Retail & Ecommerce

Marketer and consumer priorities don’t align: An iHeartMedia report shows that marketers live in a vastly different world than their target audiences.

Three in four consumers are concerned about fake reviews, according to January 2023 data from Bazaarvoice. Amazon and other retailer websites have a fake reviews problem, and it’s driving consumers—Gen Zers in particular—to seek information about products on social media sites like TikTok and Reddit.

Paramount expands shoppable TV capabilities with Shopsense AI partnership: The two companies team up to enable viewers to shop the MTV VMAs, with plans to install similar features in other Paramount content in the coming months.

Inditex bounces back after a rainy summer dented sales growth: The Zara parent reported a strong start to Q3 as shoppers responded positively to its product assortment.

Retailers invest in virtual reality, mobile apps, and AI to improve the customer experience: Walmart, Levi’s, and Family Dollar are among the companies turning to tech to boost sales.

The actor’s appeal across generations can help attract users for the company’s debit card and in-store offerings

It’s a concerning buildup for one month, but it merits some skepticism—consumers may be faring better than one data point suggests

The retailer’s Great Value branded products are now harder to sneak by self-checkout thanks to barcodes embedded in their packaging

Dollar store consumers, especially lower-income households, are facing financial difficulties, relying on credit cards to cover necessities. Retailers like Dollar General and Dollar Tree are focusing on pricing and promotions to keep customers shopping, but there has been a decline in discretionary spending from middle- and high-income consumers, who may be turning to mass retailers like Walmart.

China and the US are so far in front that the status quo at the top will likely remain the same for decades to come.

Under Armour’s turnaround won’t be quick: The company lowered its FY25 outlook, saying its restructuring plan will cost about twice as much as expected.

Tesco’s newest venture takes aim at Ocado: The UK grocer’s Transcend Retail Solutions division aims to help international supermarket chains develop their ecommerce operations.

Amazon Fresh doubles down on affordability as shoppers focus on cost: The retailer will roll out Prime-exclusive discounts on over 3,000 products and a new private label as it tries to narrow the gap with Walmart.

Amazon and Walmart are search advertising’s growth engines: The latter is a distant second to the former, accounting for nearly 4 in 10 non-Amazon retail media search ad dollars this year.

Digital commerce platforms will process $375.57 billion in customer payments in 2024.

Two in three advertisers don’t plan to invest in new retail media networks (RMNs) in the next couple of years, according to Association of National Advertisers (ANA) data. “The majority of dollars used to fund investments in retail media are being borrowed from existing budgets within advertisers’ organizations,” said our analyst Sarah Marzano.

Big Lots files for bankruptcy: The discount retailer struggled as macroeconomic headwinds pushed consumers to tighten their budgets and prioritize value.

Dupes gain steam as shoppers seek middle ground between fast fashion and luxury labels: Quince and Italic are among the brands poised to benefit as shoppers prioritize affordability.

Roblox wants to be an ecommerce platform: After a pilottesting physical goods sales with Walmart and E.l.f. Beauty, the gaming platform sees big potential in online sales.

48% of US retail business decision-makers say video ads drive the biggest return on ad spend (ROAS) on Amazon, according to March 2024 data by Zogby Analytics and Feedvisor.