Retail & Ecommerce

JD.com’s retail sales rose 14.7% in Q4: That’s an encouraging sign for China’s retailers as they eagerly await a consumption recovery.

Private label is key to Kroger’s growth prospects this year: The grocer is relying on its owned brands to attract deal-seeking shoppers.

Macy’s makes strides in Q4, but pressures persist: Revamped stores show improvement, but the company’s turnaround is a work in progress.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss what a tariff even is, what might happen when they’re implemented, and how best to prepare for them. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Principal Analysts Paul Briggs and Matteo Ceurvels, and Analyst Rachel Wolff.

40-day boycott makes Target a target: The company is already dealing with fallout from February’s economic blackout, and another boycott could spell trouble.

Generative AI (genAI) is fundamentally changing how consumers shop online, potentially eliminating the "treasure hunt" experience that drives impulse purchases and changing how marketers push products.

AI-powered search and AR try-ons promise a smoother buying journey, but with social commerce on the rise, Google has to fight for attention.

Abercrombie & Fitch sees slowdown looming as tariffs take effect: The retailer expects sales growth and profits to be seriously pressured in 2025.

Adidas’ CEO says Q4 results were ‘much better than we had expected’: The company’s sales rose 19% YoY, ahead of analysts’ expectations, helping it gain ground on Nike.

First-party data is becoming essential: As third-party cookies disappear, brands like The New York Times, Disney, and McDonald’s are leveraging direct consumer relationships to improve ad targeting and measurement.

DeepSeek, a genAI chatbot that originated from China, astonished the world with its capability to match ChatGPT while costing significantly less to build and using less powerful GPUs. The launch has triggered an industry soul search that could potentially accelerate AI adoption worldwide.

The explosion of softPOS is reshaping the POS landscape and forcing hardware and software providers to pivot

The BNPL provider has made strong inroads in the US but faces steep obstacles in growing its market share

It’s a major win for the P2P player as the Trump administration dismantles the agency

Best Buy faces stiff headwinds: The consumer electronics giant warned of higher prices due to President Trump’s new tariffs, which will likely crimp demand.

On Running’s marathon win streak continues in Q4: The buzzy running brand reported record profits and a 36% YoY jump in sales, with some help from Roger Federer and Zendaya.

Nordstrom ended the year on a high note: The retailer’s banner comparable sales rose 5.3% YoY in Q4, and off-price Rack’s comps increased 3.5%.

Target looks to add $15 billion in sales by 2030: However, 2025 is shaping up to be a tough year, as tariffs dampen discretionary demand and shoppers push back against its DEI policies.

Google, OpenAI, and Opera are embedding AI agents into devices and browsers. These tools can browse, compare, and purchase products with minimal user input.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how Amazon has made themselves even more essential to customers, why “they can’t make physical stores work”, and how its advertising business is getting on. Tune in to the episode with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Analyst Rachel Wolff, and Senior Director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.