On today's podcast episode, we discuss whether the October Prime Day is actually a holiday event, how events around this time of year are changing how folks shop throughout the back half of the year, and what the disruptors are likely to be as we head into the holidays. Listen to the conversation with our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Zak Stambor and Rachel Wolff.

Drugstores’ decline is hurting the US beauty market: Both Coty and L’Oréal linked the sector’s challenges to softer beauty demand, although sales broadly remain healthy as ecommerce and specialty retailers pick up the slack.

To help shoppers search more quickly and efficiently, Google has revamped Google Shopping, using AI to deliver more relevant, personalized information, product listings, and deals.

Walgreens to close 1,200 stores over the next 3 years: The retail pharmacy chain will be hyper-focused on its surviving stores turning a profit. Between a decline in the customer experience and more convenient options emerging, that won’t be easy.

Toys and hobby sales have normalized after a pandemic-era spike, though some brands are still flying high. Here’s what to expect from the industry this year.

Apple’s Prime Video deal draws the lines of power in streaming: Growth in SVOD is slowing significantly, leaving services little choice but to piggyback off larger platforms.

But this isn’t a sign that the cashierless tech industry is struggling. Grabango’s big-name competitors are ramping up their operations

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the different futures AI could usher in, what Amazon’s store strategy should be, if searching with video will catch on, the impact of instant AI video generators, how many Americans drive an electric car, and more. Tune in to the discussion with host Marcus Johnson, vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analysts Blake Droesch and Carina Perkins.

Automated moderation systems on Instagram and Threads are deactivating accounts and mislabeling content, sparking user frustration.

The boom times for ecommerce and retail have largely passed. “It’s going to be harder [for retailers] to identify pockets of growth and opportunity. But, the good news is that it’s not going to be that roller coaster of demand fluctuations that has been challenging for retailers to navigate over the last couple of years,” our analyst Blake Droesch said.

If the DOJ breaks up Google, who would be king of search? A filing hinted at a potential breakup, but political uncertainties could slow plans.

Amazon’s MX Player acquisition reignites the battle for Indian consumers: $100 million purchase gives Amazon ownership of the largest free streaming service in India.

While Instacart’s Caper Cart offers promising features, the high upfront costs and potential to over-saturate consumers with ads may deter retailers from fully adopting this technology.

Walmart rolls out series of initiatives to attract customers to its stores and boost ecommerce business: The retailer is opening a cashierless Sam’s Club store, adding pet care centers, and automating more distribution centers.

Temu, Pinduoduo anger Chinese sellers as push for lower prices and generous returns policies eat away at profits: That could complicate the former’s efforts to win over US merchants

Amazon and Google are enhancing their visual search tools as consumers seek more seamless, intuitive ways to search for products online.

Google and Amazon enhance visual search capabilities to speed up the path to purchase: As more shoppers rely on the tool, both companies see an opportunity to make the shopping experience faster, simpler, and more relevant.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss why a surprising amount of people think Meta's Orion smart glasses are the future of computing, whether people will turn to Amazon for live news, what's happening to the middle of the market, why screensaver ads can have a significant impact, who was the richest American in history, and more. Tune in to the discussion with host Marcus Johnson, director of reports editing Rahul Chadha, and analysts Bill Fisher and Max Willens.

Retail has come off its lengthy run of outperforming overall US ad spending growth. While growth will dip below the average for all industries in 2024, the pace is set to pick up again in 2025 and 2026.

Prime Video ad loads will increase next year, increasing competition: Advertisers can expect higher ad loads across streaming services and lower CPMs as a result.