Customers can use Affirm at Walmart’s self-checkout kiosks, which will help the firm capture more of Walmart’s in-store sales

his year, just over a quarter (26.7%) of all search ad dollars will be spent on retailer and retailer-affiliated properties. Over the next few years, retail media will account for more new search ad dollars, and by 2027 it will represent well over a third (37.2%) of the market

China’s economy is in a tough spot: Wages offered to Chinese workers fell by a record amount in the latest sign that China has yet to push past its challenges.

Auto sales bounced back last year: But high sticker prices and elevated borrowing costs are keeping many consumers on the sidelines—though this could unlock opportunities.

Starbucks bets on breakfast while more QSRs get into beverages: The coffee chain is hoping its new menu will encourage customers to buy more and visit more often, as well as hold off the competition.

Apple faces an uphill battle to get consumer attention this year: It shed over $100 billion in market value and is facing pressure to innovate with foldable phones and AI.

Landmark lawsuit against AI giants: New York Times' case could reshape AI's future with respect to content rights.

2023 sees box office resilience with $9 billion in revenues: As Universal leads, Disney’s Marvel titles falter.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the most important retail trends we're watching in 2024: How retailers will try to compete less with Amazon online, how China's influence will shake up online shopping in the US, and buying retail media networks. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analysts Sky Canaves and Blake Droesch.

Sales of smartphones over $600 grew 6% in 2023, with Apple leading despite emerging market shifts. GenAI on upcoming handsets could kickstart upgrade cycles in 2024.

New training models can clone the human voice and even alter tone, emotion, and accents. The potential for innovation is high, but so is the danger of scams and deepfake abuses.

Coursera launches a generative AI ‘coach’: The technology is a focal point for the education system as AI skills are in high demand. Now AI is teaching those skills too.

Generative AI faces an uphill legal battle: A number of copyright lawsuits are stopping advertisers from adopting the tech.

It’s a new year, which means new predictions. Our analysts have already made a number of big predictions for 2024, but here are a few more from our newsletter team. We’re keeping an eye on generative AI, attention metrics, and Gen Alpha—and we expect to see more ads in more places along the way. Here’s what we’re watching.

Marketers have upbeat outlook for 2024: Digital channels will continue to gain favor, but measurement challenges loom.

Streaming services are raising subscription prices to nudge viewers to choose advertising plans. While striving toward profitability amid rising content costs, streaming services have prioritized ad-supported tiers, which tend to generate more revenues per user than ad-free tiers.