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Earlier this month, Amazon announced that Prime Day will run June 23 through June 26, marking the second year in a row that the company has expanded the event beyond its traditional two-day format. The sale arrives after a turbulent spring for many merchants, who grappled with a series of Amazon policy changes, new fees and concerns about cash flow. But unlike last year, when tariff uncertainty dominated conversations among sellers, many brands say they now have a clearer picture of their costs heading into one of Amazon’s biggest shopping events. “People are excited for Prime Day, and people are less pessimistic about Prime Day summer than they were last year,” said Adam Wilkens, founder of Amazon consultancy Dotcom Reps, which advises around 30 merchants. Wilkens said Prime Day is “widely anticipated” among many sellers. Last year, he said, “There was a reluctance or uncertainty around tariffs that is no longer an uncertainty.”

Aventura Mall, a luxury center near Sunny Isle Beach, halfway between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, has retained its title as the best mall in the United States by USA Today’s 10Best Reader’s Choice Awards. "Being named once again as the Best Mall in America is an incredible honor and a testament to the experiences created every day for our guests, tenants, and community," said Jackie Soffer, the CEO of Turnberry, Aventura Mall’s developer. The up-market retail destination’s tenant list is highlighted by a long line of luxury brands that include Prada, Dior, Hermès, Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Cartier.

For most marketing teams, the promise of AI for marketing teams has largely delivered. Content that used to take days now takes hours, teams that used to bottleneck on design are shipping independently, and the volume question has largely been answered: how do we produce enough, fast enough, across enough channels? But spend any time talking to CMOs right now and a different question keeps surfacing. Not “are we using AI"? Almost everyone is. And that’s compounding the problem. It’s “how do we make sure everything is still on brand?” Keeping content on-brand at that speed and scale turns out to be a harder problem to solve than anyone anticipated.

On June 16, Lionel Messi will appear at Kansas City’s Arrowhead Stadium to begin his sixth and potentially final World Cup campaign. Four years ago, the living soccer legend led Argentina to victory at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Now, Argentina will play its opening game in the 2026 North America-based edition of the international soccer tournament against Algeria, with the 38-year-old Messi still the undisputed star of the South American squad.  Messi will also be appearing at a Kansas Ulta Beauty store — sort of. On Friday, the soccer star’s namesake fragrance brand will host a giveaway for the launch of the Messi Elixir fragrance, where select attendees will be able to snag Messi fragrance swag and sign up for a chance to win a signed Messi jersey.   Four years after Qatar, that now includes grooming brands looking to use the power of soccer to reach the evolving male beauty consumer base.   “The World Cup is like 50 Super Bowls all in one, over the course of a month,” said Steven Koss, president and CEO of Sheralven.   Getting in on the excitement is Unilever. The personal care and beauty giant will be the official personal care sponsor of the men’s edition of the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 2026. Its brands, including Dr. Squatch and Dove, will launch limited-edition products and marketing campaigns around the tournament.

In many ways, Father’s Day -- always a bit of a retail afterthought, compared to mom's day -- will look the same as it always does this year. The National Retail Federation reports about 77% of the consumers it surveyed intend to celebrate Dad in some way, in line with previous years. And while it expects spending to hit a record $27.9 billion, that’s likely due to inflation rather than devotion. For context, the NRF forecast $38 billion on Mother's Day this year, nearly $10 billion more than Dad's record haul. But the research did detect some shifts, with more people looking to give a gift like a wearable tech item or shaving-related products. While nearly every gift category is seeing an increase in planned spending this year, electronics and personal-care items have the largest gains.

Kohl’s is courting shoppers seeking discounts for dorm room essentials, school supplies and summer wardrobe upgrades. The department store moved its summer sale to June. Last year, its four-day Summer Cyber Deals event launched in July — one day prior to Amazon’s Prime Day. Meanwhile, other major retailers this year are also rolling out their summer sales earlier. Amazon recently announced its Prime Day sale will take place between June 23 and June 26. Following that change, Walmart and Target each announced summer sales on or around those same dates.

Amazon is expanding its third-party logistics presence and potential to compete with UPS and FedEx. The online giant is extending the availability of its U.S. less-than-truckload (LTL) freight beyond its current inbound-to-Amazon offering to any type of destination. This includes third-party warehouses, distribution centers, and retail partners. The new expanded LTL service is part of the suite of offerings from Amazon Supply Chain Services (ASCS), a third-party logistics platform the company launched in May 2026.

Marketers just can’t seem to escape the tyranny of performance marketing metrics. Gartner has just released a survey of more than 400 senior marketing execs and finds that 84% say the companies they work for are trapped in that familiar cycle known as the “brand doom loop.” It’s because companies underinvest in brand measurement and lack confidence in the results. Unsurprisingly, it then becomes harder for them to make the case for sustained brand marketing budgets, let alone increases, to increasingly skeptical CEOs and CFOs. That’s contributed to brand marketing being viewed as an expense that drains capital, rather than an investment that increases revenue.

