Ad spending is increasing across all transaction types, but growth rates are higher for programmatic direct and private marketplaces (PMPs).

Deal-seeking by consumers, heavy discounting from retailers, and a longer holiday shopping season drove an uptick in returns during the 2022 holiday season. Retailers will need to plan their promotional calendars carefully to manage returns in 2023.

Consumer device and behavior trends are affecting payment providers’ strategies across retail, P2P, B2B, disbursement, and cross-border channels. Here’s what that means for the payments ecosystem.

This second installment of the “Payments Ecosystem” collection unpacks how point-of-sale (POS) hardware, software, and payment gateway services are becoming increasingly intertwined as merchants adapt to economic turmoil and consumer payment changes.

The 2022 holiday season’s solid retail sales gains were mostly attributable to inflation, but they nevertheless paint a cautiously optimistic picture for the 2023 holiday season.

Amazon expands its ultrafast delivery options: The retail giant is investing in same-day delivery amid growing competition from Target and others.

Over two-thirds of retailers plan to ramp up tech investment over the next three years: Priorities include ecommerce and frictionless checkout experiences.

Mercado Libre closed 2022 with record gains in sales: Strong performances in Brazil and Mexico drove the Latin American ecommerce giant’s gains.

ES: Microsoft’s Bing AI has a huge price tag: The tech giant’s cavalier commercialization of generative AI has uncertain profitability. High compute costs are passed on to developers as other challenges mount.

Target is spending $100 million to expand its next-day delivery capabilities: The retailer plans to have at least six new sortation centers to make delivery cheaper, faster, and more efficient.

On today's episode, we discuss the significance of Amazon buying a primary care network, how ChatGPT did when it took the US Medical Licensing Exam, and what an Apple mixed reality headset could do to treat pain. "In Other News," we talk about health information being shared for advertising purposes and what to make of CVS buying Oak Street Health. Tune in to the discussion with our analysts Lisa Phillips and Rajiv Leventhal.

In the last quarter of 2022, Amazon increased its total net sales 9% YoY to hit $149.2 billion. But compared to the massive growth the company has experienced in the past, its Q4 results were a bit lackluster. From ad revenues to physical store sales, let’s take a closer look at how some of Amazon’s business units fared in Q4.

This report is a guideline to help marketers understand retail media through market size estimates, growth projections, and analysis of the complex landscape of buyers, sellers, and intermediaries.

Retailers start to test the waters of generative AI: While companies like Carrefour and Fanatics are using it to improve engagement, Amazon has concerns over data privacy.

Shopify delivered a stronger-than-expected Q4: But the company’s efforts to turn around its lackluster 2022 remain a work in progress due to the tough economic environment.

On today's episode, we discuss what to make of Amazon's 2% decline in online store sales, how to interpret its advertising service's 19% revenue growth, and why the company is rethinking its Amazon Fresh strategy. "In Other News," we talk about how Pinterest views the future of shoppable video and how malls are resurging. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Andrew Lipsman.

Amazon reportedly laid off about 20% of Zappos’ workforce in January: The retail giant is cutting costs at Zappos and elsewhere as it recalibrates for slower growth.

As the nation readies itself for Super Bowl Sunday, let’s review how this year has gone for the NFL. The league’s ratings for the 2022–2023 season were down 3% from the prior year, and there’s one big reason to blame: Amazon’s Thursday Night Football. Despite the drop, sports leagues will continue to move full steam ahead with exclusive streaming deals while Amazon waits for consumers to catch up.

Amazon was the most downloaded mobile shopping app in the US in 2022 as its reach continued to grow. Closing in on Amazon was Shein at No. 2, followed by Walmart, Fetch, and Shopify’s Shop app.

Advertisers and marketers can’t afford to waste budget, so we foresee a partial shift away from display ads and renewed emphasis on search—with one big exception, retail media.