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NewsBriefs

This article contains summaries of news stories recently posted under Holiday sales predicted to set record
Breaking Industry News on our homepage. For links to these and other
full news stories, please visit www.greensheet.com/breakingnews.php. The National Retail Federation is projecting retail sales
will surpass $1 trillion for the first time, driven by resil-
ient consumer spending despite inflation and trade un-
certainty. The NRF expects growth between 3.7 and 4.2
percent over last year, supported by strong employment
and wages. Americans in the study plan to spend an aver-
age of $890.49 on gifts, food and seasonal items, with gift
budgets particularly rising among families with children.
With nearly all U.S. adults intending to celebrate winter
holidays, online shopping remains dominant, but grocery,
department and discount stores also rank high.

Shifting marketing, payment Gift cards top wish lists, followed by clothing, books, per-
patterns this holiday season sonal care goods and electronics. Retailers face consumers
who are simultaneously price-conscious and determined
Shifting behaviors are reshaping how shoppers discover to indulge loved ones, balancing economic caution with
and pay for products. Constant Contact's Small Business the enduring tradition of holiday generosity.
Holiday Outlook revealed that many businesses are in- Digital wallet users to dominate by 2030
tensifying marketing, with U.S. companies quadrupling
their launch of new holiday campaigns since last year and Juniper Research predicted digital wallet usage will grow
40 percent ranking social media as their most impactful from 4.4 billion users today to exceed 6 billion global us-
channel. Loyalty to small businesses remains strong, ac- ers by 2030. Adoption is accelerating due to convenience,
cording to The Strawhecker Group and the ETA, though flexible funding and rapid innovation. Providers must dif-
payment preferences vary significantly by geography. Ur- ferentiate through value-added services rather than basic
ban consumers use digital wallets, P2P apps and QR codes functionality, incorporating BNPL features, virtual cards,
far more than suburban or rural shoppers. In addition, identity credentials and rewards. Wallets must support
PayPal's new survey found that 77 percent of respondents diverse models—from stored-value and staged wallets to
plan to use AI tools for deal-hunting and gift discovery. crypto-based options—while enabling card and account-
Court backs Fed's refusal to let to-account payments.
fintech access payment rails Loyalty incentives, gamification and super-app capabili-

A federal appeals court affirmed the Federal Reserve's au- ties will be crucial in markets where digital payments are
thority to deny master account access to fintechs, dealing mature, while emerging economies offer growth through
a setback to Custodia Bank, a Wyoming-chartered crypto- financial inclusion. Interoperability and cross-border us-
focused institution seeking direct access to Fed payment ability are becoming competitive necessities as consumers
rails. The Tenth Circuit upheld a lower court ruling that expect seamless global functionality. Platforms that fail to
Reserve Banks possess discretion in granting master ac- evolve risk losing ground to traditional financial institu-
counts; allowing entities with elevated risk profiles could tions integrating wallet-like services into their ecosystems.
undermine financial system stability. Banking groups Cash making a comeback this holiday season
praised the decision for reinforcing regulatory safeguards.
Custodia argued that eligibility should guarantee access, PwC reported a surprising shift in the 2025 holiday sea-
but courts disagreed, finding no statutory mandate re- son: cash is regaining prominence at checkout, with 48
quiring Reserve Banks to approve applications. However, percent of consumers planning to use it—up seven points
the debate is not settled. Fed Governor Christopher Waller from 2025. Gift cards nearly doubled in popularity as both
suggested exploring "skinny" master accounts tailored for a payment method and gift choice. Yet credit and debit
fintechs, with capped balances and limited services, to cards remain dominant, with more than half of consumers
support innovation while mitigating risk. ranking credit cards among their top three payment meth-
ods. Fulfillment preferences are diversifying, with strong
interest in home delivery, buy-online-pick-up-in-store and
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