Retail executives are concerned about supply chain shocks, inventory management and frontline worker morale ahead of the holiday shopping season. Seven in 10 (70%) of U.S. retail executives are worried that potential supply chain shocks could impact their ability to deliver against their holiday trading plan, according to Accenture’s U.S. Retail Executive Survey. All executive respondents were U.S. based and worked at VP level or above for retail companies with annual turnover more than $500 million. The same number (70%) of executives are worried about delivering online orders on time. And almost 64% are worried they won’t have enough stock this holiday season.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) released the September 2025 Printing-Writing Monthly report. According to the report, total printing-writing paper shipments decreased 9% in September compared to September 2024. Total printing-writing paper inventory levels decreased 6% when compared to August 2025. Total year-to-date (YTD) printing-writing paper shipments decreased by 6.8%. Among the three major printing-writing paper categories — uncoated free sheet (UFS), coated free sheet (CFS), and mechanical (MECH) papers — performance was mixed: with UFS shipments declining 9% YTD, CFS declining 3%, and Mechanical (MECH) papers increasing 2%, albeit from a relatively small base volume.

In under two months, discount retailer Ross Stores has opened 40 new stores.  The company launched 36 Ross Dress for Less and four DD’s Discounts stores in 17 states in September and October. The openings complete the retailer’s growth plans for fiscal 2025, adding a total of 90 stores in the time period, according to a company press release. The brick-and-mortar expansion brought additional Ross Dress for Less locations to the Midwest and Northeast, with new stores in Michigan, New Jersey and New York, according to Richard Lietz, executive vice president of property development. DD’s expanded its footprint in the company’s core markets of California and Texas.  In its latest quarter, total sales increased 5% year over year to $5.5 billion, while comparable store sales increased 2%. Net income dropped 3.6% in Q2 to nearly $508 million.

Consumers plan to spend $890.49 per person on average this year on holiday gifts, food, decorations and other seasonal items. That’s according to the National Retail Federation’s annual consumer survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. The amount is the second-highest in the survey’s 23-year history and is 1.3% less than last year’s record of $901.99. The increase comes as 85% of consumers are expecting higher prices because of tariffs.

Ahead of an expected global conversion to more advanced barcodes in the next couple years, Amazon is collaborating with additional packaging partners to highlight the benefits of serialization. Wisconsin-based Menasha Packaging announced its partnership on anti-counterfeiting program Amazon Transparency in September, and company leaders shared more at Pack Expo in Las Vegas. Amazon Transparency dates back to 2017. For participating single products or multipacks, Amazon assigns unique 2D alphanumeric codes to each unit sold as a way to combat counterfeits. Other benefits for sellers may include getting a higher listing on Amazon, bumping down unauthenticated products. This can be especially useful to emerging brands working to build credibility, Menasha noted.

Nike is renaming its world headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. in honor of its co-founder and first employee Phil Knight. Now known as the Philip H. Knight Campus (PHK), the company said Tuesday that the renamed 400-acre property will serve as a tribute to Knight’s ongoing legacy, as well as a permanent reminder of the founder’s mentality that Nike employees are encouraged to bring to work every day. Beyond a dedication, the new name “represents a living expression of Nike’s roots and a powerful reflection of Knight’s enduring spirit: restless, bold and forever believing in what’s possible,” the Swoosh said in a statement. The first stage of the campus, dedicated in October 1990, united Nike employees – who previously had been scattered across a couple dozen buildings throughout Portland, Oregon – into six buildings that took the names of elite athletes, including Joan Benoit Samuelson, Michael Jordan, John McEnroe, Steve Prefontaine and Mike Schmidt. Nike’s explosive growth in the 1990s, and the hiring spike that ensued, prompted an expansion that roughly doubled the size of the campus, with new buildings named after Nike athletes such as Ken Griffey Jr., Mia Hamm, Jerry Rice and Pete Sampras.

July was a rough month for trade publishers that report their sales to the AAP’s StatShot program. Sales of adult trade titles dropped 13.6% in July compared to a year…

The PepsiCo brand embraces transparency with no artificial ingredients, new colors, and storytelling that starts with the humble farm-grown potato. PepsiCo announced the most significant brand redesign to Lay's potato chips in the brand's history, preparing it for its “next chapter.” Messaging focuses on “honoring” its farm-grown potatoes, natural ingredients, and the consumer appeal that made it the world’s top potato chip brand. Funny thing about that appeal, though: PepsiCo says 42% of “people who enjoy Lay’s don’t realize they’re made with real, farm-grown potatoes.” After refocusing on its roots, the company went to the branding mountaintop and came up with two underlying pillars that led to the visual cues now rolling out:

A growing consumer income divide is on Corie Barry’s mind, the executive told an audience at the Fortune Most Powerful Women summit. There’s a dispersion between higher and lower income shoppers in the U.S., one that Best Buy CEO Corie Barry called out during a Tuesday panel at the Fortune Most Powerful Women summit in Washington, D.C. “That is probably what keeps me up at night most,” Barry told the audience. “That reliance on the high-income consumer, while it makes it feel like there is resiliency in the overall market, that’s an issue because your low-income consumers are really struggling.” While consumer resilience remains a complex topic, retailers are also trying to remain resilient in the face of ever-evolving tariff policies — an obstacle particularly impactful to electronics retailers such as Best Buy.

Smurfit Westrock has been included on TIME Magazine’s World’s Best Companies 2025 list for the second year running. The company’s inclusion on the prestigious listing is based on strong scores across employee satisfaction, revenue growth and all three dimensions of ESG. Climbing over 400 places from last year’s list, Smurfit Westrock believes the achievement reflects its industry leadership and deep-rooted commitment to sustainability and its people. Highlights from the company’s latest Sustainability Report include the creation of a fully recyclable bed for the Paris Olympics and $2 billion of Green Bonds issued. “This recognition from TIME is testament to our performance-led culture and the talent and skill of our people. I am immensely proud of what we have achieved so far. As one of the world’s leading providers of sustainable packaging, we are committed to doing the right thing by all our stakeholders,” said Tony Smurfit, President and CEO of Smurfit Westrock.

The federal government shutdown that started Oct. 1 is just the latest in a host of challenges, along with tariffs, inflation and signs of economic weakness, that are bedeviling businesses as 2025 winds down. This makes smaller retailers — which lack the financial buffer most big chains have — especially vulnerable as the holidays approach. “Everyone loves shouting about shopping small or local, especially during the holiday season, but this year, small businesses are heading into their busiest period with a level of uncertainty they haven’t faced before,” said Jacob Bennett, co-founder and CEO of Crux Analytics, which works with small businesses and their banks. Summer ended sluggishly for the sector, according to the Fiserv Small Business Index for September, which leverages transaction data from more than 2 million U.S. small businesses across the country: Adjusted for inflation, retail sales dropped 1.4% year over year. Foot traffic is solid, but average basket size is down, according to Mike Spriggs, head of consumer insights at Fiserv. “That tells us the American consumer is still engaged — just price-aware and promotion-sensitive,” Spriggs said by email. Then there is the shutdown, which disrupted the loan program at the Small Business Administration — both access to new loans and management of existing ones. Among other consequences, this could disrupt inventory management, which has already been roiled by tariffs.

An unexpected vinyl records revival is having a dramatic impact on the music industry. In 2020, vinyl LP record albums outsold CDs for the first time since the 1980s. LP sales reached 43.6 million units in 2024, driven largely by Gen Z’s interest in analog experiences, aesthetic appeal and artist support. With no end to the trend currently in sight, vinyl music sales are projected to grow through at least 2035. The question is, why? Why are vinyl records coming back and why now? Research from the Vinyl Alliance points to four key reasons for the growth in sales of LP record albums. A. Tactile and Visual Appeal B. Superior Sound Quality C. Collectability and Exclusivity D. Support for Artists The vinyl resurgence has created a growing need for custom vinyl packaging.

Adobe released its online shopping forecast for the 2025 holiday season, covering the period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, 2025. Based on Adobe Analytics data, the analysis provides the most comprehensive view into U.S. e-commerce by analyzing direct transactions online, covering over 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites, 100 million SKUs and 18 product categories. Adobe Analytics is part of Adobe Experience Cloud, relied upon by the majority of the top 100 internet retailers in the U.S.* to deliver, measure, and personalize shopping experiences online. 2025 holiday season to surpass $250 billion online Adobe expects U.S. online sales to hit $253.4 billion this holiday season (Nov. 1 to Dec. 31, 2025), which represents 5.3% growth year-over-year (YoY). A record 10 days will see consumers spend over $5 billion in a single day (up from 7 days last year). Cyber Week (the 5-day period including Thanksgiving, Black Friday and Cyber Monday) is expected to drive 17.2% of overall spend this season, at $43.7 billion (up 6.3% YoY).

Barnes & Noble is continuing its post-pandemic success as it continues to attract store visits while planning to grow its footprint. From January to August of this year, the bookstore giant saw visits increase notably compared to the year prior, according to a recent report from retailer foot traffic data firm Placer.ai. Year-over-year increases were the highest in January (15.5%), May (10.2%), April (9.8%) and March (9.4%). With the exception of February, visits per location also increased year over year each month. Placer.ai highlighted the fact that Barnes & Noble is not only planning to open new stores this year, but it has also made key acquisitions of smaller, independent bookstore chains. Barnes & Noble first acquired Colorado chain Tattered Cover in 2023, and acquired California-based Books Inc. just last month. Location analytics reveal meaningful differences in customer behavior at Barnes & Noble and Books Inc. At a Barnes & Noble in Redwood City, Calif., 65.1% of visitors stayed more than 15 minutes, compared to 57.2% at a Books Inc. just 5.5 miles away in Palo Alto. Placer.ai says that longer visits reflect the success of Barnes & Noble’s experiential approach – stores designed not just for quick purchases, but for browsing, discovery and lingering.

Pixelle announced it has reached an agreement to sell its Chillicothe mill to U.S. Paper Mill, LLC, an affiliate of U.S. Medical Glove Company (“USMGC”). The buyer has committed to continuing Chillicothe’s legacy of industrial manufacturing and adding significant jobs in the local community. Pixelle is continuing to provide impacted employees with a range of support resources, including career transition services, job placement assistance, and ongoing access to Pixelle’s Employee Assistance Program to help navigate any career transitions. Additionally, Pixelle is allocating the entire $5.5 million in net proceeds from the transaction to an account established for the benefit of local unions and impacted employees.

Fox Entertainment Studios and HarperCollins's new Avon A imprint have announced a two-way development deal that will allow Fox to adapt titles from the YA-adult crossover imprint for the screen, while giving Avon A access to Fox original stories. The announcement marks the first publishing-entertainment partnership of its kind for Fox and HarperCollins, both of which are controlled by Murdoch family–owned media conglomerates.

Today, we’re announcing a new $100 million USD commitment over the next four years to expand our partnership with GiveDirectly and help empower an additional 185,000 people living in extreme poverty. We’re also funding new research, and pilot variants, to further understand how we can maximize the impact of each dollar. We wanted to take the opportunity to share how we got here, what we’ve learned so far, and our approach for this next chapter. A little bit of context: since starting Canva, we’ve been guided by a ‘simple’ yet ambitious Two-Step Plan. Step One is to build one of the world’s most valuable companies. Step Two is to do the most good we can. With more than 30% of Canva’s value (shares) committed to doing good in the world, this vision has shaped everything we do, from the products we create to the kind of company we’ve strived to be.

The holidays bring higher foot traffic, longer hours, and more pressure on already strained frontline teams. But despite being the public face of retail brands, frontline employees are often the last to hear about critical updates, receive recognition, or get even basic communications from leadership.  This disconnect isn’t just an annoyance, but a strategic vulnerability for retail brands. I just went into a store and had the owner apologize for the slow service and add, “As I’m sure you know, we just can’t get help.” With turnover still stubbornly high and seasonal hiring well underway, companies need to reevaluate how they engage, motivate, and retain their frontline teams. Employee turnover in retail settings remains a costly and disruptive challenge. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the retail sector saw a 60.9% turnover rate in 2024, among the highest of any industry. This turnover has two major impacts. First, it requires constant onboarding and training of new staff, which reduces operational efficiency. Second, it erodes morale among long-term employees, making retention of this talent even more challenging. Even the owner of that store I mentioned looked ready to quit and go home!

1-800-Flowers named Melanie Babcock its first chief marketing and growth officer, continuing the gifting company’s daunting transformation under new chief executive Adolfo Villagomez. Babcock will lead marketing, brand positioning, customer acquisition and retention, and growth initiatives, reporting to Villagomez, the struggling company’s new CEO -- and a former CMO of Home Depot. Beyond its flagship flowers business, the Jericho, N.Y.-based company owns Harry & David, Shari’s Berries and Moose Munch Popcorn. Earlier this month, 1-800-Flowers reported an annual loss of $200 million, with revenue down 8% to $1.69 billion.

