Instacart announces slew of partnerships to combat slowing growth: The delivery platform is adding new retail partners and expanding its ad reach.

Back in January, the Retail Daily newsletter editors made some retail predictions for 2024. While we were right about Amazon opening fulfillment centers out of physical stores, we were wrong about more digitally native brands partnering with Amazon. Want the full rundown? Here’s how we did.

As competition intensifies and consumers continue to seek value, retailers will need to double down on how to differentiate themselves and offer shoppers what they want, wherever they are.

Uber and DoorDash report double-digit growth as customers prioritize convenience: Order frequency rose in Q2 thanks to both companies’ membership programs and growing selections of merchants.

Physical stores are the new frontier for retail media. But undeveloped tech capabilities, competing priorities, and unproven new formats are hurdles retailers need to address.

The proliferation of loyalty programs has heightened competition, so retailers will have to dig deeper into their customer data to drive active participation.

Hyper-personalization has long been an ambition for retailers—and the rise of generative AI means 2024 could be the year implementation accelerates across the industry.

Ulta Beauty is using in-store vending machines to bring more joy to the shopping experience, and AI enables it to analyze more customer data for personalization. The retailer is also training its store associates to engage younger beauty consumers.

The beauty and cosmetics sector brought in $94.36 billion in consumer spending last year, claiming the title of the fastest-growing retail category in the US, per our The US Beauty Consumer report. With most consumers planning to boost their beauty budgets in 2024, the sector’s defiance against cautious spending habits is set to continue, driven by the enduring “lipstick effect,” the rise of dupes and Chinese-associated ecommerce giants, and more.

As AI advances, a new era of creativity has unfolded for beauty brands. By infusing AI into their online strategies, beauty brands have an opportunity to drive a stronger return on ad spend and reach consumers in ways never before possible.

As consumers look for quick and convenient ways to shop, the number of click-and-collect buyers in the US will rise to 150.9 million in 2024, representing 53.1% of the population, per our December 2022 forecast.

Ulta expands in-store ecommerce fulfillment to 400 locations: Stores fulfilled nearly 40% of the retailer's digital orders.

Generative AI helps brands distill consumer insights to create personalized products while AR virtual try-on solutions give customers the ability to try before buying. Beauty brands like Ulta Beauty and Sephora are finding ways to draw consumers into their apps with exclusive content or services.

We expect US cosmetic and beauty sales to grow 7.6%: While consumers are spending more selectively, they’re still willing to splurge on their favorite items.

According to Piper Sandler’s 45th semi-annual survey of US teen consumers, Gen Z spending was up 2% YoY to $2,419 annually. We dig into some of the key findings from the survey and offer our perspective, including why Ulta Beauty is proof the “lipstick effect” is in full swing and how Amazon can keep up with platforms like TikTok.

L’Oréal’s Aesop purchase is the company’s biggest yet: The beauty giant is spending $2.53 billion to stake a larger claim to the highly profitable luxury skincare category.

Generous returns policies have encouraged shoppers to buy online, but an unsustainable wave of returned goods is forcing retailers to rethink their strategies.

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.

The store-within-a-store’ concept gains momentum: The partnerships work well when there’s clear synergy between the brands involved, such as Target and Apple.

Retailers’ theft-prevention strategies risk alienating consumers: But Home Depot, Wegmans, and Best Buy show the difficulties of striking a balance between shopper satisfaction and store security.