Retail & Ecommerce

US bank branches are still shuttered amid the pandemic, but consumers are more likely to conduct their banking online, according to recent research.

eMarketer principal analysts Andrew Lipsman and Nicole Perrin discuss the most fortunate and unfortunate D2C companies during this coronavirus pandemic, and what they are doing to survive it. They then talk about Google helping retailers highlight curbside pickup, Uber's offer to buy GrubHub, the Media Ratings Council maybe taking Facebook's advertising badge of approval and what to make of some major retailers filing for bankruptcy.

Cities in China have begun lifting shelter-in-place restrictions to gradually reopen restaurants, shops and other public spaces—but many consumers are still wary about venturing out.

Even with a partial lifting of lockdown measures, the coronavirus continues to limit movement of people—and this has hit the UK high street hard. From retailers with a high dependency on physical stores to restaurants and coffee shops without delivery facilities, the obstacles have proven insurmountable for some. For others, the longer-term question is, "Will the UK high street be able to recover when (and if) normalcy returns?"

Mosaic Foods has had to acclimate to a new normal in the past few months, and as a relatively new brand, that hasn’t always been easy. Before the pandemic, employees of the meal delivery company were able to test out new recipes and offer feedback right then and there. But today, meals are shipped to co-workers who do video taste tests and offer notes.

eMarketer principal analyst Mark Dolliver, junior analyst Blake Droesch and senior forecasting analyst Oscar Orozco discuss whether ride-hailing apps can whether the storm, how much power will Facebook's oversight board actually have, Starbucks reducing its reliance on cash, Amazon possibly buying AMC Theatres, the next wave of sports programming, updated cookie consent, what does yawning tell you about yourself and more.

eMarketer principal analyst Victoria Petrock discusses the shifting mindset toward worker, assistant and delivery robots and offers some examples of how they are already helping people everyday. She also explains what's holding drones back and when to expect driverless cars on the roads. Then Victoria and senior research analyst Dane Finley talk about whether telehealth is here to stay, the significance of Alexa's longer-form speaking voice and whether virtual reality is capitalizing on stay-at-home measures.

Life is different during a pandemic, and that includes shopping. Retail businesses are closed in most states, and the ones that are open are doing business differently with social distancing practices like curbside pickup. And consumers are shifting more to ecommerce out of necessity.

eMarketer principal analysts Andrew Lipsman and Nicole Perrin discuss what to make of Amazon's Q1 2020 earnings from a retail and advertising perspective. They then talk about Walmart's "Express Delivery," a new company that automates brand creative, Amazon using independent seller's data and why a senior executive stepping down is such a big deal.

With much of the US still under stay-at-home orders, consumers are growing more accustomed to grocery shopping online. Brick-and-mortars, delivery startups and ecommerce retailers are adapting to the new normal, but even leaders in online grocery like Amazon and Walmart have struggled to keep up with demand.

After seeing a lot of jewelry options in-store, particularly those that tarnished quickly, fashion and accessories brand Kendra Scott launched 18 years ago to fill a gap in the market.

It’s an unusual time, to say the least. But Americans are reacting to the coronavirus pandemic and resulting stay-at-home orders partially by retreating to a number of familiar activities, including hanging out with other household members and spending time on hobbies. The need to stay occupied and entertained at home has led to a boom in sectors like video gaming—but also lower-tech crafts, toys and games.

As the pandemic continues to alter consumer behavior, some brands and retailers are shifting influencer marketing initiatives to highlight products and services that are now in demand. Influencer agencies and platforms are seeing more interest from industries that were not investing heavily in influencer marketing previously, and some marketers are taking a more performance-based approach to working with creators.

While some consumers haven’t changed their stance about shopping for a car online, others have altered their views about it since the spread of the coronavirus.

A day after launching in Ulta Beauty stores, foot care brand Barefoot Scientist received unfortunate but inevitable news: Ulta's locations would have to close due to the pandemic. For the relatively new company, it was disheartening that consumers wouldn’t be able to test its products in-store. But like other brands coping with the pandemic, Barefoot Scientist has learned to adapt and focus on the present.

Grocery companies—and more specifically their systems and services—have really been put to the test amid the pandemic. Many grocers are having trouble keeping items on the shelves. And even the most prepared are encountering issues with supply chain logistics.

Our first forecast for peer-to-peer (P2P) mobile payments users in Canada shows a still-developing market with plenty of room to grow. This year, 19.7% of the country's population (or 6.0 million people) will be P2P mobile payment users. But that significantly trails the US market, where 30.6% of the population uses P2P payments.