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.
In-store retail media, which includes digital screens, smart carts, audio, and product sampling inside physical stores, remains the least developed segment of retail media. Yet demand is rising as advertisers seek to reach shoppers in the aisle, where most retail purchases still occur. High infrastructure costs and organizational silos, however, continue to limit the channel's growth. This FAQ covers the market's size, the grocery opportunity, and how retailers and advertisers should invest.
Creative brands are capturing attention without official rights.
It’s expanding local banking via education and coaching.
Banks gain more from AI handling routine work while employees focus on complex customer decisions.
AI changes creator playbooks: Cannes Lions showed platforms weaving AI into creator tools as marketers balance scale with credibility.
Meta hands moderation to AI: Replacing most human reviewers may cut costs but leaves brands navigating less predictable content decisions.
TikTok audiences watch just 21% of the average branded video, meaning 4 out of 5 viewers drop off before the end, according to a March report from Dash Social.
Responsive brands turn social into sales: Consumers favor brands that reply on social, making customer service a key driver of purchases and loyalty.
Consumer spending holds up even as inflationary pressures continue to build.
On this episode of the EMARKETER Cannes Podcast Miniseries, we explore brand partnerships, retail data, and what it takes for retailers and brands to build more accountable, sustainable long-term growth together. Sarah Marzano, Vice President and Principal Analyst at EMARKETER, sits down with Christine Foster, Group Vice President, Commercial Strategy and Operations at Kroger Precision Marketing, for a conversation recorded at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Meta simplifies ad creation: Meta’s AI mixes existing images and videos into top-performing ad variants, cutting setup time and manual testing.
Uber Eats won at Cannes: Fans edited celebrity-filled Super Bowl ads for rewards, blending entertainment with measurable business results.
New tools turn barista content into scalable advertising.
On today’s podcast episode, we present our “Unofficial Monthly Retailer Awards” (UMRAs) for June, including awards for “Most Impactful Campaign,” “Best IRL Initiative,” and “Greatest Under-the-Radar Move.” Listen to the discussion featuring guest host Arielle Feger and Analysts Paola Flores-Marquez, Emmy Liederman, and Rachel Wolff.
AI expands the shortlist: AI is steering product discovery by introducing shoppers to unfamiliar brands, yet loyalty still decides most purchase decisions.
But they face a competitive landscape.
Gen Zers and millennials are moving assets from bank deposits into stocks, ETFs, and crypto on fintech platforms.
Resale has moved from niche to mainstream, with over half (59%) of consumers shopping secondhand apparel last year, according to thredUP. But as platforms scale to millions of items, the real challenge shifts from inventory to discovery, helping shoppers navigate an endless aisle of one-of-a-kind pieces without feeling overwhelmed.
Meta’s spotlights AI at Cannes: The company is leveraging its scale to advance automated ads, but marketers still need strong creative and clear guardrails.