Amazon’s BNPL partners—Affirm and Citi—likely benefited from growing consumer demand for the tool

Amazon had another record Prime Day: While shoppers spent enthusiastically, their price consciousness was on full display as BNPL usage, comparison shopping increased.

Ad spend across digital channels has been mixed so far this year, with spend on social networks slowing and connected TV spend boosted by new ad-supported subscription tiers. Meanwhile, retail media is diversifying at a rapid rate as nonendemic retailers get in the game

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.

Nearly 175 million adults in the US will use Amazon Prime this year, making up 65.9% of the US adult population, according to our forecast.

TikTok aims to generate $20 billion in sales via TikTok Shop, and is expected to launch its own US ecommerce store soon. The platform is also leveraging new search features to become a hub for retail ecommerce. TikTok is also pushing new AI ad tools, and getting involved in a host of new media ventures. Here’s what the platform has been up to over the past month.

Google continues to lose ground to Amazon: Amazon is holding steady as shoppers’ search engine of choice for products, even as TikTok and other social platforms attract Gen Z consumers.

Cosmetics and beauty make up a nearly $100 billion industry in the US, and next year more than one-fifth of those sales will come from ecommerce, according to our forecasts. In order to win over beauty shoppers, and Gen Z ones in particular, brands need to pay close attention to where their digital ad dollars go. Here are five charts to help you out.

Computer and consumer electronics purchased during the pandemic are due for an upgrade, which is good news for Amazon and retail as a whole. But besides that possible bright spot, this year’s Prime Day event will likely be “unremarkable” as other retailers steal Amazon’s spotlight.

TikTok aggressively courts sellers: The company aims to grow its social commerce sales by offering merchants free listings and shipping, along with zero commissions.

On today's episode, we discuss how time spent on smartphones is changing, what people do on different devices, and what digital time spent in your car might look like. "In Other News," we talk about the significance of Amazon's Sidewalk network and what to make of two new pieces of potential AI legislation. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Yory Wurmser.

US ecommerce marketplaces will account for $384.57 billion in sales this year, a growth of 10.2% over 2022, according to our forecast. That growth will accelerate through the end of our forecast period in 2027, at which point sales will surpass $600 billion. “Amazon has really written the playbook for operating a successful marketplace in the US,” said our analyst Sky Canaves. Here’s a closer look at how the three biggest US ecommerce marketplaces stack up.

Retail media, connected TV (CTV), and search will play key roles in the future of digital advertising. This shift has retailers like Amazon aiming to expand CTV and social network companies like Meta leaning into search. Here are five predictions, according to our analyst Andrew Lipsman, that were shared during our virtual summit earlier this month.

H&M will sell more third-party brands to head off competition from Shein: The fast-fashion company is the latest in a long line of retailers to turn to marketplace sales for growth.

Big retailers are accumulating assets from across the healthcare ecosystem. This includes adding pharmacy and health insurance capabilities, as well as provider services such as home health, telehealth, primary, specialty, and urgent care.

On today's episode, we discuss the implications of the Federal Trade Commission thinking Amazon tricked customers into signing up for automatically renewing Prime subscriptions, whether it makes sense for companies to force livestream shopping on Americans, if speciality stores really work, the impact of Facebook and Instagram restricting news access in Canada, whether reduced inflation can save the day, what a real work-life balance looks like, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian, vice president of Briefings Stephanie Taglianetti, and analyst Evelyn Mitchell-Wolf.

The cost-of-living crisis is forcing UK consumers to change where they shop to save money. To attract and keep customers, retailers and brands across all sectors need to invest in loyalty programs—and understand what shoppers want from them.

US retail marketplace ecommerce sales will reach $603.20 billion in 2027, representing 34.8% of total retail ecommerce sales, per our forecast.

Retail media will continue to be the fastest-growing segment of digital advertising in the coming years. By opening up their digital platforms to third-party sellers, retailers can generate high-margin revenues from advertising and marketing services charged to sellers to promote their products both on- and offsite. Amazon has built a commanding lead in this space—Amazon Ads draws more than three-quarters of US retail media ad spend.

On today's episode, we discuss how this year's Amazon Prime Day will be different, how competitors can maximize the sales holiday's impact, and an uncanny link between Prime Day and the end-of-year holiday season. "In Other News," we talk about the significance of NBCUniversal and Walmart Connect bringing targeted ads to live sports and Amazon's AI initiatives. Tune in to the discussion with our vice president and analyst Andrew Lipsman.