From retailers drawing shoppers in-store by leaning on creator content to the emergence of livestream ecommerce influencers and the potential consolidation of retail media networks, our analyst-led predictions offer a glimpse into the future of shopping and advertising. We explore each, weighing the arguments for and against their likelihood in shaping the year ahead.

Etsy’s sales have remained “essentially flat” for two years: The niche online marketplace’s inability to broaden its reach led it to lay off about 225 employees.

Consumer behaviors will be shaped by continued uncertainty, heightened in an election year, and cultural trends spilling over into commerce (think Krispy Kreme and Ozempic). Retailers that lean into tech advancements and get back to basics will win.

Large retailers are in a prime position for the final holiday push: Amazon, Target, and Walmart are poised to leverage their infrastructures to capture an outsize share of spend and retail media dollars.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss how purchase data can inform campaigns, the importance of real-time information, and what retail media networks are missing. Then, for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the most exciting retail media tech advances happening right now. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analyst Arielle Feger and Damian Garbaccio, chief business and marketing officer at Affinity Solutions.

As retail media evolves, ad placements off-site and in-store will help grocery advertisers reach shoppers in new and more engaging ways, but consumers may not be in a spending mood as credit card balances grow and savings accounts shrink. If Amazon can get grocery right, it may be able to fight off losing share to Walmart. But if the Kroger-Albertsons merger goes through, it could change everything.

TV ad spending is declining faster than we expected, but CTV is making up the shortfall, resulting in overall market growth.

Dramatic shifts are in the works for 2024, as genAI, changing media norms, and innovative commerce redefine the business landscape. Our top nine trends explore what’s in store.

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.

77.6 million people in the US will use Uber or Lyft next year, according to our August 2023 forecast.

Amazon will offer grocery delivery to non-Prime members nationwide: The retail giant also plans to resume opening Amazon Fresh stores next year.

Instacart leans on advertising to bolster its bottom line: The company’s advertising revenues grew 19%, significantly outpacing the 4% growth in the number of online orders on its platform.

Gen Z is redefining family, community, and what’s expected from the shopping journey. Brands will need to meet these driven, digital natives where they are with dynamic media experiences to capture and retain loyalty.

On today's podcast episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss how retailers are staying ahead of the curve on search and also search within retail media. Then for "Red-Hot Retail," our analysts give us some spicy predictions about the future of search in retail. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analyst Sky Canaves and director of Briefings Jeremy Goldman.