The better a brand meets consumers’ expectations, the more loyal they will be. That’s according to the 17th annual Brand Key Loyalty Leaders List, an identification of the top 100 brands according to their ability to create customer loyalty.  Amazon topped this years’ ranking, with digital innovation, entertainment platforms and long-standing heritage brands among 2025’s leaders. Rounding out the top five were google, Microsoft, Apple and Coca-Cola. 2025 Loyalty Leaders — Top 25 1. Amazon (Online Retail) 2. Google (Search) 3. Microsoft (Tech) 4. Apple (Smartphones) 5. Coca-Cola (Beverages) 6. Samsung (Smartphones) 7. Paramount+ (Video Streaming) 8. ChatGPT (AI) 9. TikTok (Social Networking) 10. Levi Strauss (Apparel Retailers) 11. Discover (Credit Cards) 12. McDonald’s (Fast Food) 13. Netflix (Video Streaming) 14. PayPal (Online Payments) 15. Dunkin’ (Coffee) 16. Disney+ (Video Streaming) 17. Hyundai (Automotive) 18. Walmart.com (Online Retail) 19. Toyota (Automotive) 20. Domino’s (Pizza) 21. Trader Joe’s (natural foods) 22. Nike (athletic footwear) 23. The Home Depot (retail home improvement) 24. American Express 9credit cards) 25. Jeep (automotive)

Retailers and restaurants alike made headlines in September with store expansions and new formats.  Here are the major stories as reported by Chain Store Age, starting with the most recent. Costco Q4 tops Street, to open 35 new warehouses; holiday mix to look ‘different’ As it continues its strong financial performance, the wholesale club chain opened 27 new warehouses, including three relocations, during its recently completed fiscal year. Jack & Jones to make U.S. debut at five shopping centers — here's where The Denmark-based apparel retailer, which operates more than 4,000 stores worldwide, will make its U.S. store debut at five Brookfield Properties-owned shopping centers, starting in November at The Mall in Columbia, Columbia, Md. The move into the U.S. market follows Jack & Jones’ recent expansion in Canada. Toys”R”Us to open 10 U.S. flagships by year-end; locations include… The toy retailer, in partnership with Go! Retail Group, said it is planning to open 10 new flagships and 20 seasonal holiday shops in the U.S. by year's end. Target opening seven stores in October — here are the locations The discounter will open seven stores in October, with six of the locations topping Target’s 125,000-sq.-ft. average as it continues to lean into its larger footprint. The openings are part of the 20 new locations that Target plans to open this year. Primark marks 10 years in U.S. with new leases, planned entry in new state The global value fashion retailer, which opened its first U.S. store in Boston in 2015, said it is dedicated to U.S. growth. It has 33 stores across 13 U.S. states.

Walmart Inc. continues expanding its infrastructure to support timely delivery of online orders. The discount giant plans to open a new fulfillment center in Kings Mountain, N.C. Walmart expects the estimated $300 million investment to create more than 300 new jobs in Gaston County, N.C.  The 1.2 million–square-foot facility is slated to open in 2027 and will ship large items such as patio furniture and lawnmowers directly to customers as soon as next-day. “As our e-commerce business continues to grow, this new fulfillment center will play a critical role in helping us serve customers faster,” said Karisa Sprague, senior vice president, supply chain, Walmart U.S.

Finance leaders are remaining cautious about the economy with 2026 around the corner. Deloitte’s latest CFO Signals survey, which captures insights from finance chiefs in North America and around the globe, revealed that the overall level of confidence in current and future business conditions edged up in the third quarter of 2025, coming in at 5.7. The previous quarter, the score stood at 5.4, and one year ago, it was at 5.  Despite the slight increase, CFOs appear to be on the fence about the current status of the North American economy. Only 20% of the respondents think the region’s present economy is “very good” or “good.” Only 8% think it's “very bad” or “bad,” while the rest are neutral. CFOs remained risk averse in the third quarter, according to Deloitte’s survey. Only 36% of respondents said they think now is a good time to be taking on greater risk. This figure is just slightly above the reading last quarter, and on par with the two-year average of 39%.

Fast-growing grocery chain Sprouts Farmers Market has its sights set on opening stores from coast to coast, which would more than triple its location count. The Phoenix-based retailer surpassed 450 stores in 24 states this year and hopes to eventually reach 1,400 stores throughout the U.S, its CEO Jack Sinclair said Monday during a presentation at the Groceryshop conference in Las Vegas. Sinclair did not share how long it could take to reach that potential scale. Over the past few months, Sprouts opened new stores in Utah, Texas, Tennessee and Maryland, among others. It plans to open at least 35 new stores by the end of this year. The retailer is growing financially, as well, with an 18% increase in net sales to about $4.5 billion in the first half of the year, according to financial statements. Its net income grew from just over $209 million in the first half of 2024 to almost $314 million a year later.

MIDLAND is once again proud to participate in PRINTING United Expo 2025 event in Orlando FL.  Conveying a commitment to the Graphic Arts community, MIDLAND will unveil compelling new products which are innovative, sustainable, and fulfill unmet needs in the market.  Corporate End Users, Brand Owners, Sign, Display & Point of Purchase printers will see MIDLAND’s Fusion Board, a new pulp-based recyclable FSC® certified rigid board that can replace Foamed PVC, Styrene and other plastic based non-recyclable substrates. MIDLAND’s new high bright Digital Edge Uncoated for HP Indigo B2+ Press Technology is the highest quality uncoated grade on the market providing stellar ink adhesion at a value-added price point. MIDLAND’s booth #2345 is a “must” on your list of companies to see at PRINTING United Expo 2025. Stop by our booth and learn how these new products will give you a competitive advantage and boost your bottom line.

Canadians got a big surprise late Thursday afternoon, when the union representing Canada's postal workers suddenly called for a nationwide strike.  The move came hours after the federal government announced major reforms to Canada Post, instructing the Crown corporation to end home delivery and close some rural mail outlets.  Canada Post lost $448 million before tax in the first half of 2025, following a loss before tax of $30 million in the first half of 2024. Why did this happen? The union representing 55,000 postal workers says it was caught off-guard by the government's changes and argued Canada Post and the government are creating the conditions that drive down demand for its letter and parcel services. Canada Post workers do not currently have a collective agreement. They've been in contract talks for almost two years over issues like wages and part-time workers, while the postal service keeps incurring significant financial losses. Earlier this month, the union rejected the government's offer of a 13 per cent pay increase, saying it fell short of the union's demand for 19 per cent. While CUPW said it was willing to work with Canada Post to allow weekend delivery and the addition of part-time workers, it said the corporation walked away from the negotiating table. What happens to my mail now? Canada Post said in a statement that no mail or parcels will be processed or delivered during the strike, and service guarantees for items already in the mail are suspended.  "No new items will be accepted until the national disruption is over," it wrote.

Target is debuting new experiences centered on toys during the holiday season. For the first time, the big-box retailer is hosting free, in-store toy demonstrations at all stores every weekend from Nov. 8 through Dec. 21, according to a company press release. The retailer will also debut a kids catalog next month to highlight top gifts for various ages and interests. Shoppers will be able to scan a QR code within the catalog to simplify the creation of wish lists. Both elements are a means for Target to highlight its toy offerings, as the company centers on affordable options for families. The company is offering thousands of toys under the $20 mark, many of which are new or exclusive products, per the company.

Secondhand shopping has become commonplace for Americans as inflation and tariffs have increased the price of goods and the stigma around it has faded. The overwhelming majority (93%) of Americans bought a secondhand item in the past year, while over half (54%) have sold a secondhand item, revealed mobile marketplace OfferUp’s "2025 Recommerce Report." The U.S. re-commerce market is projected to grow 34% by 2030, reaching a valuation of $306.5 billion, accounting for 8% of total retail spending, the report said. In other findings, while apparel often dominates the resale conversation, it represents only 25% of the resale market, a small fraction of the $200 billion-plus multi-category U.S. recommerce economy. A majority (70%) of Americans say the stigma around secondhand shopping has lessened over the past year. OfferUp says the shift has been driven by a growing focus on sustainability and reducing waste (56%), the popularity of sharing secondhand finds with friends and family (53%), and the ease of using apps to browse, buy and sell (49%).

Amazon.com Inc. has agreed to pay $2.5 billion and overhaul its popular Prime membership program after federal regulators accused the company of using deceptive tactics to lock millions of consumers into subscriptions and then making it intentionally difficult to cancel. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the deal Sept. 25, calling it one of the largest consumer protection settlements in its history. The order requires Amazon to pay a $1 billion civil penalty — the largest ever tied to a violation of an FTC rule — along with $1.5 billion in refunds to an estimated 35 million customers who were charged for unwanted Prime subscriptions or faced obstacles when trying to leave the service. FTC chair Andrew Ferguson described the outcome as “a monumental win for the millions of Americans who are tired of deceptive subscriptions that feel impossible to cancel.” He said Amazon’s enrollment and cancellation flows were designed as “subscription traps,” steering consumers into sign-ups without consent and frustrating efforts to exit.

Heading into the season, shoppers and retailers alike are getting squeezed by tariffs and mounting economic uncertainty. Throughout the first half of the year, retailers have repeatedly said on earnings calls that consumers are acting resilient. This is despite the fact that macroeconomic pressures, such as tariffs, are impacting both shoppers and companies alike.  Some retailers have continued to see sales rise, even in traditionally discretionary categories, while others are struggling to keep up.  But retailers are responding. Target, for one, recently announced an October deals event — joining Walmart, Amazon and others — to entice consumers to shop early. Ahead of the holidays, Target has doubled its merchandising assortment and expanded its same-day delivery capabilities to new markets.  The mass merchant’s vice president of experiential store operations, Michael Scrafford, recently told Retail Dive during a live virtual event that newness and meeting customers where they shop — in stores or online — is key this season.

A recommendation by Postmaster General David Steiner not to raise prices in January 2026 for Market Dominant products, which includes First-Class Mail, was accepted by the governors of the United States Postal Service. The price of a stamp to mail a 1-ounce single-piece First-Class letter will not increase in early 2026. “We continually strive to balance our pricing approach both to meet the revenue needs of the Postal Service and to deliver affordable offerings that reflect market conditions,” Steiner said. “We have therefore decided at this time to forgo a price change for First-Class Mail postage and other Market Dominant services until mid-year 2026.” Matt Jensen, MIDLAND Postal Affairs Manager clarifies that "Market Dominant" mail includes: first class mail, periodicals, marketing mail including catalogs, and package services. Additional clarification on included mail: Tabbed catalogs/direct mail under three ounces typically mail as a Marketing Mail letter Untabbed catalogs/direct mail under one pound typically mail as a Marketing Mail flat Heavier pieces over one pound typically mail as Package Services

Check out the latest report from J.Schmid and CohereOne. The data is in, and Labor Day weekend signaled a strong start to the fall season. The weekend drove strong engagement, with apparel and outdoor brands leading growth. Home retailers also saw strong performance. Read the full report here. https://jschmid.com/marketing-kpis-labor-day-weekend-2025-trends/

Private equity firm Atlas Holdings is acquiring The ODP Corp., parent of Office Depot, in an all-cash deal valued at approximately $1 billion. The agreement underscores ODP’s ongoing pivot from retail office supplies toward its growing business-to-business (B2B) ecommerce and distribution operations. Atlas will pay $28 per share for ODP’s 30.08 million outstanding shares. The companies expect to close the transaction by year’s end. That deal comes as ODP’s market value has shrunk from more than $5 billion a decade ago, reflecting declining consumer demand for paper, printers, and related supplies.

At Accelerate, Amazon’s annual conference for third-party sellers in Seattle, the e-commerce giant’s top brass pitched independent merchants on how artificial intelligence will transform selling on its marketplace. Thousands of sellers filled the convention hall for product demos, policy changes and, in a rare appearance, a keynote fireside chat with CEO Andy Jassy. Jassy, who succeeded founder Jeff Bezos as CEO in 2021, reflected on Amazon’s 25-year partnership with independent sellers, saying that the decision to open the marketplace “was quite an animated debate inside of Amazon” at the time. Ultimately, broader selection and lower prices outweighed internal resistance, he said. Today, more than 60% of units sold on Amazon come from independent sellers, a group Jassy described as “our very top customers.” In recent years, it has become more common for Amazon leadership to frame sellers as customers, Jeff Cohen, Amazon Ads’s former principal evangelist, recently told Modern Retail. “In the early days, Jeff Bezos always saw the shopper as the primary customer, but there’s been a shift to recognize brands and sellers as customers, too,” he said. That shift is reflected in how Jassy has tried to run Amazon as “the world’s largest startup” — cutting bureaucracy, pushing for faster decision-making and leaning on technology to solve inefficiencies. But Amazon’s track record shows how difficult that shift can be. Fee hikes, sudden policy changes and complex inventory rules have repeatedly sparked backlash, with merchants saying they feel squeezed by costs and stripped of control. Some sellers have become less loyal to Amazon, branching into platforms like TikTok Shop, Walmart and Shopify.

A mixed-use retail destination is on its way to the site of the former Motorola headquarters outside of Chicago. Full-service real estate firm UrbanStreet Group has announced the groundbreaking of the Veridian master-planned community’s retail district, a 30-acre "urban-inspired" destination that will bring new shopping, dining and entertainment experiences to Schaumburg, Ill., a northwestern suburb of the Windy City. The first phase of the retail district at Veridian will deliver 100,000 sq. ft. of retail and restaurants, anchored by a 26,000-sq.-ft. The Fresh Market grocery store, along with 321 modern apartments. At full build-out, UrbanStreet says the district will include more than 200,000 sq. ft, of retail and restaurant space and over 600 residential units, adding to the 225-acre site already home to TopGolf.

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) released its StatShot report for June 2025 reflecting reported revenue for Trade (Consumer Books), Religious Presses, Higher Education Course Materials, and Professional Publishing. Total revenues across all categories for June 2025 were down 1.3% as compared to June 2024, coming in at $1.1 billion. Year-to-date revenues were down 1.7%, at $6.3 billion for the first six months of the year. Year-to-date Trade revenues were down 2.8% at $4.3 billion for the first six months of the year. Hardback revenues were up 0.7%, coming in at $1.5 billion; Paperbacks were down 8.1%, with $1.5 billion in revenue; Mass Market was down 29.8% to $42.0 million; and Special Bindings were down 1.5%, with $89.9 million in revenue.

Canva is incredibly proud to share that Fast Company has recognized Canva in its 2025 Innovation by Design Awards. We’ve been named a winner in the Large Business category, and a finalist in both the Artificial Intelligence Design and Design Company of the Year categories. These honors are a celebration of our community, our team, and the power of visual communication to move the world forward. Being recognized by Fast Company alongside some of the world’s most forward-thinking brands is a reminder of not only how far we’ve come, but how much possibility still lies ahead.

