The marketplace is pausing plans to force merchants to use its fulfillment services after considerable backlash.

Despite the noise around agentic commerce, discovery isn’t fully automated. Consumers may encounter products through digital platforms, but they aren’t yet handing over curiosity or preference-setting to AI.

This FAQ examines how the D2C model has evolved and what brands must do to make it profitable in 2026.

The deal could be mutually beneficial as both look to grow their ecommerce influence.

TikTok Shop's low prices came with shaky trust, but the budget retailer is maturing into a serious marketplace and attracting partnerships.

Retail media is entering an execution era; advertisers are now judging networks on speed, flexibility, and clarity, not just closed-loop performance or topline growth.

Consumers increase support for brands who stand by LGBTQ+ initiatives, and advertisers who back away face challenges in reaching the next wave of consumers.

Retailers faced a challenging year as economic factors, new technologies, and changing consumer behaviors reshaped the landscape. Here are our top five stories from this past year and what they meant to a tumultuous industry.

Lululemon athletica’s CEO Calvin McDonald will relinquish his role on January 31, 2026 to an as-yet-unnamed successor. Whoever that person is will face the task of restoring the brand’s authority in a category it once dominated—particularly in North America, where sales have been stagnant or negative for seven straight quarters. Whoever takes the helm at lululemon should look to refocus the brand on its athleisure roots. The company needs to make sure that its core product lines are resonating with consumers before devoting significant resources into other categories like footwear, where it faces a tougher path to building credibility amid entrenched competition.

Costco is gaining market share across nearly all categories it operates in, as shoppers respond to its combination of value, quality, and newness, CFO Gary Millerchip said on the retailer’s most recent earnings call. Costco is one of many retailers benefiting from both consumers’ search for value and the K-shaped economy. Like Walmart and Dollar General, the company is well positioned to outperform this holiday season as shoppers cut gift budgets and prioritize necessities. Costco’s results point to a retail environment in which share gains are driven by traffic, value, and loyalty, one that does not bode well for chains that lack pricing credibility or differentiation.

Costco has filed suit against the Trump administration to secure the right to a full refund of the IEEPA tariffs it paid this year, tying its claim to a pending Supreme Court ruling on whether Trump had authority to impose the duties. The company also seeks to pause tariff collection as the case unfolds, citing a December 15 liquidation deadline that could make the payments unrecoverable. With businesses stuck in prolonged uncertainty and others filing similar protective suits, Costco is taking a pragmatic, defensive step to shield itself from a costly legal limbo.

Mobile will account for nearly half of US online sales in 2026 and become the dominant channel in 2027. To make the most of this shift, retailers and brands should enhance integration of their shopping apps and loyalty programs.

Novo Nordisk is partnering with Costco to offer the retailer’s members Ozempic and Wegovy for $499 per month, or about half off what the medications cost patients without insurance. Novo tapping into Costco’s customer base of over 100 million US cardholders is a savvy play, especially considering that Costco members skew toward higher-income compared with shoppers generally. Novo and Costco can specifically market to new mothers and families broadly who may be struggling with weight gain due to their busy lives.

A leaked Adweek-reviewed file details how The Trade Desk partners with 49 retailers worldwide to sell ad placements built on shopper data. The document reveals steep markups and inconsistent rules: Albertsons charges up to 45% of media costs, Best Buy limits custom audiences, Costco sets $100K minimums, and Walmart imposes fees capped at $3.50 CPMs plus measurement charges. Other retailers add restrictions around ad categories or approvals. The leak highlights both the value and complexity of retail media as brands chase audience targeting tied directly to transactions. Transparency remains a challenge, with costs and conditions varying widely by partner.

The news: Costco has opted against dispensing the FDA-approved abortion pill mifepristone at its 500+ pharmacy locations, per Bloomberg. Our take: Costco's position could offend many of its customers and reverse the goodwill it has earned by holding firm on its DEI policies amid right-wing criticism. Costco might risk further brand damage if it stands by the reason of weak consumer demand when there’s evidence showing an uptick in medication abortions.

Dupes are being purchased at high rates among affluent consumers, even more than those with lower incomes. 70% of high-income US adults (earning $150,000 or more) have tried a dupe private label product, per April 2025 First Insight data. This outpaces the 53% of mid-income consumers ($51,000 to $149,000) and the 41% of low-income consumers (under $50,000) that bought dupes.