In the last quarter of 2022, Amazon increased its total net sales 9% YoY to hit $149.2 billion. But compared to the massive growth the company has experienced in the past, its Q4 results were a bit lackluster. From ad revenues to physical store sales, let’s take a closer look at how some of Amazon’s business units fared in Q4.

Online purchases will account for a growing share of total US retail returns.

We asked our analysts which companies they have their eyes on this year and why they’re positioned for potential success (or disaster). The Kroger Co., for example, is leveraging its digital offerings to scale its business, while Nike may pivot back to wholesale to stay competitive.

“If you’re going to grow a brand, it’s not going to come to loyalty alone. You will have to reach more customers. You will have to have more customers buying more often.” That’s according to Jared Schrieber, co-founder and former CEO of InfoScout (now Numerator), speaking on the “Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail” podcast about his new book, “Breakout Brands: Why Some Brands Take Off...and Others Don't.”

Some 58% of Association of National Advertisers (ANA) marketers used retail media networks last year, according to a report from the ANA. In the next year, expect to see more movement from marketers outside of consumer packaged goods as brands look to take advantage of the recession-friendly ad space.

On today’s episode, host Bill Fisher is joined by our analysts Paul Briggs, Carina Perkins, and Man-Chung Cheung to talk about the biggest retail, advertising, and social media trends they expect to see in their regions in 2023.

This year, US retail returns volume will reach $627.34 billion, representing 8.5% of all retail sales, according to our forecast. After surging in 2020 and 2021 (due to the pandemic ecommerce boom and stimulus-driven boost in consumer spending), growth normalized last year and will continue to slow through 2024.

There’s often a perception that markets in Asia developed digital offerings far faster than the US and Europe—that’s only partially true in retail.

Mobile app install ad spending is on the rise, and more video content on social media means an increase in time spent on platforms. Plus, click and collect remains a popular option for grocery buyers. Our forecasters laid out some good news for advertisers.

Retail media was the fastest-growing digital ad channel worldwidein Q3 2022, with retail media spend increasing 45% versus a year ago, according to Skai. It also gave advertisers more bang for their buck with impressions up 61% and costs per click down 12% year over year.

Alibaba’s retail ecommerce sales in China were nearly twice that of Amazon’s worldwide in 2022, at $1.229 trillion compared with about $657 billion, per our estimates. Latin American competitor Mercado Libre had significantly less ecommerce sales, at nearly $35 billion.

“The mixed headlines are so hard for consumers to make decisions against.” That’s according to our analyst Suzy Davidkhanian, speaking on our “Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail” podcast.

Consumers spent $211.7 billion online over the 2022 holiday season (from November 1 to December 31), growing 3.5% year over year, per Adobe Analytics.

Amazon laying off 18,000: That’s significantly more than previously disclosed and could indicate that widespread job cuts are around the corner for tech companies. Job uncertainty could lead to panic and stall innovation.

“We used to talk about ‘omnichannel’ and we should just be talking about ‘commerce.’” That’s according to our analyst Suzy Davidkhanian, speaking on our “Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail” podcast.

This year will be marked by a little bit of the old and a little bit of the new. While consumers give in-store shopping another go, augmented reality (AR) will help bridge the gap between the physical and digital worlds. Our analysts have already covered the biggest trends of 2023, but here are four more predictions for what's to come next year.

As consumers are forced to make hard decisions about where they spend their money, brands that rely on tired loyalty tactics may struggle to keep up.

What does 2023 have in store for retailers? The answer is a bit of a mixed bag.

Amazon will account for 38.2% of all US ecommerce sales this year, per our estimates. In addition to dominating the books, music, and video category, Amazon will capture 50.3% of computer and consumer electronics ecommerce sales and 47.0% of office equipment and supplies ecommerce sales in the US.

Alibaba, Amazon, and Mercado Libre dominate retail ecommerce in different parts of the world. Here’s a look at how these marketplaces stack up, in seven charts and graphics.