Memorial Day has come and gone, but the Fourth of July is already shaping up as the bigger test for retailers this summer. This year’s holiday carries added meaning, with July 4, 2026, marking 250 years of American independence and putting fresh attention on how the country celebrates and spends.  The added attention is showing up in survey data, with the National Retail...

Generative AI has rearranged how people find what they want online, and many businesses are learning that the search tactics they relied on for years no longer behave the way they expect. For nearly three decades, the arrangement between Google and the companies that depended on it was relatively simple. Businesses climbed the rankings, Google sent visitors to their websites, and...