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Our take: Stores can鈥檛 just be about generating sales; they need to serve a broader purpose by providing a forum to tell a clear, compelling brand story that draws customers in and makes them choose that retailer over others.

Alibaba and JD.com tout Singles Day successes, but the data is murky: While transactions rose 27% YoY, the sale was 10 days longer than last year, making it an uncertain gauge of consumer sentiment.

Our take: US shoppers may be thinking more carefully about their beauty purchases, but they鈥檙e still spending at a healthy clip: We expect beauty and cosmetics sales to grow 4.8% this year, helped by fast-growing categories like fragrances, robust prestige demand, and rising sales on channels like Amazon and TikTok Shop.

Amazon won鈥檛 cede its dominance of US ecommerce anytime soon, despite increased competition. Amazon鈥檚 share of US ecommerce continues to expand. The ecommerce giant鈥檚 online sales volume is unrivaled in its home market.

The approach has helped Amazon build a massive advertising business that we expect will generate $47.52 billion in the US alone this year. Walmart, which generated $4.4 billion in global ad revenues last year (with $3.87 billion from the US, per our forecast), currently brings in most of its ad revenues from large consumer packaged goods brands.

Online return rates are finally coming down from recent highs. But as ecommerce's share of retail sales grows, so will returns from online sales.

On today's podcast episode, we discuss the unofficial list of the most interesting retailers for the month of February. Each month, our analysts Arielle Feger, Becky Schilling, and Sara Lebow (aka The Committee) put together a very unofficial list of the top eight retailers they're watching based on which are making the most interesting moves: Who's launching new initiatives? Which partnerships are moving the needle? Which standout marketing campaigns are being created? In this month's episode, Committee members Analyst Arielle Feger and Senior Analyst Sara Lebow will defend their list against Vice President Suzy Davidkhanian and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch, who will dispute the power rankings by attempting to move retailers up, down, on, or off the list.

Or, the retailer could convert the space into a fulfillment center like Amazon has done with malls in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Knoxville, Tennessee. A mix of tenants: If Walmart chooses the traditional mall route, it needs more than retail brands to draw consumers in.

Larger retailers such as Amazon have developed their own proprietary genAI platforms to power their virtual shopping assistant tools. However, there are also customizable, out-of-the-box solutions available:. Michael Kors has integrated Dynamic Yield by Mastercard鈥檚 Shopping Muse genAI tool into its website in the US.

Consumers rely more on search than on browsing a retailer鈥檚 homepage, filtering by product category, or looking at sale and discount pages. Retailers that offer an enhanced search experience can stand out against their competitors. Online shopping is one of the most viable use cases for consumer-facing genAI.

Revolve continues upward trajectory: The fashion ecomm beat Q3 expectations, attributing its success to AI, influencer marketing, and strong international sales growth.

Click here to view our full forecast for US Amazon marketplace sales. Temu鈥檚 share of US marketplace sales will near eBay鈥檚 in 2025. Temu鈥檚 rapid rise has been fueled by relentless digital ad spending, heavy promotions, and ultra-low prices鈥攁nd the newcomer is stealing share from established marketplace giants.

Under Armour鈥檚 turnaround gained momentum: But the company鈥檚 sales still fell 10% on a currency-neutral basis鈥攁 marked contrast with Puma, which reported a 5% jump in revenues.

In seven charts, this report tells the story of some of the most critical trends that digital leaders need to know about in 2024 and beyond.

Walmart imported fewer goods this holiday season: While that could be a sign that it expects tepid sales, it also reflects the retailer鈥檚 growing reliance on third-party marketplace sellers to broaden its product assortment.

Amazon reevaluates social commerce ambitions with Inspire shutdown: The retailer is prioritizing Rufus and shoppable partnerships with TikTok and other platforms.

Franchise Group is the latest retailer to file for bankruptcy: The parent company of banners that include Pet Supplies Plus and The Vitamin Shoppe plans to shutter its American Freight brand.

Consumers steer clear of fast food despite QSR price war: Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, and Popeye鈥檚 all saw comparable sales fall in Q3鈥攁lthough Taco Bell鈥檚 value proposition kept it ahead of the pack.

The news: Ralph Lauren and Coach parent Tapestry bucked the slowdown in luxury sales in the previous quarter, as their efforts to elevate their brands resonated with North American shoppers. Ralph Lauren鈥檚 revenues rose 6% year over year (YoY) to $1.73 billion, beating FactSet鈥檚 estimate for $1.68 billion.

Mercado Libre is bullish about growth opportunities: The ecommerce giant is making massive investments to extend its dominance of the Latin American market.

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.

India continues to be the fastest-growing large ecommerce market, with sales expected to increase 18.0% in 2024. However, stabilizing growth, intensifying competition, and new entrants challenging the dominance of Amazon and Flipkart are leading to a gradual shift in market dynamics. Emerging markets lead retail ecommerce sales growth.