Agentic commerce is reorganizing retail around five ecosystem layers. As AI agents gain influence, retailers and brands must decide where to compete, where to partner, and who controls the customer relationship.

Albertsons gets squeezed from all sides as Walmart wins on price, Amazon on convenience, Costco on value.

Albertsons is partnering with Procter & Gamble on "Rico's Tacos," a micro-drama series that marks a strategic shift in retail media from traditional item-and-price advertising to upper-funnel content marketing.

More frequent shopping strengthens retail and advertising.

Stronger discretionary spend suggests consumer resilience

Retail media networks (RMNs) are moving beyond traditional return on ad spend metrics to prove business impact through closed-loop attribution that connects media exposure to actual purchases, both online and in-store.

US programmatic advertising is consolidating around video, CTV, walled gardens, retail media, and agentic AI. Marketers need to balance signal, scale, transparency, and control as automated buying enters its next phase.

Consumer spending will come under greater pressure during the 2026 holiday season, slowing retail and ecommerce sales growth compared with the rest of the year.

AI research has moved from novelty to habit in the shopping journey, and it's changing more than where consumers start looking. It's changing who wins.

Lower energy prices mask stubborn costs for gas, groceries, and other essentials.

Legal cases over Tylenol use during pregnancy and autism pull Kenvue and retailers back into a fight that could test consumer trust.

Commerce media is no longer synonymous with retail, as delivery platforms, financial services, and travel companies build sophisticated advertising networks that rival traditional retailers in scale and effectiveness.

Grocers are lowering prices to keep shoppers, yet CPG results suggest discounts alone won’t revive demand.

Hasbro targets adult hobbyists with affordable floral kits and social-first merchandising to encourage repeat purchases.

Tools and home improvement delivered the strongest ad returns of any industry at $4.56 for every dollar spent in Q4 2025, nearly 2.5x the return clothing, shoes & jewelry advertisers saw ($1.86), according to a Q4 2025 report from SellMetric.

Broad discounts and presidential attention amplify its value narrative.

Walmart is aligning Walmart Connect, Walmart Connect International, and Sam's Club Connect (formerly Sam's Club Member Access Platform) around shared technology, platforms and capabilities while maintaining separate brand identities. The goal is to simplify how advertisers buy, measure, and scale retail media campaigns.

Ecommerce in Canada is entering a new phase. Buyer growth is slowing, but AI-powered shopping and mobile commerce are driving higher spending, reshaping how retailers compete and where future gains will come from.

Electronics ads convert best of any retail category at 7.58%, nearly four times the rate of home and kitchen ads (1.94%) at the bottom of the pack, according to a Q4 2025 report from SellMetric.

AI recommendations are reshaping beauty and personal care discovery. In our Q2 2026 update, we track brand visibility, the sources shaping recommendations, and what it takes to stay competitive.