Through the Lens with David Gill: Consumer Insights on Travel, Alcohol, Retail, and Back-to-School

Welcome to Through the Lens with David Gill, VP of Consumer Insights at Rakuten Advertising. Fair warning: this is not your typical blog. If you are not here for sharp, timely insights and actionable advice delivered with honesty, some irreverence and humor, you’ve come to the wrong place.

Let’s start with a question I ask myself far too often: how did I get here?

Consumer research was not the plan. It found me. I started in game development software sales, rode that wave to mobile phones, then the iPhone changed everything and measurement became essential. I spent a decade at Nielsen torturing the ad spend versus time spent conversation during the mobile shift, learning from some of the best in the business along the way.

I landed at Rakuten Advertising a decade ago through the acquisition of an ecommerce measurement startup using machine learning to turn e-receipts into insight. It is the sort of thing your friends forget very quickly.

Now, 10 years later, I have learned a lot, but one thing is clear: clients want honesty about what is working and what is not. Data is powerful, but it is useless if it never leaves the building.

Through the Lens is my attempt to set that data free, paired with what I am seeing and hearing in the market. Hopefully with a bit of levity and a human perspective. AI will not be writing this, and I hope the authenticity and candor resonate.

With that said, buckle up.

Consumer Insights on Travel and Hospitality

Travel and hospitality are shaping up to be both the most dynamic and most vulnerable sectors this summer. Vacation budgets are getting a haircut, and if inflation and energy prices hold, expect more trade-offs into the fall: shorter stays, closer destinations, and a little less “treat yourself.”

That creates an opportunity for mid-tier hotels to lean into value, and for drive-to destinations to benefit as travelers swap flights for road trips. Maybe we will even see a return to the staycation. * insert eye roll *

The ripple effects are real, too. Expect softer demand for luggage, and a potential dip in pre-trip splurges like apparel and accessories.

Travel demand remains active, but consumer budget pressure is driving shorter trips, closer destinations, and more value-focused choices.

Consumer Insights on Alcohol Category Shifts

Alcohol sales are struggling, with US consumption at a 50-year low. This is thanks to changing health trends and the fact that a margarita at the Biltmore in Scottsdale now requires a small loan.

But here is the twist: people are imbibing less, but the point of sale is likely where the major shifts are happening. I may regret this take like I regret a third Old Fashioned, but do not bet against this sector staying down.

Brown-Forman certainly is not. They recently passed on two acquisition offers, including one at a 36% premium. That suggests they might see something most of us do not: drinkers are buying online and mixing it up at home.

For brands watching purchase behavior, these consumer insights matter. Lower consumption does not always mean lower opportunity. Channel shifts and at-home occasions may tell a more important story than topline volume alone.

While alcohol consumption is down overall, channel shifts may be telling a more important story for brands watching future demand.

Consumer Insights on Early Back-to-School Shopping

Back-to-school keeps cutting the line. In 2025, backpack sales peaked by the second week of July, the earliest I have seen. Dorm essentials usually kick things off in July, followed by backpacks and sneakers peaking in August.

With Prime Day creeping into June, expect an even tighter runway before back-to-school is in full swing. The category is not slowing down. It is just showing up earlier every year.

For marketers, that means planning earlier, launching earlier, and accepting that “summer planning” now needs to happen before summer even starts. These consumer insights reinforce a simple reality: seasonal shopping patterns are shifting, and brands that wait for the traditional calendar will miss the moment.

Back-to-school demand is arriving earlier, shrinking the window for brands to influence shoppers at the right moment.

Consumer Insights from LEGO’s Product Strategy

Who does not love LEGO? The brand just released a $695, 7,000-piece Lord of the Rings Minas Tirith set. LEGO has perfected a K-shaped product strategy that aligns with the same economic trend.

They offer high-end hero sets for adult fans who buy first and think later, plus low-cost impulse buys at places like Target checkout. It is a SKU for every budget and every level of obsession, which is why they dominate the category.

Consider your product strategy. Do you have doorbusters and hero products? Something for your best fans who will buy at any price? You should.

This is one of the clearest consumer insights brands can apply immediately: a tiered assortment helps capture both premium demand and value-driven shoppers without forcing a one-size-fits-all strategy.

LEGO wins by serving both premium buyers and value shoppers, proving that a tiered product strategy can capture demand across the market.

If you are here for real data, unfiltered commentary, and consumer insights you can actually use, then you are in exactly the right place. Through the Lens will keep unpacking the trends, shopper behavior, and retail shifts shaping what brands should do next.