The ad spending winter of 2022 and early 2023 was mild and short-lived, as we predicted. And after a solid H2 2023, things are looking up across the board for 2024.

For some, shopping online is functional, enabling consumers to get what they want quickly, without straying from their budget or list. By creating a more engaging ecommerce experience, retailers can make shopping online fun, enticing consumers to browse and buy like they might in-store—and perhaps, increasing their basket.

Grocery is set to become the largest US ecommerce category by 2026.

Our analysts have already made their big predictions for the year ahead, but the newsletter team has a few more to add to the list. As Amazon hits the gas on grocery, it may use its Amazon Fresh stores for fulfillment. Plus, we think beauty will get personal, Amazon could give digitally native brands a helping hand, and a healing economy could spell trouble for discount stores.

2023 was a big year for partnerships, with companies joining forces across social, retail, and digital advertising to boost revenues.

Our primary research on US online beauty buyers shares insights into the evolution of consumer habits and preferences in one of retail’s most resilient categories.

From retailers drawing shoppers in-store by leaning on creator content to the emergence of livestream ecommerce influencers and the potential consolidation of retail media networks, our analyst-led predictions offer a glimpse into the future of shopping and advertising. We explore each, weighing the arguments for and against their likelihood in shaping the year ahead.

The Latin American economy is on the upswing, with digital innovation in the driver’s seat. Our trends report explores how retail media, commerce, and generative AI will be redefined in 2024 and what businesses need to know to get ahead.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the most important retail trends we're watching in 2024: How retailers will try to compete less with Amazon online, how China's influence will shake up online shopping in the US, and buying retail media networks. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analysts Sky Canaves and Blake Droesch.

What trends will we be talking about this year? Consumer behaviors will be shaped by continued uncertainty and cultural trends spilling over into commerce.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss whether this is the beginning of Amazon's decline, if the Internet is becoming more ad-free, whether shopping pairs well with streaming, where brands will shift their ad dollars during the Super Bowl as they lean away from X (formerly Twitter), ChatGPT creator OpenAI's deal with publishing giant Axel Springer, the most visited tourist attractions in the world, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Blake Droesch and vice presidents of content Suzy Davidkhanian and Paul Verna.

Online sales are back in growth in the UK, but the fortunes of key ecommerce retailers have been mixed, with some suffering a greater blow from the cost-of-living crisis than others.

Until Google rolls out generative search to all users, most consumers won’t adopt the technology. That means AI isn’t driving search ad spending—yet.

TikTok is taking the lead on social commerce: But Meta, Pinterest, and Snap are trying to take back the spotlight by partnering with Amazon and focusing on shoppable ads.

Nascent partnerships from 2023 will start packing a punch in 2024. Companies without an overwhelming market advantage will need to join forces with rivals or complementary partners to keep boosting revenues.

New forecasts for US Amazon CTV ad revenues and ad-supported viewers for select streaming services.

OTT digital video services are now popular everywhere, although fee-based sub OTT is not yet mainstream in every country. The outlook is positive for both free and paid OTT around the world, but growth will slow significantly.

Consumer behaviors will be shaped by continued uncertainty, heightened in an election year, and cultural trends spilling over into commerce (think Krispy Kreme and Ozempic). Retailers that lean into tech advancements and get back to basics will win.

Large retailers are in a prime position for the final holiday push: Amazon, Target, and Walmart are poised to leverage their infrastructures to capture an outsize share of spend and retail media dollars.

Despite a slowdown in smartphone sales, innovations in advertising, commerce, AI, and even device form-factors will drive mcommerce and mobile advertising growth in 2024.