After years of retooling their businesses for search engines, brand and retail leaders say they’re getting ready for a new frontier: GEO. The term, which means generative engine optimization, refers to optimizing web content to show up in results from AI-driven search platforms, like ChatGPT or Google Gemini. It’s a new way for brands to stand out and reach customers, especially considering that nearly 60% of U.S. consumers have used a generative AI tool for help with online shopping, per an August 2025 survey from Omnisend. If a customer asks an AI engine about buying lip gloss or a T-shirt, the relevant brands want to make sure they show up. But it’s not an easy journey, executives conceded this week in interviews with Modern Retail and during panels at Shoptalk Fall in Chicago. Brands and retailers have spent decades crafting their SEO playbook, figuring out which keywords to include on product pages, blogs and additional web content to show up in Google or Yahoo. Now, with GEO, platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity are pulling and ranking information — oftentimes, in response to hyper-specific inquiries, rather than one-word or two-word requests. This could also have financial consequences for brands, especially as these agents start enabling checkout.

Concerns about price increases due to tariffs won’t stop consumers from celebrating Halloween this year. Halloween spending is expected to reach a record $13.1 billion this year, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual consumer survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. The figure is up from $11.6 billion last year and tops the previous $12.2 billion record set in 2023. Per-person spending has reached a record high of $114.45. That's nearly $11 more than last year and up from the previous record of $108.24 in 2023. Most Halloween shoppers (79%) anticipate prices will be higher this year specifically because of tariffs, the survey found. Despite reservations, nearly three-quarters of consumers (73%) plan to celebrate the holiday, in line with last year’s 72%.  Candy continues to be the most popular purchase, with total spending expected to reach $3.9 billion. Across other categories, 71% plan to purchase costumes and spending is expected to reach $4.3 billion.

Domtar joined Cégep de Jonquière and other public and private partners to support the development of the TERRE Center. The TERRE Center will be a CAN$23 million renewable energy research facility in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Québec. Domtar’s Wood Products business contributed lumber construction materials at the start of the TERRE Center’s construction in August. “At Domtar, we firmly believe that innovation comes through collaboration. Supporting a project like the TERRE Center, which combines knowledge, technology and sustainability, means investing in the future of our industry and our community,” says Michael Plourde, Director of Technical Services and Planning at Domtar. The donation, made alongside Boréal, reaffirms Domtar’s deep roots in the region and its support for high-impact community projects. It also champions the company’s 2030 sustainability strategy objective of reaching $20 million in community investments over five years.

In a world dominated by likes, swipes, and scrolls, it might sound counterintuitive—but young adults are drawn to direct mail and the tangible, personal connection it brings.    Gen Z (those born in the late 90s to early 2010s), the first fully digital-native generation, isn’t just glued to their screens. They’re actively engaging with marketing that shows up offline—especially in the form of tangible, thoughtfully designed mail. Gen Z Is Paying Attention to Print Raised in a digital world, this generation craves authenticity, tangibility, and real-world experiences that stand out from the constant scroll of online content. Gen Z grew up digital, but that also means they’re used to being constantly advertised to—on every platform that they interact with. Digital fatigue is real. For brands seeking to cut through the noise, direct mail is emerging as a go-to tactic for meaningful and memorable engagement with this powerful audience.

Every month, the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Census Bureau releases its first calculation of the previous month’s retail sales. Retail Dive reports on the results for core retail segments, (minus food, auto and fuel), using year-over-year comparisons. With a boost from the back-to-school season and higher prices as tariffs fuel inflation, August retail sales in the segments covered by Retail Dive rose 5.5% year over year, according to numbers released Tuesday by the U.S. Department of Commerce. E-commerce soared over 8%. “Consumer goods prices rose 0.5% in August, and 0.3% when excluding food and energy, suggesting a big part of the gain in sales actually stems from consumers paying higher prices rather than buying more goods last month,” Wells Fargo economists Tim Quinlan and Shannon Grein said in a research note following the government’s report. Broadly, underlying volumes rose by a scant 0.4%, “a marked deterioration from the 1.4% volume increase produced last month,” according to GlobalData research. The e-commerce surge was likely fueled by sales events last month, according to GlobalData Managing Director Neil Saunders. It’s notable because retail sales have been volatile month to month overall, but e-commerce has been up for 11 of the past 12 months, according to Wells Fargo.

Consumer sentiment slumped in September for the second consecutive month, dragged down by worries about job security, price pressures and the outlook for U.S. business, the University of Michigan said Friday, describing survey results. The university’s survey results echo those from the Conference Board and Federal Reserve Bank of New York, highlighting that faster inflation and a cooling job market are undermining consumer confidence. “Economic sentiment declined more than expected in September largely because Americans are fearful of losing their jobs,” Navy Federal Credit Union Chief Economist Heather Long said Friday. “After months of a frozen job market with little hiring outside of healthcare, people now see more industries turning to layoffs.” “The American consumer is feeling the squeeze from tariffs,” Long said, noting that “they are starting to see price increases on everything from food to furniture to auto repair.” Although consumers are still spending, “they are on edge and will be ready to shut their wallets if layoffs pick up this fall and winter,” she said.

Following the publication of Collage Group’s “2025 State of Brand Cultural Fluency” report, the cultural intelligence data company also looked at which brands are most resonant with Gen Z, and which brands are more differentiated in appealing to the generation (compared to consumers overall). Oreo was the top-performing brand overall with Gen Z, followed by YouTube, and Pringles. Nerds, Sour Patch Kids, and Spotify were the most differentiated brands with the generation. Marketing Daily caught up with Collage Group senior director of cultural insights Jack Mackinnon to discuss the report’s results, key points for marketers about how to appeal to Gen Z, and what marketers should avoid. How would you characterize the list of brands that are top-scoring or most-differentiated with Gen Z?  Jack Mackinnon: They look like Gen Z to me, and by that I mean people sometimes forget they’re young because they have this seriousness to them in response to the threats – economical, environmental, and health-related – they grew up with. But they’re still young, teenagers in some cases. They’re still gravitating toward candy brands, Pocky, Capri Sun. There’s also a factor of nostalgia as a stabilizing force. So these are brands that have a playful origin but have found a voice that has an edge to it. Duolingo is a good example of that. They tap into that annoying and aggressive side. Sour Patch Kids has had a similar approach of injecting an edginess into marketing emphasizing their sourness for a few years now. CeraVe has had some real playfulness with how they merge beauty, personal care and health with some humor that taps into Gen Z’s obsession with beauty.

A Swedish furniture and home decor giant is celebrating a key milestone with nine months of promotions. Ikea U.S. is launching a 40-week long customer appreciation campaign in celebration of its 40th anniversary. Now through June 29, customers can take advantage of exclusive product offers, gift card giveaways, limited-edition Ikea apparel, and special in-store events. "Since opening our first U.S. store in 1985, we've grown and adapted to meet the evolving needs of our customers," said Jordi Esquinas Gimenez, chief commercial officer at IKEA U.S. "What remains constant is our commitment to making well-designed, high-quality home furnishings affordable and accessible. This campaign is our way of celebrating our customers – thanking them for 40 years of trust and looking ahead to what we can build together in the future."

Marketing isn’t getting any easier. Audiences are more sophisticated, more skeptical, and more overwhelmed than ever. Join Sappi for “11 Ways to Get More From Your Marketing Today” at 1:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 25. Print has the power to cut through the noise, build trust and connect in meaningful ways. From boosting sustainability credentials and inspiring brand loyalty to enhancing creative design and working seamlessly with digital campaigns, print delivers results across the customer journey.

Visual communication is no longer optional: Design-led companies are achieving stronger brand cohesion, clearer communication, and faster go-to-market outcomes. Neuroscience shows it works: Creative visual content triggers memory encoding 74% faster and generates significantly more emotional engagement than dull alternatives. Gen Z demands it: 90% say they do their best work visually, and 83% use unapproved tools just to communicate effectively within outdated systems. Every week, the average company burns through nearly nine different visual communication tools, losing time, clarity, and cohesion in the process. Teams spend 25 hours producing work that could take 10. And despite investing billions into visual content creation globally, most organizations are losing value through fractured systems and text-heavy workflows that neuroscience now proves simply don’t work. Our newly-released State of Visual Communication Report reveals a striking truth: while some companies still debate the importance of visual communication, the most forward-thinking organizations are already seeing measurable ROI. And the reasons are as scientific as they are aesthetic: visually engaging content triggers memory encoding 74% faster than dull alternatives. This isn’t just a matter of design preference; it’s biology.

The firm predicts that sales between November and January could reach $1.62 trillion, with e-commerce sales projected to grow up to 9%. Holiday sales in the U.S. are expected to increase between 2.9% and 3.4% this coming season, according to a Deloitte forecast. Deloitte projects holiday sales from November through January will total between $1.61 trillion and $1.62 trillion, up from $1.57 trillion last season, as recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau.  E-commerce holiday sales growth will continue at a clip of between 7% and 9%, similar to the previous year. Total e-commerce sales are projected to reach between $305 billion and $310.7 billion, up from $285 billion in the 2024 season.

When Debbie’s crisp and pickle sandwiches weren’t getting much love, she and her sons turned to Canva to give their small business a fresh look. Then, with a new logo, menus that stood out, and social posts people actually noticed, Debbie & Sons quickly went from pickle to prosperity. This charming story sits at the heart of our latest UK brand campaign, proving that good design can take ideas from ordinary to extraordinary. Launching our ‘Really, Really Good Design’ campaign is taking creativity beyond the screen and into everyday life – from a limited-edition sandwich collaboration to bold billboard takeovers – to celebrate the transformative power of design. Our new campaign takes a playful spin on a serious truth: great design can be the difference between a good idea and a thriving business. Britain is full of brilliant ideas, but many struggle to bring them to life visually. In a world where first impressions matter more than ever, good design has shifted from luxury to necessity. It’s the difference between a presentation that gets polite nods and one that gets genuine excitement, or a social post that gets scrolled past versus one that stops thumbs in their tracks.

Following a near-record peak this summer as retailers stocked up before tariff increases, import cargo volume at the nation’s major container ports is expected to steadily decline for the remainder of the year. That’s according to the most recent Global Port Tracker report released by the National Retail Federation and Hackett Associates. The report follows the implementation of reciprocal tariffs across the globe, with a number of key trading partners being subjected to tariffs higher than the earlier 10% tariffs, noted the NRF. Also, more and more sectoral tariffs are impacting a wider scope of products “Tariffs have had a significant impact on trade,” said Hackett Associates founder Ben Hackett said. “The trade outlook for the final months of the year is not optimistic.”

Nearly 40 retail CEOs left their posts in the first seven months of this year, with six executives leaving in July alone, according to a recent report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas. That marked a 100% increase from the same period a year ago, when 19 CEOs in the industry left. Across all industries in the first half of the year, the number of CEO departures jumped 9% to 1,358, marking the biggest year-to-date total since Challenger began keeping track in 2002.

As the summer comes to a close, hot-button issues like tariffs, manufacturing and pricing are continuing to dominate conversations at fashion brands. After the chaos of the last few months, some companies are managing to find a way forward. Abercrombie & Fitch Co. recently reported record net sales of $1.2 billion for its second fiscal quarter. Urban Outfitters, Inc. reported a record $252.2 million in net income for its first half of the year. Gap Inc., too, is continuing to reap the rewards of its larger turnaround, reporting positive comparable sales for the sixth straight quarter. Still, the fashion industry — like much of retail — remains on somewhat shaky ground when it comes to predicting demand and sales. Many apparel and footwear brands manufacture abroad, where new, higher tariffs threaten to throw a wrench in their growth plans. Global supply chain costs are on track to rise up to 7% above inflation by the fourth quarter, per Kearney. And apparel and footwear are considered discretionary categories — meaning that, for many shoppers, clothes or shoes may take a backseat to essentials like food and gasoline.

The U.S. Postal Service is at the heart of a postal system still dedicated to tying our country together today. Here’s one example: Recently, it issued “250 Years of Delivering,” a pane of 20 stamps by cartoonist Chris Ware that shows a carrier delivering mail across four seasons of the year. Kind of like the unofficial motto inscribed on New York City’s Farley Building: “Neither snow nor rain nor sleet nor hail shall keep the postmen from their appointed rounds.” According to a study by the Envelope Manufacturers Association, the industry accounts for 7.9 million jobs. Even more than USPS, that’s a lot of jobs in print, packaging, paper, and private delivery! There are a lot of people in workforces and businesses who use ink on paper to bring ideas to life. We’ve come a long way since the days of Franklin, railway mail, and big gleaming buildings made of limestone, granite, and marble. But the public service task remains the same. And improvements in printing, marketing, and automation technology make mail more relevant than ever.

Back in the spring, “Made in USA” became one of Amazon’s hottest search terms. Anxiety around tariff-induced price hikes had shoppers punching in patriotic queries, giving online merchants hope that domestic manufacturing may give them a competitive edge. But the momentum proved fleeting. New data from Momentum Commerce, a retail consultancy, shows that searches for “Made in America” products have since collapsed, reverting by July 2025 to nearly identical levels as the prior year. And even at their peak, those searches barely translated into sales.

If the retail industry has learned anything from the first half of 2025, it’s that the only constant is change and tariffs are no exception under the Trump administration. The will they, won’t they approach to U.S. trade deals has pushed retailers to rethink sourcing, increase pricing and put in inventory orders earlier than last year. A few companies have continued to thrive despite this tough environment, such as Walmart and the athletics brand On. Others, like Under Armour, Funko, and even off-pricers, have felt the sting of evolving geopolitical relations. Even the best performers are watching shifting tariff rates closely — and further strain is expected for the second half of the year.

This year’s edition highlights the challenging environment that motor carriers dealt with in 2024, but in the end the industry still delivered more than 72% of all domestic freight tonnage in the U.S. Among the key findings in this year’s report: Trucks moved 11.27 billion tons of freight in 2024, down from the 11.41 billion tons hauled the previous year.  In 2024, the industry saw revenues at $906 billion, down from $1.004 trillion in 2023.  Trucking employed 8.4 million people in industry-related jobs, including 3.58 million professional drivers in 2024.  The industry remains one made up of small businesses, with 91.5% of carriers operating 10 or fewer trucks and 99.3% operating fewer than 100 power units.  Trucks moved 67% of surface trade between the U.S. and Canada, and 85% of goods across the Mexican border in 2024.

