蘑菇AV

The outlook for worldwide retail sales in 2025 is slightly down from what we expected in Q1, but worst-case scenarios now seem unlikely. For ecommerce, the news is somewhat positive.

Direct-to-consumer (D2C) ecommerce is evolving, driven by Gen Z鈥檚 shopping habits and the rise of powerful AI tools.

AI shopping assistants are reshaping product discovery and threatening retail media鈥檚 search-driven model. RMNs and advertisers need to adjust strategies to protect their market position and seize the opportunity to turn disruption into growth.

颁补苍补诲补鈥檚 ecommerce market is catching up with global peers. A key factor: the growing digital presence of the 鈥渂ig three鈥� grocery players鈥攚hose ecommerce sales we鈥檙e forecasting for the first time.

Ecommerce growth is slowing as the market matures, but gains will come from mobile commerce, Gen Z buyers, and high-performing categories.

China is a global leader in online shopping, with high digital buyer and retail ecommerce penetration. Shoppers are comfortable buying luxury goods online and embracing livestreaming commerce.

Online fashion sales are stable and growing slowly, but they lag wider ecommerce. Consumers are concerned about sustainability, but price is a bigger priority.

The market will return to growth in 2025, but retailers face ongoing disruption from ultra-fast-fashion players and TikTok Shop.

The trend: In the wake of the US closing the de minimis loophole, several large Chinese ecommerce and logistics firms have been investing in European warehouses to offset US losses, per Bloomberg. Our take: The days of rapid growth for Chinese ecommerce companies may be over. Europe might soften the blow from US losses, but it is unlikely to replace them鈥攅specially given the weak economic outlooks in France and Germany.

The situation: Dollar General, Amazon, and Walmart are on a collision course as each races to speed up rural ecommerce deliveries and win loyalty in a market ripe for growth. Our take: Dollar General, Amazon, and Walmart are pushing hard into rural ecommerce because the growth potential is too big to ignore. The retailers that can pair speed with convenience will be best positioned to lock in lasting loyalty.

Some students have already started their school year, but the back-to-school shopping season is far from over. In fact, over a third (34%) of families begin their back-to-school shopping in August, according to recent data from ad platform gumgum.

Three in four US online shoppers consider fast delivery to be important, per a YouGov survey. Just 8% believe it to be unimportant. Thanks to Amazon Prime and similar offerings, consumers have come to expect free and fast shipping. But if forced to pick between the two, shoppers will accept slower delivery speeds if it means no extra cost. That鈥檚 good news for brands that can鈥檛 afford to compete with the likes of Amazon and Walmart on speed.

In this podcast episode, we discuss if 鈥楽ummerween鈥� is here to stay, which retail shopping holiday is most likely to expand, and how all of this affects shopping behavior. Listen to the discussion with Senior Director of Podcasts and guest host, Marcus Johnson, Principal Analyst, Sky Canaves, and Vice President of Content Suzy Davidkhanian.

Coach plans to open more than 20 of its Coach Coffee Shops in retail and outlet stores this year, per Business of Fashion. There鈥檚 a reason so many luxury brands are turning to hospitality concepts: They are an excellent way to get shoppers through the door, and to keep them spending鈥攅ven if it鈥檚 just on a cup of coffee or branded baseball cap.