Quiet Hours shows experience can be as powerful as assortment.
Shoppers traded up, stocked up, and comparison shopped.
AI moves into the mainstream: The gender gap in adoption is fading, but divides in usage and chatbot type could determine who builds lasting AI habits.
Grocery spending falls while apparel gets a lift from changing wardrobes.
Consumers favor AI utility: Americans use AI mainly for search and work, giving marketers more reason to prioritize discoverability over image tools.
GenAI is one step in shopper journey: AI is joining shoppers’ research, not replacing it, as buyers still rely on reviews, Amazon, YouTube, and brand sites.
More flexible loyalty benefits could strengthen both customer retention and retail media appeal.
Social commerce gains value: One-third of Western consumers shop via social as AI referrals convert 31% better, rewarding structured product data.
Affluent users are becoming BNPL’s biggest customer base, making larger purchases the next revenue lever.
Milestone marketing helps them win the few left and keep the ones they have.
Consumers prefer relatable stories on social media over quick answers, making patient voices key for brands.
Media splits test marketers: Comcast and NBCU’s breakup could alter premium video buying, putting upfronts and bundles under scrutiny.
YouTube eases moderation: AI sorts comments by meaning, topic, and emotion, helping creators engage larger communities without added resources.
Music playlists top digital audio time for every generation, from 55% of millennials to 65% of Gen X, according to a March survey from The Harris Poll and EMARKETER.
Ad avoidance has become a default consumer behavior, and a challenge for advertisers. Nearly all consumers skip, ignore, or pay their way around advertising, and repetitive campaigns actively damage brand favorability. This FAQ covers how widespread ad avoidance is, what drives ad fatigue, and the format and creative strategies marketers are using in response.
This FAQ covers what ad fraud is, where the waste concentrates, and the practical defenses advertisers are using in 2026.
Google adds a search trust cue: A new “strongest match” test could reward relevance, but advertisers are left looking for clearer rules.
At this week's CommerceNext Growth Show in New York City, executives from Ulta Beauty, Tapestry, Stitch Fix, and Novi shared how they're using AI to deepen customer relationships and why winning loyalty now means appealing to both consumers and the AI models guiding product discovery.
Live sports was supposed to be streaming's killer app. The content that would justify the subscriptions, lock in the loyal audiences, and finally settle the cord-cutting debate in favor of digital. And by raw adoption numbers, the bet has paid off. The trouble is that arriving somewhere doesn't mean you can find what you're looking for once you get there.
The back-to-school season is gaining momentum for retailers in 2026. It’s worth $85.42 billion in US retail sales, according to EMARKETER. And the season keeps starting earlier as price-conscious families spread purchases out across the summer. This FAQ covers the season's timeframe, top categories, and channel preferences, and how marketers should position campaigns in 2026.