Despite Target’s overall sales slump, the big-box retailer has found a bright spot in a popular, fast-growing sector: trading cards. Trading card sales at Target are up nearly 70% year to date and are on track to deliver $1 billion in sales this year, Target evp and chief commercial officer Rick Gomez told investors in the company’s second-quarter earnings call Aug. 20. Gomez said these trading card games like Pokémon, combined with the launch of the Nintendo Switch 2 game console, drove growth within its hardlines categories last quarter. Second-quarter net sales in hardlines, which includes toys and electronics, grew about 6% from 2024 to 2025. “Trend-forward tech accessories like brightly colored headphones and phone cases and toys priced under $20” have also helped shape growth, Gomez said. Overall, so far this year, strategic trading card game sales — which excludes sports trading cards — are up 101% from last year and represent about 10% of total toy sales in general, according to Juli Lennett, vp and toy industry adviser for Circana. Sports trading cards are up 48% year to date. Trading card sales on Walmart’s online marketplace soared 200% between February 2024 and June 2025, with Pokémon card sales growing over 10 times year over year, the retailer told Axios.

Tuesday, the Association of American Publishers (AAP) released the StatShot Annual report covering the calendar year 2024, estimating that the U.S. publishing industry generated a robust $32.5 billion in aggregate publishing revenue for books and course materials across print and digital formats, an increase of 4.1% as compared to $31.3 billion in 2023. “This year’s report shows encouraging levels of year-over-year growth across multiple categories during 2024 and paints a picture of an industry that is dynamic, fast-moving, and continuing to evolve,” commented Syreeta Swann, Chief Operating Officer, Association of American Publishers. “In reference to the five-year period covered by StatShot Annual, we saw the continuation of some long-term trends, including the dominance of print formats, which accounted for more than half of the overall market for each of the five years, and sustained growth for the Digital Audio format, which has seen a revenue increase of nearly 80 percent since 2020.” During 2024, Trade (consumer books) increased by 4.4% to an estimated $21.2 billion. Higher Education Course Materials revenue increased by 1.8% to $4.3 billion. PreK-12 Instructional Materials increased 5.1% to $5.3 billion. Professional Books increased 2.5% to $1.4 billion. University Presses increased 3.1% to $350 million. Print In the industry overall, print formats (Hardback, Paperback, Mass Market, and Special Bindings) accounted for 50.5% of publishers’ revenue. During the year, revenue from the Hardback format climbed 3.6% to $7.9 billion, while Paperbacks increased 3.2% to $7.8 billion. Within Trade, the Hardback and Paperback formats together accounted for nearly three-quarters of revenue (72.9%), maintaining their position as the most popular formats with $7.7 billion in revenue each. On a year-over-year basis within Trade, the Hardback format was up 3.6% and the Paperback format climbed 3.0%.

In this episode, Cory Connors welcomes Kristen Clark to explore why paper, especially paperboard from Metsä Board, is a sustainable packaging material. Kristen shares her journey from consumer packaged goods marketing to her current role at Metsa Board, highlighting the company’s deep commitment to sustainability and innovation. The conversation covers forest management, circular manufacturing practices, and the role of paperboard in replacing plastic packaging. Key Topics Discussed: Kristen’s career path from CPG marketing to sustainable paperboard Overview of Metsä Group and its cooperative model with 90,000 Finnish forest owners How Metsä Board uses every part of the tree to minimize waste Bioenergy generation from bark and branches Reforestation practices: planting 4–7 trees for every one harvested Lightweight yet strong paperboard that reduces carbon footprint Circular side-stream applications, including animal bedding and soil improvement Metsä Board’s goal to be fossil-free by 2030 (currently 89% there) Water efficiency and process improvements Paperboard’s role as a plastic alternative and common missteps in adoption Metsä Board’s packaging design teams in Finland and the U.S. Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) laws and their impact on paper recycling Virgin vs. recycled fiber: why both are needed for a healthy recycling loop

QR codes are expected to play a key role in holiday shopping this year. Roughly three-quarters (74%) of consumers say they are likely to scan a QR code during Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping, according to a new report from Uniquode. Forty-four percent of consumers are more likely to scan a QR code during the two shopping holidays for the promise of a deal, while more than half (56%) shoppers say they will do so for a promotional offer. Nearly 50% of millennial and Gen Z respondents are “very likely” to scan QR Codes during retail sales, and 46% of Gen X say they are driven by deals by scan. Gen Z (41%) and millennials (40%) are also driven by discounts and deals, followed by faster checkout. More than a third (36%) of all consumers are not “entirely sold” on scanning QR codes.

President Mary Anne Hansan shared more about the phaseout of the industry marketing initiative. Corporate and market changes, and difficulty aligning the shifting priorities between paper and packaging stakeholders, contributed to the recent move to shut down a more than decade-old paper packaging marketing campaign, explained Paper and Packaging Board President Mary Anne Hansan. “Every referendum, it’s been increasingly more difficult to keep people on board,” Hansan said. “And many times, just like this time, it really has to do [with] what’s going on in the economy. The paper market has been contracting for years,” she said. On the corrugated side, companies are concerned about extended producer responsibility, Hansan said. Additionally, there’s been a lot of leadership turnover from the executives who were in charge when P+PB was developed and launched. “We’ve had an awful lot of CEO change,” Hansan said.

Online prices on back-to-school staples are up while discounts from brands are down this year, putting consumers in a difficult position. That’s according to the latest same-site sales data data from e-commerce platform Klaviyo, which revealed that year over year, the typical price paid for back-to-school items in July was up nearly 10%. Apparel and accessories saw the sharpest increase at 9% as tariff uncertainty led to increased costs. After a dip in the first quarter of the year, average selling prices (ASPs) on back-to-school items have risen every month since April.

Quad/Graphics, Inc., a marketing experience company that solves complex marketing challenges for its clients, today announced it has been selected as agency of record (AOR) by Scandinavian Designs, a nationwide retailer of modern home furnishings. This strategic collaboration reflects Scandinavian Designs’ decision to consolidate its creative and media strategy, planning and execution under one agency, choosing Quad for its integrated marketing solutions, commitment to data transparency and proven success among retail brands. Quad will work with Scandinavian Designs to help the brand grow its e-commerce footprint, bring the furniture shopping experience to the home through a revival of its catalog and help build its brand equity across the United States. With store locations in more than 50 U.S. markets, Scandinavian Designs is tapping Quad to streamline its brand experience through an integrated purchasing journey that makes direct connections with consumers at home, online or in a physical store.

Penske Media Corp. reportedly has warned offsite workers that they must return to the office for at least four days per week or risk termination. A memo sent last week by owner Jay Penske gave employees until October 4 to decide whether they will comply. But those who do not will be eligible for severance benefits, Status reports. Penske owns such publications as Billboard, Rolling Stone, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter and Deadline. “At a time we need to be solving problems faster, we find ourselves foregoing quick ad hoc brainstorming meetings, taking longer to find workable meeting times, and seeing uneven engagement from remote participants,” Penske said, according to Status.

Migration to the Lone Star State is driving a retail construction boom. That’s according to new data from commercial real estate services firm Colliers, which found that between January 2021 and January 2025, Texas recorded a positive net domestic migration of 0.9%. Although construction slowed in 2020 amid pandemic-driven uncertainty, by early 2025, more than 17 million sq. ft. was under construction, with growth fueled by the state’s largest cities of Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. Colliers notes that the Texas retail boom contrasts with the national landscape, where construction activity remains historically low. Just 6 million sq. ft. of retail space was delivered nationwide in the second quarter of 2025, bringing total space under construction to 47.9 million sq. ft.

Beyond Inc., which owns Overstock, Buy Buy Baby and Bed Bath & Beyond, is changing its formal company name, rebranding to Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. The move comes two years after Overstock.com Inc. paid $21.5 million for some of the previous iteration of Bed Bath & Beyond’s assets and intellectual property. Shortly after the acquisition, Overstock.com Inc. rebranded to Beyond Inc. With the new rebranding decision, Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. will begin trading under the ticker symbol BBBY on the New York Stock Exchange, effective Aug. 29, according to the company. Beyond Inc. reported in July that it had grown revenue in its fiscal Q2 compared to Q1 in 2025. However, its Q2 revenue still decreased year over year. President and chief financial officer Adrianne Lee attributed Beyond’s improvement over Q1 to seasonal average order value (AOV) improvement and the number of orders it delivered. AOV increased $25, while delivered orders grew 8%.

Confidence among U.S. chief executives shot up during the third quarter as trade fears eased. The Conference Board's Measure of CEO Confidence in collaboration with The Business Council rose to 49 in the third quarter, up 15 points from 34 In the second quarter. (A reading below 50 reflects more negative than positive responses.) The survey, which also gauges CEOs' expectations about future actions their companies plan on taking in capital spending, employment, recruiting and wages, was fielded from July 14-28. All three components of the index improved from deep pessimism to near neutral, with CEOs' views on current economic conditions making the sharpest recovery. Their six-month expectations for the economy as a whole and in their own industries also improved. Fear of recession within the next 12 to 18 months fell to 36% in the third quarter from 83% in the previous one. CEOs ranked geopolitical instability and cyber threats as top concerns for their industry, while concerns about trade and tariffs eased somewhat.

The Premier Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Agency Whether you’re launching a new brand, exploring direct mail for the first time as a digitally native company, or managing a complex marketing ecosystem as an established brand, we’re here to help. Unlike most data-driven direct marketing agencies, we’re fueled by bold ideas and strategic creativity. Reach out to Cohere One for a free consultation.

The state of returns in retail Returns are a critical and increasingly costly aspect of modern retail, with the volume of returns reaching nearly the $1 trillion mark in 2024. Retailers are rethinking return policies to strike a balance between protecting margins and evolving customer expectations. Returns — and their challenges — are rising. Here’s how retailers are responding. Nearly 40% of consumers return an online purchase ‘at least’ once a month How return policies fit into retail customer experience

Quad/Graphics, Inc., a marketing experience company that solves complex marketing challenges for its clients, has appointed Kristin “KJ” Jones and Evan Hughes as Senior Vice Presidents at Rise, a Quad agency. Building on a long-standing rapport and deep industry experience, Jones and Hughes now lead integrated teams together at Rise, focused on transforming the go-to-market approach for clients. Their work will combine their extensive agency experience with the power of Quad’s proprietary household-based data stack and omnichannel media solutions to help brands connect with target audiences through intelligent segmentation, modeling, testing and measurement. This unique data capability gives Rise and Quad a differentiated position in the market and unlocks greater value for clients. Both executives report to Joshua Lowcock, Quad President of Media. “KJ and Evan are exactly the kind of leaders Rise was built for: agile, transparent, and results-focused,” Lowcock said. “In an industry that is often opaque and unnecessarily complex, Rise delivers measurable value to clients with speed, smarts, and scruples.

Female shoppers are spending less than their male counterparts. During the first half of 2025, year-over-year demand for discretionary products among women fell flat, while unit sales from men were up 3%, according to Circana. Female discretionary spending grew 1% during the same period, while male spending rose 2%.   The firm noted that discretionary spending has been challenged by elevated prices across retail food and beverage, non-edible consumer packaged goods and general merchandise “Female consumers are critical to retail performance, representing more than half of annual spending, and those purchase decisions,” said Marshal Cohen, chief retail industry analyst for Circana. “Shifts in spending behavior among female consumers reveal signs of broader consumer changes brewing.” Women seem to be opting for purchases that allow them to spruce things up, rather than a bigger ticket spend. Between January and June 2025, the majority of the pullback in spending among female shoppers impacted furniture, apparel, juvenile products and housewares.

Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. announced the formation of Konica Minolta Paper Solutions, a dedicated business unit delivering a comprehensive portfolio of paper products to customers across industries and around the world. The launch follows a strategic decision by parent company Konica Minolta, Inc. (KMI) to divest its shares in Konica Minolta Marketing Services Holding Limited (KMMS). As part of the transition, the paper division was excluded from the sale and is now fully integrated within Konica Minolta’s North American operations. Harris Atkins, a respected industry leader with more than 30 years of experience, has been appointed President of Konica Minolta Paper Solutions and will join the company’s executive leadership team. Most recently, Atkins served as President and CEO for KMMS in North America.

The July container volumes for the Port of Los Angeles tell the tale of the Trump tariff impacts. The front-loading of Chinese goods ahead of the tariff deadline pushed container volumes at the Port of Los Angeles to levels it has never seen in its 117-year history. The port processed 1,019,837 twenty-foot equivalent units, or TEUs, in July. Imports came in at 543,728,000 TEUs, also a record. "Shippers have been frontloading their cargo for months to get ahead of tariffs and recent activity at America's top port really tells that story," said Port of Los Angeles Executive Director Gene Seroka. "Port terminals in July were jam-packed with ships loaded with cargo — processed without any delay, much to the credit of our dedicated longshore workers, terminal and rail operators, truckers and supply chain partners."

Jimmy Zollo, the co-founder of Joe & Bella, thought India could be a viable alternative for the online retailer’s China-made socks. The company explored moving production there, drawn by lower costs and a perception that the country was politically “safe” from steep taxes enacted by the Trump administration. “Pricing seemed great,” Zollo said. “We actually were probably, in the next few weeks, planning on getting a few prototypes made to see if the quality hit our standard levels.” Then came the tariff news. With little warning, the Trump administration doubled duties on Indian imports to 50%, up from 25%, as part of a push to curtail the country’s purchase of Russian oil. The new rate is scheduled to go into effect on Aug. 27. The higher rate, combined with manufacturing timelines in India that were five times longer than those offered by Joe & Bella’s existing partners in China, quickly erased any potential savings.  The company scrapped its India tests. Although Joe & Bella previously manufactured some goods in Vietnam, the company has now consolidated all manufacturing back to China — for simplicity’s sake, according to Zollo. “Anyone could get hit at any time for any reason,” he said. “Sometimes the safest move is just to stay put.”

