$2.3B Vizio Pivot, Walmart's Screen-to-Shelf Play, B2B Gift Cards Accelerate

Good morning, ! This week we're tracking comfort-first spending surges, how AI is quietly de-risking the consumer sector, Walmart’s big retail media swing with Vizio, and why gift cards are the new B2B growth lever.

Plus: sentiment’s ticking up—but tariffs and rates still cap confidence. 

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— The Consumer150 Team

TREND OF THE WEEK

Consumer Sentiment Climbs, but the Ceiling’s Still Low

U.S. consumer sentiment ticked up to 61.8 in July, its highest mark since February, but still far from pre-2024 levels. After a sharp drop this spring, consumers are finally blinking into the economic sunlight—but not without sunglasses.

The Current Conditions Index jumped to 66.8, signaling marginally better feelings about personal finances. Meanwhile, inflation expectations eased, and that’s helping sentiment—year-ahead projections hit a five-month low of 4.4%.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves: expectations for the future (58.6) are still anchored by interest rate anxiety, tariff fatigue, and wallet-watching. Brands may see more traffic, but big-ticket confidence hasn’t shown up yet. (More)

CAPLINK x PE150 PRESENT

Where Story Meets Strategy—and Capital Moves | US Open Series

This US Open, 150 Media x CapLink Group will host a private, invite-only morning at the intersection of elite athletic brand power and modern private equity strategy. Two iconic panels. One room.

The lineup includes some of the most influential figures behind the greatest athlete-brand partnerships of the past 25 years.

The focus? How reputation, narrative, and legacy can be transformed into durable equity value. How agents and founders structure long-term capital plays. And what PE can learn from the people who built brands that last a century.

A few limited sponsorship opportunity are available for firms looking to align with this room of principal investors, operators, agents, and allocators. Branding, thought leadership, and curated access—all structured around editorial integrity and audience trust.

If this event looks like it could be a fit, reach out to help shape it from the ground up! Once we announce our speakers, it may be too late 🙂.

To learn more about sponsorship, contact: [email protected]

ECOMMERCE

Growth Is Dead. Long Live Growth.

U.S. eCommerce keeps climbing—but quietly. Q1 2025 saw $275.8B in sales, up 5.6% YoY, with online now making up 15.9% of all retail. It’s a long way from 1% in 2000, and yet... the vibes are different.

Pandemic-era hypergrowth is done. YoY gains have tapered to low-single digits. Instead, we’re seeing a new kind of momentum: stability with upside. Thanks to AI personalization, mobile UX, and cross-border reach, the ceiling’s still rising—just more slowly. Call it boring if you want. But this is what retail maturity looks like. (More)

DEAL OF THE WEEK

Walmart Turns Vizio Into a Private Label—And an Ad Juggernaut

Walmart is folding Vizio into its private label lineup by year-end, capping off its $2.3B acquisition with a move that’s less about TVs and more about advertising. Vizio’s SmartCast OS and advertising tech will be leveraged to power Walmart Connect, the retailer’s in-house retail media platform.

The ambition? To turn every screen into a shoppable experience and push further into the $54.5B U.S. retail media space—expected to hit $165B by 2030. Walmart’s 270M weekly visitors and 90 private labels (20 of which are billion-dollar brands) give it a rare advantage in the high-margin ad game. By making Vizio TVs exclusive to Walmart and Sam’s Club, the company gains full control over data, inventory, and customer engagement.

Why it matters: This isn’t just another hardware tuck-in. It’s a bold bet that the next frontier in consumer monetization isn’t just shelf space—it’s screen time. As retail media blurs with entertainment, Walmart is positioning itself as a distribution + discovery engine. (More)

PRESENTED BY TIMEPLAST

Former PepsiCo Exec Invented A Plastic That Dissolves in Water

If anyone knows a thing about plastic’s impact on the planet, it’s Manuel Rendon. The former PepsiCo executive and environmental engineer is using his 20 years of expertise to solve one of the world’s biggest problems with Timeplast.

Up to 450 million metric tons of plastic are wasted each year. Microplastics seep into our bodies, and mountains of bottles pile up in the ocean. But Timeplast has patented a water-soluble, time-programmable plastic that vanishes without harming the environment.

Major players are already partnering with Timeplast for its patented technology—their sales grew 6,000% in the first month.

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BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE GIFT CARD CAFE

The Rise of the British Corporate Santa

B2B gift cards aren’t just stocking stuffers anymore—they’re now strategic weapons in the corporate playbook. The UK market is worth £8B, with 70.1% of that in B2B. Employers are using them for employee rewards, customer incentives, and even government aid. During the pandemic, while high streets flatlined, gift cards thrived. Now, digital formats are taking over, aligning with the quest for zero-carbon and mobile-first life. And the kicker? Brands selling through B2B networks are seeing 12–20% sales uplifts—because nothing says “brand exposure” like a corporate gifting spree. (More)

CONSUMER TECH

Consumer Brands Outperform on AI-Driven Risk Control

42% of consumer companies say AI is delivering better risk mitigation—outpacing the broader economy by five points, per PwC’s 2024 survey. It’s the clearest signal yet that AI’s real-world ROI in consumer markets is happening not in flashy chatbots, but in the boring stuff: trust, compliance, and control.

That includes enhanced stakeholder trust (39%) and regulatory compliance (36%)—both slightly ahead of the cross-sector average. But it’s not all upside: cyber posture (32%) and resilience (31%) lag behind.

Bottom line: Retailers are winning on perception and process, but still vulnerable where it counts—resistance to attacks and adaptability. (More)

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR

Comfort Wins: Why Consumers Are Splurging in 2025

When consumers splurge, they’re not chasing status—they’re chasing comfort. According to Deloitte, 21% of respondents said their recent indulgent purchase was driven by the need for something comforting, outpacing more functional motivations like “practical or useful” (12%) or even “relaxing” (16%).

The emotional calculus behind spending is shifting. Value is being redefined not just in dollars or durability, but in how a product feels. From cozy loungewear to nostalgic snacks and aromatherapy gadgets, consumers are gravitating toward purchases that offer emotional payoff—especially in uncertain times.

Why it matters: For consumer brands, the takeaway is clear: emotional resonance now outperforms utilitarian value. Investors and marketers should prioritize SKUs that tap into comfort, escapism, and self-care. If it doesn’t soothe or delight, it risks getting left on the shelf. (More)

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"In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity."

Albert Einstein