Men’s care brand Every Man Jack employs a strategic calendar-based marketing approach that shifts focus throughout the year, responding to consumer behavior and competitive pressures.

Retail media is not just for retailers anymore. US commerce media ad spending is projected to hit $118.4 billion by 2029, growing at a 15.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), per a May EMARKETER forecast.

Though TikTok Shop faces the dual challenges of economic instability and a tenuous presence on US app stores, marketers are still taking advantage of its positioning as both a social platform and ecommerce engine.

The news: The Federal Trade Commission’s “click-to-cancel” rule that would have simplified canceling subscriptions was rejected by a US federal appeals court on Tuesday, exposing a rift between the priorities of advertisers and digital service providers and those of consumers. Our take: The ruling is seen as a win for companies that use subscriptions for first-party data to strengthen their ad ecosystem, giving protection for those looking to reduce churn and run more effective programmatic and retargeting campaigns. But while advertisers may benefit from the decision, consumers still want an easier process—and simplifying cancellations can benefit businesses in several ways.

The news: Amazon has partnered with delivery firm Gopuff to bring ultra-fast delivery to several UK markets, including Birmingham, Cambridge, Leeds, London, and Manchester. Our take: Amazon’s focus is crystal clear: Get orders to shoppers’ doors as fast as possible. In the US, it has pushed next-day delivery as the new standard—even as it rapidly expands same-day service. In some cases, delivery happens within hours (for example, a Prime Day order we placed at 6 am today arrived at our door by noon.) To extend that promise beyond urban hubs, Amazon is investing over $4 billion through 2026 to triple the size of its rural delivery network. By year-end, it expects to bring same- or next-day delivery to more than 4,000 smaller cities and rural communities. Speed isn’t just a perk. It is the key component within Amazon’s growth strategy. The faster the company delivers, the more frequently consumers turn to Amazon for their everyday needs—and the harder it becomes for competitors to keep up.

Direct-to-consumer (D2C) ecommerce is evolving, driven by Gen Z’s shopping habits and the rise of powerful AI tools.

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our “Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks” series, which helps retailers and brands gauge their sales mix against the market.

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our "Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks” series, which helps retailers and brands calibrate their sales mix against the market.

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our "Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks” series, which helps retailers and brands calibrate their sales mix against the market.

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our "Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks” series, which helps retailers and brands gauge their sales mix against the market.​

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our "Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks” series, which helps retailers and brands gauge their sales mix against the market.

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our "Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks” series, which helps retailers and brands gauge their sales mix against the market.​

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our "Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks” series, which helps retailers and brands gauge their sales mix against the market.

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our "Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks” series, which helps retailers and brands gauge their sales mix against the market.

The news: The Trump administration recently met with leading retailers, including Amazon and Walmart, to explore ways in which more US consumers can get their prescription medications directly from pharma manufacturers, according to a Bloomberg report. Our take: It’s unrealistic to expect pharma’s middlemen to be cut out anytime soon, as they are so deeply rooted in the US healthcare infrastructure.

The milestone: Amazon recently deployed its 1 millionth robot in its fulfillment centers—a figure approaching the number of human workers at those facilities. Our take: Automation is a central element within Amazon’s relentless push to narrow the gap between click and doorstep. Fast delivery isn’t just about convenience; it transforms how consumers shop. The faster Amazon gets everyday essentials like toothpaste into customers’ hands—especially with free delivery for Prime members—the harder it becomes for other retailers to compete. That gives Amazon a durable edge as it looks to expand its share of US ecommerce sales.

The news: US shopper interest in generative AI (genAI) assistants has spiked 223% between 2023 and 2025, per Chain Store Age. 69% of US consumers surveyed by CouponFollow have used AI assistants for shopping. Our take: Retail AI strategies must match their audiences. Those geared toward younger consumers should highlight AI use and innovation and even let AI guide purchases. For older consumers, focus on AI to inform, not take control.

Our analysts took a look at the first half of this eventful year and provided their own very specific—albeit unlikely—predictions at what could happen in the second half of the year and beyond.

Online fashion sales are stable and growing slowly, but they lag wider ecommerce. Consumers are concerned about sustainability, but price is a bigger priority.