As AI agents gain traction, reliability will determine if consumers stick around.
As product catalogs grow, content multiplies, and shopping journeys splinter across platforms, AI recommendation engines are becoming the connective tissue between desire and decision. In 2026, retail leaders expect the technology to move from responding to queries to proactively anticipating what consumers want and guiding them through increasingly complex choice environments.
With 63% of consumers expecting unemployment to rise, retailers may face more belt-tightening ahead.
This FAQ examines what's verifiable about ad blocking today and what marketers should watch in 2026.
Kroger, CVS, and others are increasing in-store retail media investments as interest grows.
JPMorgan buys the $20B portfolio at a discount, inheriting risks but gaining a unique opportunity.
With AI-powered security and no retail conflict, Clover’s palm-pay push could win where Amazon stumbled.
A Crypto.com deal lets shoppers pay in any crypto—not just stablecoins—seamlessly at Stripe merchants.
Constellation Brands blames weak demand on the stiff socioeconomic headwinds facing Hispanic consumers.
Our analysts (or “bakers”) will compete in a Great British Bake Off–style episode, discussing how the digital shelf for ecommerce will adapt to speak to AI audiences and how retailers will counter AI’s rise by connecting with customers IRL. Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Principal Analyst Sky Canaves, and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch.
Despite that solid growth there is growing cause for concern about the broader environment ahead.
AI influenced $262 billion in global holiday sales, but most impact came from chatbots and behind-the-scenes customer service, not from shopping assistants.
Agentic AI is reshaping commerce by removing friction from the middle of the funnel. As shoppers delegate comparison, evaluation, and planning to AI agents, the journey from intent to action is accelerating, raising the stakes for trust, transparency, and brand presence in fewer, faster interactions.
Walmart's latest genAI tools simplify campaign creation and optimization, helping advertisers prepare for a future shaped by AI-driven discovery.
Albertsons cites belt-tightening across income tiers.
Phasing out the de minimis exemption has transformed the US ecommerce landscape, but an adverse Supreme Court decision could upend the policy’s legal footing.
To simplify shopping for customers in 2026, retailers will provide curated product selections online and in-store, experts told EMARKETER. This will also strengthen loyalty and improve the shopping experience, attracting new customers and encouraging them to return regularly in the year ahead.
OpenAI seeks real consumer intent, and a potential Pinterest acquisition would give OpenAI first-party shopping signals and native ad infrastructure to rival Google and Meta.
US holiday shopping remained strong, Fiserv pursued agentic commerce, and Zoomex launched a crypto-backed credit card.