Amazon.com, Inc. announced customers in more than 1,000 cities and towns can now order fresh groceries with their Same-Day Delivery orders, with plans to expand to over 2,300 across the U.S. by year-end. This marks one of the most significant grocery expansions for Amazon as the company introduces thousands of perishable food items into its existing logistics network that is already optimized for speed and efficiency. Customers will have the option to order produce, dairy, meat, seafood, baked goods, and frozen foods, alongside the millions of items such as everyday household essentials, electronics, fashion, home and garden, and more already available for Same-Day Delivery on Amazon.com. Customers are looking to make their budgets stretch further, and that’s why Amazon is focused on offering a wide selection of national and local brands, including organic and natural options, at an incredible value through this new offering. For Prime members, Same-Day Delivery is free for orders over $25 in most cities. If an order doesn’t meet the minimum, members can still choose Same-Day Delivery for a $2.99 fee. For customers without a Prime membership, the service is available with a $12.99 fee, regardless of order size.

Eastman Kodak, the 133-year-old photography company, is warning investors thats it might not survive much longer. In its earnings report Monday, the company warned that it doesn’t have “committed financing or available liquidity” to pay its roughly $500 million in upcoming debt obligations. “These conditions raise substantial doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern,” Kodak said in a filing. Kodak aims to conjure up cash by ceasing payments for its retirement pension plan. It also said that it doesn’t expect tariffs to have “material impacts” on its business because it manufactures its many of its products, including cameras, inks and film in the United States. Kodak had a century of success producing cameras and film. At one point in the 1970s, it was was responsible for 90% of film and 85% of camera sales in the United States, according to The Economist. Paul Simon’s hit song “Kodachrome” topped the charts in 1973.

Transcontinental Inc. announces the acquisition of two Canva Group businesses, Mirazed Inc., located in Saint-Hubert, Quebec, and Intergraphics Decal Limited, located in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This strategic transaction follows the acquisition of Middleton Group in June and strengthens TC Transcontinental’s position as a leader in in‑store marketing. Mirazed is recognized for its cutting-edge expertise in screen printing as well as large format digital printing, the production of promotional displays and point-of-purchase (POP) signage. Intergraphics specializes in industrial screen and digital printing. Together, these entities employ more than 200 skilled people and operate state-of-the-art production facilities that will significantly enhance TC Transcontinental's capabilities in Quebec and Western Canada.

The July 2025 USPS Marketing Mail rate increase is here, and it’s reshaping the economics of direct mail. While many marketers are focused on rising postage costs, fewer realize that how and where you enter mail into the USPS system now matters more than ever. Enter SCF dropship: a critical cost-saving tactic that can make or break your direct mail ROI moving forward. On July 13, 2025, USPS implemented an average 7.4% increase in Marketing Mail rates, up to 15% for some formats. And while that’s a challenge on its own, there’s a second, equally important change flying under the radar: the elimination of Network Distribution Center (NDC) entry discounts. That means marketers who used to benefit from NDC dropship rates are now facing higher costs for those same mail pieces, unless they shift strategy. The solution? SCF (Sectional Center Facility) dropship, which is now the deepest discount level available for most campaigns.

Visual storytelling isn’t just a branding tactic anymore – it’s a growth strategy. In today’s attention-starved digital world, the most successful brands aren’t just seen, they’re remembered. And increasingly, they’re winning by putting design at the heart of everything they do. In our latest webinar with Marketing Dive, we explored how forward-thinking marketing teams are transforming their creative approach to stand out and scale up. The panel brought together leaders from Ricoh, Exos, and Canva to unpack what it really takes to build a visual-first brand, and why that shift matters now more than ever.

A U.K.-based company ranks as the fastest-growing retailer in the U.S. following its acquisition of Alabama-based Hibbett in 2024. J.D Sports tops the National Retail Federation’s “2025 Hot 25 Retailers” list compiled by Kantar. The annual study ranks the fastest-growing retailers in the U.S. based on increases in domestic sales between 2023 and 2024.   JD Sports achieved 41.5% domestic sales growth after adding nearly 1,200 Hibbett, City Gear and Sports Addition stores across 36 states in a deal valued at approximately $1.1 billion. (List of all 25 retailers at end of article.) Rounding out the top five are Primark at No. 2 with 30% sales growth, followed by Uniqlo parent Fast Retailing (27.7%), Shell (26.8%) and Abercrombie & Fitch (15.2%). Primark and Abercrombie & Fitch both jumped two spots on this year’s list, while Fast Retailing remained at No. 3 for the second year in a row.

Regarding the Postal Service, I have several key points I would like to articulate today. First and foremost, the Postal Service needs to operate in a financially sustainable manner. This is not just a good idea, but it’s also required by law. We have faced significant challenges in the dynamically changing business environment that have put significant stress on our business model and have had a negative impact on the organization. But those obstacles from the past should not deter us from achieving financial sustainability. We will strive to align our costs to revenue on a consistent, long-term basis. To do so, prioritizing strategies to drive operational efficiencies and generate sustained revenue growth will be key. We will also focus on being your provider of choice any time you ship a package. Second, service is foundational to our success. Improved service for our customers—which in our case includes the entire American public—will lead to more volume and revenue, so service improvement will be a top priority for me and the management team, and we will remain committed to continuous improvement in our operational performance. Third, our recent transformation and modernization efforts have brought the Postal Service closer to private sector logistics practices. Both the pricing and product strategies have improved our competitiveness. We will continue to aggressively pursue those strategies.

New York Post Media Group, a subsidiary of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., will launch a new daily Los Angeles-based newspaper called The California Post in early 2026, the New York Post's editor-in-chief Keith Poole told Axios. Why it matters: It's a ripe market, and one in which NYPMG — home to the New York Post, Page Six and Decider — already has a leg up. Los Angeles is home to the second-largest concentration of Post readers, per News Corp. The vast majority (90%) of the Post's digital readership lives outside of New York. Zoom in: The California Post will look and feel similar to its New York counterpart — delivering journalism, entertainment and celebrity gossip, sports news, local news, and opinion — with an edgy voice. The outlet will also feature national coverage from the New York Post that's relevant to a West Coast audience.

Consumers are savvy—and saturated. Between traditional holidays and standard sale seasons, they’ve seen it all… until they haven’t. Why Retailers Should Rethink the Calendar Predictability is the enemy of excitement. By staging shopping events outside the typical cadence, brands can: That’s where creative retail events come in. Unconventional promotions like Macy’s “Black Friday in July” flip expectations and generate buzz by offering shoppers a reason to engage when they least expect it. Why Retailers Should Rethink the Calendar Predictability is the enemy of excitement. By staging shopping events outside the typical cadence, brands can: Revive Off-Season Traffic: July doesn’t naturally scream “doorbuster,” but a well-timed promotion can turn summer lulls into retail highs. Create Curiosity: Unexpected sales pique interest—especially when branded cleverly. Customers are more likely to stop, scroll, or swing by when something feels fresh. Strengthen Brand Personality: A cheeky campaign like “New Year’s Clearance in August” or “Fall Preview Fest” reflects a retailer’s willingness to break molds and embrace fun.

USDA held a continuance referendum between July 14 and July 25 among companies contributing to the campaign. A majority of the voting companies voted to discontinue the national marketing campaign.  The program will be shut down over the next few months.  No assessments will be collected.  During that time, P+PB’s Papertarian campaign, featuring celebrity and actress Retta, will run on streaming TV through the end of September.  In addition, new infographics are available to P+PB companies through October 31, 2025 when the consumer and industry websites will go dark.

Today, most marketers don’t have print quality problems with vendors. The ink-on-paper product looks fine. But more of your prospects DO have visibility problems. They DO have cut-through-the-noise problems. They DO have a get-noticed-and-remembered problem. And guess what? Print just happens to be an excellent solution. Even so, the odds are pretty good that your competitors are still walking into meetings talking about color matching and on-time delivery. At this point, these are table stakes, not reasons to change vendors. To make the sale, you need focus on what marketers truly need now: A partner who understands how to make them stand out. The Real Problem Hiding Behind "We Don't Do Print" When a marketing director says, “We don’t really do print anymore,” what they’re often really saying is they don’t realize how strategic, creative, and measurable print can be today

Times are tough in the tween bling business. Claire’s — long a mall-based beacon of ear piercing and bedazzled barrettes — has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware. It’s the second time the brand has sought bankruptcy protection, having last done so in 2018. The company operates more than 2,700 stores in 17 countries, including nearly 200 Icing stores — a more mature concept it has been working to expand. In recent years, Claire’s has tried to evolve, launching marketing efforts aimed at a new generation of shoppers. But declining sales, a burdensome debt load, and rising tariff-driven costs in its supply chain have proven too difficult to overcome. The move doesn’t come as a surprise. Claire’s had reportedly been in discussions about restructuring options for weeks. Still, the bankruptcy signals just how difficult the current retail environment has become — especially for mall-dependent retailers already struggling to stay relevant with younger consumers.

“Integrating Print and Digital Marketing” isn't a new topic, but the fact is that it really is very powerful. While some of the tactics are the same, we now see a big change in the behavior of the consumer, leading print service providers to think more creatively about print and digital integration. A funny thing happened on the way to the all-digital future, especially in the wake of the post-pandemic era: Everyone was wrong about that so-called “all digital future.” The constant barrage of digital-only promotion led to a collective screen fatigue, and audiences began to crave something they could touch, feel, and experience. This shift has created a golden opportunity. The most forward-thinking brands today aren’t choosing between digital and print; they are masterfully integrating them. They understand that a physical object, be it a direct mail piece, a product package, or a promotional item, can be a powerful gateway to a rich digital experience. But true integration goes far beyond just slapping a QR code on a flyer. It’s about creating a seamless, multi-sensory brand journey that surprises, delights, and engages customers on a deeper level. Let’s explore how to move beyond the basics and forge a truly effective, creative, and profitable link between your print and digital worlds

As the retail job market contracts, the analysis found companies in the sector also have not released hiring plans this year to date — a noteworthy development given that the holiday season is around the corner. Tariffs, inflation and economic uncertainty have prompted retailers to close stores and lay off employees, the report said. Many of those same challenges are impacting industries more broadly as well. “Closings of stores, units, or plants have led to 120,226 layoffs so far this year, while restructuring efforts have resulted in 66,879 job cuts. Bankruptcies accounted for another 35,641 layoffs,” according to the report. Indeed, multiple major retailers have shuttered locations amid broader corporate restructurings. Between 2024 and February 2025, retailers closed more than 9,900 stores, but they only opened 7,700 locations during that period, a JLL analysis found. While some retailers have issued pink slips to a fraction of their staff, others are shutting down most or all of their storefronts.

A lot can happen in less than three seconds. In the crowded craft beer aisle, that’s all the time a packaged beer has to catch a shopper’s eye. A study from Accelerated Marketing Insights by Quad used Tobii 3 eye-tracking technology to explore exactly what drives purchase behavior — and how design plays a starring role. Conducted last fall at Ray’s Wine & Spirits in Wauwatosa, WI, the study tracked 61 participants as they browsed 474 beers across 124 brands. The choice of location was intentional — just outside Milwaukee, a city steeped in brewing history and still deeply tied to beer culture. The study found that packaging design was the third most important consideration for choosing a beer, after flavor and price. In fact, 72% of participants said the packaging made them more likely to buy a beer. That’s not surprising to Shannon Anderson, director of research, Accelerated Marketing Insights by Quad. “Craft beer buyers come in to browse. They’re curious and open to trying something new. That makes visibility and shelf presence critical. If your can doesn’t get noticed, it doesn’t get purchased.”

Amazon’s retail enterprise, while immense and growing, is increasingly in the shadow of adjacent businesses like advertising, subscriptions and marketplace seller services. In Q2 those operations grew as fast or faster than its online and physical stores and together netted more revenue. The company’s stalwart cloud business also continues to be yet another boon to its e-commerce. Online plus brick-and-mortar net sales topped $67 billion, while advertising plus subscription fees plus seller services, where growth was mostly higher, topped $68 billion. Sales at the AWS unit rose 17.5% year over year to nearly $31 billion. “The solid growth and profitability of AWS and advertising should continue to outperform and support Retail,” Telsey Advisory Group analysts led by Joseph Feldman said in a note on the company’s Q2 report. This is a unique situation in retail, though Amazon is encountering many of the same challenges. Currently that includes uncertainty around tariffs. “There continues to be a lot of noise about the impact that tariffs will have on retail prices and consumption,” Jassy said. “Much of it thus far has been wrong and misreported. As we said before, it’s impossible to know what will happen.”

HarperCollins Children’s Books celebrates the 75th anniversary of one of the most beloved epic fantasy classics of all time—The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The literary world was changed forever when four children stepped through a wardrobe and into the magical land of Narnia in C. S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which originally published in the UK on October 16, 1950, and in the US on November 6, 1950. The Chronicles of Narnia has become a cultural phenomenon, with worldwide sales of the series reaching over 115 million copies, editions available in sixty languages around the world, and adaptations to film, TV, and stage. Most recently, Narnia has been optioned for a new upcoming adaptation to be developed by Netflix. 

The Association of American Publishers (AAP) released its StatShot report for May 2025 reflecting reported revenue for Trade (Consumer Books), Religious Presses, Higher Education Course Materials, and Professional Publishing. Total revenues across all categories for May 2025 were down 7.5% as compared to May 2024, coming in at $1.1 billion. Year-to-date revenues were down 1.8%, at $5.2 billion for the first five months of the year.

