The US retail sector could take years to recover from the impact of the coronavirus, and the hit could be worse than that of the Great Recession. According to eMarketer’s latest forecast on US retail sales (which includes auto and fuel), total retail sales will drop by 10.5% this year, steeper than the 8.2% drop in 2009. Ecommerce is the only bright spot, jumping 18.0% this year, as Americans rely on Amazon and other online retailers for necessities.

On today's episode, we discuss how the world of insurance is changing, how claims can be settled in seconds, and how smart sensors can make sure you only pay when you actually drive. Tune in to the discussion with eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Eleni Digalaki.

With increased market competition, brands only get one chance to get the buying experience “right.” In fact, 89% of marketers find scaling AI-fueled conversation intelligence imperative to stay competitive.

Chinese fast-fashion retailer Shein seeks a $100 billion valuation: That’s more than the combined worth of H&M and Zara, despite Shein selling exclusively online.

This report explores what’s driving UK neobanks’ growth and how incumbents can defend their share of the digital bank account holder market.

Internet users worldwide plan on shopping both in-store and online this season.

Advertisers of consumer packaged goods (CPG) in the UK will spend £2.04 billion ($2.60 billion) on digital ads in 2020, up 6.6% year over year. Any growth is good growth in the current environment, but this will represent the most modest growth across all the industries we forecast to increase spending this year.

The ad market in the UK suffered during 2020, but the decline in spending was only marginal as digital investment took up much of the slack. Indeed, the resilience of digital formats has been palpable amid the pandemic.

The digital divide has widened, particularly over the past year, and left seniors worldwide in the lurch. This issue takes on added urgency in China, where gender imbalance, delayed marriage, and a declining birthrate only exacerbate the rapid aging of its population. In November, the government urged tech companies to cater to the elderly, and China’s digital giants are now tapping into the so-called silver market.

In 2020, China was the only major economy to produce economic growth. It’s not surprising, then, that it was also the only major national market to see an increase in total media ad spending. Girded by this economic strength, China’s digital ad market hardly missed a beat.

Despite 80% debit penetration, fewer than 1 in 5 US consumers have access to debit rewards, and only 8% can gain points or cash back on debit purchases, per PYMNTS. Offering debit rewards puts Amex in rare company, especially among major issuers. That may draw in users as the pandemic’s long tail extends debit’s popularity bump. Digital-only banking.

Disney's exclusive theatrical runs come back with "Shang-Chi": The Marvel movie will only come to Disney+ after 45 days—and while that's better than straight-to-streaming, it's still an adjustment for theaters used to 90-day runs.

For example, a group of credit unions launched Bank Dora in September, a digital-only cooperative focused on underbanked customers in the US aiming to cut racial and economic gaps. Launching and improving digital services like mobile banking, digital wallets, and BNPL options is essential for FIs.

The post-pandemic event: One legacy of the pandemic is the expanded role for online access as part of the conference. Those unable to attend in person could opt for an online-only pass, which provided access to many events live via streaming or later through on-demand video or audio.