AI-driven discovery, shifting grocery ecosystems, and creator influence are reshaping retail fast. Heidi Waldusky of Quad joins EMARKETER’s Suzy Davidkhanian to discuss the trends redefining the path to purchase and how brands can prepare for what’s next.

US grocery ecommerce will continue to grow through 2029, but at a slower pace as the market matures and in-store sales remain dominant. As growth cools, delivery, retailer-owned channels, and a few larger players will lead the gains.

Shifting drinking habits, the rise of nonalcoholic choices, and trends like Dry January are reshaping the alcohol market for 2026.

Gen X and millennial women are a key force in the personal care and beauty market. They’re outpacing overall market averages across several core product categories, underscoring their importance for brand growth and retailer strategy.

With more signals than ever, and the AI tools to make sense of the data, retail brands can find new ways to engage customers and drive business value. But they need firm strategies and vision to avoid getting lost in the numbers, and many are finding in-store impact with digital efforts. At Advertising Week New York (AWNY), marketing heads at top brands, including McDonald’s, Gap Inc., bp and Visa, discussed their approaches to driving business value by elevating value for customers.

As advertisers demand clearer evidence of campaign effectiveness, retail media networks (RMNs) are investing in advanced attribution tools. Loblaw Advance, the retail media network of Canadian retailer Loblaw Companies Limited, is taking this step with its new multi-touch attribution (MTA) solution.

“If there’s one thing I want my team to get right, it’s the cohesion of messages,” said Minyi Su, head of marketing at Bluemercury. “While personalized messaging is important, we need to make sure that personalization all ladders up to the same theme.” Balancing broader brand identity with customized recommendations was one of many themes Su focused on at EMARKETER’s Future of Digital Summit on Tuesday.

Our inaugural Pulse of the Consumer: Personal Care and Beauty Survey explores how US shoppers discover, research, and purchase products across channels.

In this podcast episode, we discuss the importance of physical touchpoints for brands and explore what attracts younger generations to in-store shopping experiences. We also examine the expectations consumers have for engaging in person experiences. Join our conversation with Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Chief Client Strategy & Integration; President of Quad Agency Services, Tim Maleeny, and Vice President of Content, Suzy Davidkhanian. Listen everywhere you find podcasts and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Screen-fatigued shoppers are rediscovering the thrill of real-world discovery by flipping through catalogs, queuing for pop-ups, and going on retail tourism. Josh Golden, CMO at Quad, shares how Gen Z and millennials are craving these encounters, “return on touch” as a measurable metric, and how blending physical and digital elements can lift loyalty and sales.

Over 80% of Gen Z want to unplug, according to new research from Quad and The Harris Poll, sparking demand for tactile brand moments like print catalogs, unboxing rituals, and pop-ups that feel more authentic than scrolling. Marketers who fuse these “return of touch” experiences with digital convenience can build deeper loyalty and lift sales.

There are now more than 80 retail media networks (RMNs) in the US. The volume of RMNs, combined with the dominance of Amazon and other established competitors, makes it challenging for new and niche RMNs to capture share.

Retail media ad spending in France, Germany, and the UK continues to rise, outpacing all other ad formats. The space is developing rapidly despite fragmentation and a lack of standards.

The partnership highlights the importance of individual merchant deals and larger platform tie-ups

Gaming audiences are a powerful force in back-to-school shopping, influencing both digital and in-store purchases. Activision Blizzard Media’s latest research reveals how this often-overlooked group—many of them parents—are planning early, spending big, and responding to mobile-first ads.

Walmart plans to open or remodel 45 Fuel and Convenience stations this year, bringing its total to 450 locations.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss how to increase basket size, how to break out of category while staying true to brand identity, and how to respond to TikTok trends without seeming like a brand responding to a TikTok trend. Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Vice President and Principal Analyst Suzy Davidkhanian and the CMO of True Religion Brand Jeans Kristen D’Arcy.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss what happens when a shelf is empty, how retailers can stay ahead of this, and how signals translate into actionable store-level decisions. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Principal Analyst Sky Canaves, Senior Analyst Blake Droesch, and Chief Revenue Officer at Trax David Gottlieb. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

In a competitive retail landscape, alcohol brands are turning to AI-powered image recognition to optimize in-store execution. This technology provides real-time insights on shelf conditions, helping brands keep products well-stocked, properly displayed, and positioned to capture shoppers’ attention—boosting visibility and sales.

Programmatic plays a small but growing role in digital audio services ad spending. Major digital audio platforms are leaning in.