A recent survey by Rokt found that US digital buyers are happiest once the buying experience is over. Going through the checkout process is another story.

Amazon and Walmart have been battling for supremacy in the growing online grocery market, but traditional supermarket chain Kroger is growing too. According to Kroger's fiscal Q1 2018 earnings report, the company's digital sales grew 66% over the prior quarter. Credit was given to ClickList, its buy online, curbside pickup program that's available at Kroger and regional subsidiaries like Dillons, Fred Meyer and Harris Teeter.

For the most part, consumers have a game plan when they enter a store—they know what they intend to buy and stick closely to their shopping list. Still, in-store shopping has one advantage that online doesn't: the ability to see and feel items in person.

The US retail industry will continue to dominate the digital ad business this year. Retailers will spend $23.50 billion on digital ads, up 18.7% over last year, representing nearly 22% of US digital ad spending, according to eMarketer estimates.

Email marketing is one of the most evergreen retail tactics. It's also one of the most targeted forms of messaging since recipients opt-in and often provide solicited information or preferences. Despite these factors, personalization can still be hit or miss.

Once hyped, the meal kit market—and subscription commerce, generally—appears to have settled down. According to a Market Force Information survey, only 15% of US grocery buyers have ever tried a subscription meal kit service. And there doesn't appear to be a great deal of pent-up demand, either.

This is the fifth in an eight-part series of StatPacks providing a visual overview of digital ad spending trends across several US industries.

New data from Kantar Consulting shows that an impressive 45% of households are more than willing to pay Prime membership fees, in exchange for free two-day shipping, along with ancillary benefits like access to Amazon’s streamable content.

US consumers' shopping behavior isn't as mall-centric as it once was, but declaring the death of traditional shopping centers might be a little premature. It’s true, ecommerce has forever changed consumer expectations, and merchants can no longer rely on traditional anchors—usually department stores—to attract crowds. This has forced mall operators to get creative.

In a case brought by the state of South Dakota, the US Supreme Court ruled that online retailers are no longer exempt from sales tax. This not only has great implications for the 45 states that rely on sales tax, but also for online retailers like Wayfair and Overstock.com, which have argued that tax collection would be a logistical challenge and an unfair burden, particularly on smaller merchants.

Using location data to personalize ads has given a lift to marketers trying to engage with their target audience. But driving customers into the store? That's not so clear.

Emotions play a role in shopping behavior even if consumers don't think that they do. According to a recent survey of UK and US internet users by analytics firm Clicktale, 78% of respondents believe they are rational when they shop. Yet 40% said they shop to calm down, and 74% have "stress-shopped" in the past.

Switzerland has one of the highest digital buyer penetration rates in the world, according to eMarketer’s first-ever retail ecommerce forecast for the country.

Consumers have heightened expectations about corporate responsibility. Product quality and cost are still more powerful drivers when it comes to actual purchase decisions, but concerns about brand purpose are a primary factor for a significant number of buyers.

User acquisition is a major app marketing goal, but the next step for retailers is boosting users' lifetime value, since fostering loyalty can pay off down the road.

Shoppers have been slow to embrace buying furniture digitally. Most pieces are a major investment they want to see before acquiring. For retailers, furniture is bulky and expensive to ship (and return and restock). But this is starting to change.

According to recent data from Blackhawk Network, shoppers need an incentive to join—like free stuff or cash back.

Social commerce has never jelled, but marketers haven't given up on trying to sell goods and services to social media users. The latest push: Instagram and Snapchat are trying to make shopping in Stories a thing.

Thanks to factors like more efficient manufacturing, 3-D printing and ecommerce platforms, mass customization—the production of products that meet individual tastes—has become more mainstream. Especially in the fashion category.

Beauty retailers like Sephora and L'Oréal have adopted augmented reality in some form to let consumers try on products without having to leave their home. And according to recent data, more companies are planning to embrace the technology within the next two to five years.