Retail & Ecommerce

Extended reality (XR) technologies are still mostly related to gaming, entertainment, and social media, but their applications are evolving quickly as more consumers and businesses test out immersive experiences.

Search had a challenging time during the pandemic. Spend grew just 5.3% to £7.34 billion ($9.41 billion) in 2020, down from 17.7% the previous year and significantly down on our pre-pandemic estimate of 12.2% growth. However, this latest forecast is a reversal on our interim August 2020 estimate, when we expected a decline of 1.7% for the year.

On today's episode, we discuss which pandemic-related behaviors will stick around, whether newsletters can replace local newspapers, YouTube and the music streaming wars, how you can master the intimacy of the inbox, why Amazon is opening a salon, the first movie to ever release a soundtrack, and more. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer analysts Nina Goetzen and Blake Droesch, and principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Jillian Ryan.

As Americans start planning their safe return to the office, Banana Republic is shifting its marketing messaging to existing and new consumers. Watch Industry Voices, with Jen Mullen, vice president and head of stores at Banana Republic, to learn how the retailer is using mobile couponing and social campaigns to drive traffic back to its physical stores.

Over the past few years, amid a huge digital transformation, Pizza Hut has had to pivot from traditional restaurant service and carryout to ecommerce.

Amid the carnage of bankruptcies, store closures, and massive layoffs in 2020, some retail companies actually fared very well. Adjustments to supply chains, product and service bundles, stocking and inventory, and customer service have been the keys to success for big-box retailers like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. Others, such as Apple, lululemon athletica, Nike, and Starbucks, are focusing on innovating and modifying store experiences through digital integration, frictionless shopping, and atmospherics modified for a “new normal” of social distancing and sanitization.