Amazon had another record Prime Day: While shoppers spent enthusiastically, their price consciousness was on full display as BNPL usage, comparison shopping increased.

Amazon Prime Day is off to a good start: Average order size so far is up over 7.7% compared with 2022; we expect total sales to top $8 billion.

Gen Z’s buying power is rapidly growing: Food and beverage companies looking to cater to the demo’s unique tastes can’t do so without incurring some risks, however.

Deep discounts may drive consumers previously holding back on big-ticket or discretionary purchases to splurge, while parents will keep an eye out for back-to-school deals. Walmart, Target, and Best Buy may see Prime Day-driven boosts in physical store traffic.

With the anticipated growth of Prime Day sales, retail media spending will balloon as Amazon retailers invest in marketplace ads to capture more attention during the event.

Computer and consumer electronics purchased during the pandemic are due for an upgrade, which is good news for Amazon and retail as a whole. But besides that possible bright spot, this year’s Prime Day event will likely be “unremarkable” as other retailers steal Amazon’s spotlight.

US retail sales are falling back to Earth: After years of massive growth rates, we expect US retail sales to increase 2.9% this year.

Private label products give retailers more control over sourcing, manufacturing, and pricing, which they can use to offer items for lower costs, encouraging consumers to try new products, leading to lifelong brand ambassadors who will swear by your brand. Here’s how Target, Walmart, and Costco are labeling up.

Evolving consumer behavior and easing regulations are opening new pathways for long-term growth.

The pandemic ecommerce boom that drove online sales is over. But marketplaces will continue to expand their share of US retail ecommerce, contributing almost 40% of the $588 billion in US online sales growth that we forecast over the next five years.

Walgreens attempts to cut down on retail theft: By putting most products behind counters, the retailer is also increasing the burden on store associates.

The 15 biggest US ecommerce players aren’t a surprise (here’s looking at you, Amazon, Walmart, and Apple). User-friendly mobile apps, quick delivery, innovation, and converting sales are what turn retailers into ecommerce powerhouses. Here are the companies our analysts believe best exemplify those features within the 15 largest ecommerce players.

Target offers a year-long return policy for its private labels: That’s a very different approach from most retailers, which have made steps to clamp down on returns.

Target pulls LGBTQ-themed items ahead of Pride Month: The retailer succumbs to pressure after store associates experienced threats.

Amazon and big-box stores are likely to win from Bed Bath & Beyond’s collapse, while fast-fashion retailers could score displaced David’s Bridal customers. But keep a lookout for underdogs like Etsy, which may bring in shoppers looking for personalized party supplies in Party City’s absence.

Moving across the US-Canada border can be the first step toward international expansion for retailers. Canadian brands like lululemon athletica and Aritzia are thriving in the US. Meanwhile, US-based companies Lowe’s, Nordstrom, and Bed Bath & Beyond recently announced they were leaving Canada. And let’s not forget Target’s famous Canadian failure. Here’s a look at how brands on both sides of the border have fared, and the lessons you can learn from them.

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.

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.

L’Oréal’s Aesop purchase is the company’s biggest yet: The beauty giant is spending $2.53 billion to stake a larger claim to the highly profitable luxury skincare category.

Over the next two years, the four ecommerce companies with the largest shares of US retail ecommerce sales will hold their spots. But moves by smaller players will shake up the rankings.