Consumer behaviors will be shaped by continued uncertainty, heightened in an election year, and cultural trends spilling over into commerce (think Krispy Kreme and Ozempic). Retailers that lean into tech advancements and get back to basics will win.

Shein is moving ahead with its public debut, taking on some competitors (like Amazon and Temu) while teaming up with others (like Forever 21). Though a brick-and-mortar footprint doesn’t seem to be a part of Shein’s plan yet, it could take a cue from other fast-fashion brands, like H&M and Zara, and establish a physical presence to engage with offline shoppers.

Roku and The Coca-Cola Co. are using shoppable media to target consumers at home during the holidays, while Saks Fifth Avenue and Dior are celebrating 70 years of partnership with a first-of-its-kind ecommerce pop-up. Plus, Uber is leveraging the “Real Housewives” franchise to build up its ad business.

Recently, both Walmart and Target have warned that consumers’ cautious spending habits may lead to a sluggish holiday season this year. Were they right to be worried? Here’s how the holiday shopping season is going so far.

US ecommerce sales will grow 9.3% to reach $1.137 trillion in 2023, per our forecast, thanks to cost-conscious consumers looking for better deals and an increasing number of digital grocery buyers. As 2023 wraps up, ecommerce will go out on a high note, with online holiday sales growth outpacing brick-and-mortar sales.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss how the Thanksgiving numbers look, why folks are online shopping more this season, and where the ecommerce ceiling is. Then for "Red-Hot Retail," our analysts give us four spicy predictions about the remaining few weeks of holiday shopping. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman and analyst Zak Stambor.

Consumers have their environmental impact top of mind and it’s informing how they shop. Nearly 70% of consumers seek out brands that follow sustainable business practices, according to research from Amazon Ads.

Amazon is projected to take the lion’s share of US holiday season retail ecommerce sales this year, beating out its closest competitor, Walmart, by over $80 billion, according to our June 2023 forecast.

Dramatic shifts are in the works for 2024, as genAI, changing media norms, and innovative commerce redefine the business landscape. Our top nine trends explore what’s in store.

Brands that engage in non-endemic advertising by purchasing ad inventory from a retailer that does not sell its goods or services are well positioned to take advantage of the partner platform’s first-party data, audience segmentation, and overall reach.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss whether TikTok Shop will face the same challenges as Instagram's social commerce efforts, how much Amazon's partnership with Meta's social media platforms will affect TikTok, and if TikTok Shop is ruining TikTok. Then in a newish segment, "Loyalty Point, Counter Point," we discuss whether Instagram or TikTok has a better overall ecommerce experience. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Sky Canaves and Blake Droesch.

How does social media influence Gen Z’s customer journey?

HomeGoods shut down its ecommerce business because in October it was unable to recreate the in-store treasure-hunting experience customers know and love online. Meanwhile, Amazon is struggling to master brick-and-mortar because it doesn’t know what in-store shoppers want.

Frictionless online checkouts allow consumers to click, pay, and complete purchases for exactly what they were looking for—but less so for what they weren’t necessarily expecting to find. For retailers, encouraging impulse purchases online requires a different strategy than at brick-and-mortar stores that capitalize on physical displays to prompt low-consideration additions to shoppers’ carts.

How do consumers discover, evaluate, and purchase new brands and products?

his year, US holiday retail sales growth will align more closely with rates seen pre-pandemic, with ecommerce returning to double-digit growth at 11.3% YoY, according to our June forecast.

US B2B ecommerce growth is outpacing B2B product and electronic sales growth—but at a slow rate. Buyers’ preference for third-party marketplaces (e.g., Amazon Business) is fueling growth, pushing sellers to consider ecommerce solutions and third-party platforms to reach buyers and meet their procurement expectations.

ByteDance's CapCut dives into the business sector: The popular app is introducing AI-driven tools to help content marketers.