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Become a ClientTarget and Chase are betting that the future of marketing won’t be purely digital. Instead, physical experiences, from retail stores and bank branches to exclusive events, can become engines for digital content, creator amplification, and consumer connection.
AI-powered search is reshaping how consumers discover products, and it's creating urgent monetization challenges for publishers, browsers, and commerce platforms. Consumers spend an average of at least 23 minutes a day in AI chat platforms, and that time will more than double by 2028, according to industry experts. "Consumers on average spend at least 23 minutes within AI chat today, and that will more than double by 2028," said John Nitti, global chief business officer at adMarketplace, during a panel at Advertising Week New York this week. "Advertising expenditure is actually a two-year lag. So the consumer has always been ahead of marketing."
42% of US retail leaders rank social commerce, like TikTok Shop and Instagram Shopping, among their top two holiday order drivers, edging out the 41% who say the same of their own ecommerce site or app, according to an August report from Narvar and eTail Insights.
71% of CX leaders and practitioners worldwide use AI for ticket resolution, more than for any other task, according to an August report from Zendesk.
52% of US retailers say shipping costs will sway holiday shoppers' online purchases, more than say product price (42%) or discounts (42%), according to a May survey from Narvar and eTail Insights.
Commerce media is entering a new phase, one defined less by rapid expansion and more by operational maturity, EMARKETER analysts and industry leaders say. Commerce media ad spending will reach $83.71 billion in the US this year, accounting for 20.5% of all digital ad spending, according to EMARKETER's June 2026 forecast. As the channel becomes a core part of marketers' media strategies, the conversation is shifting from whether to invest to how to make those investments deliver measurable business results. In a new EMARKETER guide titled "Commerce media outlook: What industry leaders see ahead," our analysts and industry leaders give their thoughts about the capabilities brands should prioritize today, the consumer behaviors that will shape tomorrow, and what it will take to succeed as commerce media becomes a permanent pillar of the media mix. Erica Culley, senior director of shopper marketing at Chobani, told us about their focus on incrementality and what it takes to use data in order to deliver media that's genuinely useful.
Chains that pair compelling experiences with strong value are better positioned as diners become more selective.
Amazon, Target, and Toys R Us are using different channels to shape what kids want this holiday season.
The retailer is closing three locations while continuing to expand, refining where smaller stores make economic sense.