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Cybersecurity is a major issue for retailers this holiday season: A surge of transactions combined with over-extended, undertrained employees creates opportunities for fraudsters.

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.

It鈥檚 a divergent retail environment: While Dick鈥檚 Sporting Goods and Abercrombie & Fitch expect shoppers to spend freely this holiday season, Best Buy鈥檚 sales were softer than expected.

Consumers turn to genAI to help with holiday shopping: Nearly one-fifth of global Cyber Five sales this year will be influenced by AI agents and other tools, Salesforce says.

This could further propel BNPL volume this holiday season as well as catapult merchants鈥� holiday volume.

Nordstrom gives its shopping app a genAI upgrade: The department store retailer hopes enhanced search and personalization capabilities will give it an edge this holiday season.

Gap鈥檚 momentum continues into the holiday season: Weather-related headwinds notwithstanding, the retailer鈥檚 brand reinvigoration efforts are resonating with shoppers and driving sales.

TJX鈥檚 value proposition won over shoppers of all ages and incomes in Q3: That momentum has carried over into Q4, putting the off-price retailer in pole position to benefit this holiday season.

TikTok Shop wants to be a holiday season shopping hub: The platform鈥檚 Brand Palooza campaign features steep discounts, an extended returns window, and TikTok Lives from celebrities, brands, and creators.

Attentive鈥檚 findings challenge SMS frequency fears: Holiday shoppers welcome more personalized, frequent messages, doubling retailer revenues with minimal opt-outs.

This week, online reviews convince Gen Zers, Valentine's Day breaks records, and where consumers learn about new products.

TikTok Shop is entering its second holiday season, when it will rely on big brands and livestream commerce to maintain the momentum it's gathered since launching a little over a year ago.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss what the arrival of SearchGPT means for the search universe, the best ways to market through emotion, what the November holiday shopping season storyline will be, what happens now we have reached 鈥減eak media鈥�, the most suitable post-pandemic work arrangement, and more. Tune in to the discussion with Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Vice Presidents of Content Suzy Davidkhanian and Paul Verna, and Senior Analyst Blake Droesch.

Only 23% of younger shoppers plan to spend less this holiday season: That鈥檚 down from 31% last year as Gen Zers and millennials are eager to pull out their wallets.

During Prime Day 2024, US shoppers will spend nearly $14 billion鈥攁 5.9% increase over last year. But the dynamics of the shopping event are shifting as competitors chip away at Amazon鈥檚 market share.

Leisure travel demand ticks up ahead of the holiday season: Airbnb, Expedia, and Booking expect reservations to accelerate in Q4.

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.

Ahead of this year鈥檚 highly competitive holiday season, retailers like Dollar General, Neiman Marcus, and Amazon are releasing print versions of their holiday catalogs, focusing on curation, inspiration, and showcasing the best deals.

The results: Lidl鈥檚 sales soared 7% in the four weeks leading up to Christmas, surpassing 拢1 billion ($1.24 billion) and marking its most successful holiday season in over 30 years of operating in the UK, the company reported. The discount grocer served nearly 2 million more customers than in any previous holiday season.

TikTok Shop leans on top brands, live shopping to boost holiday sales: The platform will feature exclusive products from brands like Benefit Cosmetics and celebrity-led livestreams alongside Cyber Five discounts.