Amazon’s new Retail Ad Service, announced last week, is certainly the biggest retail media news of the year so far. In offering its ad-tech to power other retailers' media networks (RMNs), Amazon could disrupt how retail media operates for retailers, advertisers, vendors, and consumers alike.
Prominent retailers generated better-than-expected holiday results: While Abercrombie, Lululemon, and Nordstrom raised their Q4 outlooks, Macy’s and Kohl’s continued to face challenges.
Wayfair pivots from Germany to focus on physical retail: The country’s challenging economic climate is one reason the retailer is reallocating resources to areas with better long-term potential.
Among an industry-diverse group of winning platforms, Netflix will emerge with the fastest digital ad revenue growth this year.
Charlotte Tilbury takes aim at dupe culture: The brand’s latest campaign encourages shoppers to buy the real thing, even as retailers and manufacturers double down on cheaper alternatives.
Skechers, Anta join the parade of sneaker brands capitalizing on Nike’s missteps: Both companies are thriving thanks to a focus on underserved markets and big-name partnerships
As Microsoft increases 365 prices in six countries, limited Copilot value and opaque pricing strategies could trigger antitrust concerns and drive users to cheaper tools.
69.0% of US baby boomers are willing to wait for a worker to unlock a product when they see it in the store, according to Numerator. That figure is much lower for millennials (56.5%) and Gen Zers (57.2%).
Advertiser frustration with the lack of standardization is not improving
But the solution may struggle to gain traction given consumers’ unreadiness to adopt the technology
Providers are leaning on AI to stop bad actors while also maintaining an easy and quick checkout process
Retail returns will top $1 trillion in 2025: But growth will slow as retailers impose stricter policies, albeit at the risk of hurting sales.
US paid retail membership fee revenues will be higher than ever before in 2025, reaching $46.39 billion, according to our May 2024 forecast. That’s an increase of 10.8% YoY, with over half (51.8%) of these revenues going to Amazon.
Tom Holland’s Bero brand is now in 1,400 Target stores: The nonalcoholic beer aims to chart a course similar to the success of celebrity-driven spirits brands.
Regulatory clarity should usher in an era of accelerated crypto ownership and payments adoption—although it won’t happen overnight
Over half of retailer executives say that they implemented a return fee to discourage customers from initiating returns, according to October 2024 data from Optoro. Thirty-nine percent of executives said they launched a fee to discourage excessive or abusive returns, while 20% said it is to make it difficult or discourage customers from returning products.
The National Retail Federation (NRF)’s Big Show is happening in New York City this weekend, and will offer an opportunity for retail media networks (RMNs) to pitch themselves to advertisers. Even though retail media is huge—exceeding $62 billion in US ad spend this year per our forecast, most of those ad dollars will go to the biggest RMNs. The remaining players are vying over the same $8.58 billion that isn't scooped up by Amazon, Walmart, or Target.
Logistics and the supply chain will take center stage this year: While a port strike may be off the table, rising costs and geopolitical tensions will force retailers to make hard choices.
Tariffs will upend the status quo: Retailers need to brace themselves for a new era of protectionist trade policies that drive up costs and eat into consumers’ spending power.
But the social media platform may struggle to get its users on board unless it can differentiate the P2P service from its peers