The state of retail returns

The U.S. Ad Market Tracker rose 2.5% in May -- the first expansion in 11 months. The expansion compares with the year-ago period that was only up modestly and is the best May since Standard Media Index began tracking it. The growth is the first material sign that the U.S. ad marketplace is pulling out of a recession that began in July 2022, based on the SMI data, which is derived from a pool of actual ad spending processed by the major agency holding companies and independent media services agencies.

Google has reversed a decision on its more than five-year plan to phase out third-party cookies. The company announced Tuesday that it will keep third-party cookies in their current form and will not roll out a stand-alone "user-choice" button in Privacy Sandbox that would have allowed users to opt out of being tracked by advertisers. After careful consideration and testing, Google will keep its current approach to offer users third-party cookie choice in Chrome, and will not roll out a new stand-alone prompt for third-party cookies, Anthony Chavez, vice president of Privacy Sandbox at Google, wrote in a blog post. "Users can continue to choose the best option for themselves in Chrome’s Privacy and Security Settings," Chavez wrote.

While many consumers are attempting to curb spending amid stressful financial times, retail therapy is the answer for some — with the habit fueled by buy now, pay later options. Nearly half (47%) of consumers engage in retail therapy to improve their mood, with the most common purchases being food (63%), clothing and accessories (54%), and personal care or beauty products (42%), according to a new survey from LendingTree, Overall, 54% of Americans consider retail therapy a form of "self care." More than six-in-10 (63%) Americans admit that their emotions influence their purchases, with the percentage particularly high among six-figure earners (72%), those with children younger than 18 (70%) and Gen Z respondents ages 18 to 28 (69%).