Getty Images

DEAL WITH IT

It’s Amazon Prime Day versus Walmart Deals in a retail discount showdown

Walmart has been powering through the e-commerce world, bringing in $79 billion in revenue last year and growing explosively... just like Amazon in its prime.

Claire Yubin Oh

7/7/25 10:57AM

When e-commerce titans clash, the ground shakes, websites take longer to load, and (maybe) you get a bargain on that tablet you’ve had your eye on. That’s what could happen as Amazon and Walmart’s flagship annual discount periods are pitting the retail giants head-to-head.

Double dating

This year’s Amazon “Prime Day” promotion will start from July 8 to 11, overlapping with the “Walmart Deals” sale, which runs from July 8 to 13. For the first time, Amazon has also extended its two-day Prime Day(s) sale from two to four days — a change Walmart answered by stretching its own event from four days to six.

Annual discount periods are a significant revenue driver for both online and brick-and-mortar retailers, but they also help platforms stay top of mind for consumers.

This year, Amazon is expected to sell $21 billion worth of goods during its 96-hour extended Prime Day, per Bank of America, a staggering 60% jump on last year’s effort.

Walmart and Amazon's e-commerce — Sherwood News

Amazon has long dominated the world’s online shopping landscape, but rival Walmart, whose US e-commerce business raked in $79 billion in revenue last year, has been catching up in a daunting, precedented speed — similar to Amazon’s explosive growth in the late 2000s and early 2010s. With a fleet of 4,600 stores as its online unit’s backbone, Walmart’s promotion this year will also feel a little like Amazon’s, with its Prime-like Walmart+ subscription at the center of its discounted period, as members get early access from July 7.

It’s Amazon vs. Walmart. The winner? Maybe bargain-hunting consumers. The losers? Any non-billion-dollar online stores trying to sell stuff over the next week.

Max Knoblauch4h

Electronic Arts launches a platform to put more ads in its games

Video game publishing giant EA launched a new platform on Monday designed to make the process of selling immersive ad space in its popular games easier.

The company says the platform, called EA Advertising, allows brands to “integrate directly into gameplay through dynamic, real-time placements, from stadium signage to custom in-game content.”

More so than other studios, EA has incorporated advertising into its most popular titles. As Kotaku points out, the company’s ad efforts stretch as far back as 2006. Several of its sports franchises already feature partnerships with brands like Visa, Lowe’s, Red Bull, and PepsiCo.

In-game advertising hasn’t exactly been embraced by fans, but industry experts expect it to ramp up as companies seek more revenue to offset higher games budgets and surging memory costs. EA rival Take-Two has taken a different approach, with CEO Strauss Zelnick recently saying the company was “not at risk of doing brand partnerships” in the forthcoming “Grand Theft Auto VI,” and that ads in full-price games seems “unfair.”

The $55 billion deal to take EA private, led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, is set to close at the end of this month. Being the largest leveraged buyout in history, EA will likely look for more ways to boost revenue to cover interest payments.

Electronic Arts Makes Push for Ad Dollars Tied to Sports

Millie Giles6/11/26

JM Smucker says it sold $1 billion worth of Uncrustables in FY2026

After years of booming sandwich sales, JM Smucker has finally earned a billion-dollar crust.

On Tuesday, the company reported results for fiscal year 2026, highlighting better-than-expected profits driven by higher prices for coffee and sweet baked goods. However, at another point on the earnings call, CEO Mark Smucker pointed to one particularly jammy figure: in line with previous forecasts, the company sold $1 billion worth of its (almost always) crustless sandwiches, Uncrustables, in the last year alone.

Max Knoblauch6/8/26

Paramount reportedly offers concessions to resolve multistate antitrust investigation

Paramount has reportedly offered up some concessions in an effort to prevent an antitrust lawsuit by California and about 10 other states, according to Bloomberg reporting on Monday.

Reuters first reported on the potential suit from a group of unnamed states last week, which could throw a wrench in Paramount’s plans to buy rival Warner Bros. Discovery in a Hollywood megamerger.

The list of concessions is unknown, though Bloomberg previously reported that Paramount is open to divesting some of its kids TV assets to appease EU regulators.

Late last month, reports said US regulators appeared likely to approve the $110 billion merger, following a meeting between Paramount CEO David Ellison and DOJ antitrust staffers.

Paramount Offers Concessions to Head Off State Antitrust Lawsuit

The list of concessions is unknown, though Bloomberg previously reported that Paramount is open to divesting some of its kids TV assets to appease EU regulators.

Late last month, reports said US regulators appeared likely to approve the $110 billion merger, following a meeting between Paramount CEO David Ellison and DOJ antitrust staffers.

$98B ⛽

Max Knoblauch6/8/26

The IATA released its latest financial outlook for the airline industry over the weekend, forecasting a $98 billion jump in the sector’s collective fuel bill. The world’s largest trade group representing airlines expects the oil spike to halve profits by 49% from last year to $23 billion.

The group also expects profit margins to halve year over year, falling from 2025’s 4.2% to 2%. Still, revenue is expected to climb to $1.17 trillion from $1.07 trillion.

A surge in the cost of jet fuel has rocked US and global airlines this year, leading Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, and others to raise fares and ancillary charges like bag fees. Low-cost carriers, which operate on smaller margins, have been squeezed the hardest, resulting in Spirit’s shutdown.

“It’s a tough year for all airlines, especially those whose balance sheets had not yet recovered from COVID. And, of course, for those operating in the Gulf,” said IATA Director General Willie Walsh, who added that demand is holding up and about half of passengers expect to spend more on travel this year. “That bodes well for a strong northern summer peak season. The big unknown is how long travelers and shippers can tolerate the higher costs of connectivity.”

Hollywood Exteriors And Landmarks - 2025

1 year into the Switch 2, we might’ve seen the top of the console market

The Switch 2 launched on this day in 2025. Amid a rough year for consoles, Nintendo has logged a good one.

Max Knoblauch6/5/26