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Our take: Even before this year鈥檚 economic headwinds began swirling, secondhand apparel was thriving, driven by greater consumer interest in sustainability. Rising inflation should accelerate its up-and-to-the-right trajectory.

Instead of one-off marketing plays or product collections, consumers want brands to integrate sustainable action into their business. Over 6 in 10 US consumers want brands to discuss their values in ads, opposed to just their products, per Givsly. 55% of consumers say they lose trust in a brand that reverses course on social and political issues, per a Gartner survey.

Given Amazon鈥檚 size and maturity in the US ecommerce market, double-digit growth wasn鈥檛 sustainable past 2023. On an international scale, the US remains the second-largest ecommerce market after China. However, among the countries where US-based retailers are likely to operate, Mexico will be the hottest growth market for ecommerce through 2028. Index of Benchmarks.

The sustainability of the AI industry is unknown, given its association with high costs and lack of a dominant consumer-facing application. But DeepSeek has given the industry a shot in the arm. One success factor could be consumer trust in the burgeoning tech鈥攁nd China has an advantage. According to a recent Edelman survey, 72% of consumers in China said they trust AI, compared with 32% in the US.

While growth will taper, CTV ad spend will still rise 13.5% by 2029, signaling a sustainable expansion rather than a short-lived spike. Walmart is effectively building a closed-loop media system that rivals Amazon鈥檚鈥攁nd it's doing so with a screen-first, video-forward model. Other retailers will likely need to follow suit or risk being outpaced in a fast-changing commerce media environment.

Despite consistently growing its user base, OpenAI is looking for sustainable revenue models to offset high costs. A social platform that seizes on the viral potential of OpenAI鈥檚 tools could give the platform a monetary boost to remain competitive in a saturated AI ecosystem.

The AR vending machine is a perfect case study: It converts a sustainability message into an active game, linking digital fun with real-world values. Similarly, giving brands access to creator workshops isn鈥檛 just about reach鈥攊t鈥檚 about fostering deeper creative fluency between brand and talent, making sponsored content feel more native and less transactional.

Marketers need to address challenges with influencer identification, sustainability, and determining ROI. Identify the right influencers and creators. Build sustainable relationships. Determine ROI.

Consumers have their environmental impact top of mind and it鈥檚 informing how they shop. Nearly 70% of consumers seek out brands that follow sustainable business practices, according to research from Amazon Ads.

D2C ecommerce is rapidly evolving, driven by digital marketing, AI-enhanced personalization, sustainability, and more. By identifying and leveraging these emerging trends, businesses can effectively adapt to this competitive environment and address the dynamic expectations of consumers today.

Bandwidth for downloading multimedia files has grown 50% since January 2024, threatening infrastructure sustainability and stretching data center resources thin. Bots account for 65% of its most expensive traffic. The company said in a blog post that this is disproportionate, since bots account for only 35% of overall page views.

Not all assumptions about how Gen Z consumers shop are correct. While it鈥檚 true that they鈥檙e motivated by sustainability, they鈥檙e also limited by their budgets. It may be difficult to earn their loyalty, but they still have brand affinities. Here are four assumptions about Gen Z and whether there鈥檚 any truth to them鈥攕traight from members of Berns Communications鈥� Z Suite network of Gen Z consumers.

But it鈥檚 a first step toward building a more equitable and sustainable ecosystem for creators, brands, and the social platforms that host them. That鈥檚 vital for the continued professionalization of the creator economy. Why pay transparency matters now. The business of creators is volatile and unpredictable.

Becoming a more sustainable company doesn鈥檛 have to mean spending more money鈥�sustainability can have a positive impact on the bottom line. In this conversation, Tracy shares strategies for companies looking to boost their sustainability efforts and what she hopes attendees learned at her Shoptalk session.

Some 47% of Gen Zers favor brands and companies that support sustainability, according to March 2023 data from ISCS and Big Village. Here鈥檚 a closer look at how brands and marketers are focusing on sustainability in 2024.

Across Western Europe, inflation and uncertainty have hit consumers and businesses alike. But some may prosper in these conditions鈥攕uch as brands using retail media networks and firms advancing sustainability goals.

Consumers care about sustainability, but often aren鈥檛 willing to buy environmentally friendly products if they鈥檙e deemed lower quality, especially if it costs more. One solution for retailers and consumers is resale, an industry worth $108.64 billion in 2024, per our December 2023 forecast. Not all environmental initiatives have to be at the consumer level, though.

The continued success of women's sports viewership suggests this growth is sustainable and represents a fundamental shift in sports media consumption patterns, rather than a temporary spike driven by individual stars. Women's NCAA basketball maintains growth trajectory.

Gen Zers in the US want their brands to support mental health more than any other cause, cited by 53% of those surveyed by ICSC and Big Village. Tied for second place are environmental causes, including climate change and sustainability, and racial and gender equity (47% each).

Retail health clinic use soared during the pandemic: We examine what drove growth and forecast the future of retail clinic utilization.

Quality and sustainability focus. Despite expired patents opening the door to competitors, LEGO maintains dominance through:. Superior manufacturing quality. Precise engineering ensuring pieces fit perfectly. Sustainability initiatives including recycled materials. Product longevity that builds brand trust. 鈥淪o many toys, you get them, they fall apart, they go in the trash,鈥� said Stambor.