Editor's Choice
The World Cup as a Digital Commerce Funnel
8 Jun 26The FIFA World Cup has long been one of the biggest stages for brands. It brings together mass audiences, national pride and shared cultural attention in a way few global events can. But the nature of that attention and the commercial infrastructure beneath it is fundamentally changing.
Rabia Yasmeen
Retail’s Reset: Why 2026 Is Not About Growth, but Control
4 Jun 26The global retail industry has entered a new structural phase. Growth has slowed, complexity has risen, and traditional expansion levers such as store footprint, promotions, and scale are no longer sufficient.
Rabia Yasmeen
Online Assortment Reshaping E-commerce Performance in Sauces, Dips and Condiments
26 May 26This article explores how online assortment strategies are reshaping e-commerce performance in US sauces, dips and condiments. Using Euromonitor’s Passport E-commerce and Via SKU tracking data, it shows that many leading retailers achieved strong sales growth while reducing SKU counts, highlighting a shift from range expansion towards more focused, higher-performing assortments. The analysis also reveals growing emphasis on affordability, with retailers such as Walmart, Target and Kroger lowering the share of products priced above USD5. The findings suggest that successful e-commerce strategies increasingly depend on careful assortment curation, value positioning and balancing consumer choice with profitability in a price-sensitive environment.
Jared Conway
Saks Global’s Decline Signals a Watershed for US Department Store Retail
22 Apr 26Recent developments at Saks Global do not suggest a recovery, but rather a re-sorting of relevance within the department stores channel. Saks Global, which operates Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman, will emerge from its bankruptcy following USD500 million financing during 2026. However, it will do so with a significantly reduced store footprint, reopening questions about its long-term viability, the future of department store retail in the US, and which players may fill the gap in luxury distribution.
Leah Boston
GenAI Discovery and the Changing Shopper Funnel
23 Mar 26AI is no longer just influencing how consumers discover products, it is beginning to mediate decisions and shape purchases before shoppers even reach a retailer. The trend is shaping commerce across markets globally. From AI-assisted search and recommendation engines to emerging agent-led discovery and checkout journeys, a new commerce model is forming - one that compresses the funnel, redefines shopper trust and visibility for brands and retailers
Rabia Yasmeen
Snacks E-Commerce: How Social Media and AI Are Reshaping Discovery
17 Mar 26Global e-commerce snack sales now total USD57 billion, growing faster than most channels except warehouse clubs and discounters. Recommendation algorithms have proved highly effective for snacks due to strong repurchase rates, with growth driven by lower marketing costs, amplified reach potential, and alignment with digital-native consumers.
Rabia Yasmeen