Despite the rise of ecommerce, nearly 85% of US retail sales still occur in-store, according to our forecast. To attract customers to physical stores, brands must continually innovate to offer memorable experiences.

Retail media ads are an important way to boost marketplace spend, but how brands go about advertising requires strategy. When setting up your retail media approach this holiday season, consider which products sell when, what kinds of ads drive conversions, and the importance of discovery in retail media.

“Barbie” is the top-searched term on Amazon. Shopify has seen a 56% increase in doll sales. And despite a fall in Q2 Barbie doll sales, Mattel believes there will be significant growth for the property in the coming months and years. All of this has Greta Gerwig’s movie to thank.

Health and personal care will drive growth but won’t be enough to improve Amazon’s share of the overall US ecommerce market.

US ecommerce growth will come from large retail categories with historically low online sales share. And growth will stay healthy even as traditional drivers of online sales take a backseat to emerging categories.

Forty-four percent of US adults plan to spend their normal amount on health and beauty products this year, according to a MetaPack survey. More than two-thirds said they’re not changing their spending on apparel (39%) or on DIY and gardening (34%).

Everyone knows the expression “like a kid on Christmas morning.” But what if we told you that it’s not just children who are hoping for the season’s hottest toys?

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.

During last week’s Prime Early Access Sale, households spent about 40% less than Amazon’s Prime Day event in July, noted data analysis from Klover.

The toy category seems to be immune from the struggles others are facing amid inflation, making it a perfect time for Toys R Us to stage a comeback.

Roderick Morris co-founded Lovevery to provide parents with a subscription-based model of toys that evolve with children as they develop. He spoke with Insider Intelligence about expanding the subscription business internationally, providing parents with proper data to make purchasing decisions for their children, and more.

It’s an unusual time, to say the least. But Americans are reacting to the coronavirus pandemic and resulting stay-at-home orders partially by retreating to a number of familiar activities, including hanging out with other household members and spending time on hobbies. The need to stay occupied and entertained at home has led to a boom in sectors like video gaming—but also lower-tech crafts, toys and games.

The bankruptcy filing of Toys “R” Us partially reflects tough competition with the discount giants, but the changing digital landscape appears to be the single most pressing challenge the retailer will face once it emerges from bankruptcy protection.