The athletic apparel giants are both at a crossroads, and their campaign centerpieces play up soccer bona fides alongside the sport’s stars and other pop culture icons. On the list of the greatest rivalries in soccer that could play out at the World Cup, there are Argentina versus Brazil, England versus Germany, United States versus Mexico… and Nike versus Adidas.  The athletic apparel brands have both rolled out star-studded, cinematic videos ahead of the tournament, as well as collaborations and activations that speak in a deeper way to these brands’ identities, marketing methods and financial goals. And while both campaigns speak to the joy and freedom of play on the pitch, they demonstrate how each brand plays differently in marketing. The month-long tournament and the brands’ campaigns around it, arrive as the companies themselves continue on separate trajectories: Adidas’ record growth and Nike’s lagging turnaround. While Adidas notched another quarter of growth in Q1, with revenue up 7%, Nike’s revenues were flat year over year.  Each company hopes its World Cup marketing pays dividends both now and in the future.

Consumers continue to show their resilience as retail sales rose for the eighth consecutive month in May despite high gas prices and ongoing inflation. Total retail sales (including restaurants, but excluding automobile dealers and gasoline stations) increased 0.42% month over month and were up 7.19% year over year in May, according to the CNBC/NRF Retail Monitor released by the National Retail Federation. That compared with increases of 0.34% month over month and 5.73% year over year in April.

From major splashy ad rollouts by Nike and Adidas to sponsorships by Anheuser-Busch and Coca-Cola, there is no shortage of brand collaborations for this summer’s FIFA World Cup. But not all brands will pour millions of dollars into official sponsorships. Some smaller U.S. startups, like Crumbl Cookies and Olipop, are getting into the spirit of the World Cup with watch parties, soccer-themed products and more, taking advantage of their proximity to matches to get in on what will perhaps be the biggest cultural moment of the year. With millions of tourists descending on North America in the coming month, brand executives feel like they have to find a way into this moment. According to a new Bank of America Global Research report, the 2026 World Cup is set to be the biggest to date, with 75% of the world set to engage with the event in some way. “Sectors best positioned to benefit from the World Cup include beverages, sportswear, restaurants, broadcasting, social media and online betting,” the report said.

Last summer, a record-low 58% of U.S. adults said they were “extremely” or “very” proud to be an American, per a Gallup poll. That figure was down nine points from the previous year, and down nearly 30 points from when the firm first polled Americans about their pride in January 2001. While Gallup has yet to reveal this year’s findings, 2026 so far has delivered month after month of political polarization and economic strain, which has taken a toll on consumers. But even as the culture wars that have ensnared brands like Bud Light and Target continue — this time with a red, white and blue facade —  there is still value in being associated with America. For example, Brand Keys’ 25th annual index of patriotic brands includes a top 10 featuring institutions like Coca-Cola, Ford, Disney, Amazon and Walmart — companies with big marketing footprints and bigger market values. “As we gear up for the 250th party, more brands are viewed through a political lens — and authentic patriotism is more important than ever,” Robert Passikoff, president of research firm Brand Keys, said in a press release.

500-member dedicated sales force targeting numerous sectors The nation’s largest less-than-truckload carrier, FedEx Freight, began trading last Monday on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol FDXF. The spinoff from parent FedEx Corp. allows the carrier to approach the market with a narrowed commercial focus. The transaction is also expected to unlock shareholder value at both companies. FedEx Freight now has over 500 dedicated LTL sales reps and is currently targeting small- and midsize shipper accounts, which typically generate higher margins. It is also targeting the healthcare, grocery and energy (data centers) verticals.

Walmart is celebrating a major milestone: more than one million drone deliveries completed to hundreds of thousands of customers. What started as a pilot just a few years ago has officially taken off, giving customers a faster, easier way to get the everyday items they need, right when they need them. Forgot the family favorite topping for pizza night? Running out of printer ink before a school project is due? Need cold medicine fast? That’s exactly the kind of everyday “uh-oh” moment Walmart drone delivery was built for. And we’ll continue to over the next one million and beyond – the sky really is the limit! The one millionth delivery comes as Walmart continues to rapidly expand drone capabilities across 66 stores in four states serving five metro markets. Since launch we’ve seen customers evolve from trying it to experience the novelty of the service for items like bananas or snack food, to now turning to it frequently to get items delivered really fast, when they need them most.

Retailers and restaurants alike made headlines in May with store expansion plans and new formats. Here are the major stories as reported by Chain Store Age, starting with the most recent. Burlington in 14th straight quarter of double-digit EPS growth; to open 115 stores.- Tim Hortons to open 80 new Canadian locations in 2026; renovate hundreds more .- Canada's T&T Supermarket to make California debut.- Digital-first furniture brand Article to open first U.S. stores.- Chicken Salad Chick in ‘landmark’ deal to expand in New York.- Whole Foods to expand smaller-store Daily Shop format.- Aritzia focused on U.S. store expansion in 2026.- Target in biggest store remodel program in a decade.- Dick's continues House of Sport expansion.

