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.

Target's appointment of internal veteran Michael Fiddelke as its next CEO has sparked debate among investors and analysts about whether an insider can turn around the struggling retailer after nearly three years of disappointing performance.

Retail media networks rely on driving conversions—and Walmart is no exception. Its search results are saturated with ads, with 97% of queries serving at least one sponsored product, per Pentaleap data. But Walmart is also growing its upper-funnel capabilities, using its stores to do it despite physical retail’s traditional role as a bottom-of-the-funnel channel.

The news: CVS is expanding primary care services at its MinuteClinics via partnerships with health systems, per Modern Healthcare. The final word: We don’t see CVS’ MinuteClinic affiliations with healthcare providers as a signal that retail healthcare is making a comeback. CVS is in a different position from other retail clinic operators since it can steer Aetna members to its medical services. But consumers have made it clear that they’re not too interested in getting healthcare at drugstores where unhealthy items like junk food are sold—especially when there are a plethora of other options. Companies that want to stay in the retail clinic space would be wise to position their services around nutritious food items, OTC health supplements, and pharmacist support to show folks they’re serious about being a patient care destination.

Our inaugural Pulse of the Consumer: Personal Care and Beauty Survey explores how US shoppers discover, research, and purchase products across channels.

Trading card mania is proving to be a profitable tailwind for Target, eBay, and Walmart, as high-profile releases and collector enthusiasm drive spending. The market for toys is increasingly being driven by demand for collectibles like Labubus and trading cards. That demand is strongest among adults, who see these items both as fun indulgences and investment opportunities.

From Rare Beauty’s scented billboards and Walmart’s truck tours to Dick’s Sporting Goods’ in-house production studios, here’s what the eight most interesting retailers from August have been up to, as ranked on our “Behind the Numbers” podcast.

The Q2 performances of Amazon, Walmart, and Target illustrate the retailers’ diverging fortunes as shoppers reassess their spending priorities. While uncertainty is funneling more dollars toward Amazon and Walmart, customers are steering clear of Target—due both to a lackluster assortment and frustration over its diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) flip-flopping. Walmart and Amazon are pulling ahead as their relentless focus on value—in the form of speed, selection, and convenience—make them the first stop for shoppers buying everything from essentials like groceries to discretionary items like beauty and apparel. That leaves Target’s new CEO, Michael Fiddelke, with the unenviable task of having to turn the retailer around just as tariffs threaten its bottom line and undermine its core discretionary business.

The news: Klarna is now available in-store at over 400 Walmart Canada locations. Canadian Walmart shoppers can scan a QR code at assisted lane checkouts to choose between Pay in Full or Pay in 4. Only purchases over CAD 50 will be eligible for Klarna’s financing. Our take: Klarna’s partnerships with Walmart in the US and Canada are major coups for the BNPL player. Affirm’s dominance stateside is driven by its strategic partnerships and strong Affirm card adoption. Klarna should continue staking out new tie-ups with major retailers and boost Klarna card use to secure a stronger presence in Canada.

Retail media ad spending is booming in Latin America. Brazil and Mexico are leading the charge, with Mercado Libre outpacing in-market rivals. Here are the latest trends you need to know.

Walmart will offer next-day delivery in select cities for some marketplace orders, the company said. The service will be available to customers in New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, and Houston, with plans to eventually expand to more areas. t’s no accident that Walmart is making a play for urban customers at the same time that Amazon is going after rural households. Both retailers see opportunities to win over the other’s core customer base by offering a compelling combination of convenience and low prices.