Snapchat goes all in on AR ecommerce: The platform's long history with augmented reality innovation gives it a boost over competitors like Amazon or Pinterest looking to leverage AR for shopping.

Amid the carnage of bankruptcies, store closures, and massive layoffs in 2020, some retail companies actually fared very well. Adjustments to supply chains, product and service bundles, stocking and inventory, and customer service have been the keys to success for big-box retailers like Walmart, Target, and Best Buy. Others, such as Apple, lululemon athletica, Nike, and Starbucks, are focusing on innovating and modifying store experiences through digital integration, frictionless shopping, and atmospherics modified for a “new normal” of social distancing and sanitization.

The direct-to-consumer (D2C) model has been making waves over the past few years, as a greater emphasis on owned and operated online channels has been placed. In 2020, this model became even more attractive as brands and retailers faced disrupted supply chains, delayed orders, and store closures.

Social commerce accelerated in the US in 2020 amid the pandemic-driven ecommerce boom as key platforms advanced their shopping and checkout capabilities.

The retail industry is transforming at both physical stores and in digital. This report examines 10 trends that will most shape retail in the year ahead.

Though many companies struggle with diversity and inclusion in their advertising, some are making strides.

Today’s sociopolitical events have lit a fire under brands to address social injustice and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in deeper ways than they have in the past. Companies are using marketing and advertising to respond to and support discussions about systemic racism and the Black Lives Matter protests, the fight for LGBTQ rights, the #MeToo movement, the COVID-19 pandemic, and issues of immigration reform, to name a few.

The pandemic has had all kinds of effects on consumers, and in turn, on how they interact with products and services. eMarketer principal analyst at Insider Intelligence Nicole Perrin speaks with fellow principal analyst Andrew Lipsman and forecasting analyst Eric Haggstrom about what happens when business metrics go haywire, including at Walmart, Nike, and Peloton. They also talk about Facebook's narrowing attribution window, Prime Day finally happening, and Samsung Ads' new self-serve demand-side platform option.

eMarketer research analyst Daniel Keyes, principal analyst Andrew Lipsman and senior forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Cindy Liu discuss the emergent category of "luxury fitness" created by Nike, Peloton, lululemon and Apple. They then talk about Walmart's Prime competitor, Prime Day in the Fall and Amazon's Dash Cart.

As the coronavirus continues to spread, China's status as the epicenter of major supply chains is causing significant changes to businesses and consumer behavior. This is not only putting a strain on multiple industries within the country, but multinationals operating out of and doing business in China are feeling the effects as well.

The video streaming industry has become more competitive than ever, and marketers are figuring out how to build media plans around the fragmented market.

The consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry in the UK has to deal with not only Brexit effects, but also strong competition from retailers’ own-label products. As such, we predict that this industry will see a diminishing share of the digital ad spend market through 2020.

This summer, Nike will roll out its latest augmented reality (AR) initiative, Nike Fit. While the feature is another move toward independence and away from wholesalers, it could also help to alleviate the biggest hassles of online shopping when it comes to clothes and accessories.

Corporate social responsibility appeals to millennials—a generation of researchers who value authenticity, transparency and reliability.

Social commerce has reinvented itself many times over but has yet to prove itself as a solid sales tactic. Next year, the version that has been evolving during 2018 could finally take hold.

Even though PR stunts can be polarizing, brands keep foisting them onto the public. In a survey conducted by OnBrand and Bynder, only 12% of US and UK marketers considered guerrilla marketing an exciting trend to explore this year. Tangentially related tactics like influencer marketing and brand activism had far more appeal.

While a gap in ecommerce adoption between retailers and brand manufacturers used to be quite prevalent, it’s now common practice for brands to sell online, a trend that will continue to increase in 2019.

As America heads to the polls, brands find themselves in a tight spot, with more and more consumers tying their purchases to brands’ political stances. In an election day special edition of “Behind the Numbers,” we look at the data and what it means for marketers.

Social media is hardly synonymous with shopping, but that hasn't stopped social platforms from positioning themselves as pseudo-retailers.

If you think consumers want brands to be neutral on social issues, you would be wrong. Belief-driven buyers—consumers who choose, switch, avoid or boycott a brand based on its stand on societal issues—are the majority in 2018.