Walmart finalized its Vizio acquisition one year ago, a move that clearly telegraphed its advertising ambitions and positioned it to be a dominant retail media player. Vizio considerably strengthens Walmart’s pitch to advertisers by giving it more opportunities to get in front of engaged audiences and providing more data for better targeting and measurement. Walmart’s newfound CTV capabilities also help establish the retailer as a full-funnel ad solution, increasing its appeal to both endemic and nonendemic brands.

Shoppers spent over $75 million on live shopping platform Whatnot during Black Friday, the company told EMARKETER. That’s three times last year’s total, underscoring the medium’s swift ascendance and pointing to rising consumer comfort with the format. Livestream commerce’s ability to blur the lines between shopping and entertainment is helping to drive adoption across generations. We expect US livestream ecommerce sales to rise by nearly 50% this year to $14.64 billion, while the number of buyers will jump by 21.5%. Platforms, retailers, and brands that lean into the entertainment and educational aspects of live shopping will be best equipped to capture—and keep—shoppers’ attention.

Brands are ramping up GEO efforts to ensure maximum visibility this holiday season. Tactics include flooding the internet with content; paying influencers to post on TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook; and building entire websites visible only to AI scrapers. If that fails, companies have more opportunities to pay for advertising within AI search results as Walmart, Amazon, and Google ramp up efforts to monetize their AI tools. GEO is a strategic imperative for brands looking to remain discoverable as more shopping research migrates to AI platforms. Given the opportunity, companies should also be experimenting with AI search ads to see how shoppers interact with the format and whether these promos drive purchases or reduce trust in AI recommendations.

Households with GLP-1 users could account for 35% of food and beverage sales by 2030, up from 23% today, per Circana. Rising GLP-1 usage is reshaping grocery spending, with profound implications for foodmakers and grocers. As GLP-1s grow more accessible—thanks to microdosing, efforts to make the drugs more affordable, and the pending release of a weight-loss pill—their impact will be more deeply felt beyond food to sectors including apparel, wellness, beauty, and restaurants.

Reports of Gen Z’s sluggish holiday spending may be exaggerated. Brands like Edikted, Kendra Scott, and Bath & Body Works—favorites of the cohort—saw heavier foot traffic during Black Friday, per Bloomberg. The cohort will account for a greater share of Cyber Five spending this year—18%—while all other generations will see their share decline, per Deloitte. With the pressures on Gen Z spending set to persist beyond the holiday season, brands and retailers will have to work hard to make their case to the increasingly cash-strapped cohort.

Generative AI is rapidly transforming how travelers plan and book trips, with usage climbing from 8% in 2023 to 24% this year and projected to reach 65% by next year. As tools like Google’s AI Mode and OpenAI’s Instant Checkout streamline itinerary building and booking, they introduce new price pressures for major travel platforms while consumers increasingly book directly with airlines, hotels, and rental companies. With many travelers still forming habits around AI, we believe travel brands have a prime opportunity to strengthen loyalty by integrating with leading platforms and offering seamless rewards across both direct and AI-assisted bookings.

A worsening macro environment is pushing major retailers and restaurants to close locations as rising costs and shifting consumer habits erode profitability, prompting cuts from Yankee Candle, Carter’s, American Signature, and Wendy’s. Industry data shows elevated vacancy rates and slower net absorption ahead, though new construction remains limited, helping support occupancy. While bankruptcy-driven closures have recently eased, the sector still faces meaningful pressure. Even so, we expect physical retail sales to grow 2.8% next year, offering a stabilizing force that should help sustain space demand despite continued consolidation.

Black Friday 2025 sales outperformed expectations as consumers, motivated by steep discounts, drove 4.1% retail growth and a 10.4% jump in ecommerce despite ongoing inflation pressures. Shoppers responded strongly to major deals across toys, electronics, apparel, and TVs, even as overall enthusiasm for the day slipped and higher prices weighed on order volumes. Mobile dominated online activity, BNPL usage grew, and genAI-powered shopping surged, boosting conversion rates for retailers using the technology. The results suggest consumers are cautious yet still willing to spend selectively, signaling a steadier holiday season than anticipated.

A slate of retailers boosted their outlooks following strong Q3 performances, a positive sign as the industry heads into the most important shopping period of the year. Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Kohl's all updated their FY sales guidance, pointing to ongoing consumer resilience despite growing pessimism about the state of the economy and personal finances. The outlook for holiday spending is notably stronger than it appeared earlier this year: We expect sales in November and December to rise 3.6% YoY, slower than last year’s 4.4% growth but a significant upgrade from our May forecast.

OpenAI introduced a shopping research feature for ChatGPT that builds personalized buying guides based on user queries and past conversations. The feature is available to all ChatGPT users, including those on free plans; OpenAI is offering “nearly unlimited usage” throughout the holiday season. Making the feature widely available at no cost suggests that OpenAI is looking to get users to rely on ChatGPT for purchase decisions, which could eventually result in greater buy-in for its agentic checkout features. However, it faces stiff competition: Perplexity, Google, and Amazon have all rolled out advanced AI functions to help holiday shoppers.