The market for knockoff products is at an all-time high, as social media trends and “dupe finder” accounts have led consumers to actively search for duplicate versions, or “dupes” of fashion, makeup and furniture products over the real thing.  These products differ from purely counterfeit products, as dupes do not claim to be the authentic item, but instead are openly marketed as convincing lookalikes of the original. Dupes are often seen as cost-effective alternatives to expensive name-brand products, which influencers and users share online to flaunt their affordable alternatives. The craze has not gone unnoticed by designers and brand owners, as popular brands can often spawn hundreds of duplicate listings on online marketplaces, drawing valuable customers away from their brands.

The United Parcel Service (UPS) revenue slipped in Q2, with its international segment mitigating the decrease. Part of that decrease came from reducing the volume of parcels UPS processes from Amazon. Director and CEO Carol Tome told investors on the carrier’s Q2 earnings call that its financial results “reflect the impact of a complex macro environment, driven by ever-evolving trade policies, as well as the significant actions we are taking to strengthen UPS’ competitive and financial positioning.” She cited data from consultancy firm McKinsey & Company that indicated consumer spending on discretionary categories, including restaurants and automobiles, outpaced growth in essential items for the first time in three years. Additionally, she said, manufacturing activity in the U.S. “remains soft.” In turn, those macroeconomic factors impacted market demand. “The overall U.S. economy demonstrated continued resilience, but our sector, specifically the U.S. small package market, was unfavorably impacted by U.S. consumer sentiment that was near historic lows,” Tome told investors.

Consumer confidence rebounded slightly in July as Americans felt more optimistic about the future even as they continued to worry that tariffs would lead to higher prices. The Conference Board’s Consumer Confidence Index rose by 2.0 points in July to 97.2 from 95.2 in June. The Present Situation Index — based on consumers’ assessment of current business and labor market conditions — fell 1.5 points to 131.5.  The Expectations Index — based on consumers’ short-term outlook for income, business, and labor market conditions — rose 4.5 points to 74.4.  “Consumer confidence has stabilized since May, rebounding from April’s plunge, but remains below last year’s heady levels,” said Stephanie Guichard, senior economist, global indicators at The Conference Board. “In July, pessimism about the future receded somewhat, leading to a slight improvement in overall confidence.”

Direct mail delivers proven results, but are you getting the best possible performance from your campaigns? Many marketers skip testing because they assume it’s too complex or too expensive. But here’s the truth: You don’t need a massive budget or sophisticated tools to run smart, insightful direct mail tests. In fact, small, strategic tweaks can lead to big boosts in response rates, ROI, and campaign learnings. Here’s how to make direct mail testing simple, practical, and worth your time.

Mattel’s goal is to keep prices as low as possible, according to executives.  “We’re committed to the uninterrupted supply for a wide range of high-quality products and providing the right balance of price and value for our customers,” said Ruh, who joined the company roughly two months ago.  With nearly 80% of toys imported to the U.S. coming from China, the category could prove to be especially vulnerable to the impact of tariffs. That is on top of a consumer base that is already stating prices will impact their purchasing behaviors during the back-to-school season, per an ICSC report.  However, CEO Ynon Kreiz doesn’t see consumers as any more price sensitive compared to a year ago, as the company has been working “very closely with our retail partners when we consider pricing” headed into the second half of the year and the holiday season.  The company expects the total tariff exposure for this year before any mitigating actions to be under $100 million. Mattel last quarter forecast a $270 million impact from tariffs.

There's no better place to invest in your team's growth than Paper Meets LIVE! Whether you're developing rising stars or deepening relationships with key partners, maximize your visibility and impact by bringing multiple members of your organization. Paper Meets LIVE! 2025, co-hosted by AF&PA and NPTA, will take place Sept. 16-18 at the Opal Sands Resort in Clearwater Beach, Florida. Representatives from virtually every segment of the paper industry supply chain attend this annual event. Attending can spark collaboration and connection, accelerate leadership development, and align your team around industry trends and opportunities.

Founded in 1775 — before the founding of our country, in fact — the United States Postal Service is celebrating 250 years of continuous service. In a statement on its website about the impressive achievement, the agency notes, “On July 26, 1775, a year before declaring independence from Great Britain, members of the Second Continental Congress appointed Benjamin Franklin the first American Postmaster General at a meeting in Philadelphia. Our founding fathers knew that a robust, reliable, and secure means of exchanging information was critical to unify the distant parts of our nation — and to maintain unity once we achieved independence.” So not only is Ben Franklin a pillar of the print community, he is also the father of the mail space as well. An impressive legacy to say the least.

The White House on Wednesday released its AI Action Plan, a set of proposals developed by the Trump administration to meet the United States' goal for dominance in artificial intelligence (AI). Here is what we know so far.  The 90 federal actions focus on three areas: increasing private-sector innovation, expanding AI-related infrastructure and exporting American AI. The goal is set on "winning the AI race" against global competitors like China. “The United States must also drive adoption of American AI systems, computing hardware, and standards throughout the world,” according to the document. “America currently is the global leader on data center construction, computing hardware performance, and models.”

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%).

SAPPI PRESENTS: Direct Mail and the Power of Sensory Marketing--Webinar TODAY sign up in the link below. Direct mail’s greatest strength is its physical presence. In today’s digital world, the tactile engagement of physical mail makes a powerful impact and leaves a lasting impression. It’s more than just a message—it’s an opportunity to strategically engage the senses and connect with consumers on multiple levels. Want to see how you can leverage the power of touch for your brand’s direct mail marketing plan?

Finally—a synthetic paper that checks all the boxes for performance and sustainability. Digital Edge Environmental Polyester is made from 100% post consumer recycled content and is 100% recyclable, thanks to a patented closed-loop process that delivers the same quality and durability as virgin material. Simply put, MIDLAND’s Digital Edge Environmental Polyester is the logical choice for printers and end-users alike who wish to excel in their approach to sustainability while minimizing their environmental impact.

Shoppers started back-to-school shopping early this year in search of deals to help offset higher costs. Nearly half (48%) of U.S. adults will make back-to-school purchases this year, according to ICSC's 2025 Back-to-School Consumer Survey. The majority (59%) expect to purchase most of their items in physical stores, up from 54% who said the same in 2024. Only 17% plan to shop fully online. Discount stores remain the most popular type of retailer for 62% of back-to-school shoppers, followed by Amazon (57%) and dollar/variety stores (42%).

From C-suite shakeups and bankruptcies to sticky inflation, tariff threats and anxious consumers, it’s been a challenging year so far for the retail industry. Uncertainty seems to be the dominant theme, among consumers and retailers alike. There’s no denying that the pace of store closures picked up considerably  these past six months, as former retail giants Party City, Joann, Forever 21 and, most recently, Rite Aid, all go dark. (On a brighter note, Big Lots got a last-minute reprieve and has been re-opening stores under its new owner.) But it’s not all doom and gloom, not by a longshot. Many retailers continue to expand. Burlington, Five Below, Nordstrom Rack, TJX Cos., Tractor Supply Co., Ollie’s, Boot Barn and Aldi are among the companies with robust expansion plans. And there are plenty more (including, of course, those perennial expanders Dollar General and Dollar Tree). Barnes & Noble has also returned to brick-and-mortar growth mode, with a smaller, more curated footprint.

Carriers pivot to chasing profitable customers rather than protecting market share Legacy parcel carriers FedEx and UPS have begun to discontinue commercial discounts, previously offered in response to increased market competition, prioritizing instead high-yield shipments and profitability to better meet Wall Street expectations, according to the TD Cowen/AFS Freight Index published this week. Businesses are paying more per package shipped with FedEx (NYSE: FDX) and UPS (NYSE: UPS) as the couriers’ ground networks lose volume at the bottom end and replace some of that with express volume as customers trade down in service levels. The shift of cost-conscious shippers to alternative providers with slower, cheaper services is reflected in the ground parcel cost per package reaching a record high of 32% above the index’s 2018 baseline during the second quarter.

Shoppers won’t let economic and political turbulence deter them from holiday shopping— but many will skip the old playbook.  Three-quarters (75%) of consumers say they’ll spend the same or more on gifts this year, with Gen Z (29%) and millennials (25%) leading the charge in spending more, according to Salsify's inaugural 2025 Consumer Holiday Shopping Report.  But from AI-curated gift guides and the digital takeover of Black Friday to the decline of social media’s shopping influence, consumers will rewrite the rules of the holiday season, noted the report.

Random House, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, will publish THE THIRD EYE, a book of personal photographs by renowned musician and Beatles guitarist George Harrison. Spanning the years 1963 – 1969, THE THIRD EYE will feature more than 250 intimate color and black and white photographs — the majority of which are previously unpublished — of the Beatles at work and at play, from Liverpool to Shea Stadium to Adelaide to India, all taken by Harrison. The book is being compiled and curated by Olivia Harrison, George’s widow. Included will be an essay by Olivia as well as George’s own words alongside the photographs.

Axel Springer, owner of Politico, Politico, Business Insider, Bild and Welt, is going all in on AI.  “Nobody in the company has to explain in the company why she or he is using AI to do something — whether to prepare a presentation or analyze a document,” said CEO Mathias Döpfner during an hour-long all-employee meeting last week, Status reports.. “You only have to explain if you didn’t use AI. That’s really something you have to explain because that shouldn’t happen.” Döpfner also lauded the development of AI.   “I tell you, what is happening at the moment with regard to technology is the biggest change in modern civilization,” The first wave of internet is nothing against these developments.”

The case wasn't as clear when factoring in offline sales. Although total sales decreased to their second-lowest monthly figure of the year, core retail sales followed ecommerce's trend of inching up. Online retail sales inched up in June compared to May, according to data from the U.S. Department of Commerce. That comes as total retail sales dropped steeply in the same time frame. However, both online and total retail sales increased year over year. The National Retail Federation said consumers continue to worry about the impact of government policies on the economy — specifically tariffs. “The economy is gradually slowing,” according to Matthew Shay, NRF president and CEO. He said the macroeconomic environment has not yet disrupted economic fundamentals and that shoppers still have the ability to spend on priorities. However, he also said it has impacted the psyche of American consumers.

Both Digital Commerce 360 and the National Retail Federation use 2024 sales as a starting point in their criteria for determining the top 10 U.S. retailers in 2025. Determining who the top 10 U.S. retailers are in 2025 depends on the criteria being used to compare them. After all, retailers sell in different ways through different channels. However, looking at retailers who rank based on annual global ecommerce sales, as well as by total domestic retail sales, shows just how vital online sales are to some of the industry’s most recognizable brands.

Despite elevated economic volatility, retail store managers are reporting healthy sales and in-store traffic — and they expect the positive momentum to continue in the coming months. That’s according to Levin Management Corp.’s 2025 Mid-Year Retail Sentiment Survey, which polled store managers in the firm’s 125-property leasing and management portfolio (focused on the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions). The survey also reveals how retailers are responding to disruptive technologies and evolving digital marketing tools to improve business processes and customer engagement.

The American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) released the June 2025 Printing-Writing Monthly report. According to the report, total printing-writing (P-W) paper shipments decreased 6% in June compared to June 2024. With a projected decline of exports, U.S. purchases of P-W papers decreased 4% in June compared to the same month last year. P-W paper inventory levels increased when compared to May 2025 – the second consecutive increase. U.S. purchases of uncoated free sheet (UFS) papers for the first six months of 2025 compared to the first half of 2024 decreased 1%. While the UFS inventory level increased 4% compared to May 2025, the current level is 16% lower than June 2024. Coated free sheet (CFS) paper shipments increased 3% compared to June 2024 while the inventory level decreased 1% compared to May 2025. CFS imports decreased 24% while exports increased 17% in May 2025. U.S. shipments of mechanical (MECH) papers increased 2% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. MECH inventory levels increased 25% compared to last month. MECH imports decreased 13% while exports increased 31% in May 2025.

Google just introduced a new feature in Gmail called “Manage Subscriptions.” That sounds innocent enough until you realize it’s basically an unsubscribe control panel that makes it ridiculously easy for users to cut ties with email marketers. One click, and your customer or prospect is gone from your email list forever. For consumers, this is a dream. For email marketers, it’s a gut punch. For direct mail marketers, this is a tremendous opportunity. People trust direct mail more — 82% say they view print marketing as more credible than digital Mail sticks around — it has a household shelf life of over two weeks When was the last time an email sat on someone’s kitchen table?

Municipal, the activewear brand co-founded by Mark Wahlberg, is evolving into a broader lifestyle company as it looks to deepen customer engagement and boost revenue beyond apparel. The company is laying the groundwork for what it calls “the Muniverse”: a retail strategy that includes properties like flagship clothing stores, coffee shops and gyms, all tailored to the surrounding community, co-founder Harry Arnett told Modern Retail. Municipal aims to have 20 flagship stores in the next seven years, and dozens of gyms in the next five to 10 years. Next week, Municipal will also launch a $100-a-year membership program for its most devoted customers. Perks include 10% off all purchases, free shipping and returns, and access to exclusive events.

With more than 300 tenants, it’s the largest mall in the state of Florida. This week it can make the claim that it’s the best mall in America. Aventura Mall, located halfway between Miami and Fort Lauderdale, has landed in the No. 1 spot of USA Today’s 10 Best Malls list. The paper lauded Aventura for its museum-worthy art collections, its chrome slide tower created by artist Carsten Holler and its claim to being the first site in Florida to host an Eataly.

