Retail Marketing Spend Up, Birkenstock Leads

Deutsche Bank notes sector-wide rise in consumer acquisition costs, pressuring margins across retail and apparel firms.
Companies Birkenstock, Burlington and Ross Stores poised to benefit; Nike, Lululemon likely must raise spend.
Retailers are shifting to data‑driven marketing to capture wallet share as elevated energy prices tighten household budgets.
Analysts expect this marketing tug‑of‑war to dominate boardroom discussions through the rest of 2026.