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Nearly half of parents plan to use BNPL for back to school.

Aug 05 2026

Nearly half of parents plan to use BNPL for back to school. Buy now, pay later shopping has become a regular part of young consumers’ spending in recent years, and parents with tight BTS budgets are no exception. A new Omnisend survey shows 45% of households will be using it, a slight increase from 39% last year. Comparatively, the survey shows only 22% of parents plan to use credit to make the budget work. But with 40% of parents expecting to feel more financial stress this year than last, some are going further. Nearly a third (30%) are planning to spend less on entertainment and family activities, and 21% see themselves dipping into savings. And though sales are always part of BTS, brands looking to appeal to parents are all about emphasizing low prices and value this year, like Kohl’s, Walmart, Staples, and Dollar General. (Retail Dive)

Hoodies are the new overabundant clothing item for teens.

Aug 05 2026

Hoodies are the new overabundant clothing item for teens. YPulse has been reporting on hoodies as status items for Gen Z teens for a while now, from the infamous Pink Palm Puff to Fear of God Essentials. Like previous gens may have filled drawers with graphic tees, teens are stocking up on hoodies that reflect where they’ve been, what activities they do, and what brands they’re fans of. The logos, colorways, team names, cities, and more that they wear are very much part of the obsession, making their hoodies an identity statement. Parents aren’t quite as happy with this collection fad though; hoodies are a bulky item to store, especially when there’s dozens. Fitting all the hoodies in teens’ rooms and transporting them to dorms when college starts is becoming something of an organizational art that doesn’t seem to be going away anytime soon. (Washington Post)

The Odyssey may spark a tourism boom in Italy.

Aug 05 2026

The Odyssey may spark a tourism boom in Italy. Christopher Nolan’s latest adaptation (which YPulse told you is already a Gen Z-favorite!) was partially filmed on an island off Italy’s coast. Months before the movie even hit theaters, local tourism officials were already promoting the destination, inviting visitors to “explore the locations that inspired the film’s atmosphere.” According to estimates cited by La Repubblica, The Odyssey could generate roughly $287M in tourism revenue over the next three years—more than twice the impact of The White Lotus—with long-term projects topping $500M. The interest is certainly there: YPulse’s Western Europe Travel data shows 29% of 13-39-year-old Europeans have visited where a movie / TV show was filmed, while another 31% are interested. (Variety)

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Brands may have to rethink strategies amid Europe’s social media bans.

Aug 05 2026

Brands may have to rethink strategies amid Europe’s social media bans. From France to the U.K., many governments are becoming more stringent on age restriction policies for kids on social media. But European brands spend about €35.5B a year on social media advertising and 54% of 12-15-year-olds in the U.K. discover new items they want to buy through social media, so brands may have to readapt to reach younger audiences. Some brands like Dove are already experimenting with reaching young consumers on different channels like Substack and WhatsApp. Other experts believe that long-term creator partnerships and fewer one-off campaigns will be key—and that the ban will only accelerate AI assistants becoming the main source of product discovery. (Fortune)

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