On today's podcast episode, we discuss what to make of Google turning 25 years old, how US shoppers feel about stores, why tiered rewards are all the rage, how Hispanic people think their values are reflected by advertisers and Americans, taxi drivers turning into robots, some mind-bending facts about US geography, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our forecasting writer Ethan Cramer-Flood, forecasting analyst Zach Goldner, and director of forecasting Oscar Orozco.

Attention-grabbing shopping ads bridge the gap between businesses and consumers, fostering an engaging shopping experience while also driving profitability.

US click-and-collect sales growth will slow slightly over the course of the next few years, per our forecast, as adoption levels off after an acceleration in 2020. Still, sales will increase by double-digit percentages both this year and next and reach $131.66 billion by 2026.

Consumers now expect more from brands and their loyalty programs, which need to incorporate value, ease of use, and personalization to stand out in a crowded market.

On today's episode, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss how shoppers and retailers use Google and why the company's previous investments in the ecommerce space haven't worked out so well. Then for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the top three winning Google shopping features and discuss one feature we expect to fizzle out. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analysts Sky Canaves and Yory Wurmser.

Digital habits were supercharged through the pandemic. For those who had been around digital for much of their lives, however, the suddenly crowded digital ecosystem became a smorgasbord for them to snack on. And younger, more digital generations appear to be quite picky.

On today's episode, we discuss the reasons the metaverse will get held back and why it might not end up being the next version of the internet. Then for "In Other News," we talk about the main reason shoppers abandon their carts and why people buy things on Amazon. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Andrew Lipsman.

Rounding up news from the last days of 2021: The news cycle didn’t stop over the holidays. These are some of the most notable stories from the last two weeks.

It’s still early days, but augmented reality is showing real potential for social commerce. Brands can use the technology to improve the experience and help customers make more informed purchase decisions.