Customer Acquisition

Retail media’s rise has been fast and decisive. Spending is projected to reach $71.1 billion in 2026, with nearly every major retailer now offering advertisers some version of a retail media network. The names leading the charge are familiar: Amazon.com, Walmart, Kroger, Albertsons. These platforms have proven that when purchase data, media inventory, and measurement…

For nearly two decades, online shopping followed a familiar pattern: search, browse, compare, click. Retailers fought for attention with search engine optimization tactics, paid ads and optimized product pages designed to nudge a human toward “Buy Now.” Artificial intelligence has rewritten the script. Agentic commerce, where AI agents search, evaluate, recommend, and even complete purchases…

Artificial intelligence has shifted from assistant to executor, now independently acting on behalf of consumers. Retailers are entering a new landscape where buying decisions move at machine speed and this fundamentally changes who they are selling to. Large language models (LLMs) are leading the charge. ChatGPT and Copilot have both rolled out features allowing users…

For decades, retail has been framed as a competition. Who has the best assortment, the strongest brand, the most compelling experience. But as more consumers turn to artificial intelligence as a shopping assistant, that framing quietly breaks down. AI doesn’t browse. It doesn’t wander. It decides. And in doing so, it shifts retail from a…

I once had a boss I thought was kind of ridiculous. A larger-than-life persona topped off with a pair of ludicrous luxury sneakers. You can imagine my surprise when, six months later, I bought the same pair. Those shoes, which I whimsically tried on following a small windfall at work, were comfortable and looked amazing.…

During periods of economic uncertainty, Gen Z is the most inflation-sensitive — and the most digitally savvy — generation. While they may be buying less today, when they do spend it’s most likely through social channels, making brand-building now essential. However, reaching Gen Z in 2026 requires more than showing up on social. This audience…

Even a “normal” holiday shopping season is a hectic time for both retailers and consumers; however, the added economic hurdles this year are causing chaos. Tariffs have hit the consumer goods and retail sector especially hard, with reciprocal and baseline duties compounding up to 30 percent to 70 percent depending on the supplying country. Almost…

While professional sports teams vie for championships with millions watching, a quietly intense competition is taking place now and throughout the holidays across retail media. Commercial potential and consumer intent are high, but captivating attention and driving conversions is more competitive than ever. Indeed, according to Emarketer, global retail media ad spend is projected to…

It’s official — the holiday shopping season is already here. This year, consumers are getting ahead of the traditional timelines to not only beat the rush but prioritize the best deals amidst economic uncertainty. Holiday shoppers are looking to bring more intention to gift-giving rather than just jump on trendy items as the holiday season is…

Back-to-school no longer signals just the end of summer; it sets the direction for the rest of the retail year. It has become a litmus test for consumer confidence and a preview of the behaviors that will drive the holiday season. Recent survey findings show households are making more deliberate choices, prioritizing long-term value, and…