The platform is introducing ChatGPT ads for merchants as it looks to become the go-to partner for agentic commerce.

The retailer is betting on Levi’s brand heat to lure shoppers, while the denim company expects Target’s reach to support its lifestyle ambitions.

The marketplace is pausing plans to force merchants to use its fulfillment services after considerable backlash.

As conversational AI becomes a new entry point for discovery, advertisers are rethinking how relevance and usefulness show up in these environments. Roundel’s pilot with OpenAI offers an early look at what user-first advertising could mean inside AI-driven conversations.

CEO Michael Fiddelke is moving swiftly to spark growth after 12 quarters of sluggish sales.

Allbirds and Warby Parker built their brands as digitally native vertical brands (DNVBs), cutting out the middleman to offer lower-priced products directly to consumers. Now, they’re confronting many of the same challenges as legacy brands: slowing ecommerce growth, rising customer acquisition costs, and an increasingly crowded competitive landscape.

US fashion ecommerce is maturing just as AI, social commerce, and resale gain traction. Slower growth and costly returns are raising the stakes, reshaping how consumers discover, decide, and buy.

Brands from PepsiCo to Ulta are leaning on wellness framing to nudge cautious consumers to spend.

With workers and consumers demanding action, staying quiet may be the riskiest move retailers can make.

Health and wellness is the only category where plans to increase spending outweigh plans to cut back in 2026, according to December 2025 data from CivicScience. That’s why retailers are stepping up their investments in wellness-driven products, services, and in-store experiences, trying to capitalize on consumers’ resolutions well into the new year.

Regulatory crackdowns and trade barriers threaten growth—but its consumer appeal remains strong.

The global last-mile delivery market is valued at approximately $201 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow at a 12% compound annual rate through 2029. For retailers competing with Amazon's delivery dominance, mastering last-mile logistics is no longer optional.

Growing consumer adoption of AI tools is positioning AI platforms as an alternative shopping channel—but most AI-driven transactions are still completed on retailer websites.

TikTok Shop's low prices came with shaky trust, but the budget retailer is maturing into a serious marketplace and attracting partnerships.

Dunkin’, Starbucks, and Walmart are among those looking to capitalize on “better for you” food trends.

Digital grocery has evolved from a pandemic-era convenience to a core retail channel. More than 90% of US consumers now shop for groceries both online and in-store, according to FMI and NielsenIQ. As the channel matures, the competitive battleground shifts from basic fulfillment to AI-powered personalization, retail media monetization, and seamless omnichannel experiences. This FAQ addresses the trends, players, and strategies shaping digital grocery in 2026.

This FAQ discusses how the holiday marketing season is evolving into a longer, leaner, and more competitive period, driven by economic headwinds, earlier shopping behavior, and the growing importance of retail media. It outlines why marketers must plan earlier, prioritize measurable and omnichannel strategies, and avoid overconcentrating spend around the Cyber Five to capture demand across an extended season.

Consumers increase support for brands who stand by LGBTQ+ initiatives, and advertisers who back away face challenges in reaching the next wave of consumers.

Retailers faced a challenging year as economic factors, new technologies, and changing consumer behaviors reshaped the landscape. Here are our top five stories from this past year and what they meant to a tumultuous industry.