Revenues jumped 30% YoY as consumers’ takeaway habits solidified.

As retail media moves from side business to centerpiece, big brands are prioritizing measurement and efficiency to cement the channel as a mature budget item. Retail media will grow almost 20% this year (19.4%) to reach $58.79 billion, according to EMARKETER's September 2025 forecast. In recent earnings calls, tech leaders described a channel that is now about solid data, AI-driven relevance, and reshaping how advertisers reach shoppers.

Restaurants face shifting consumer behavior, tighter household budgets, and rapid advances in technology. This report provides the latest data on restaurant traffic, delivery, mobile engagement, and technology adoption.

Retail media is not just for retailers anymore. US commerce media ad spending is projected to hit $118.4 billion by 2029, growing at a 15.3% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), per a May EMARKETER forecast.

With promised features missing, the rollout echoes a broader trend of overpromising and underdelivering in AI.

As competition intensifies and consumers continue to seek value, retailers will need to double down on how to differentiate themselves and offer shoppers what they want, wherever they are.

DoorDash forgoes gig workers for employees with wages: The delivery platform announced a surprising pilot that would significantly upgrade the worker experience in select markets.

How are consumers adapting to digital dining tools designed to make ordering and delivery more convenient? Are they embracing restaurant apps, delivery platforms, and digital ordering kiosks?

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.

The days of heady growth are over for rapid grocery startups: The once-frothy sector is now down to a handful of players and facing steep competition from Uber and Doordash.

Invigorated travel has reestablished demand for travel credit card perks and benefits. But a recession could reverse gains—requiring premium card issuers to balance travel offerings with everyday utility. This second annual study reveals which of 10 leading premium travel credit cards are best positioned to attract and engage customers, based on their support of 49 emerging features.

DoorDash has ended its four-year partnership with Walmart, saying the split will enable it to focus on its long-term customer relationships. DoorDash works with retailers, like Albertsons and Macy’s, and thousands of restaurants across the globe, creating a marketplace for consumer discovery and advertising for its partners.

As customer loyalty grows more elusive, retailers beef up member rewards: Walmart, Starbucks, and Sweetgreen are just some of the companies looking to sweeten the deal to keep customers coming back.

Word of mouth trumps advertising: Intuit’s TurboTax massive deceptive ad settlement reflects a growing lack of trust consumers have in advertising.

Despite market uncertainty, rapid delivery is becoming a fact of life: Tesco, Albertsons, and Publix are some of the retailers inking deals with delivery platforms to offer quick fulfillment, while quick commerce startup Zepto is raking in cash from investors.

After less than a year, Just Eat might sell Grubhub: The news is the latest sign that the oversaturated food delivery industry is struggling.

DoorDash was once again the most downloaded US food and drink app in 2021, racking up 37.0 million downloads, 5% fewer than in 2020. McDonald’s jumped to second on the list with 24.0 million downloads, 33% more than the year prior. Meanwhile, Uber Eats dropped to third place with 21.0 million downloads.

US digital sales of food and beverages from restaurants soared 123.8% last year, per eMarketer estimates. This massive increase was the result of more consumers using delivery services like DoorDash, Uber Eats, and Grubhub amid lockdowns and restaurant closures.

Many mobile app categories saw a boost last year as more consumers spent time with their devices during quarantines. According to our estimates for smartphone app user growth, grocery apps, food delivery apps, and health/fitness apps were the three fastest-growing categories in 2020.