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JANUARY 13, 2026 |
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What percentage of US adults have used a clothing rental service like Rent the Runway or Nuuly in the last 30 days? |
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A) 7% B) 17% C) 27% D) 37% |
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TOP STORY |
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Retailers face an uphill battle when it comes to loyalty and enticing repeat customers in 2026. Customers challenged by high prices are searching for the best deals wherever they can find them. And compared with practical considerations like convenience and customer satisfaction, brand love isn’t as effective in influencing customers as some marketers think. |
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IN THE NEWS |
Google brings checkout to AI mode as it races rivals in agentic commerce. Google is leveraging its search dominance and tech muscle to present itself as a plug-and-play solution for brands seeking a quick start to agentic commerce. Read online |
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Other headlines: |
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Amazon rethinks brick-and-mortar with a new retail playbook. Amazon plans to open a nearly 230,000-square-foot store in a southwest suburb of Chicago, which would resemble a Walmart or Target superstore. Read online
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Strong holiday sales can’t hide signs of retail softening. While several mall-based retailers managed to push past macro headwinds last year and outpace expectations, the latest guidance suggests those pressures are catching up to them. Read online
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Aldi plans to open 180 US stores this year. Aldi is one of several value-focused grocers ramping up expansion as consumers become increasingly cost-conscious. Read online | | | |
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ANALYSIS |
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If you've spent time on LinkedIn, you’ve seen a new class of professionals talking about "vibe marketing” as a new way to approach traditional marketing tasks through the heavy use of AI automation, orchestration, and experience-building. |
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"[Vibe marketing is] this fusion of a smart person with domain expertise using artificial intelligence in ways that extend your capabilities far, far beyond what you as an individual could do," said Marc Sirkin, founder of Marc Sirkin Consulting and former CEO of Third Door Media, "whether that's data analysis, copywriting, design, strategy, frameworks, etc." |
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