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.

In this year’s “Key Digital Trends” report, we examine changes coming to the digital media and technology landscape in 2021—including legislation, privacy, entertainment, social media, and more—and why they matter to marketers.

The pandemic has shifted the grocery landscape this year, accelerating digital groceries faster than we previously anticipated. Kroger—who’s digital investments over the years have helped the company navigate amid the pandemic—will see its ecommerce sales surpass $11 billion this year, growing over 79% in 2020.

Grocery ecommerce is continuing to have a moment as more consumers get in the habit of shopping this way.

Walmart has reported a significant uptick in digital sales over the past six months, and it has likely won business from Amazon as the pandemic affected logistics.

The 2020 US holiday season, set amid the backdrop of a pandemic-driven consumer economy, will see an unprecedented shift to ecommerce.

The pandemic has accelerated ecommerce growth in the US this year, with online sales reaching a level not previously expected until 2022. In our Q3 US retail forecast, the top 10 retailers by ecommerce sales will tighten their grip on the retail market.

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.

One of the unique qualities of retail media advertising is the ability to use closed-loop attribution, tying ad engagements to sales. This is possible because the same company is running the ad and selling the product advertised. Brands often look to Amazon and Walmart.com because those sites facilitate closed-loop attribution—and with the ongoing disruptions to digital identity, this tool will likely provide even greater advantages to those who use it.

Amid 2020’s grim retail environment, ecommerce stands out as a bright spot. By now, the story is well known: US buyers have turned to online retailers like Amazon and Walmart in record numbers, mostly to avoid shopping in crowded places or because their local stores were closed.

From the onset of the pandemic, US consumers shifted to ecommerce for essential goods and personal care products, which has kept CPG digital ad spending afloat. We expect the industry to increase its digital ad spending 5.2% to $19.40 billion this year.

Business Insider Intelligence research analyst Daniel Keyes, eMarketer principal analyst Andrew Lipsman and senior forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Cindy Liu discuss how a staggered back-to-school shopping season is changing consumer spending and advertising. They then talk about why Walmart has teamed up with Microsoft to bid for TikTok, and what Walmart's membership program launch means for Amazon Prime.

Business Insider Intelligence research analyst Daniel Keyes, eMarketer principal analyst Andrew Lipsman and senior forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Cindy Liu discuss how Walmart, Target, Best Buy, The Home Depot, eBay, Etsy and Kohl's are doing and what their performances tell us about the changing US shopper.

eMarketer principal analysts Andrew Lipsman and Nicole Perrin and senior forecasting analyst at Insider Intelligence Cindy Liu discuss Amazon's impressive Q2. They then talk about Walmart delaying its loyalty program, closing stores on Thanksgiving, its new ad measurement tool and what to make of some corporate job cuts.

Grocery ecommerce is having a moment. Already at an inflection point prior to the pandemic, the migration of essential goods to online has accelerated this trend by three or four years in the span of three or four months.

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.

The coronavirus pandemic has dramatically altered the US retail and ecommerce landscape, with varying impacts in retail category growth.

The retail divide among top performers and the rest of the market has been amplified by the coronavirus pandemic.

It’s long been understood that US retail is over-stored. The US has more retail space per capita than any other country in the world, according to a 2018 analysis by Cowen and Company, at about 23.5 square feet per person compared to Canada, which is second on the list at 16.8 square feet.