Retailers, advertisers, and customers are at odds when it comes to retail search experiences. Retailers are looking to expand ad revenues. Advertisers need the ability to drive product sales by expanding visibility through keyword use and placements. And consumers don’t want the hassle of sifting through sponsored items that aren’t relevant to them.

Our latest analysis of 12 companies in Latin America unpacks key trends in the region’s retail ecommerce during H1 2023. This will provide retail and marketing professionals with insights into the current landscape, company developments, and what trends to look out for in 2024.

Google said today it is rolling out its Product Studio tool this week, which uses AI to help merchants create and manage product imagery. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Amazon Ads launched something similar last week. But it’s not just Amazon and Google that are leaning harder into generative AI. Walmart is incorporating the technology into search to give shoppers more relevant results, while Klarna is using AI-powered video to expand users’ time spent with the platform.

Amazon is on track for its first-ever $100 billion holiday season, boosted by its unbeatable delivery speeds, while click and collect gives Walmart an omnichannel edge, and Temu draws in price-conscious consumers. Plus, TikTok and mobile apps help retailers connect with consumers and stand out among the competition.

With the ascent of Chinese ecommerce disruptors and the ongoing rivalry between Amazon and Walmart, the upcoming holiday season is expected to bring some big shifts. Some of those shifts include the lessening of Cyber Five’s importance and retailers losing focus on profitability, said our analysts Jeremy Goldman and Zak Stambor on a recent episode of the “Behind the Numbers” podcast.

Retailers look to redefine the customer experience: That’s leading them to invest in immersive experiences such as AR, VR, gamified social shopping, and AI-enabled personalization.

Costco’s fiscal Q4 earnings report, with total revenues of $78.94 billion, offers a glimpse into shifting consumer priorities: its shoppers are now favoring essentials, opting for groceries and gasoline, while luxury and other discretionary items have taken a backseat.

Ecommerce sales will return to double-digit growth this holiday season amid a backdrop of healthy consumer spending.

Over one-third (38%) of US adults have decreased their impulse spending this year, up from 14% in 2022, per a study commissioned by Slickdeals and conducted by OnePoll. As we enter the holiday season, there are still a few ways retailers can encourage impulse purchases, from experimenting with shoppable media and putting seasonal products front and center to anticipating the last-minute needs of customers picking up orders in-store.

Amazon and Walmart build out their delivery infrastructure: Both companies look to boost the speed and efficiency with which they fulfill shoppers’ online orders.

Walmart Connect now offers an ad certification program that helps advertisers understand how the retail media network operates and the types of ad formats it offers.

Prime Big Deal Days exceeded Amazon’s expectations: While shoppers focused on cheaper essentials, the retailer showcased its supply chain capabilities.

Amazon Fresh, despite failing to gain traction with its brick-and-mortar endeavors, is trying to assert itself in the grocery space. Its customer base, though much smaller than competitors like Walmart and Target, is attractive to consumer packaged goods (CPG) advertisers because those shoppers are open to trying new products.

On today's episode podcast, in our "Retail Me This, Retail Me That" segment, we discuss why Amazon is struggling to get Amazon Fresh off the ground, what it has going for it, and what would happen if Amazon broke out a separate subscription for grocery. Then for "Pop-Up Rankings," we rank the other players that could offer lessons on how Amazon Fresh could compete with Walmart. Join our analyst Sara Lebow as she hosts analyst Blake Droesch and director of content Becky Schilling.

Recently, Walmart rolled out a suite of new features at its first-ever seller summit, including enhanced fulfillment and logistics services for merchants. As Walmart attempts to challenge Amazon’s marketplace dominance, integrating fulfillment allows it to take advantage of its physical footprint for a more comprehensive marketplace offering.

Digitally native D2C brands embrace traditional retail strategies: More are inking partnerships with retailers like Amazon and Walmart to expand their reaches and offset soaring acquisition costs.

As brands seek to diversify the number of places they sell their goods, retailers should consider building out a marketplace model that can help brands reach more customers while also cutting down on retailer costs and creating new revenue streams. You don’t need to be Amazon to launch a third-party marketplace—Macy’s, Michaels, and H&M have all gotten marketplaces off the ground in the last year or so.

Toys R Us looks to fill a hole in the retail landscape: It plans to rapidly expand its physical presence by opening up to two dozen flagship stores.

In July and August, the US ad market saw its first consecutive two months of growth in over a year, according to Standard Media’s US Ad Market Tracker. Platforms are focused on keeping that momentum alive with several updates. Multiple platforms are boasting improved AI targeting and enhanced connected TV ad solutions. Here is everything new in September.

Mobile is driving ecommerce sales growth, with 43.2% of the $1.137 trillion in US ecommerce sales we project for this year. As mcommerce sales rise, retailers are innovating to get a piece of the $491.14 billion pie. Mobile commerce will be especially vital this holiday season. Some 79% of US online shoppers shopped via mobile during the Cyber Five last year, according to Bizrate Insights data cited in a Forrester report.