At Canva, our mission has always been to empower the world to design, and that means helping people turn their ideas into reality, faster and more confidently than ever before.…

July might be peak summer, but for marketers, it’s the perfect time to start planning your fall direct mail campaigns. Fall brings a shift in mood, attention, and buying behavior.…

More than a decade after McGraw Hill was sold to the private equity firm Apollo Global Management LLC for $2.5 billion, Platinum Equity, which bought the company in 2021 for $4.5 billion, has filed…

See the latest news from USPS by following Midland's Matt Jensen on LinkedIn. An awesome one sheet outlines all 2026 core and add-on promotions, including some thoughts (bottom-right quadrant) on…

Customers saved billions while shopping Amazon’s millions of deals during Amazon’s biggest Prime Day shopping event yet. Prime members purchased millions of Alexa-enabled devices, and the Ring Battery Doorbell and…

Barnes & Noble and University Book Store are proud to announce a unique partnership and the opening of the Barnes & Noble University District Bookstore in Seattle, WA, on Wednesday,…

As retailers and brands seek to fight the uncertainty that comes alongside the always-shifting threat of tariffs, major retailers are telling customers they’re not raising prices on some items as part…

Dick’s Sporting Goods and Foot Locker may have taken industry observers by surprise with their acquisition deal last month, but one of their largest partners likely wasn’t. “Nike clearly bought…

Men’s Journal announced today that it’s returning to print after a more than two year hiatus with a Summer Edition launching this month. It will also be a substantial relaunch, coming in…

The first 24 hours of Amazon’s summer Prime Day sales event — which runs for four days this year — drove U.S. consumers to spend $7.9 billion online, according to…

Rising costs driven by tariffs are causing consumers across the globe to scale back spending, switch brands, and rethink long-standing habits — including summer travel. Forty-two percent of consumers are buying fewer…

Revenue growth for U.S. parcel shipping lagged volumes last year as an influx of new last-mile delivery companies put downward pressure on prices in a market that is expected to…

The Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday urged Amazon and Walmart to police their marketplaces for false "made in America" claims by outside companies. "Bureau staff have received information that third-party…

The publishing group has been included in the TIME100 list of Most Influential Companies, in the “Leaders” category. It’s a significant recognition – since the launch of the list in…

Back-to-School isn’t just for notebooks and backpacks anymore. This growing “marketing holiday”, driven by national retailer promotions, digital ad spikes, and consumer urgency, has become a goldmine for all retail…

Back-to-school spending among U.S. consumers is expected to rise 3.3% year over year to $33.3 billion, a new Coresight Research report estimates. More than two-thirds (68.8%) of respondents to Coresight’s survey…

More softness in adult nonfiction in the second quarter and slowing sales in adult fiction combined to drop unit sales of print books just over 1% in the first six…

Amazon Prime Day is shaping up to be a performance monster—not just for Amazon, but for the entire ecommerce ecosystem, according to a new Adobe forecast. Adobe expects online shopping…

When consumers feel uncertain—about the economy, the world, or their own budgets—they naturally become more cautious. But caution doesn’t mean connection is impossible. In fact, it’s in these moments of…

The U.S. ad market improved slightly in May, which expanded 4.4% over the same month a year earlier, according to just refreshed monthly data from Guideline's U.S. Ad Market Tracker.…

Amazon is fast approaching the United States Postal Service (USPS) as the nation’s top parcel carrier, signaling a seismic shift in the U.S. shipping landscape, according to new data from Pitney…

At Sam's Club Member Access Platform (MAP), we know that retail media is steadily growing more complex, and that’s compelling brands to look beyond impressions and clicks. That's why we’ve launched Omni‑Impact™, a breakthrough in retail media measurement that redefines how brands understand and optimize campaign performance. Omni‑Impact is not just another attribution tool. It’s a smarter, more strategic way to measure media effectiveness powered by AI, built on Sam’s Club’s proprietary membership data and designed to elevate the impact of every dollar spent with MAP. Unlike traditional multi-touch attribution models that rely on fragmented data and probabilistic assumptions, Omni‑Impact uses deterministic data from our closed-loop ecosystem to track performance with unmatched precision. Advertisers can finally see exactly what’s driving incremental sales across MAP channels and over time, with the clarity, consistency and confidence they need to make every dollar count.

LocaliQ, the Digital Marketing Solutions (DMS) business of Gannett Co., Inc. unveiled its next-generation conversational AI Voice Agent—a powerful new feature within Dash™ by LocaliQ. Dash is an AI-powered prospect and lead management software solution that helps businesses attract, engage, and convert potential customers through automated, intelligent conversations. This AI Voice Agent builds on the success of Dash’s AI-powered SMS agent—adding voice capabilities to create an innovative and seamless, omnichannel customer engagement experience. “AI-driven customer engagement is one of the fastest-growing frontiers in marketing,” said Bill Scanlon, General Manager of LocaliQ. “Every unanswered phone call represents not just lost revenue, but a missed relationship. By extending Dash from SMS to voice, we're giving businesses—from single-location shops to national brands— a straightforward way to turn every call into a live conversation that becomes a qualified lead, leading to scalable revenue growth.”

TC Transcontinental announced the acquisition of Middleton Group, a provider of retail services and point-of-purchase display solutions to leading North American retailers and brands. This strategic acquisition supports TC Transcontinental’s growth of its in-store marketing (ISM) activities, a market with attractive growth potential where the company already holds a leadership position in Canada. Founded in 1952 and based in Markham, Ontario, Middleton Group employs 65 people and provides creative, end-to-end retail marketing solutions. Its offering includes large-format printing, custom retail fixtures, and innovative display systems. Organically and through acquisitions, TC Transcontinental’s ISM business has grown significantly over the last several years. It now comprises nearly 1,000 employees and generated over $200 million in revenues in the fiscal year ended October 27, 2024.

It’s time to add a new scent to your direct mail to increase your response rates. Our sense of smell is extremely powerful. A scent can elicit vivid memories that take you to your mom’s kitchen growing up, to the beach, or just about anywhere you’ve been before. In fact, research shows that people recall smells with 65% accuracy after a year, while visual recall is around 50% after just three months. Our sense of smell is the most emotionally powerful sense, even above sight and sound. That’s because scent is processed in the limbic system; the part of the brain responsible for memory, emotions, and behavior. This neurological connection is why we react so strongly to fragrance and why it can make such a compelling impact in direct mail. Marketers are leaning into sensory experiences now more than ever. In a study by the USPS and Temple University’s Center for Neural Decision Making, tactile and scented direct mail outperformed digital ads in terms of brand recall, engagement time, and emotional response. Scented mail pieces were especially effective at sparking memory retention and increasing time spent with the piece.

Hearst Magazines announced an expansion of AURA that, for the first time ever, brings together Hearst’s proprietary targeting signals with Amazon Ads trillions of browsing, shopping and streaming insights for programmatic campaigns exclusively available in Amazon DSP. Debuting at Cannes, this new offering unlocks a powerful, privacy-safe connection between content engagement across Hearst Magazines’ 30+ U.S. brands paired with in-market shopping insights from Amazon Ads. Enabled through Amazon Publisher Cloud, advertisers can easily reach audiences at the intersection of inspiration and purchase intent. “AURA is already delivering incredible results for our advertisers — driving higher click-through rates, deeper attention and measurable brand lift,” said Lisa Ryan Howard, global chief revenue officer at Hearst Magazines. “As we see increased programmatic interest in our inventory — especially from DSPs like Amazon — it’s the right time to bring the power of AURA targeting and meet buyers where they’re already transacting.”

We’ve heard it a million times by now: “Print is dead.” It’s a mistaken impression (see what I did there?) because the evidence around us every day proves the opposite. While some roles for print may be in decline, as a communications channel, it has enormous power to reach audiences that digital alone just can’t match. A few months ago, I saw a headline for an article in The Drum — a London-based marketing and media website — that asked: “As agencies sniff out scent specialisms, is poly-sensory branding here to stay?” Having recently written about the use of scent in direct mail campaigns, I’m pretty familiar with how marketers in the print world regard sensory marketing: an opportunity to reach their audience.

This week, Nordstrom announced that in the fall it will open its 25th Rack store in Texas and its seventh in Georgia, the latest in the steady build-out of its off-price business in recent…

Quad/Graphics, Inc. a marketing experience company that solves complex marketing challenges for its clients, has been ranked 26 among the top healthcare marketing firms in North America according to the Medical…

Tariffs and trade disputes in recent months have challenged assumptions about what ecommerce growth will look like in 2025. Digital Commerce 360 is preparing to publish the 2025 edition of its…

Sun Day Red by Tiger Woods in print. Our first print catalog arriving to mailboxes now. Tiger Woods' apparel brand, Sun Day Red, is named with three words because of…

Ricoh announced the launch of its newest color light-production sheet-fed digital printers, the RICOH Pro C5400S and RICOH Pro C5410S (RICOH Pro C5400S Series). With professional color consistency and precise…

Following a competitive RFP process that began last fall, snack food and candy giant Mars Inc. has appointed Publicis to lead its media, production, paid social and influencer and connected commerce capabilities. …

We're proud to share that Canva has been named the #5 company on CNBC’s 2025 Disruptor 50 list – a recognition of private companies transforming industries and reshaping the future…

Consumers are taking an omnichannel approach when it comes to Father’s Day (June 15) shopping this year. A new survey from NieslenIQ reveals that 69% of shoppers are expecting to…

As global trade landscapes shift, understanding tariffs isn’t just for economists—it’s essential knowledge for any business operating across borders. From protecting domestic industries to influencing global supply chains, tariffs play…

There’s a reason people can’t stop touching Vuori’s joggers in the store. It’s not just the aesthetics or the fit (although those help). It’s something far more fundamental, and most…

Today, the Postal Regulatory Commission filed Order No. 8893-Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on the Statutory Review of the System for Regulating Rates and Classes for Market Dominant Products (Phase 2A…

Four retailers cracked the top 10 in a survey of the 50 for-profit brands that consumers feel best meet today’s “patriotism challenge.” Levi Strauss & Co., took the fourth spot in Brand…

Meta was hit this week with a new privacy lawsuit for allegedly secretly tracking users' browsing activity on mobile websites that embed Meta's analytics pixel, and linking that activity to…

Amazon.com  today revealed the Amazon Books Editors’ Best Books of the Year So Far list, with Charlotte McConaghy’s taut, psychological novel Wild Dark Shore earning the coveted No. 1 position. The Amazon…

Fold & tuck style cases - 15 cases per minute - No glue, no fuss—just a clean L-Clip seal Small shift. Huge impact. That’s what performance looks like. Ready to…

In a surprise move following a series of consecutive downgrades, Brian Wieser has boosted the outlook for U.S. ad-spending growth this year to 6.0%. That's nearly double the percent change he…

American consumers are increasingly anxious that tariffs on imported goods could dampen their holiday celebrations. More than half (61%) of respondents are concerned that tariffs will have an effect on…

When we launched Canva Print, we wanted every order to make a positive impact. Through our One Print, One Tree initiative, we've now planted over 10 million trees – restoring…

Direct mail continues to be one of the most effective marketing tools when done right. But even seasoned marketers fall into traps that can waste time, money, and impact. After…

Looking to build on its success with “Barbie” two summers ago for its other major toy brands, Mattel has announced the formation of Mattel Studios. Mattel will be combining its…

Target Corp. is ramping up investment in its third-party online marketplace, Target Plus, as it searches for growth in a turbulent retail environment marked by cooling consumer demand and persistent economic…

Despite doomsayer predictions, brick-and-mortar bookstores’ demise hasn’t come. In fact, local bookstores—and revived big-brand chains—are luring customers in with new incentives, merch, and cultivated communities. The Rising Popularity of Brick-and-Mortar…

Following a surprising high single-digit uptick in March, the U.S. ad market expanded just 1.7% in April, marking the weakest growth since September 2023, according to a MediaPost analysis of…

The New York Times Company and Amazon have announced a multi-year licensing agreement that will bring Times editorial content to a variety of Amazon customer experiences. This broadens the companies'…

As the $2 trillion global wellness market evolves, Gen Z and millennials are turning up the heat on food and beauty brands, blurring category lines, demanding personalization, and prioritizing function…

Every drop matters—and your paper choice makes a difference. MIDLAND'S new study breaks down real ink consumption rates so you can print smarter and boost profitability. Run High Speed Inkjet?…

For over 40 years, kids nationwide have competed to win a personal pan pizza for reading a certain number of books for the Pizza Hut Book It Summer Reading Program.…

In preliminary readings for May, The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index increased by 12.3 to 98.0, up from 85.7 in April. The Present Situation Index — based on consumers’ assessment of current business and…

April’s data reflects a cautious consumer mindset. Although browsing activity has increased, signaling continued interest in products and services, consumers are carefully evaluating their options. Sessions were up 9.64% year-over-year, indicating heightened consumer interest or browsing activity across retail websites. However, despite the traffic growth, orders were down -0.68%, suggesting that while more consumers are browsing, many are hesitant to follow through with purchases. A significant influence was the ongoing impact of tariffs introduced earlier this year, which led to higher prices on select categories, particularly electronics, home goods, and apparel. Price-sensitive consumers may have deferred purchases or shifted to lower-cost alternatives, contributing to the flat demand growth of just 0.27% year-over-year.

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has updated the industry's 25-year-old digital ad agreement terms through a collaboration with brands, agencies, publishers, ad tech, and legal experts. The updates should improve performance. Brands, agencies, publishers, ad tech, and legal experts collaborated with the IAB on the updated terms. In fact, 276 IAB member companies participated in redefining the terms. The goal is to bring the document and processes into the 21st century and prepare for a future of high tech and innovation, while helping to prepare the ad industry for what’s to come. Some of the changes will include faster and direct media purchases done programmatically or through a series of agentic agents.

As tariffs once again dominate political headlines, they’re also driving consumer anxiety—even as spending hasn’t yet dropped. Gartner’s latest research shows that Americans are uneasy about the economy and trade policy but still feel reasonably confident about their ability to afford essentials and indulgences. That disconnect presents a unique challenge for marketers. Kate Muhl, vice president and analyst in Gartner’s marketing practice, tells Marketing Daily why CMOs need to prepare now for a potentially volatile fourth quarter—and why simply cutting prices or promoting “Buy American” may not be the answer.

Google confirmed Thursday to MediaPost that it ran a limited experiment with a handful of publishers serving ads in chatbots before making AdSense for Search (AFS) broadly available to sites that host conversational AI interfaces earlier this year. AFS has been a long-standing product that allows publishers to show ads on relevant queries within the search results on a publisher’s page. The AdSense network was traditionally used to place ads in search results and across websites. Now it is running ads in chatbot interactions.

