On today’s podcast episode, we discuss why the mega shopping festival Singles’ Day is so much larger than Prime Day, how the event is more interactive, and how US retailers and brands can start capitalizing on Singles’ Day as a cultural moment, a marketing opportunity, and a demand driver. Tune in to hear the discussion featuring Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Principal Analyst Sky Canaves, and Christopher Carl, Head of Marketing & Commercial Strategy for the US at AliExpress (Alibaba Group).

The retailer hopes to leverage TikTok’s beauty influence to drive sales and deepen connections with customers.

UK ecommerce is entering a steady, mature phase—but there are still opportunities for growth.

“Returns are in, brands are sharing how the holidays really performed on investor calls, and before we know it, we're going to start planning for the next cycle,” said our analyst Suzy Davidkhanian on a recent episode of “Reimagining Retail.” As retailers wrap up their analysis of the 2025 holiday season and begin planning for 2026, here’s how consumer behaviors are evolving across channels and what this means for future holiday strategies.

This FAQ examines how shoppable media works, where consumers engage with it, and how marketers should evaluate these emerging formats.

This FAQ covers how consumers shop on social platforms and what it means for brands.

Social commerce has hit a turning point as creators, younger shoppers, and built-in checkout push spending higher. Growth is accelerating, but it’s uneven—favoring platforms and strategies that turn attention into action.

Here are four “Reimagining Retail” episodes to queue up for your holiday travel.

Social commerce is booming in the UK, but the era of hyper-growth is coming to an end. Even so, social will continue gaining share of the digital wallet through 2029.

TikTok Shop’s US GMV exceeded $500 million from Black Friday through Cyber Monday, fueled by a nearly 50% jump in shoppers and rapid momentum in livestream commerce. Brands and sellers using livestreams saw 84% sales growth as viewers engaged with more than 760,000 sessions generating 1.6 billion views, a trend amplified by major influencers like Kim Kardashian. Other platforms, including Whatnot, also posted strong holiday results, signaling growing comfort with live buying. The data points to TikTok Shop’s accelerating scale and suggests it is well positioned to capture a larger share of holiday spending as more major brands join the platform.

QVC partners with TikTok as time runs out on second ban deadline: The retailer’s bet on the platform reflects both the growing importance of social commerce as well as confidence in TikTok’s future.

While many users sell products via Twitch livestreams, Amazon has yet to position the platform as a rival to other social video commerce sites like TikTok Shop.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss why households with no pay-TV (traditional or digital) will be the majority and if livestream shopping in America can become habitual. Tune in to the conversation with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Principal Forecasting Writer Ethan Cramer-Flood, and Senior Director of Forecasting Oscar Orozco. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Beauty’s run of strong retail sales growth is winding down, but new audiences and sales channels will offer opportunities for savvy brands and retailers to regain momentum.

Whatnot raises $265M amid TikTok ban fears: ByteDance pushes Lemon8, but the US-based livestream shipping platform gains investor confidence and market traction.

TikTok Shop gears up for busy holiday season in the US, UK: The platform expects hefty ecommerce and ad growth this year as shoppers get used to transacting on the app

TikTok Shop leans on top brands, live shopping to boost holiday sales: The platform will feature exclusive products from brands like Benefit Cosmetics and celebrity-led livestreams alongside Cyber Five discounts.

TikTok Shop doubles down on livestreaming as ecommerce sales grow: The platform sees an opportunity to grow order frequency and drive more impulse purchases.

Zara bets on live shopping following China success: The fast-fashion retailer is expanding its live commerce capabilities to the US, UK, and Europe.