Months after breaking ties with Under Armour, Steph Curry has found a new home at Li-Ning. The athlete signed a long-term deal with the Chinese sportswear company that will focus on co-creation across multiple categories, according to a Monday press release. Li-Ning, founded by Olympic gymnast Li Ning in 1990, will work with the NBA star to advance the Curry Brand in basketball and golf. The pair plan to expand Curry’s eponymous brand into “broader consumer lifestyle sport categories” over time. “When I think about the future of Curry Brand, I think about building something that lasts, something that continues to push the game forward and creates real impact for athletes around the world,” Curry said in a statement, highlighting the quality and innovation of Li-Ning’s products. “For Curry Brand, this is about growing the right way, with a partner that understands the standard we’re trying to set and the good we want to do.” Under Armour cut ties with Curry in November after working with the basketball star for more than a decade. The activewear brand released its last Curry-branded shoe in February.

The retail landscape is shifting fast, and one trend is cutting across every category, price point, and demographic: the rise of the value‑seeking consumer. For catalog brands, this shift isn’t a threat rather it’s an opening. Print has always been a channel where value can be shown, felt, and proven through storytelling, curation, and clarity. But the definition of value is expanding, and catalogers who adapt will be the ones who stay indispensable. Read the full article from our friends at Dingley in the link below. According to Deloitte’s 2026 retail outlook, nearly seven in 10 Americans are now engaging in deal‑seeking behaviors, from switching to more affordable retailers to redeeming loyalty points more aggressively. Retail executives overwhelmingly believe this is not a temporary reaction to inflation but a structural, long‑term change in how people shop.

Soccer may not be the most popular sport in the United States, but the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup is expected to drive significant retail spending. New data from Numerator shows that 32% of U.S. consumers (89 million adults) plan to watch the global soccer tournament between June 11 and July 19 (+6 points vs. January 2026). An additional 17% are considering tuning in. Of those who plan to watch the World Cup, 89% expect to make a purchase related to watching the matches, with the top planned purchases being snacks/chips/dips (51%), alcoholic beverages (38%), prepared foods/appetizers (35%), sweets/desserts (31%) and frozen foods/appetizers (25%). Most intended shoppers (78%) will spend less than $100 on their World Cup-related items, with an expected average spend of roughly $74 per shopper.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) released the 66th Annual Paper Industry Capacity and Fiber Consumption Survey. The report provides detailed data on U.S. paper industry capacity and production compiled by the AF&PA statistics team. Though U.S. paper and paperboard production declined 3.7% in 2025, to 66.3 million tons, several sectors showed continued resilience. Containerboard operating rates held firm at 91.9%, while printing-writing operating rates improved to 82.8%, reflecting continued capacity adaptation to demand changes. Packaging paper production increased 1.7%, boxboard production was essentially flat at 12.4 million tons Printing-writing capacity fell 13.9% in 2025 to 7.7 million tons. Capacity has fallen from nearly 18 million tons in 2015, reflecting a long-term adjustment in this segment. However, operating rates for Printing-Writing increased from 76.8% in 2024 to 82.8% in 2025. Containerboard production fell 4.4% to 36.1 million tons, and containerboard capacity declined 5.1% in 2025. Despite that reduction, containerboard continued to account for more than half of total U.S. paper and paperboard capacity, and mills maintained a 91.9% operating rate.

Ad spending for 2026 midterm political season is already trending 47% higher to $3.9 billion through May 29 versus the same time period in 2022, according to AdImpact. For the 2022 midterms, spending amounted to $2.65 billion through the same day, and totaled $9.0 billion by November. Earlier projections estimated that $10.8 billion would be spent for the entire 2026 political election period -- with $5.3 billion going to broadcast TV and $2.5 billion to connected TV. Roughly 70% of overall political ad spend goes to TV (national/local) and streaming/CTV.

The USPS has proposed another postage increase set to take effect in July 2026, and for many marketers, the first reaction is predictable: “Should we mail less?” That’s the wrong question. The better question is: “How do we make our mail work harder?” Because despite rising postage costs, direct mail continues to outperform many digital channels in response, recall, engagement, and trust. The marketers seeing the best results today are not abandoning mail. They are becoming more strategic with it. Poor strategy costs more than postage ever will. I’ve seen campaigns with mediocre targeting, weak creative, and generic offers waste thousands of dollars while highly targeted, well designed mailings generate exceptional ROI, even at higher postage rates. When direct mail is done correctly, it still commands attention in ways digital advertising often cannot. Consumers are overwhelmed online. Physical mail still has the ability to slow people down, create interaction, and build trust. That matters.

Ulta, a perennial sparkler in the often-flat retail world, reports earnings next week. With a 36.4% market share and 46 million loyalty members, trends in its quarterly financials tend to say as much about the national spending mood as they do about the latest lip gloss. The backdrop looks reasonably healthy. Circana finds the beauty sector growing steadily, with prestige sales rising 6% to $8.1 billion in the first quarter, and mass retail climbing 7% to $18.1 billion. Notably, it's the first time in five years both segments have grown at nearly the same rate. And in both cases, growth was largely value-driven, reflecting a mix of premiumization and careful spending. Fragrance was among the strongest performers, with double-digit gains in women's fragrances at mass and continued momentum in prestige minis — a format that captures both the trade-up and trial-driven shopper. Skincare remained a steady engine, with clinical brands capturing over a third of prestige dollar sales. Makeup was the softest spot.