Retail & Ecommerce

As China’s retail media advertising market begins to mature, off-site channels—including WeChat and Douyin, TikTok's sister app in China—will increasingly drive growth.

Retail mcommerce is a $542.73 billion opportunity in the US this year, growing 11.7%. To maintain that growth and attract mobile shoppers, retailers will have to create seamless smartphone and app buying journeys, invest in loyalty programs to retain users, and prove that the mobile experience stands up against desktop.

Amazon’s pricing and returns policies draw complaints from sellers: Merchants flag lost revenues, higher fees, and inadequate seller support as reasons for their discontent.

Chinese consumers rein in spending: That’s a major problem for companies like Swatch Group, which expects its high-end brands to struggle throughout the rest of the year.

Macy’s rejects buyout offer to focus on turnaround: The retailer believes its plans to reduce and revitalize stores will give it the best shot at reversing its decline.

TikTok fuels demand for Hallyu: Korea’s cultural exports are a $76 billion market that could reach $198 billion by the end of the decade.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss what Amazon has planned for its thirties, the all-AI ad that sparked a debate about the future of marketing, why customer experience is historically low, the most impactful AR feature in retail, what animal can fly backwards, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analysts Sara Marzano and Carina Perkins.

Many eyes on the 2024 Summer Olympics spells opportunity for retail: There’s an enticing chance for brands ranging from Nike to Glossier to garner attention by associating themselves with athletes.

Alibaba bets on AI to power international growth: Tools like translation services and content generation are attracting sellers and driving sales.

Credit tightening is partly responsible for this improvement, but delinquencies are still well above pre-pandemic levels

It’s pushing card-linked installment offerings after banning its credit cards from third-party BNPL plans

This launch solidifies Wells Fargo’s aggressive push into the credit card space this year, adding to its series of card launches

Retail media ad spending will be increasingly responsible for digital advertising’s double-digit growth. By 2028, the powerhouse channel will grow to represent nearly 1 in every 3 ad dollars spent.

Retailers and brands adopt a less-is-more strategy: Companies ranging from Under Armour and Levi Strauss to Dollar General and McDonald’s narrow their selections to cut costs and boost margins.

Walmart’s retail media network generated 11 billion impressions in Q1: The retailer is chipping away at Amazon’s dominance, despite the latter’s moves to boost non-endemic spend.

Updated policies tackle misleading listings to retain buyer confidence as Etsy seeks to protect its handmade brand from an influx of low-quality AI items.

Giving other wallets access to the tech could foster greater competition in mobile payments, but Apple Pay likely won’t lose its lead with consumers

This issue has been the center of a global regulatory debate, but consumers should be careful what they wish for

The years of high double-digit growth for US direct-to-consumer (D2C) ecommerce sales have ended.

Costco raises its membership fee by $5 (or $10 for executive members): That’s the first increase in seven years and its timing is ideal given consumers’ growing focus on value.