Executive Summary

• This week’s note “From the Desk of Deborah Weinswig” discusses how Americans are spending more time viewing content on their smartphones, but also smoking less, signing up for gym memberships and spending more time with pets.
• Amazon is looking to expand its checkout-free store format to airports in order to serve travelers in a hurry, according to public records and a person familiar with the strategy.
• British retail footfall fell by 3.2% in November, according to figures from Springboard and the British Retail Consortium. Shopping centers and retail parks saw footfall drop by 3.8% and 1.4%, respectively, in November, while high-street footfall slid by 3.8%.
• A consortium spearheaded by Chinese branded sportswear company Anta Sports has made an offer to buy Finnish sporting goods company Amer Sports in a deal worth approximately €4.6 billion ($5.23 billion).