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Shein is in trouble: The fast-fashion marketplace鈥檚 profits fell nearly 40% in 2024, even without the impact of de minimis changes and higher US tariffs.

Retail media was the fastest-growing ad channel we tracked in the US in 2024. While that growth will slow slightly (from 20.4% to 20.2%) in 2025, it鈥檚 still primed for innovation鈥攁nd challenges. Here鈥檚 what our analysts and podcast guests had to say about retail media, with insights into what it means for 2025.

The tie-up should help boost Affirm鈥檚 growth: We forecast Affirm鈥檚 US payment value will increase 12% YoY in 2026 to total $34.25 billion.

Retailers that aimed to be media giants are hitting headwinds as ad growth slows. To stay competitive, retail media networks must rethink org structure, sharpen media skills, and plan smartly to thrive in a more challenging landscape.

As 2025 kicked off, the US consumer goods industry experienced a surge in deal activity. According to a November 2024 Deloitte survey, 31% of US retail executives said they were 鈥渕ost likely鈥� to acquire consumer brand or product manufacturers to strengthen their private label businesses in 2025.

Less than a third of US consumers with a household income of more than $100,000 see fast food as a luxury, compared with 71% of consumers with an income of less than $30,000, according to April 2024 data from LendingTree.

Hy-Vee promotes head of retail media to be CMO: The fast-growing sector is providing a new path to corporate leadership.

Get the correct answers to our Big Question quiz in the eMarketer Retail Daily newsletter from Insider Intelligence.

Walmart bought a mall, Coca-Cola launched a soda, and Nike partnered with SKIMS in February, marking some of the month鈥檚 most interesting retail moves. Here are the eight most interesting retailers and brands from last month, as ranked on our 鈥淏ehind the Numbers鈥� podcast.

Although the Cyber Five will hit record ecommerce sales in the US this year at $41.43 billion, the retail event鈥檚 share of total retail ecommerce holiday season sales will continue to shrink, per our July 2024 forecast.

Walmart and Target reported their Q3 earnings last week. Despite varying retail success, both reported strong growth in their retail media networks鈥擶almart Connect鈥檚 US business grew 26% while Roundel鈥檚 growth was in the mid-teens, per CEO Brian Cornell.

The news: Walmart is going all-in on beauty this spring, despite signs of wariness from US consumers. The retailer鈥檚 Beauty Event will run until May 31 and feature deals and rollbacks on over 1,800 items. Walmart is also piloting Beauty Bars at 40 locations, where shoppers can discover and test new products and speak to beauty experts.

This is the Q2 2025 installment of our "Retail and Ecommerce Sales Benchmarks鈥� series, which helps retailers and brands gauge their sales mix against the market.鈥�

Drugstores鈥� decline is hurting the US beauty market: Both Coty and L鈥橭r茅al linked the sector鈥檚 challenges to softer beauty demand, although sales broadly remain healthy as ecommerce and specialty retailers pick up the slack.