The US toy industry has returned to growth in the first half of 2025, after a flat 2024. Even with a sales decline in 2023, sales are up 6% year over year in 25, and after three years of stagnation, the average selling price also climbed 3% year over year. Who's driving the growth? Well, believe it or not, it's adults.

New data from a study from Wonder Kind highlights the following: 53% of those surveyed said, US consumers are paying the financial costs for imported goods. This share was even higher for older people expressed by 67% of boomers and 61% of Gen X as well as women at 55% believe that consumers are the ones bearing most, if not all of the cost increases. Only 10% think retailers take on the cost, and 13% pointed to brands or manufacturers that bear this cost.

Detroit came in 7th in the Midwest based on the current rankings, Columbus, Ohio at 6th, Ann Arbor moves up from 7th to number 5 in this month's rating displacing both Detroit and Columbus, moving them down each a notch. Pittsburgh at number 4, Indianapolis at 3, Minneapolis at 2, and the number one city in the Midwest for startups as they've been ranked in 2025, Chicago.

As expected from the digital first generation Gen Z shop and buy on mobile more than any other generation, and what they're shopping for is influenced by influencers more than any other source. Gen Z is health conscious. Nearly 15% of Gen Z's monthly digital transactions are focused on their wellbeing.

While most small businesses reported increasing revenues in the past year, alongside fewer instances of contracting margins or staffing difficulties. This positive sentiment is countered by many [00:01:00] small business owners. In particular, those in those rural areas that worry about their longtime survival, threatened most of all by what they qualify as concerns over general macro poor economic conditions, which emerged as the overwhelming primary reasons cited by 46% of those rural, small businesses.

Fast casual restaurants typically have more insulation from a downturn because they target higher-income customers than traditional fast food. Rising unemployment and lower discretionary spending are forcing consumers into even more scrutiny over their spending these days and one area hit particularly hard is this category.

Most consumers believe that it's the consumers who are bearing most, if not all, of the increased costs created by tariffs. So what's the impact? Perception, whether real or not, can impact consumer sentiment, and we're seeing that in the marketplace today. This represents another challenge for retailers. One key recommendation is to focus on transparency when it comes to pricing today. Show how the cost of tariffs is being shared by both your business and consumers alike, as opposed to your customers having to foot all of the increased costs.

While marketing makes a good short term sacrificial lamb, targeting marketing might just cause more damage in the long term as marketing cuts can result in risks to product and brand visibility, as well as market share and customer loyalty. These are tough times for many small business to operate in today, try to find ways to make cuts more broadly across your business as opposed to what seems to be a focus on cutting from the marketing budget only.

Consumers will be prioritizing in the following categories: 45% will plan to spend on gifts for family, 35% specifically will spend on gifts for children, 31% plan to spend on holiday meals. Factors to influence purchasers during the upcoming season? 55% plan to utilize discounts and coupons or promotions, 43% will be focused on convenience, 35% say it's product reviews and ratings that's most important. To engage holiday shoppers this coming season, you need to be thinking about omnichannel shopping.

Inside Radio publication reports, despite economic headwinds and an evolving ad market radio remains a steadfast medium, continuing to reach more Americans daily than any other audio platform, emphasizing local market resilience and the growing importance of digital and off air revenue streams to the future of the radio business.

2025 was initially forecast to be a record breaking period for travel with the International Air Transport Association projecting 5.2 billion people would fly globally this year. That bullish prediction is likely to fall way short. The bottom line, the trouble brewing for the travel sector is consistent with other indicators that consumers are more economizing with a focus on value and purchases that are viewed as necessities, as opposed to luxuries.

Remote work is still a major trend when it comes to how we work here in the state of Michigan. In 2025, 48% of organizations report offering formal remote work options for all or part of their workforce. While this marks a decline from 66% reported in a similar 2023 survey on flexible work practices, it remains the most common long-term approach.

The battle between Tractor Supply Company and Amazon as Amazon expands its ambitions into the heartland w/ the announcement of its plans to upgrade delivery service into more rural communities. Amazon plans to invest more than $4 billion by 2026 to expand its delivery network into rural America. This is just another clear sign that the power of convenience and favorable pricing when it comes to winning consumer spending trumps all, tough day for any business competing when Amazon shows up in town.

Working from home proven to reduce carbon footprint

One product category that is experiencing more demand than ever, but is suffering due to the impact of rising prices is wellness. Demand is high, but for many, making purchases for wants or needs is out of reach due to the higher and higher pricing they're having to face these days. Brands that democratize access without compromising quality and trust will unlock mainstream adoption and a lasting competitive advantage that comes from winning that customer as a result.

Where do Americans get their news these days? On social media platforms. We've been trending in that direction, but now it's official. Research outlined in the digital news report, 2025, conducted by the Reuters Institute, found that social media and video networks have become the main source of news in the US.

The days of trying things and experimenting and simply seeing what works best are at least temporarily on hold, as we must be, as sure as we can be with our marketing and sales campaigns and spend these days as we go after that highly coveted share of consumer spend.

What's driving this: price hikes and potential product shortages they may face later in the season. Some major retailers have already announced their plans to pass cost increases onto consumers, and that makes consumers get their shopping done now before prices increase even further. So if you're a retailer who depends, at least in part, on a successful back to school shopping season. It's not too early, as counterintuitive as it may seem to begin, thinking about displaying inventory, pushing promotions, and catering to the early back to school shopping cohort, already active in getting their back to school shopping done early this year.