Ecommerce in Canada is entering a new phase. Buyer growth is slowing, but AI-powered shopping and mobile commerce are driving higher spending, reshaping how retailers compete and where future gains will come from.

AI, sports partnerships, BNPL, Gen Alpha, and digital asset infrastructure will be top of mind for payment providers in H2 2026.

Electronics ads convert best of any retail category at 7.58%, nearly four times the rate of home and kitchen ads (1.94%) at the bottom of the pack, according to a Q4 2025 report from SellMetric.

Financial media networks are growing fast, but they face a fundamental weakness: Consumers bank everywhere and shop elsewhere. Closing that gap will determine whether they become major media players or niche data providers.

This FAQ covers Amazon Ads' scale, its expansion beyond the marketplace, and how advertisers should use it.

Last week, Ace Hardware held its annual Ace Rewards Day sales event, designed to capture the surge in shopping activity that Amazon's Prime Day helps create each summer. The preparation behind the event offers a playbook retail media leaders can apply to major retail moments throughout the rest of the year, including the holiday season.

In-store retail media, which includes digital screens, smart carts, audio, and product sampling inside physical stores, remains the least developed segment of retail media. Yet demand is rising as advertisers seek to reach shoppers in the aisle, where most retail purchases still occur. High infrastructure costs and organizational silos, however, continue to limit the channel's growth. This FAQ covers the market's size, the grocery opportunity, and how retailers and advertisers should invest.

Amazon and Walmart widen their lead as shoppers raise their standards.

Google adds a search trust cue: A new “strongest match” test could reward relevance, but advertisers are left looking for clearer rules.

Europe’s retail media market is growing rapidly, but fragmentation remains the defining challenge. Local market dynamics, new media channels, and AI-driven operations are reshaping how brands scale across the region.

Media consumption is climbing again after years of slower growth, thanks partly to genAI. New forecasts reveal how AI, streaming video, live sports, and converged TV are reshaping how US adults spend their time—and driving more screen time in the process.

Commerce media is entering a new phase. Growth is no longer enough; networks must prove distinct value as advertisers demand stronger measurement, buying capabilities, and outcomes beyond the retail media playbook.

Disney’s AI ad tool: Disney opens AI-powered TV ad creation to smaller brands as disclosure emerges as a trust advantage.

AI shopping assistants such as Amazon's Alexa for Shopping (formerly Rufus), Walmart's Sparky, ChatGPT, and Google Gemini are reshaping how consumers discover and evaluate products. Retailer-owned assistants are already lifting order values and conversion, while standalone AI platforms struggle to convert recommendations into purchases. This FAQ covers how AI shopping assistants work, what they mean for brand loyalty, and how brands earn a place in AI-generated recommendations.

Amazon is once again reshaping the summer shopping calendar, moving Prime Day earlier and expanding the event to capture a larger share of online spending.

Walmart Connect is expanding its audience data offering into YouTube streaming inventory through Display & Video 360, allowing advertisers to target Walmart audiences more precisely while tying campaigns back to shopping behavior and sales outcomes.

Different playbooks emerge as companies look to monetize their chatbots without losing trust.

Recent earnings reports from the nation's largest retailers gave a peek behind the curtain for how they aim to improve AI offerings, and where they value it most in their business.

When Caitlin Clark suffered an injury that sidelined her for much of the 2025 season after a transformative 2024 rookie year, concerns emerged about the WNBA's trajectory. But the league proved resilient, with viewership recovering to 2024 levels by season's end despite an initial 55% drop in the two weeks following her injury, according to USA Today.

New York reins in AI ads: New rules demand disclosures for synthetic performers and guard the deceased, putting onus on advertisers.