The question: What do commerce media, Starbucks’ struggles, Gen Z’s path to purchase, and Walmart’s Vizio acquisition have in common?
The answer: Each was discussed on our “Reimagining Retail” podcast this year. Here are a few of our favorites from the past few months, in no particular order:
The commerce media companies to watch and the emergence of the financial and travel networks
On the heels of explosive growth in retail media network (RMN) spending, nonretail verticals are adapting the media model to monetize their own first-party data, and advertisers have taken notice—58% of brands and 51% of agencies are interested in RMN-like offerings from non-retail verticals.
Listen to the full episode to hear EMARKETER analysts Arielle Feger and Sarah Marzano discuss what commerce media encompasses, the size of the financial and travel networks, and the companies to pay closest attention to in this space.
How retailers are using GenAI—and when they should absolutely not use it
Generative AI promises to revolutionize how retailers operate by making it possible for businesses of all sizes to deliver individualized customer experiences. But it’s important to remember that it’s still early days for the technology: Most retailers are still figuring out how, when, and where to use genAI.
Listen to the full episode to hear EMARKETER analysts Blake Droesch and Carina Perkins discuss the implementation challenges of genAI, how smaller retailers should be playing with it, and when not to use the technology.
Why Starbucks is struggling and how they can turn things around
Starbucks has had a rough year. The company reported its steepest quarterly sales decline in four years in FYQ4 and new CEO Brian Niccol has a lengthy to-do list that includes simplifying Starbucks’ complex menu, rethinking pricing, fixing its staffing issues, and improving both the worker and customer experience.
Listen to the full episode to hear EMARKETER analysts Sky Canaves and Suzy Davidkhanian examine how Starbucks went astray and what it will take to turn its fortunes around.
Why retailers are launching new store formats, what’s working, and what’s not
There’s no denying the importance of brick and mortar: Physical stores will account for 83.8% of US retail sales, per our forecast. However, the way shoppers interact with stores has shifted over the past few years, forcing retailers to experiment with new formats.
Listen to the full episode to hear EMARKETER analysts Carina Perkins and Zak Stambor explore the reasons that retailers are launching new store formats, what those layouts look like in the US vs. the UK, which formats are working, and which aren’t.