TV ad spending will shrink across every industry this year. Retail and CPG still dominate in size, but other sectors lean on TV more heavily, exposing the uneven role it plays in media strategies.

The sources of ad spending growth are shifting as telecom and financial services surge, while retail and CPG slow but still dominate in scale. Every industry is leaning harder into digital, with social and display ads commanding more budget than ever.

New tariffs will create ripple effects across retail—and returns will be no exception. With US retail returns predicted to exceed $1 trillion this year, according to a December 2024 EMARKETER forecast, the pressure is on retailers to adapt.

President Donald Trump’s shifting stance on tariffs has created a volatile environment for both consumers and retailers. With some Chinese goods facing tariffs as high as 245% and a blanket 10% on most imports, the market is seeing rapid shifts in consumer behavior, supply chains, and strategic planning.

Google wants to be a retail hub: Less than a month after rolling out a rebuilt Google Shopping, the tech giant launched a host of in-store and local shopping features.

After an unexpectedly solid 2023, the good times will continue for ad spending in most US industry verticals in 2024. Telecom will lead in growth, and numerous categories will outpace their 2023 increases. A few unusual results are on tap as well.

Best Buy looks to distinguish itself from the competition: The struggling retailer refreshes its online and offline presences to turn around its two-year slump.

Prime Day 2024 shatters records yet again as consumers stock up on essentials: Shoppers spent $14.2 billion online, spurred by significant discounts and the chance to get a head start on back-to-school needs.

Industry KPIs highlight advertising’s rising cost per acquisition: Some sectors with elevated CPAs enjoy strong conversion rates, but others are saddled with high costs and low return.

Amazon Prime Day conditioned shoppers to expect bargains in July: That’s driven Google, Target, Walmart, and others to seize on the opportunity to drive consumers to spend.

Deal-seeking shoppers spent $222.1 billion online this holiday season: Elevated discounts drove spending across the electronics, apparel, furniture, and toy categories.

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 back-to-school and holiday growth trends are usually pretty similar, but this year, growth will diverge. US ecommerce back-to-school and holiday spending growth were within 1 percentage point of each other in both 2020 and 2021, and closer to 4 percentage points apart in 2022, during a holiday season impacted by inflation, supply chain issues, and geopolitical concerns. This year, we forecast a US back-to-school ecommerce growth rate of 1.5%, slower than our forecast 11.3% holiday retail ecommerce growth.

eBay recently posted ad revenues of $367 million in Q2 2023—a growth of 35% YoY—in its latest earnings. But much of that can be tied to innovation in its ad types, improved measurement capabilities, and expanded third-party ads. eBay’s market also gives it a retail media opportunity outside of consumer packaged goods (CPG). Let’s break down what eBay is doing right.

Deep discounts may drive consumers previously holding back on big-ticket or discretionary purchases to splurge, while parents will keep an eye out for back-to-school deals. Walmart, Target, and Best Buy may see Prime Day-driven boosts in physical store traffic.

Higher-income consumers feel the pinch of soaring inflation: US retail sales growth slowed to 2.9% year-over-year in March as spending on big-ticket items slowed.

Amazon will gain the most share in health and personal care.

Forty-four percent of US adults plan to spend their normal amount on health and beauty products this year, according to a MetaPack survey. More than two-thirds said they’re not changing their spending on apparel (39%) or on DIY and gardening (34%).

US consumers spent $497 billion on tech last year, according to the Consumer Technology Association. That’s a $15 billion drop from 2021. This year, spending will decline again, by $12 billion.