Retail & Ecommerce

Retail media is going to be digital advertising’s “third big wave,” following search and social as “must-haves” for marketers. But some marketers are struggling with how to implement and optimize, shared Nikhil Lai, senior analyst at Forrester, during an Advertising Week session on Tuesday.

Persistent inflation is weighing on foot traffic: Yet many brands continue to see strong growth thanks to their ability to deliver value and a great customer experience.

We predict consumer spending will remain strong this holiday season with 7.0% growth to $1.297 trillion, though much of the gain will be due to inflation. But competing crosscurrents driving consumer demand will also determine how the season performs. Here’s our take on which factors are most likely to dominate.

Kroger’s acquisition of Albertsons faces an uphill battle: The move would help Kroger scale its business and retail media network, but reduced competition could raise prices for consumers.

Beyond static billboards: Though traditional outdoor signs still account for the majority of spending on out-of-home ads, digital formats are making gains.

Instacart, Uber, and Lyft try to make gig work more appealing: With workers still hard to come by, all three are adjusting pay and emphasizing flexibility to improve recruitment.

Digital coupons present an opportunity for retailers this holiday season: As inflation drives shoppers to look for deals, offering discounts can spur spending and encourage consumers to share data.

JPMorgan, Citi, Wells Fargo, and Bank of America reported double-digit card spending growth but are wary of economic conditions.

The Amazon worker unionization movement is stalled: Workers at an Amazon warehouse near Albany, NY, vote against forming a union.

People are excited to celebrate Halloween: That helps explain why 87% of consumers plan to spend on the holiday this year—a 16 percentage point increase from last year.

DoorDash’s latest ad moves are designed with CPGs in mind: The delivery platform launched several new tools to make it easier for brands to build, manage, and measure campaigns.

On today's episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss the best-in-class examples of retailers who are leading the charge in experiential retail, in-store technology, and high-touch customer service. Then for "Red-Hot Retail," our analysts give us their very specific—and potentially risky—predictions about where brick-and-mortar stores are likely headed. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman and analyst Yory Wurmser.

Shein embraces resale: But allowing US shoppers to buy and sell previously owned items will do little to counter serious critiques of the company’s labor practices and environmental policies.