Walmart Inc. announced a partnership with OpenAI to enable Walmart and Sam’s Club customers to make purchases within ChatGPT using the latter’s Instant Commerce feature. Even if agentic commerce’s adoption is gradual, early movers like Walmart will have the outsize advantage. Being discoverable in channels where users conduct product and pricing research could help retailers reinforce their value proposition and stay top-of-mind with prospective customers as this commerce scales up.

“Gaming is one of the most engaging channels, and what makes it particularly interesting is its ability to convert taps into transactions,” said Maya Kosovalic, vice president of marketing at L’Oréal-owned NYX Professional Makeup during Advertising Week New York.

The Bank of North Dakota and Fiserv launch the “Roughrider Coin,” the first stablecoin from the state of North Dakota. While its individual use case may be limited, it opens the door for a stablecoin issued by Fiserv on behalf of a major retailer with significant use case for processing sales. A retailer like Starbucks would be a prime candidate—it’s already ingrained the habit of loading a wallet that can only be used at Starbucks in its most loyal customers. In that case, a limited network isn’t nearly as much of a liability—it’s the whole point.

This year’s Amazon Big Deal Days sale is shaping up to be another success, according to multiple forecasts. Bain and Adobe both forecast healthy growth, while we expect Amazon's ecommerce sales to rise 8.8% YoY to $8.84 billion. A strong consumer appetite for October sales could bode well for the holiday season, although we—and most other forecasters—expect growth to slow as uncertainty weighs on spending.

Walmart’s OnePay will reportedly offer crypto trading and custody through its banking app, per CNBC. Major retailers like Walmart and Amazon can save substantial margin on each transaction if they can get consumers to use their own crypto instead of traditional payment rails. While the ramp up to stablecoin issuance would take time, more operationally ready ventures like crypto-powered remittances stand as easier plays to execute.

Walmart will remove artificial dyes and 30 other food additives from its private-label products by the beginning of 2027. Its changes follow similar pledges by other manufacturers including Kraft and General Mills. Walmart shoppers prioritize price above all’ top priority is price, but that doesn’t mean they’re not concerned about health and wellness—they just may not be able to afford premium-priced health foods.. Walmart’s decision to remove certain food additives from its private-label changes is an opportunity to bridge that gap and deliver healthier food at budget-friendly prices.

AI shopping assistants are boosting discovery and personalization, but trust issues and fulfillment challenges could limit their impact on channel migration.

Digital markets are being reshaped by genAI search and shifting platform and monetization dynamics. These 10 charts reveal the forces that will define 2025 and beyond.

OpenAI is preparing to turn ChatGPT into an advertising platform, posting a new role for an engineer to build systems for ad integration, campaign management, and attribution. The move could position ChatGPT as a new challenger to Google, Meta, and Amazon’s ad businesses. Already a major driver of referral traffic to retailers like Walmart, Etsy, and Target, ChatGPT has clear potential to evolve into a commerce and ad engine. But execution will be critical: Poorly integrated ads risk undermining user trust, even as AI-driven ad formats are projected to grow at triple-digit annual rates in the coming years.

DirecTV has launched on Vizio Smart TVs, broadening its reach and opening fresh advertising opportunities for brands, the companies announced Monday. DirecTV’s expansion into Vizio’s smart TVs dramatically widens its streaming footprint and gives advertisers a more measurable, performance-driven environment.

Walmart is adding pharmacy home delivery for specialty drugs that need to be refrigerated, such as GLP-1s, insulin and liquid antibiotic amoxicillin. Walmart’s move to add GLP-1 drugs to its pharmacy delivery services will be a customer pleaser and could force other players operating in retail and prescription drug markets to make similar moves as consumers grow increasingly frustrated with their drugstore experiences.

The holiday sales season is set to begin in earnest in October, with a number of retailers rolling out events to compete with Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days. Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Kohl's will all run sales that coincide with Amazon's October event, putting them in a better position to capitalize on shoppers' desire to get a head start on holiday shopping.

Amazon used its annual seller conference, Amazon Accelerate, to unveil new tools and fulfillment capabilities that underscore its ambition to serve as the infrastructure of retail. The retailer is weaving together AI-driven tools, externalized logistics, and its vast seller network to extend its influence beyond its own marketplace. As Amazon extends its reach through MCF and Buy with Prime, it increasingly sees merchants and marketplaces not as rivals but as collaborators.

An intense price war, new entrants, and new investments are fueling China’s booming instant commerce sector. Sales are expected to outpace total retail ecommerce, making lower-tier cities the next battleground.

How can B2B buyers calibrate their ad spending and budget allocations against the market, and how can media companies and solution providers assess whether their ad revenues are in line with industry trends?

Amazon’s push into fresh grocery delivery is more of an opportunity than a threat for Instacart, according to CEO Chris Roger. But while Instacart is right to see enterprise opportunities from chains worried about Amazon’s grocery expansion, it is also vulnerable to the retailer’s encroachment on its turf and similar efforts from Uber, DoorDash, and Walmart.

Latin America’s retail media ecosystem is expanding fast as new players, formats, and solutions draw in more ad dollars. But limited self-service offerings and the lack of standardized metrics hinder its full potential.

In-store retail media is high on advertisers’ wish lists but slow to scale. Grocery is the proving ground, but silos, cost, and infrastructure gaps are impeding growth. Our report unpacks the hurdles and opportunities ahead.

Walmart-linked fintech OnePay will roll out $35 wireless plans through its app on September 10. Walmart’s OnePay wireless initiative would have a better chance for significant customer adoption if the retailer didn’t already offer several phone plans: Walmart Family Mobile and Straight Talk. The challenge for the retailer moving forward will be to funnel consumers to its OnePay plans who may be existing customers on Family Mobile or Straight Talk plans, which could generate confusion. While building out this program can help to achieve the “everything app” ambitions of many fintechs, competing with standard carriers remains a tough sell: Almost 90% of US adults will keep their mobile plans with Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, per our forecast.

Peacock is striking partnerships to grow its audience: The streamer is now available via Walmart+, adding millions of potential viewers ahead of a crucial year.