what has (or hasn’t) happened. "We're seeing many of our predicted trends playing out, though not always in the ways we anticipated," said our analyst Suzy Davidkhanian on a recent episode of the "Behind the Numbers" podcast. "The retail landscape is evolving rapidly, with some developments accelerating faster than expected while others face unexpected headwinds."
AI is poised to transform everything in marketing from ad creation to targeting and even the future role of agencies in the advertising ecosystem.
Criteo is modernizing retail media by launching a global auction-based ad platform and integrating with Mirakl to enable self-serve advertising for over 100,000 third-party sellers. This dual move addresses two persistent challenges: outdated fixed-price ad systems used by most retailers, and untapped ad spend from marketplace sellers. The auction system gives advertisers more control and performance insights, while Mirakl opens up a scalable, automated path for small sellers. Criteo also brings standardized attribution and reporting across retail partners—fixing transparency gaps. These changes position Criteo as a full-spectrum solution for brands, retailers, and sellers looking to compete in a fast-evolving market.
Holiday shoppers in 2025 aren’t cutting back—they’re prioritizing. According to new research from Inmar Intelligence, 82% of shoppers plan to cut back on everyday essentials to make room for gifts and experiences.
The news: More than half (55.3%) of Gen Zers use advanced budgeting tools—a greater share than any other generation, per a PYMNTS Intelligence report. Our take: Payment providers, issuers, and banks can embed more advanced tools within their apps to reach Gen Zers actively seeking sophisticated ways to plot out their spending and saving habits.
The news: American Express’s net revenues grew 9% YoY in Q2 2025, per its earnings release. Our take: Amex’s expansion into international markets and bet on its Gen Z and millennial cardholders’ interest in exclusive, experiential rewards has been a winning combination. But there may be early signs that Amex’s strategy is reaching its limits as consumers grapple with financial anxieties.
The news: Despite global cuts in ad budgets, several companies are diving head-first into their own ad offerings to diversify revenues. HP is reportedly pitching HP Media Network, an ad network highlighting laptop and desktop ads. The move includes ads on HP computers and apps, offsite ads, placements in social and email campaigns, and a free ad-supported TV service. Our take: Introducing ad offerings isn’t necessarily a lost cause—but knowing how to position new ad products is key to succeeding in a time when advertisers are increasingly hesitant to invest without measurable results.
The news: Lloyds has launched an internal genAI -powered knowledge hub, Athena, to help customer-facing employees sift through banking and customer information faster—empowering more personalized and helpful experiences, per PYMNTS. Our take: We’ve recommended that banks focus on implementing genAI-powered solutions that free up their employees’ time so they can manage the human-centric, complex tasks for which customers turn to them. Athena does this and also has the potential to supercharge the human-centricity in customer service by empowering employees with more relevant information. The customer experience is one of the biggest drivers of customer attrition, and Athena represents a strategic step for Lloyds to enhance efficiency while preserving, and potentially elevating, the personalized and empathetic service that fosters customer loyalty and reduces churn.
The news: Walmart’s $2.3 billion Vizio acquisition may have only closed last December, but the retailer is already unlocking outsize value from the deal. Our take: Walmart is squeezing every drop of value from its Vizio deal by fusing hardware, software, data, and retail media into a self-reinforcing flywheel. Making Vizio a Walmart-exclusive private label gives the retailer tighter control over pricing and distribution, while Vizio’s OS and shoppable-TV features unlock new streams of nonendemic ad revenues. By combining its in-house ad network with ONN TVs powered by Vizio software, Walmart is positioning itself to own the entire living-room stack—from screen to checkout. The result is a powerful closed-loop media system that can rival Amazon’s Fire TV ecosystem. The retailer’s timing couldn’t be better: We expect retail media CTV ad spending to surge 47.4% this year to $4.84 billion, and to more than double to $10.72 billion by 2029.
