HomeGoods shut down its ecommerce business because in October it was unable to recreate the in-store treasure-hunting experience customers know and love online. Meanwhile, Amazon is struggling to master brick-and-mortar because it doesn’t know what in-store shoppers want.

Amazon will offer grocery delivery to non-Prime members nationwide: The retail giant also plans to resume opening Amazon Fresh stores next year.

As the top two retailers in the US, Walmart and Amazon are battling for holiday success by rolling out the best deals, the fastest delivery, and the best in-store experience. Here’s who we expect will come out on top in each of those areas, plus a post-holiday outlook.

Amazon Fresh, despite failing to gain traction with its brick-and-mortar endeavors, is trying to assert itself in the grocery space. Its customer base, though much smaller than competitors like Walmart and Target, is attractive to consumer packaged goods (CPG) advertisers because those shoppers are open to trying new products.

On today's episode podcast, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss why Amazon is struggling to get Amazon Fresh off the ground, what it has going for it, and what would happen if Amazon broke out a separate subscription for grocery. Then for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the other players that could offer lessons on how Amazon Fresh could compete with Walmart. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analyst Blake Droesch and director of content Becky Schilling.

Less than 19% of US digital grocery buyers used Amazon Fresh within the past year. Nearly all of them have also shopped on other digital grocery platforms.

Amazon explores standalone subscriptions as Prime user growth slows: The retailer could roll out separate grocery and healthcare membership services as early as this year.

Walmart has the largest audience of any digital grocery platform. But our survey found that Amazon Fresh customers were more active and willing to try new products.

Though growth is slowing, digital grocery will continue to fuel overall ecommerce growth in the US. “Growth is no longer driven by new adopters, but heavy digital grocery users,” our analyst Blake Droesch said on a recent “Reimagining Retail” podcast episode. Here’s how retailers like Instacart, Amazon, and Walmart can capitalize on frequent buyers.

Amazon’s cost-cutting initiatives are beginning to pay off: The company’s North America business returned to profitability in Q2, buoyed by advertising and improvements in fulfillment.

Embracing mobile gives consumers access to a branded experience both online and in-store, while in-store technologies bring the digital world into the physical. To cater to shoppers no matter where or how they shop, brands should also make sure they’re balancing in-store and online rewards as well as D2C and wholesale commerce.

Amazon Prime Day is off to a good start: Average order size so far is up over 7.7% compared with 2022; we expect total sales to top $8 billion.

The pandemic accelerated investment in CX technology to meet rapidly changing needs. But as consumer priorities shift again amid high inflation, UK retailers need to understand which technologies are hitting the mark and which are not.

The 15 biggest US ecommerce players aren’t a surprise (here’s looking at you, Amazon, Walmart, and Apple). User-friendly mobile apps, quick delivery, innovation, and converting sales are what turn retailers into ecommerce powerhouses. Here are the companies our analysts believe best exemplify those features within the 15 largest ecommerce players.

Amazon is doing everything it can to keep growing: The retailer has a dizzying array of initiatives in the pipeline, from in-game merchandise shops to generative AI advertising tools to incentives for shoppers to retrieve orders in person.

Amazon’s ad business powered the retailer to a better-than-expected Q1: A 21% increase in ad revenues helped offset flat sales growth in its ecommerce business.

Amazon sees growth opportunities amid economic challenges: That's CEO Andy Jassy's key message in an optimistic letter to shareholders about navigating difficult terrain. (This article was written with the assistance of ChatGPT.)

The rise of in-store retail media will prove that the physical store is the next major media channel for brands.

On today's episode, we discuss what to make of Amazon's 2% decline in online store sales, how to interpret its advertising service's 19% revenue growth, and why the company is rethinking its Amazon Fresh strategy. "In Other News," we talk about how Pinterest views the future of shoppable video and how malls are resurging. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Andrew Lipsman.

Amazon reportedly laid off about 20% of Zappos’ workforce in January: The retail giant is cutting costs at Zappos and elsewhere as it recalibrates for slower growth.