Small and medium-sized businesses in the region have generally devoted most of their ad purchases to social media giants Google and Meta, but they are increasingly looking to buy ads through sites primarily engaged in retail commerce, such as those of Amazon and Walmart, according to our recent report.

If the new $9.95 fee rolls out nationally, it could help cover Amazon’s expenses—but perhaps at the cost of dominating the US online grocery market as rival Walmart nips at its heels for the lead

Kroger Precision Marketing edged out Walmart Connect for No. 3, largely due to its No. 2 ranking on traffic quality. But it also ranked No. 4 on traffic scale. Oddly enough, Kroger splits its on-site traffic with Instacart, which mediates the online experience for many of Kroger shoppers.

Dozens of other retail media networks have now entered the space, and Walmart and Instacart have emerged as ones to watch in 2022 as they vie for consumer packaged goods and other advertisers’ budgets. Both are expected to increase their share of retail media ad spend in the coming years.

Walmart. VillageMD.

It scaled its online and in-person sales to 20,000+ retail locations via partnerships with CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, GNC, Bed Bath & Beyond, Amazon, and fashion retailers Revolve and Urban Outfitters. It acquired virtual dermatology startup Apostrophe and UK-based virtual hair loss clinic Honest Health in June 2021. And it expanded its digital mental health offerings in July 2021. What’s next?

That’s far higher than their perceived threat from Amazon (18%), CVS (17%), and Walmart (15%), per a 2021 Kaufman Hall report.

Heavy hitters including Amazon, Walmart, and Uber are also all mulling crypto acceptance, which could aid usage. Read the full report.

Walmart’s US partnership with UK prestige beauty retailer Space NK launched with online-only sales in March but will be followed by store collaborations in 250 US Walmart locations over the summer. Department stores, once a principal sales channel for high-end beauty products, have had their market share eroded by new players.

It’s a space Walmart must be looking to fill with the launch of PRO+, its premium pet product line extension under the Pure Balance brand. As more retailers launch private label apparel lines, the notion that consumers are only open to more basic SKUs is debunked in our survey research for our “US Apparel Retail Features Benchmark 2022” report.

Ecommerce sales at Walmart, including Sam's Club, will reach $67.39 billion in 2021, per our forecast.

One of the unique qualities of retail media advertising is the ability to use closed-loop attribution, tying ad engagements to sales. This is possible because the same company is running the ad and selling the product advertised. Brands often look to Amazon and Walmart.com because those sites facilitate closed-loop attribution—and with the ongoing disruptions to digital identity, this tool will likely provide even greater advantages to those who use it.

Business Insider Intelligence research analyst Daniel Keyes, eMarketer principal analyst Andrew Lipsman, and senior forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Cindy Liu discuss the biggest takeaways from how Thanksgiving holiday shopping went this year. They then talk about the best ways brands can reach female holiday shoppers during the pandemic and how Walmart and Target performed in Q3.

The pandemic has had all kinds of effects on consumers, and in turn, on how they interact with products and services. eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Nicole Perrin speaks with fellow principal analyst Andrew Lipsman and forecasting analyst Eric Haggstrom about what happens when business metrics go haywire, including at Walmart, Nike, and Peloton. They also talk about Facebook's narrowing attribution window, Prime Day finally happening, and Samsung Ads' new self-serve demand-side platform option.

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) services have emerged in recent years as more retailers, including Walmart and Macy’s, began offering consumers financing options when checking out.

The former Walmart and HP executive also talks about the future of voice