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JANUARY 30, 2026 |
Today’s Retail Daily is sponsored by LinkedIn Ads. Find your audience by role, company, and beyond—and get more from every dollar spent. That’s the power of Linkedin Ads. |
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In this edition: |
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TOP STORY |
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In place of the monthly retailer rankings, “ Behind the Numbers” has launched the Unofficial Monthly Retailer Awards (UMRAs). Each month, the awards will spotlight retailers that stand out in three key categories: Most impactful campaign, best in-real-life initiative, and best under-the-radar move. Analysts will nominate standout brands, and host Suzy Davidkhanian will select the winners based on their cases. |
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Here are January’s picks. |
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IN THE NEWS |
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Retailers pressured to take stand on ICE as economic blackout plans spread. Retailers around the country are bracing for a planned economic shutdown today, as activists call for a national strike to protest increasingly aggressive and violent incidents involving US federal law enforcement agents. |
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Retailers brace for tariff-driven price hikes in 2026. The volatile and unpredictable nature of the Trump administration’s tariffs weighed on brand margins last year and is expected to remain a meaningful drag in 2026. |
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Starbucks reworks Starbucks Rewards to deliver more value. This time around, Starbucks Rewards will feature three tiers: Green, gold, and reserve. |
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Southwest Airlines’ transformation may drive both a short-term profit and long-term cost. Anticipated gains reflect a fundamental shift in Southwest’s business model, including the move from open seating to assigned seating, the introduction of paid extra-legroom seats, and fees for checked baggage. |
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ANALYSIS |
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“We’re treating CTV as if it’s TV that streams, but it’s a very different medium,” said our analyst Jacob Bourne at EMARKETER’s virtual CTV Summit. |
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CTV ad spend will surpass TV ad spend by 2028, EMARKETER forecasts. While CTV is pulling budgets from linear TV, marketers who don’t adjust their strategies could miss out on CTV’s full value. |
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