March came in like a lamb and went out like a roller coaster ride in the U.S. ad marketplace, according to just-refreshed data from Guideline's U.S. Ad Tracker. The index, which decelerated to 2.4% in February -- the worst expansion since the last ad recession ended -- bounced back to a 7.8% gain in March, implying a relatively healthy signal for the U.S. ad marketplace despite continuing concerns about the nation's economy, the macroeconomy, and geopolitical instability that have some economists predicting another looming recession.

New Street Research in a note published Tuesday, revised revenue and advertising models downward. The analyst firm expects forecasts for U.S. and global ecommerce -- as well as for digital advertising, excluding China -- to fall. U.S. ecommerce growth for 2025 is now projected at 4.5% -- down from 7.5% -- and globally, excluding China, dropping to 6.5% from 9%. The firm also lowered its estimate for digital advertising growth. U.S. growth is expected to fall to 5.9%, down from 11.3%. Globally, excluding China, is expected to drop to 6.8%, New Street analysts wrote in the report.

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.

Amcor has released the third edition of its European consumer claims research report. The report reveals that recyclability claims are the most influential on consumer purchase decisions. This coincides with a growing preference for paper-based packaging. The report shares Amcor’s 2025 findings, which builds on the company’s previous 2020 and 2022 research. Based on the responses of 3,351 consumers surveyed in the UK, Italy, France, Germany, Sweden, and Poland – the report provides brands with valuable insight into ‘The Sustainability Influence’ and how consumer preferences are accelerating the move to more responsible packaging. Key findings include: *Awareness and interest in recyclability is strong with 84% of consumers reporting that they check on-pack instructions to inform how they dispose of products. *71% of consumers understand claims that state ‘made with recycled materials’. This has risen by 4% since 2022. *Paper-based packaging is a growing trend, with 72% of consumers reporting that they understand paper-based packaging claims and use them to inform purchasing decisions.

"Forward bookings" -- or advanced U.S.ad sales -- for April/May expanded just 1.8% vs. the same two-month period a year ago, indicating that the second quarter is pacing to be the weakest growth since the last ad recession, according to just-released estimates from Guideline. The disclosure is an early indicator of continuing deceleration for the U.S. ad economy, and affirms the trend line revealed in Guideline's recent February update for the U.S. Ad Market Tracker, which showed one of the weakest months of ad spending growth since the last ad recession ended in April 2023.

RRD introduces Iridio, a unified marketing solutions partner formed to streamline marketing execution and drive meaningful outcomes. Designed for today’s increasingly complex marketing environment, Iridio offers a flexible, composable service stack that scales from single-channel support to fully integrated campaigns. With 96% of CMOs often managing up to 20 fragmented vendors, Iridio solves complexity as a single solution for strategy, creative services, technology, data and analytics and media execution. “The modern CMO wears many hats — marketer, brand builder, technologist and data expert," said Andy Johnson, Senior Vice President and Head of Iridio. "They also juggle siloed agencies and vendors. Iridio cuts through the complexity and chaos, bringing together all the core elements under one unified team."

A gym in South Carolina has sued Meta Platforms for allegedly overcharging Facebook advertisers a collective $4 billion, starting in 2013 and continuing for at least four years. In a class-action complaint filed late last week, Iron Tribe Fitness alleges that Facebook failed to honor representations that its auction system “would inherently protect bidders from overbidding.” The allegations center on Facebook's system for charging advertisers that submit winning bids in auctions. Iron Tribe, headquartered in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, alleges that Facebook purported to use a version of a “second price” auction system but instead, inadvertently, used a “blended price” system. The move to a “blended price” system was due to an error in a 2013 software update, according to the complaint.

In today’s competitive marketing landscape, getting noticed isn’t enough—your brand needs to connect on a deeper level. Enter identity marketing: a strategy that moves beyond features and benefits and instead taps into who your customers are—and who they want to become. After exploring Veronica Romney’s work on identity marketing, I saw incredible opportunity for applying these insights to direct mail, one of the most personal and tangible marketing channels we have. At its core, identity marketing is not about your brand—it’s about your consumer. It’s about understanding how your audience sees themselves and aligning your brand with their identity and aspirations. Done right, this approach can turn ordinary marketing into something truly transformational. Rather than saying “buy this,” identity marketing invites customers to “be this.” It positions your brand as a guide helping customers become the best version of themselves.

In a time when misinformation is everywhere and consumer skepticism is at an all-time high, trust has become marketing’s most valuable currency. And for all the new tools and platforms marketers have adopted in the digital age, one channel consistently earns that trust more than any other: direct mail. Despite years of predictions about its decline, direct mail has not only survived — it’s thriving. In fact, it’s become the quiet powerhouse in omnichannel marketing strategies. As digital fatigue, privacy concerns, and ad fraud undermine confidence in online media, marketers and consumers alike are rediscovering the value of physical mail. The stats tell the story. Americans are seeing more ads than ever, but believing fewer of them. Social media feeds are crowded with questionable claims, sponsored content is often indistinguishable from organic posts, and AI-generated misinformation is rampant. Inboxes are overrun with scams, phishing attempts, and generic automated messaging.

The Association of National Advertisers is urging House Republicans to endorse a nationwide opt-out privacy standard that would override state laws, arguing that a federal law would lower costs for businesses. A national standard “would help alleviate the substantial compliance burden imposed on businesses, eliminate confusion that may arise due to potentially conflicting state standards, retain well-functioning sectoral safeguards, and help small and startup businesses continue to offer innovative services in a competitive online marketplace,” the Association of National Advertisers writes in comments sent Monday to the House Energy and Commerce Committee's Privacy Working Group.

Unlock a dual advantage for your business: demonstrate a deep commitment to environmental responsibility while driving real operational and financial growth. SGP certification is more than a badge—it’s a catalyst for transformation, turning your sustainability goals into a competitive advantage. SGP certification is the leading sustainability certification for the print and packaging industry. It equips companies with a robust framework to implement and track sustainable printing practices, reduce waste, and improve compliance with environmental regulations. Whether you’re a commercial printer, wide-format facility, or packaging provider, certification with SGP signals to your clients, employees, and industry peers that you’re serious about sustainability—and serious about results. Starting your SGP certification journey is a transformative experience. It begins with a detailed self-assessment: evaluating your current practices, identifying inefficiencies, and aligning your operations with best-in-class environmental standards. While the process is rigorous, the rewards are substantial. It fosters greater awareness of your facility’s resource use and emissions, and helps you build a culture of continuous improvement.

As consumers grapple with inflation, tariff uncertainty and a difficult macro-economic environment, they are prioritizing cost over brand loyalty. The overwhelming majority (77%) of consumers are actively changing their purchase behavior in response to price increases, according to EY’s “Future Consumer Index,” which surveyed more than 20,000 consumers across 26 countries. Slightly more than a third (34%) no longer consider brands when making purchasing decisions, with 54% of respondents only buying branded products when they are on sale. The increasing adoption of private label products is reshaping consumer perception, making store brands the preferred alternative to traditional branded options — 67% say private label satisfies their needs just as well as branded products. Thirty percent of respondents say they no longer consider brands at all when making purchasing decisions.

Despite a plethora of challenges that artificial intelligence (AI) brings to the advertising industry, advancements in the technology will change even the fundamentals of how brands, agencies and publishers reach and interact with consumers. Not all in the industry are ready for the change, according to findings released today by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). The IAB’s State of Data 2025: The Now, The Near, and The Next Evolution of AI for Media Campaigns provides the first industry benchmarks on AI use, adoption, and perceptions, as well as challenges, opportunities, and future needs within the media campaign lifecycle.

After a soft start in January, headwinds persisted for many brands in February. Retailers faced a challenging environment as consumer confidence continued to decline amid ongoing uncertainty surrounding tariffs and the U.S. economy. Overall, sessions rose by 2.32%, but conversion challenges remained, with orders down -9.05% and demand falling -7.6% compared to February 2024. Apparel, outdoor, and specialty brands struggled, while home retailers saw gains in orders and sales. Brands of all sizes are feeling the impact of slowing consumer demand. Consumer confidence is at its lowest level since June 2024, and economic uncertainty is likely to continue. Brands that adjust pricing strategies, strengthen customer engagement, and highlight value will be better equipped to navigate uncertainty and capture opportunities in the coming months.

Sustainability is no longer a one-size-fits-all message. As more consumers become aware of environmental issues, their attitudes and actions toward sustainability vary widely. A recent international report by GlobeScan, backed by a mix of global brands and environment-focused initiatives, sheds light on these differences—identifying four distinct consumer mindsets regarding sustainability. These insights can help brands, including those in the print and paper industries, tailor their messaging and products to better engage customers. Based on a survey of over 30,000 consumers across 31 markets, GlobeScan’s Road to 2025 report categorizes consumers into four groups: Anxious Inactives, Indifferents, Enthusiasts, and Minimalists. Each group requires a unique approach to encourage more sustainable behaviors. Let’s explore each mindset and how companies can effectively reach them. Anxious Inactives (28%) - The largest segment of the population, Anxious Inactives, are environmentally conscious but feel overwhelmed by the scale of the climate crisis. Many of them—especially Gen Z consumers—experience guilt and anxiety about their personal impact, which often leads to inaction.

One of the main reasons direct mail campaigns fail is the lack of clear goals. Before launching your next campaign, take the time to define your objectives. Many businesses skip this step because they find it challenging, don’t know where to start, or aren’t sure what’s expected of them. But setting the right goals is crucial — without them, your campaign is just a shot in the dark. To help you get started, here’s a practical guide to setting effective direct mail goals that drive results. Key Components of Direct Mail Goal Setting: 1) Make Your Goals Meaningful 2) Be Specific 3) Stay Flexible 4) Make It Challenging but Achievable 5) Ensure Your Goals Are Supported 6) Write Down and Share Your Goals

Bipartisan lawmakers on Tuesday again introduced a bill that would further restrict companies' ability to collect and harness data from users under the age of 17. The Children and Teens’ Online Privacy Protection Act, introduced by Senators Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) and Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), would expand the current children's privacy law by prohibiting website and app operators from knowingly collecting personal data from users between the ages of 13 and 15 without their consent. Currently, federal law prohibits online companies from knowingly collecting personal data from users under 13 without their parents' consent.

Consumer behavior is predictably unpredictable, says Vidhya Srinivasan, vice president and general manager of Google Ads, but AI advancements have found new ways for businesses to reach people with engaging experiences on Google and YouTube. "Capturing people’s attention today is a big challenge," Srinivasan wrote. She added that helping businesses solve it is a top priority. Srinivasan on Monday published her 2025 letter to the industry, sharing insights on how consumer behavior is changing and ways that Google can help. She also announced this year's Google Marketing Live event, scheduled for May 21.

The 2025 ad market got off to a strong start in January, expanding 7.4% over the same month a year ago, and marking the best January recorded since Guideline began indexing it with the U.S. Ad Market Tracker in 2013. January's growth follows a healthy 8.5% year-over-year expansion in 2024, which ended with a 14.8% jump in December ad spending.

While January typically sees a post-holiday dip in consumer activity, the fall this year was more pronounced than anticipated. National events and weather patterns competed for consumer attention, while persistent price sensitivity and a marked decline in consumer confidence further dampened demand. Overall website sessions dipped -2.73%, with greater declines in orders (-9.88%) and demand (-12.57%) compared to January 2024. Converting customers was more challenging than last year for many brands. Despite easing inflation, consumers remain price sensitive. Increasing units sold, and refining product assortments will be important levers to drive growth in the current DTC/retail environment.

Meta is offering advertisers more control over their ad placements through comment and publisher controls as well as “blocklists” supported by additional third-party brand-safety and measurement companies, including DoubleVerify and Zefr, in addition to Integral Ad Science (IAS). The tech giant first announced its support of blocklists -- automated lists that brands can use to make sure their ads are not displayed alongside potentially disagreeable content -- last October when it partnered with IAS. Now, brands can work directly with IAS, DoubleVerify and Zefr to create blocklists for any category across Facebook and Instagram Feed and Reels, “so long as they adhere to the Meta's Discriminatory Practices policy,” the company says, adding that “businesses should ultimately decide what their suitability preferences are.”

Every interaction shapes your brand experience—so we’ve built our agency to ensure those interactions are seamless, intuitive, and aligned with your customers’ needs. As a brand experience agency, we take a holistic approach to creating impactful, memorable connections that drive lasting loyalty. Through insights, strategy, and execution, we help brands move people and inspire action. We exist to make brands more human. So are you searching for new ideas and fresh thinking? Do you want a brand experience agency that helps solve problems? Let’s build something unforgettable.

Marketing is evolving at breakneck speed, and 2025 is set to redefine the game. AI, hyper-personalization, and shifting consumer behavior are transforming how brands connect with audiences. From AI-driven search engines reshaping discovery to new privacy regulations forcing a first-party data revolution, brands must adapt or risk falling behind. In our recent webinar, Amsive experts Michael Coppola, CEO, and Lily Ray, VP, SEO Strategy & Research broke down the five biggest digital marketing shifts for 2025 with Ruben Quinones, SVP, Client Strategy.

Businesses increasingly recognize the importance of environmentally friendly practices, especially when it comes to packaging, proper disposal and recycling, and using truly sustainable materials like paper. However, a new trend has emerged: companies are becoming more cautious about how they communicate these initiatives. Amid a rise in greenwashing lawsuits, where businesses are accused of overstating or misrepresenting their environmental efforts, many companies are shifting to a more subdued approach. This change reflects not only legal caution but also a growing demand for transparency and adherence to credible standards, such as the FTC’s Green Guides in the U.S. or the Competition Act in Canada. In an era when consumers actively seek eco-friendly options, companies have made efforts to demonstrate their commitment to sustainability. Terms like “biodegradable,” “recyclable,” and “carbon neutral” have appeared more frequently on packaging and in marketing.