On today's podcast episode, we discuss how Amazon turned its ecommerce business around, how much its new AI shopping assistant moves the needle, and what's really driving its ad business. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Zak Stambor and vice president of content Paul Verna.
Sometimes, consumers don’t behave how we expect. Despite their digital-native status, Gen Zers still shop in-store, while baby boomers are all about new-kid-on-the-block Temu. And though they’re still mostly children, Gen Alphas are making their mark on the retail landscape.
Ulta Beauty is using in-store vending machines to bring more joy to the shopping experience, and AI enables it to analyze more customer data for personalization. The retailer is also training its store associates to engage younger beauty consumers.
The debit card gave Affirm a boost in active users and strong numbers, but to continue this pace of growth, Affirm may need to get creative
Whoever takes over the portfolio will gain 12 million cardholders—a large but potentially risky volume opportunity
The company got a boost from getting users to adopt its payments software, helping gross payment volume increase 69% YoY
Digital wallets are fast becoming consumers’ preferred way to pay, both in and out of the store.
In just five years, retail media went from a $1 billion segment to a $30 billion segment. With US omnichannel retail media ad spend poised to reach $59.98 billion this year, per our October 2023 forecast, non-retail industries from health and fitness to restaurants and financial institutions are looking to build out their own media networks.
Walgreens’ Nice! brand mango gummies went viral: An influencer’s TikTok video about the candy drove a surge in demand, offering a case study on why private label sales are soaring.
US import volumes rose 8.3% YoY in December: Experts say imports will continue to rise, even as attacks in the Red Sea lead to delays and increased costs.
Department stores are in urgent need of reinvention: Sales slid in Q4 as they struggled to meet consumers’ needs, opening the door for takeover bids.
Amazon and the FTC find common ground over fake reviews: While the FTC continues its push to ban the practice, Amazon pursues legal action against bad actors.
On today's podcast episode, we discuss how much Amazon's new shopping chatbot can move the needle, what Planet Fitness' out-of-home ad network looks like, becoming a digital mannequin to see what clothes look like on you, whether minutelong soap operas will catch on, who the smartest people in the world are, and more. Tune into the discussion with vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian, analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf, and vice president of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti.
Return fraud cost retailers $101 billion last year, per NRF estimates: That poses a challenge as merchants need to balance mitigation measures with customer satisfaction.
Shein and TikTok hunt for logistics and supply chain operations talent: That’s driven them to open office spaces in Seattle, where they aim to poach current and former Amazon employees.
Slowing growth, layoffs, and a push to improve profitability set PayPal up for “transition year.”
The BNPL industry is angling for long-term profitability by exploring subscription services and reworking loyalty strategies
But in-person are transactions still vital to the company’s strategy, unlike many competitors that are going all in on digital remittances
Strategic partnerships boost Pinterest: Amazon and Google deals fuel revenue and international expansion—while MAUs nearly hit 500 million for the first time.
Shoppers are relying on their smartphones more, as enhancements in mobile payments, social media checkout, and retailer apps make purchases easier than ever. This year, US shoppers will spend $558.29 billion on their mobile devices, accounting for 44.6% of overall ecommerce sales, according to our November 2023 forecast. We delve into the consumer embrace of mcommerce, unpacking three key drivers.