Consumer interest in chatbot-based checkout isn’t quite there, but AI-based discovery is on the rise.

As early movers launch ads within OpenAI's ChatGPT, they're closely watching how consumers interact with their campaigns and where this emerging channel fits within broader strategies. “Investment in technology and AI…goes hand-in-hand with great experience,” said Target CEO Michael Fiddelke, at the retailer’s 2026 Financial Community Meeting. “We know those tech investments pay off with stronger experience, whether that's digital or whether that's in-store.”

The company is shifting tactics as users prefer to purchase on retail sites rather than in chatbots.

To capture a share of limited holiday gains, retailers and brands must zero in on pockets of opportunity across mobile commerce, social platforms, and consumer adoption of AI for shopping.

High-margin ads, more third-party sellers, and investments in fulfillment and loyalty are set to drive growth in 2026.

OpenAI is adding Criteo to its US ad pilot, seeking credibility and demand despite steep CPMs and thin proof.

It’s unlikely to pull users from ChatGPT, but it could increase pressure on tech giants to safeguard user data and avoid overhyping their AI’s medical advice capabilities.

While Amazon's Alexa, Apple's Siri, and Google Assistant dominated the 2010s, AI-native voice interfaces like ChatGPT's Voice Mode now set the standard for conversational fluency.

Insurtech companies are transforming how insurance products reach consumers, blending AI-driven underwriting with digital-first marketing strategies.

UK ecommerce is entering a steady, mature phase—but there are still opportunities for growth.

Sky-high operational costs are pushing ChatGPT and its rivals toward ads, while Koah is betting survival hinges on monetizing scale.

The platform is introducing ChatGPT ads for merchants as it looks to become the go-to partner for agentic commerce.

“Returns are in, brands are sharing how the holidays really performed on investor calls, and before we know it, we're going to start planning for the next cycle,” said our analyst Suzy Davidkhanian on a recent episode of “Reimagining Retail.” As retailers wrap up their analysis of the 2025 holiday season and begin planning for 2026, here’s how consumer behaviors are evolving across channels and what this means for future holiday strategies.

Teens live on their phones, bouncing between short-form video, gaming, shopping, and AI. As social feeds become storefronts and AI doubles as a tool and companion, brands must rethink how they earn attention—and trust—in teen digital life.

The travel co-brand card market is splitting fast. Premium products are pushing upmarket as rewards debit cards pull in younger users, while AI-driven discovery is eroding loyalty—forcing issuers to rethink relevance and clarity to capture spend in 2026.

Claude’s ad-free stance at the Super Bowl drove 11% user growth as trust fears shadowed ChatGPT’s ad plans—but scale gaps remain vast.

Asia-Pacific leads AI adoption worldwide, but penetration varies widely by market. From rapid uptake to cautious testing, markets are taking very different paths.

As conversational AI becomes a new entry point for discovery, advertisers are rethinking how relevance and usefulness show up in these environments. Roundel’s pilot with OpenAI offers an early look at what user-first advertising could mean inside AI-driven conversations.

59% of US teens ages 13-17 say they have used ChatGPT, meaning a majority of the next generation of consumers is already turning to AI chatbots, according to a December report from Pew Research Center.