Amazon bets that Prime members will pay extra for free grocery delivery: The retailer is testing a grocery subscription add-on for $9.99 per month in its latest attempt to boost the appeal of its grocery business.

Recently, both Walmart and Target have warned that consumers’ cautious spending habits may lead to a sluggish holiday season this year. Were they right to be worried? Here’s how the holiday shopping season is going so far.

As consumers look for quick and convenient ways to shop, the number of click-and-collect buyers in the US will rise to 150.9 million in 2024, representing 53.1% of the population, per our December 2022 forecast.

Retail media just got even bigger. We recently updated our US retail media ad spend forecast to show higher growth than previously estimated, culminating in $109.40 billion in spend in 2027.

Amazon is projected to take the lion’s share of US holiday season retail ecommerce sales this year, beating out its closest competitor, Walmart, by over $80 billion, according to our June 2023 forecast.

Walmart is launching its first shoppable video series: The first episodes of the holiday-themed “Add to Heart” will be available on Roku, TikTok, and YouTube beginning on Dec. 2.

’Tis the season for a deluge of holiday ads, as everyone tries to score a piece of the $1.317 trillion holiday sales pie (per our June 2023 forecast). To break through the noise, brands need to zero in on what resonates with consumers—and maybe even have a little fun.

US grocery ecommerce sales will grow 17.4% in 2024 to total $219.04 billion, according to our forecast. Meanwhile, UK grocery ecommerce sales will grow only 5.1% to total $37.06 billion in 2024. “At the end of the day, consumers in the US enjoy the conveniences of delivery, but they’re not necessarily willing to pay an exorbitant fee,” said our analyst Blake Droesch, emphasizing the perceived value of Walmart+ and Amazon Prime memberships to these shoppers.

Walmart’s grocery, ecommerce business powered it through another solid quarter: The retailer’s emphasis on value and convenience are helping it win market share, even as shoppers exhibit more signs of price sensitivity.

Amazon will offer grocery delivery to non-Prime members nationwide: The retail giant also plans to resume opening Amazon Fresh stores next year.

As the top two retailers in the US, Walmart and Amazon are battling for holiday success by rolling out the best deals, the fastest delivery, and the best in-store experience. Here’s who we expect will come out on top in each of those areas, plus a post-holiday outlook.

Retailers invest in shoppable TV ads after seeing early results: Walmart, Amazon, and Home Depot are banking on the format’s interactivity and ability to grab viewers’ attention to drive holiday sales.

This year was challenging for retailers as inflation kept prices high and consumers cut back on spending. But there were a few bright spots, as some in-store shopping rebounded and retail media boomed. Here’s some advice for retailers on how to use in-store experiences and retail media to their advantage.

Retailers, advertisers, and customers are at odds when it comes to retail search experiences. Retailers are looking to expand ad revenues. Advertisers need the ability to drive product sales by expanding visibility through keyword use and placements. And consumers don’t want the hassle of sifting through sponsored items that aren’t relevant to them.

Our latest analysis of 12 companies in Latin America unpacks key trends in the region’s retail ecommerce during H1 2023. This will provide retail and marketing professionals with insights into the current landscape, company developments, and what trends to look out for in 2024.

Google said today it is rolling out its Product Studio tool this week, which uses AI to help merchants create and manage product imagery. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Amazon Ads launched something similar last week. But it’s not just Amazon and Google that are leaning harder into generative AI. Walmart is incorporating the technology into search to give shoppers more relevant results, while Klarna is using AI-powered video to expand users’ time spent with the platform.

Amazon is on track for its first-ever $100 billion holiday season, boosted by its unbeatable delivery speeds, while click and collect gives Walmart an omnichannel edge, and Temu draws in price-conscious consumers. Plus, TikTok and mobile apps help retailers connect with consumers and stand out among the competition.

With the ascent of Chinese ecommerce disruptors and the ongoing rivalry between Amazon and Walmart, the upcoming holiday season is expected to bring some big shifts. Some of those shifts include the lessening of Cyber Five’s importance and retailers losing focus on profitability, said our analysts Jeremy Goldman and Zak Stambor on a recent episode of the “Behind the Numbers” podcast.

Retailers look to redefine the customer experience: That’s leading them to invest in immersive experiences such as AR, VR, gamified social shopping, and AI-enabled personalization.