Kohl’s topped Q3 expectations and raised its outlook, crediting stronger product assortments, better value through promotions, and improved in-store and digital experiences for helping it win back customers. The company also named interim CEO Michael Bender to the job permanently. Bender, the third person to hold that role in roughly three years, plans to sharpen Kohl's product assortment, offer more proprietary clothing and home goods, and make stores easier to shop to appeal to customers who are “increasingly savvy and are seeking more value.” Kohl’s was upbeat that its recovery is gaining momentum, but it has more work to do to turn sales declines into gains.

France’s government is pushing for a three-month suspension of Shein’s entire site after authorities discovered illegal firearms and sex toys for sale on its marketplace, per Reuters. It is also being sued for up to €3 billion ($3.25 billion) in damages by a consortium of French retailers and retail associations for allegedly using fake promotions to attract shoppers and failing to comply with regulatory standards. Political considerations are contributing to the crackdown on Shein as governments seek ways to protect local retailers from ultra low-cost rivals, but the company hasn’t helped its case.

Q3 was another strong quarter for Walmart and Amazon, and another weak one for Target. Shoppers are showing a clear preference for the convenience, product selection, and overall value that Amazon and Walmart offer, while being less impressed by Target’s assortment and shopping experience. Economic uncertainty is heightening the gap, as more shoppers turn to Amazon and Walmart for necessities like groceries while pulling back on the discretionary spending that fuels Target. Walmart's and Amazon's ability to combine low prices with an extensive product selection and fast and convenient delivery will serve them well this holiday season, while Target has the harder task of convincing price-conscious shoppers to spend on nonessential items.

Amazon blocked several OpenAI-affiliated crawlers from accessing its site, a move first reported by ecommerce analyst Juozas Kaziukėnas. That marks the retailer’s latest attempt to keep third-party agents from encroaching on its turf and endangering ad revenues. Amazon’s insistence on keeping AI agents at bay is the right move for the company for the time being. Adoption is minimal for now, hampered by trust issues, clunky UX, and minimal merchant participation. However, the gates will have to open at some point—and the longer Amazon waits, the more ground it cedes to rivals like Walmart.

Convenience stores are playing catch-up as they jump into retail media, exploiting their local reach to offer advertisers new ways to connect with shoppers. The brick-and-mortar landscape is highly fragmented—unlike ecommerce, where just a few players dominate. That provides an opening for convenience stores to become valued retail media partners. Their dense footprints, frequent visits, and strong ability to influence impulse buys can give brands targeted and measurable insights. C-store RMNs that can tie ad exposure to sales, use loyalty data, and offer multiple ways to surface ads are best positioned to deliver reliable performance to advertisers.

More shoppers are looking to make secondhand purchases this holiday season, according to two new reports. Nearly 40% of consumers’ holiday budgets will be spent on secondhand items, per ThredUp. The vast majority of US shoppers—81%—expect to shop secondhand for holiday gifts, according to OfferUp. Resale holds clear appeal to shoppers grappling with economic uncertainty and limited budgets. While saving money is a primary concern, shoppers are also drawn to the possibility of unearthing unique or one-of-a-kind items, as well as the environmental benefits of shopping secondhand.

US shoppers will spend $78 billion this Cyber Week, up 3% YoY and an all-time high, according to Salesforce. A record number of shoppers is also expected—186.9 million, per the NRF and Prosper Analytics. Cyber Five will be a barometer for the rest of the holiday season. While we expect healthy topline growth, driven by the resilience of higher-income consumers, shoppers on the whole are being much pickier about how and where they spend. Despite longer promo periods, most shoppers will wait for Black Friday to pull the trigger, possibly in the hopes of securing the deepest deals. AI will play a larger role this season, as more consumers turn to the technology to find gifts and secure discounts.

Gen X is projected to lead all generations in total annual spending this year, per NielsenIQ. Brands often focus on younger consumers to build long-term loyalty, but in doing so, they’re missing immediate sales potential from Gen Xers, who account for 33.2% of retail spending despite making up just 19.4% of the population. Retailers and brands should seize the opportunity to build stronger connections with Gen Xers by sharpening their marketing focus and improving in-store experiences. The brands that blend authenticity in their marketing with well-executed in-store experiences will win Gen Xers’ hearts and wallets.

Walmart, TJX, and other US retailers are deploying body cameras to combat shoplifting, harassment, and violence against staff. While the full scope of retail theft is debatable, every stolen item chips away at revenues. With tariffs and rising costs squeezing margins, retailers are testing every lever to protect the bottom line. Body cams may help—but only if they reduce loss without eroding customer trust. Retailers should exercise care in walking a fine line between safety and scrutiny.

Gap’s viral campaign featuring Katseye helped the retailer regain its fashion credibility and drive shoppers to stores. The campaign delivered “significant traffic and double-digit growth in denim,” Gap CEO Richard Dickson said on the company’s Q3 earnings call. In total, the ad generated 8 billion media impressions and 500 million views, making it one of the brand’s most successful campaigns of all time. The ad’s success is a clear indication that Gap Inc.’s playbook is working. By delivering both on-trend products and culturally relevant marketing, Gap is attracting more Gen Z shoppers while keeping its existing customer base engaged.