Walmart turns store data into AI fuel: In-store behavior and searches could train Sparky, helping Walmart avoid becoming a back-end for AI platforms.

New duties of 10% to 12.5% on key US trade partners revive cost pressures at a difficult time for retailers.

Consumers’ value focus hasn’t diminished spending, Ulta says.

Better assortments and store upgrades win over the retailer’s higher-income customer base.

Generational differences in credit behaviors point to need for increased credit flexibility at the POS.

Security, reputation, and fees outrank mobile UX when choosing a bank, lifting BofA and Chase.

Reduced employer coverage of weight loss drugs could push patients to cash-pay options or off treatment, increasing pressure on pharma companies to lower prices.

Gen X chatbot users (69%) outpaced both Gen Z (65%) and millennials (65%) in ramping AI chatbot use over the past 12-18 months, second only to Gen Alpha's 80%, according to a February 2026 Gracenote study.

Google AI Overviews remake the funnel: As post-purchase queries top 94%, brands should treat help docs as prime search real estate.

Google adds AI opt-out: UK regulators prompt a toggle letting publishers skip AI Overviews without hurting non-AI search rankings.

Meta widens teen guardrails: Global safety rollout and content caps aim to address legal blows and calm wary regulators.

Why every streamer wants podcast deals: A flurry of exclusive video deals offers streamers a low-cost way to drive viewership.

X debuts React with Video: Vertical responses invite brand tie-ins through creators, yet declining US reach and trust issues temper marketer enthusiasm.

Half (50%) of US adults said they didn't notice any offers during their most recent restaurant purchase, compared with 46% in retail and 32% in groceries, according to a March 2026 PYMNTS Intelligence study conducted by FIS.

Amazon spotlights low-cost groceries and Alexa+ to drive sales and deepen engagement.

Itemized receipt splitting put Venmo, Cash App on notice for seamless P2P.

Amazon’s ad machine isn’t seamless: Twitch gets outside sales help, denting the Big Tech giant’s pitch as a unified media buy.

Celebrity star power may boost Paze’s visibility but limited acceptance will hold it back.