Too many retailers are shutting down: 2019 just hit its halfway point, but already the number of planned retail store closings has exceeded the total for all of 2018.

Apple supplier Foxconn’s initiative to produce high-end iPhones in India opens new doors for Apple to use India as an export hub, including to the U.S., and also gives Apple better access to one of the world’s fastest-growing economies—and mobile phone markets. Indian consumers have felt very optimistic economically, and technology is a popular category for spending disposable income, as data from the Conference Board Global Consumer Confidence Index shows.

How do you make life insurance fun and engaging for consumers? Brooks Tingle, President and CEO of John Hancock Insurance, spoke at the recent Customer Experience Conference on how John Hancock uses technology and consumer insights to enhance and innovate the customer experience in life insurance.

Overall spending growth has remained strong and can stay strong in 2019 as long as a strong labor market and consumer confidence remain in place, and policy surprises like dramatic changes to trade policy are kept to a minimum.

Companies need to build a mechanism to gauge consumers’ preferences for causes and integrate that with a measurement framework across all stakeholders of an organization. Sumair Sayani, vice president at Nielsen and Consumer Dynamics co-Center leader, suggests what this model might look like.

Artificial Intelligence is the most effective method for engaging customers, fueling innovation, and accelerating personalized customer experiences. AI is a differentiator in the customer experience space because it can capture enormous amounts of data, analyze it quickly, and produce targeted, personalized experiences that engage consumers. Being able to deliver personalized, empathetic customer experiences quickly, will allow organizations to secure happier, more brand loyal customers.

Regulatory, structural, and behavioral challenges give companies an opportunity to differentiate themselves on customer experience. Enterprises in heavily regulated fields can differentiate by melding compliance into superior CX. For manufacturers, making the impact on the customer tangible for those far from direct customer contact creates opportunities for improved training and metrics. For retailers, competition for customer attention drives CX leaders to design for emotional connections.

With all the positive economic indicators, consumer facing businesses are asking some important questions: How is this sunny picture reflected in the actual near-term spending decisions of US consumers? And looking ahead, is consumer spending more likely to be the fuel that keeps a soaring US economy aloft—or the drag that is going to bring it back down?