Retail & Ecommerce

US consumers are shopping online more as they continue to avoid brick-and-mortar. According to a recent eMarketer study conducted by Bizrate Insights, health, food and beverage purchases made digitally are seeing an uptick. Apparel, not so much.

eMarketer principal analyst Andrew Lipsman discusses how the coronavirus pandemic will affect retail and the balance of power between Amazon and the competition. He then talks about eBay appointing a new CEO, 'Amazon Shipping' being put on hold and Le Tote and Lord & Taylor going online-only.

Joe Kudla, founder of Vuori, speaks with eMarketer vice president of business development Marissa Coslov about the fashion and leisure brand’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, including how it's redeploying its workforce to avoid layoffs and connecting with consumers. Made possible by Salesforce.

As the Great Recession receded, one might have expected people to drift away from active economizing. Instead, US consumers across income levels added new retail venues (like digital resale) to their money-saving mix, while doubling down on older methods (like buying private-label goods). Thus, they’re poised for serious bargain-hunting if the coronavirus pandemic yields a serious recession.

Over the past few weeks, online grocery stores and meal kits have seen a stream of orders coming in, not only from existing customers, but also new ones looking to avoid physical stores during the pandemic. Plant-based meal company Splendid Spoon is one of those receiving demand.

More retailers are prolonging their return policies and encouraging consumers to continue sheltering in place and practice social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Since early March, the coronavirus crisis has posed an unprecedented threat to the retail industry across Western Europe. In most countries, only retailers that sell food, drugs and other essential items can do so in physical stores.

The logistics space has changed quite a bit in the nearly two decades that Brie Carere has worked at FedEx, thanks in large part to ecommerce.

Over the past few weeks, retailers have closed their stores indefinitely as the coronavirus continues to spread in the US. Many brands, like athletic apparel seller Vuori, have shifted their focus to ecommerce and social media channels to stay connected to customers. We recently spoke with Vuori's founder, Joe Kudla, about his company's direct-to-consumer (D2C) beginnings, as well as its ongoing efforts during the pandemic.

New polls on consumer responses to the coronavirus pandemic reveal that when it comes to fear, finances and boredom, generational stereotypes may not hold true.

eMarketer principal analysts Mark Dolliver, Andrew Lipsman and Nicole Perrin discuss lessons that businesses can take from the last recession and the effect it had on ad spending. How will digital hold up? Which channels are advertisers pulling back from? Will the US stimulus package help? They then talk about what consumers will likely spend less on if they lose their jobs, why Twitter will now allow COVID-19 ads and the knock-on effects of moving Amazon Prime Day.

Some consumers are refraining from buying items they might have been eyeing before as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, particularly big-ticket purchases. According to March 2020 GlobalWebIndex data, nearly a third of US internet users ages 16 to 64 have delayed booking any vacations.

Juan Lavista, LATAM marketing and insights head at MercadoLibre Advertising, speaks with eMarketer vice president of business development Marissa Coslov about the ecommerce technology firm's response to the coronavirus pandemic, how marketers are adjusting their advertising campaigns in the wake of the crisis, and the most searched products in Latin America. Made possible by Salesforce.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is creating a major drag on the global economy, it’s helping to accelerate the development and commercialization of several emerging technologies that have, until now, received lukewarm public and/or government support.

In less than two weeks' time, the coronavirus pandemic completely changed the ways in which millions of UK residents grocery shop and order food. On March 20, Prime Minister Boris Johnson ordered cafes, bars and restaurants to close for eat-in customers; three days later, all residents except workers in essential jobs were told to stay home as much as possible, going out only for groceries, medical needs or solo exercise.

With the impact of the coronavirus still ricocheting throughout the economy, it can be difficult to envision retail one day returning to normal. And yet, somehow it will—and much of it will look virtually indistinguishable from the pre-crisis reality. But certain changes in consumer behavior will be lasting.