The third quarter was a hard one for many US retailers, as inflation, supply chain strain, and more normalized post-pandemic consumer behaviors set in. We checked up on five major retailers on our “Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail” podcast to get a nuanced take on who took a hit in the short term and what our experts expect looking further out.

The share of online purchases that shoppers return keeps rising: That’s a growing challenge for retailers seeking to rein in costs without hindering the customer experience.

US households boosted spending in October as inflation eased: That’s a positive harbinger for the holiday season.

Good deals drove consumers to spend big on Cyber Monday: US retail ecommerce sales may hit a record $11.3 billion—5.8% more than last year, per Adobe Analytics data.

A surprisingly strong start to the Cyber Five: Steep discounts drove record sales on Thanksgiving and Black Friday, as US consumers flocked to stores as well as ecommerce sites and apps over the holiday weekend.

Retail ecommerce sales in Latin America were slower than expected during the first nine months of 2022: We break down why as well as which companies saw declines versus those that fared well.

Amazon has a customer satisfaction problem: Shoppers complain of delayed deliveries, poor customer service, and irrelevant search results, dragging its satisfaction rating to a record low.

Walmart will net $2.22 billion in US digital ad revenues this year, per our forecast.

Walmart takes a shot across the bow at Amazon: The retailer’s latest holiday marketing campaign aims to go after Amazon’s dominance of online shopping holidays.

Things are looking up for Walmart: The retailer made headway on its inventory glut and gained grocery share in Q3, but discretionary categories struggled.

Retail sales rose 1.3% in October: That suggests retailers were successful in pulling the holidays forward. However, Target’s Q3 earnings show what consumers are buying is changing.

New advertising forecasts for Netflix and Disney+ shed light on streaming advertising’s evolution.

Retail media is one of the hottest advertising and retail topics of 2022. Why? For starters, it’s growing—and fast.

Amazon and Walmart adopt varying tactics to juice subscriber growth: Amazon is going after college students with its beefed-up music offering while Walmart doubles down on value.

Walgreens catches up to CVS with Summit Health acquisition: We examine the deal’s impact on the investing players as well as those who are falling behind in the retail health competition.

Thanksgiving food costs are expected to soar 13.5% this year: Walmart, Aldi, and Lidl aim to use discounts on turkey, stuffing mix, and other holiday ingredients to attract new customers.

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.

Amazon broadens advertising appeal with latest ad updates: The retailer is adding new formats and expanding the verticals that can advertise on its platform.

Shoppers in India spent enthusiastically ahead of Diwali celebrations: But the outlook for China’s biggest shopping event is much less rosy as Chinese consumers grapple with economic uncertainty.

Temu bets low prices will be enough to attract shoppers: But the Pinduoduo-owned platform will have to improve the customer experience to turn initial interest into lasting gains