To help keep return volumes down, retailers are trying everything from implementing return fees to ensuring product descriptions are as accurate and detailed as possible. But there are still a couple of out-of-the-box solutions that they could try, like leveraging peer-to-peer solutions to cut down on logistics costs or being more cautious around inspiring impulse purchases.

Our newsletter team has already made a number of advertising and retail predictions, but now it’s time to combine the two. Retail media is still on the rise in the US (growing by a projected 28.6% this year), but competition is getting fierce. From commerce opportunities to consolidation, here’s what we expect to see from retail media in 2024.

Sam’s Club’s rich collection of first-party data provides advertisers with insight into members’ shopping and purchase behaviors. This near real-time visibility, powered by Sam’s Club Member Access Platform (MAP), allows advertisers to meaningfully engage members along their shopping journey with content and offers that align with their interests.

Grocery is set to become the largest US ecommerce category by 2026.

45% of US retailers are planning a change to their contextual marketing strategies, which include sending SMS and emails to customers in-store, according to October 2023 Retail Systems Research data.

Cost, lack of third-party verification, limited on-site ad space, and limited activation options are some of the top challenges brands and advertisers in the US, France, Germany, and the UK face when using retail media networks (RMNs), according to an August 2023 DoubleVerify study.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the most important retail trends we're watching in 2024: How retailers will try to compete less with Amazon online, how China's influence will shake up online shopping in the US, and buying retail media networks. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analysts Sky Canaves and Blake Droesch.

On today's podcast episode, we give out some 2023 retail awards for the most must-visit store, the company that came the closest to crashing and burning—only to course-correct at the last minute, the retailer you need to know, and the comeback story of the year. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts vice president of content Suzy Davidkhanian and analysts Blake Droesch and Sky Canaves.

Before retail media, brands would pay retailers to market their products, but weren’t necessarily involved in how they were promoted. “Now, it’s more of a conversation,” said Melanie Babcock, vice president of Retail Media+ and monetization at The Home Depot. Retail Media+ is The Home Depot’s retail media network.

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.

With seemingly everyone jumping onto retail media, it may feel too late or intimidating to grab a piece of the pie. But that’s not the case, according to Jason Farver, Hy-Vee’s executive vice president, chief supply chain officer, and president of RedMedia.

Although inflation, a strong job market, and a positive economic outlook are at play, three dominant ad channels are contributing to upward US ad spend. October saw a 3.2% YoY growth for the US ad market, marking the fourth consecutive month of spending increases, according to the Standard Media Index ad market tracker.

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.

US ecommerce sales will grow 9.3% to reach $1.137 trillion in 2023, per our forecast, thanks to cost-conscious consumers looking for better deals and an increasing number of digital grocery buyers. As 2023 wraps up, ecommerce will go out on a high note, with online holiday sales growth outpacing brick-and-mortar sales.

The world of retail media is always changing. Here’s what has caught our eye over the past few months.

It’s December, which means marketers should already have plans in place for 2024. The next year will be punctuated by increasing retail media and connected TV (CTV) ad spend, creator economy evolution, and even more AI. Here are five charts to prepare you for what’s ahead.

For the second half of 2023, US retail media ad spending will reach $46.38 billion, per Insider Intelligence’s forecast. Meanwhile, connected TV (CTV) ad spending will also post growth of 20.0%. In response, marketers in 2024 will create dedicated retail and media strategies to leverage retail data sets in CTV.

Retail media just got even bigger. We recently updated our US retail media ad spend forecast to show higher growth than previously estimated, culminating in $109.40 billion in spend in 2027.