Halfway through the current decade, retail media has bled into the wider concept of commerce media, which will be a $68.69 billion industry in the US this year, per our December 2024 forecast.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss how folks viewed big ticket items over the Thanksgiving holiday shopping period, how in-store foot traffic shook out, and the impact of buy now, pay later (BNPL). Listen to the conversation with our Senior Analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts Senior Analyst Zak Stambor and Analyst Rachel Wolff.

While ad spend allocated to in-store retail media has yet to take off, consumers are ready and willing to engage with digital in-store formats, according to a new survey by EMARKETER in collaboration with Placer.ai.

Gen Z is twice as likely as the overall population to discover products on social media (51.5% versus 25.5%, per our Path to Purchase research), but physical stores are their top choice for actually making a purchase.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the main factors that will impact this year's holiday sales, why shopping in-stores will be more of a priority, and how last year's mobile commerce tipping point trend will continue. Listen to the conversation with our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Sky Canaves and Zak Stambor.

Digital shelf labels are small screens that attach to retail shelves, enabling retailers to update prices and product information in real time.

Sam’s Club Member Access Platform (MAP) is launching display ads within its Scan & Go mobile checkout experience as an expansion of its omnichannel retail media formats. The move puts smartphones at the center of in-store retail media advertising, a move more retailers will likely make.

“Increasingly, retailers are going to be pushing toward store formats that are either more convenient or experiential, as a chance for consumers to enjoy time with friends,” our analyst Carina Perkins said on the “Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail” podcast.

Summer is just getting started, but it’s already back-to-school season for parents. As of mid-June, nearly a quarter (24%) of US adults have already begun back-to-school shopping and another 45% will start sometime before the end of July, according to a March 2024 survey from LTK. As retailers roll out their back-to-school campaigns, here are three tips to keep consumers engaged and spending.

US in-store retail media ad spend will total $370 million this year. But as the channel expands, oversaturating stores with ads can cause tension between retail media teams, which focus on maximizing ad dollars, and merchants, which focus on the store as a whole. Online advertising and in-store advertising are not two distinct channels, but instead work together.

In the last of five reports in our “Payments Ecosystem” collection, we look at what’s influencing retail sales growth across in-store, online, and social commerce channels—and what it means for payment providers.

As retail media moves both off-site and in-store, audio is becoming a bigger part of the ad mix. Here are two ways brands can incorporate audio into their retail media activations.

“We've seen tremendous resilience from the consumer and that's driving a lot of success for retailers in the brick and mortar space,” said Ethan Chernofsky, senior vice president of marketing at Placer.ai, during our virtual summit. Despite rising inflation and pullbacks on discretionary spending, consumers are still eager to treat themselves and participate in unique retail experiences. We break down three trends influencing shopping behavior for the rest of the year, each paired with a retail opportunity.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss in-store retail media: what's holding it back, cooler screens and smart carts impact, and what digital advertising looks like outside the store. Then, for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the top three heritage brands that have found a way to become cool again. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Sky Canaves and Zak Stambor.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss how retail media is meeting the demand for full funnel campaigns, what folks are building to help with measurement, and how in-store audio can upgrade the experience. "In Other News," we talk about whether there is enough money to go around in retail media and why performance marketers are shifting their priorities to brand building. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Sarah Marzano and Ryan Mayward, SVP of retail sales at Walmart Connect.

In today’s episode, host Bill Fisher is joined by researcher Man-Chung Cheung and analysts Sarah Marzano and Carina Perkins to discuss the in-store retail experience. What’s next for Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, what lessons can be learned from Asia-Pacific, and how is Tesco helping marketers get in on the in-store act?

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of the most interesting retailers for the month of April. Each month, our analysts Arielle Feger, Becky Schilling, and Sara Lebow (aka The Committee) put together a very unofficial list of the top eight retailers they're watching based on which are making the most interesting moves: Who's launching new initiatives? Which partnerships are moving the needle? Which standout marketing campaigns are being created? In this month's episode, Committee members Arielle Feger and Sara Lebow will defend their list against vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analyst Blake Droesch, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss the role of the store for the beauty space, Walmart's involvement in this product category, and how TikTok is changing things. Then, for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the top three social media trends that have influenced beauty products and how they're marketed. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Sky Canaves and Carina Perkins.

Aldi opened more US stores in 2022 and 2023 than any other grocery chain, according to February 2024 data from JLL and RetailStat.

Amazon is ditching Just Walk Out in favor of Dash Carts. Not only will the move satisfy customers’ desire for familiar technology, but it’s also creating more ad inventory. Walmart Connect also emphasized its in-store retail media potential last week, with a focus on expanding familiar strategies like sampling and TV screens. This back-to-basics approach might spark more in-store retail media ad spend.