71% of US marketers say establishing ethical and privacy standards is the top step for preparing for AI agent-led commerce, according to an October 2025 survey from ANA and The Harris Poll.
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Become a ClientAfter years of digital acceleration, US retailers are heading into 2026 facing a more complicated reality. Tariff-related cost pressures still exist, retail media is maturing from experimentation to discipline, and AI is moving from back-end efficiency to front-of-house influence. Across all three forces, one theme is emerging for retail leaders: The physical store is becoming more, not less, central to how retailers protect margins, influence decisions, and differentiate experiences.
AI platforms’ long-held anti-advertising stance changed in January 2026. The rising cost of competing in AI has forced OpenAI and Google to launch AI ad pilots, and other platforms will likely follow suit. But advertisers may not be the winners in this gold rush.
In 2026, brands’ revenue gains will come less from AI tools and more from integrating high-quality data that informs decisions.
Gen Z trades data for personalization; bland targeting threatens trust and long-term spend.
With workers and consumers demanding action, staying quiet may be the riskiest move retailers can make.
Video is fueling LinkedIn’s growth, with Q4 revenues topping $5 billion, aided by a 30% jump in paid video ads and rising short-form demand.
Rising demand clashes with high costs, no insurance coverage, and doctors’ reluctance to validate outside results.
The revenue hit to pharma should be modest, but drug-pricing headwinds will force manufacturers to trade margin for volume and push harder on prices abroad.