Retailers are quickly embracing autonomous AI—sometimes referred to as agentic AI—to enhance operations and customer experiences. Gen Z is leading the shift, using AI for discovery and shopping. But to grow adoption across all generations, retailers must build trust through data security and transparency of AI use.

GenAI adoption complicates retailers’ customer acquisition strategies: Brands are struggling to optimize their websites and product listings to account for rising traffic from genAI tools.

Shopify is on an AI acquisition spree: The company’s latest purchase, Vantage Discovery, will enable it to offer brands genAI-powered search capabilities and improved product discovery.

Over half of Gen Zers discover products primarily on TikTok and Instagram: Google’s relevance is fading as social search takes over.

Amazon reevaluates social commerce ambitions with Inspire shutdown: The retailer is prioritizing Rufus and shoppable partnerships with TikTok and other platforms.

Reddit taps commerce and community: The platform aims to help advertisers engage intent-driven users at every stage of the purchase journey.

Our second annual study of US banking consumers reveals the key characteristics that make each generation’s customer journey unique. Banks can tailor their acquisition and retention strategies accordingly.

Walmart’s advertising business gets a boost: The retailer closed its Vizio acquisition, giving it inroads into the lucrative CTV market.

High-income consumers are more likely to discover new brands or products in-store, but they typically make the final purchase online.

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.

TV is transforming into a retail platform: Shoppable media drives real-time purchasing, with US consumers spending $290 annually on TV-inspired products.

Google and Amazon enhance visual search capabilities to speed up the path to purchase: As more shoppers rely on the tool, both companies see an opportunity to make the shopping experience faster, simpler, and more relevant.

Commerce video ads drive sales growth: 70% of advertisers use the format, says IAB report, but consumers find the ads too short.

Gen Z’s complicated path to purchase leans heavily on digital platforms and channels. But offline resources still play a key role.

Amazon tests removing product reviews and ratings from search: The retailer claims it will enhance the browsing experience, but it creates friction for the majority of shoppers who rely on customer feedback.

Gauging the influence of digital on the shopper's journey.

Instacart launches new ad formats to help CPGs drive impulse purchases: The delivery platform will roll out shoppable recipes, occasions, and bundles to facilitate discovery and boost brand engagement.

At $22.25 billion, digital advertising is advancing unabated in Latin America this year. Double-digit gains in video and retail media ad spending, as well as improving economic conditions in Brazil and Mexico, will help take the regional market to new heights. Here are the latest trends you need to know.

TikTok proves social search is here to stay: Its new image search function capitalizes on a shift from traditional discovery methods.

Nearly half of retail CFOs plan to leverage automation and AI to optimize costs in 2024. Online resale may have the most to gain in the short term, thanks to the opportunity to address key operational challenges and customer pain points involved with selling secondhand goods online.