eMarketer analyst Blake Droesch, principal analyst Jeremy Goldman, and forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Peter Vahle discuss whether the Super Bowl delivered, what's fueling Spotify, how the podcast and social media worlds are blurring together, if reducing politics in the News Feed can help Facebook, why the shopping mall might make a comeback, what is the most relaxing song ever (statistically), and more.
Walmart posts Q4 ecommerce gains: The company reported 69% growth in ecommerce sales for Q4 but warns of deceleration this year.
Millennials want free delivery > discounts
eMarketer senior analyst Jasmine Enberg and forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Nazmul Islam discuss Twitter's stellar Q4 performance and how it managed to close out a terrible 2020 on a high note. They then talk about Snapchat redefining what friendship should mean, TikTok's fate in the Biden administration, and how much Shopify's "Shop Pay" could help boost Facebook and Instagram Shops.
Shopify continues gaining massive momentum: The platform’s 2020 gross merchandise volume increased 96% year over year (YoY), far outpacing global ecommerce growth.
US retail and food service sales jumped after last month’s stimulus: In January, sales were up 5.3% over the prior month, to the highest they’ve been since September. The stimulus in March could boost sales again—but they may stall if we don’t see another package after that.
The 2020 US holiday season posted better-than-expected retail sales growth, as huge ecommerce gains added to a surprisingly positive performance for brick-and-mortar retail. The early outlook for the 2021 holiday season is solid despite major economic uncertainty ahead.
Walmart's changing workforce: The retailer has doubled its personal shopper numbers as it works to meet rising demand for online fulfillment services.