Gen Zers and young millennials are the most likely to splurge on beauty in 2024—but their path to purchase is anything but straightforward.

72% of US digital retailers believe generative AI and AI-driven personalization affect their business the most this year, according to December 2023 data from Bolt.

The majority (83.7%) of US retail sales take place in physical stores, per our forecast. The retailers that can infuse digitally forward strategies into their in-store experiences are more likely to win over consumer dollars. Here are five charts on why the in-store experience is so key to retailers’ success and how they can use technology to create a more seamless, engaging shopping experience.

Last year, Kroger found success embracing omnichannel shoppers and personalizing digital promotions, which helped it grow its identical sales (without fuel) 0.9% YoY. Looking ahead, the retailer is counting on its digitally engaged customers to fuel its retail media network, which Kroger expects to grow 20% next year.

It may be a new year, but 2023 shopping habits aren’t going anywhere, according to Barbara Connors, vice president of strategy and acceleration at 84.51, a retail data company under The Kroger Co. Customers are still motivated by price and value, still expecting the shopping experience to seamlessly shift between online and offline channels, and still interested in buying private label goods.

72% of adults in North America use their smartphone to research price comparisons while shopping in-store, making it the No. 1 type of research done on mobile devices in-store, per August 2023 1WorldSync data.

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.

Walmart’s grocery, ecommerce business powered it through another solid quarter: The retailer’s emphasis on value and convenience are helping it win market share, even as shoppers exhibit more signs of price sensitivity.

Google said today it is rolling out its Product Studio tool this week, which uses AI to help merchants create and manage product imagery. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Amazon Ads launched something similar last week. But it’s not just Amazon and Google that are leaning harder into generative AI. Walmart is incorporating the technology into search to give shoppers more relevant results, while Klarna is using AI-powered video to expand users’ time spent with the platform.

As ecommerce growth returns to pre-pandemic levels, it will continue to drive total retail sales over the next few years. Retailers looking to drive sales need to focus on a seamless omnichannel experience and use deals to convince consumers to spend. Meanwhile, retail media’s growth shows no signs of slowing, but advertisers and retailers must work together to ensure future success.

As the dust settles on luxury’s big post-pandemic rebound, high-end brands will have to become savvier and more flexible to meet evolving consumer demands.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss what’s important in a good omnichannel experience, where in-store retail media is headed, and how stores can tailor experiential and experimental tech to build a more robust customer profile. Then, for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank two retailers that are doing store digitization well and two that could possibly use a bit of work. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Arielle Feger and Zak Stambor.

Mobile is driving ecommerce sales growth, with 43.2% of the $1.137 trillion in US ecommerce sales we project for this year. As mcommerce sales rise, retailers are innovating to get a piece of the $491.14 billion pie. Mobile commerce will be especially vital this holiday season. Some 79% of US online shoppers shopped via mobile during the Cyber Five last year, according to Bizrate Insights data cited in a Forrester report.

Historically traditional channels are being digitized, theoretically opening the door to more robust measurement. At the same time, third-party identifiers are being ousted in favor of identity solutions that preserve consumers’ privacy.

Generative AI was the shiny new thing this year (despite having been around for quite a while). Curious consumers wrote poems with ChatGPT, created masterpieces with Midjourney, and browsed Google’s and Microsoft’s AI-chatbot search functionalities. As the hype clears, which generative AI applications will be most relevant for business? And how can marketers put those applications to use?

Double-digit inflation and stagnant economic growth have hit Latin America’s retail industry. Retail ecommerce sales growth in the region decelerated to its slowest rate on record last year, but we expect it to reaccelerate in several key markets. Here are our latest forecasts, along with new breakouts for Chile, Colombia, and Peru.

The Christmas Tree Shop is closing its doors. Overstock.com is becoming Bed Bath & Beyond. Party City went bankrupt and is closing stores. More than 50,000 stores that are open now may be closed by 2027, according to UBS. But what actually happens to retail spaces, brand identities, and competitors when a brand goes out of business?

Behind the hype around composable commerce, there are pros and cons that retailers should consider before shaking up their business operations.

Sales fulfilled via click and collect are growing faster than total ecommerce sales in the UK as cash-strapped consumers avoid delivery costs and retailers race to make their services faster, cheaper, and more efficient.

Payment service providers competing to serve small and medium-sized businesses have a new opportunity to win them over with cutting-edge payment, cash flow, capital, and marketing tools.