Amazon, Walmart, and Stitch Fix lead retailers when it comes to AI implementation: But retailers of all sizes are leveraging the technology to drive sales and improve CX, according to a report provided exclusively to EMARKETER.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of the most interesting retailers in July, focusing on back-to-school initiatives for this episode. Each month, our analysts Arielle Feger, Becky Schilling, and Sara Lebow (aka The Committee) put together a very unofficial list of the top eight retailers they're watching based on which are making the most interesting moves: Who's launching new initiatives? Which partnerships are moving the needle? Which standout marketing campaigns are being created? In this month's episode, Committee members Arielle Feger and Sara Lebow will defend their list against vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analyst Sky Canaves, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.

An evolved form of omnichannel retail, adaptive retail tailors shopping experiences to meet the specific wants and needs of each customer by offering convenience, personalization, and a seamless shopping experience no matter how they choose to shop.

The biggest Prime Day on record gave loyal consumers even more of a reason to love Amazon. Millennials shopped more conservatively during the sale this year, yet continued spending at other retailers. Meanwhile, retail competitors rode the wave of heightened buying intent. Here are five key stats on Prime Day that you didn’t know.

Sam’s Club Member Access Platform (MAP) is launching display ads within its Scan & Go mobile checkout experience as an expansion of its omnichannel retail media formats. The move puts smartphones at the center of in-store retail media advertising, a move more retailers will likely make.

Walmart+ Week member participation rose thanks to popularity with wealthy shoppers: While Amazon’s Prime Day sale attracted twice as many participants, its lead is narrowing.

Are millennials pulling away from Amazon? While they were the one demographic group whose Prime Day spending dropped year over year, they continued to spend on other retailers’ sites.

Best Buy looks to distinguish itself from the competition: The struggling retailer refreshes its online and offline presences to turn around its two-year slump.

At $22.25 billion, digital advertising is advancing unabated in Latin America this year. Double-digit gains in video and retail media ad spending, as well as improving economic conditions in Brazil and Mexico, will help take the regional market to new heights. Here are the latest trends you need to know.

Dynamic pricing plans risk alienating price-sensitive consumers: The mere possibility of variable prices is triggering anxiety over inflation and hurting trust in retailers

Inflation continues to impact spending in Q2, with 84% of consumers saying inflation had an impact on their spending, a 10% increase over Q1, per Jungle Scout’s research. Meanwhile, Amazon product categories recorded sales increases and social media shopping is on the rise.

Prime Day 2024 shatters records yet again as consumers stock up on essentials: Shoppers spent $14.2 billion online, spurred by significant discounts and the chance to get a head start on back-to-school needs.

Consumers take a cautious approach to back-to-school shopping: To drive shoppers to spend, Macy’s revamped its Epic Threads brand, Kohl’s added Limited Too, and Old Navy offered cash back.

Amazon’s pricing and returns policies draw complaints from sellers: Merchants flag lost revenues, higher fees, and inadequate seller support as reasons for their discontent.

Walmart’s retail media network generated 11 billion impressions in Q1: The retailer is chipping away at Amazon’s dominance, despite the latter’s moves to boost non-endemic spend.

Kroger leans into value: The grocer is hosting a big sale about a month before a crucial court hearing on its proposed merger with Albertsons.

Ecommerce will account for 35% of all back-to-school shopping this year: That’s a massive shift from the 23% share it accounted for prior to the pandemic as consumers embrace convenience.

Walmart bets on AR: The retailer experiments with several use cases for the technology that it hopes can make shopping online as immersive, interactive, and social as in-person experience.

Marketplaces will continue to expand their share of US retail ecommerce as new players with roots in China vie for prominence.

Retail media is the fastest-growing ad channel we track in the US, driven by new innovations, inventory growth, and new players launching media networks. Here’s a look at some of the biggest retail media moves from the first six months of 2024.