Retailers and restaurants struggle to fill positions: Over 36% of companies said hiring has gotten harder over the past year.

US consumers are increasingly turning to Walmart.com, YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok to start their online shopping searches, according to Jungle Scout. Amazon, search engines, and Facebook have lost share since Q1 2022.

Walmart to sell Bonobos as digitally native D2C brands lose their luster: WHP Global and Express will acquire the brand for $75 million to shore up the latter’s business.

US retail sales will hit $7.334 trillion this year, according to our forecast, a growth of 3.3% YoY. “Where we’re headed is something of a new normal of slower growth,” said our analyst Zak Stambor.

The FTC spots a trust problem in health and wellness advertising: Nearly 700 brands including Unilever and Coca-Cola are warned for misleading ads.

Walmart is shuttering four stores in Chicago: The retail giant says that the stores lose “tens of millions of dollars a year,” and their annual losses nearly doubled in the last five years.

Albertsons’ earnings beat expectations as debate over its acquisition by Kroger rages on: A wave of antitrust concerns from consumers, employees, suppliers, and government officials is putting the deal in doubt.

If the deal is terminated, one of the largest retail portfolios could turn into an industry-leading digital innovation opportunity.

Few US merchants are selling goods on TikTok Shop: Many are reluctant to invest time and resources in the platform given the widespread speculation that it will be banned or sold.

Warehouse inventory levels remain a significant hurdle for many retailers: While there’s progress, only 36% of supply chain managers expect inventories to return to normal this year.

Walmart ramps up automation to lower fulfillment costs: The retailer is investing in technology to optimize inventory planning and delivery speed.

Healthy growth will obscure the upheaval that retail media’s evolution is causing. Retailers racing to think more like publishers—and brands trying to rethink the value of retail media—are feeling some strain.

QVC and HSN’s parent company makes a play for younger consumers: Qurate’s new Sune mobile app features a personalized video feed to drive product discovery.

As consumers continue to grapple with inflation and economic uncertainty, our inaugural forecast shows that the US resale market will remain one of the fastest-growing segments in retail.

Walmart looks to improve its online shopping experience: The retail giant cut down clutter on its revamped website and app to entice shoppers to browse and buy.

Ad-supported video gains viewership, time spent on digital video surpasses TV, and streaming services pivot from audience growth to profitability.

On today's episode, we discuss how recent YouTube TV price hikes will affect subscriptions, whether streaming TV actually costs less than cable, and if a sports streaming hub is a viable product. "In Other News," we talk about what Roblox's new ad rules will do to the metaverse and why Walmart+, Walmart's membership program, is resonating with high-income shoppers. Tune in to the discussion with our analyst Daniel Konstantinovic.

Smaller retailers are gaining share and reshaping the ecommerce landscape, but will they be able compete with giants like Amazon?

Amazon can stake a claim as one of Canada’s top mass merchants, even without having physical stores. It has reached this milestone after more than three years of accelerated retail ecommerce in the country.

US ad spend dropped 8.0% YoY in February, according to a MediaPost analysis of Standard Media Index’s US Ad Market Tracker. That marks eight months of consecutive YoY decline as part of a trend that began in July 2022.