The news: Reddit’s ad business is on a path of steady growth, with ad revenues expected to reach $1.8 billion this year and grow 29% to reach $2.5 billion in 2026, per a new WARC forecast. Brand participation on Reddit shows promising results: One organic brand post per week increases positive mentions by 3.5%. Our take: Though Reddit’s massive growth is partially attributed to its smaller reach, its ability to reach users that aren’t frequenting more popular platforms warrants investment, and a diversified approach combining Reddit’s unique community-driven base with larger platforms’ massive reach is key.
The news: President Donald Trump signed the Guiding and Establishing National Innovation for US Stablecoins Act, known by its shorthand as the GENIUS Act, during a White House ceremony on Friday. Our take: The GENIUS Act ushers in the clarity and legitimacy sought after by crypto players and traditional FIs alike.
The news: We recently covered JPMorgan’s decision to charge fintechs for access to customer data. Fintechs aren’t taking this lightly and don’t appear to be accepting of their fate. Our take: The current situation sets the stage for a battle of the lobbies. With the CFPB unlikely to reinstate stronger open banking regulations for now, fintechs may pivot to launching public education campaigns about how they believe this affects banking customers. This could be a strategic move to rally consumer support and advocate for their perspective on data access and financial choice in the interim. Meanwhile, more banks are likely to follow in JPMorgan’s footsteps—and PNC has already announced it’s considering a similar move, per Bank Automation News.
The news: Consumers in Canada under 40 switched financial institutions at twice the rate of older consumers over the past four years, per a J.D. Power survey. Meanwhile, the number who use digital-only banks jumped from 11% to 21% between 2022 and 2025, according to a study by Oliver Wyman LLC. Our take: We have covered how more than half of consumers in Canada would leave their current bank over poor experiences. All of these findings together show that no bank is safe in assuming customers will stay with them if they aren’t getting the best experience, the lowest fees, the best rates, etc. To stem this outflow and retain younger generations, Canada's Big Six banks must invest in competitive, digitally forward offerings that eliminate punitive fees, provide better rates, and deliver personalized financial guidance beyond traditional services.
Target will no longer match prices at Amazon and Walmart, a move it claims will simplify its pricing policy, per a Bloomberg report. Strategically, this is another move that could backfire for Target, which is already having a hard time getting shoppers to its stores. It could widen the gulf that is emerging between the retailer and its mass-merchant rivals, who are increasingly using Target’s own tactics against it.
Shiseido is planning a “wide-ranging and significant reduction” to its Americas workforce, according to an internal memo first reported by Instagram account Estée Laundry. That marks the latest in a string of beauty layoffs, with both Estée Lauder and Coty announcing headcount reductions earlier this year. While some of Shiseido’s problems stem from its misjudged acquisition strategy, its downsizing also speaks to the difficult beauty environment. We expect cosmetics and beauty sales to rise 2.4% this year, less than half of 2024’s growth rate—and a far cry from the 11.2% increase in 2023.
The trend: People who actively use patient portals are less likely to skip an upcoming doctor’s appointment than those without portal accounts, according to recent research from Epic that analyzed 1.6 billion visits in 2024. Our take: Engaging with a patient portal is important, but it isn’t a major needle mover for appointment no-shows. Strategies such as helping coordinate transportation, sending text and email alerts, and communicating no-show fees could play a bigger role in eliminating costly no-shows.
The news: Abbott and Johnson & Johnson reported lower-than-expected costs from tariffs during Q2 earnings this week. Our take: It seemed like medical device companies would be the hardest hit by tariffs initially. So the positive spin from Abbott and J&J is encouraging. But tariffs are still costly. While device and diagnostic companies talk broadly about plans to mitigate tariff effects, raising prices for healthcare systems and consumers isn’t off the table.
The news: An FDA panel endorsed the removal of black box warnings on hormone therapies used for menopause. For context: Black box warnings are the strongest safety warning issued by the FDA for Rx drugs and highlight serious or life-threatening risks. Our take: Removing the black box warning could encourage pharma brands to not only develop more treatments but also market hormone therapy more. While personal risks and benefits still need to be weighed with a doctor, the change may result in more women on treatment.