For years, AliExpress has competed in the US largely on one promise: low prices. But its recent Summer Sale suggested the company is looking to broaden that proposition.
Video games attract smaller advertising investments than their audiences and positive attitudes towards the channel would suggest. This suggests brands aren’t fully aware of how much value players get from the games they play. Total US game ad spend is expected to reach $9.21 billion in 2026, according to EMARKETER’s forecast. However, this represents only 2.3% of total digital ad spending, per EMARKETER. A full 83% of US households played on at least one video game device in the past 12 months, per a February YouGov and Entertainment Software Association (ESA) survey of US consumers.
Walmart is aligning Walmart Connect, Walmart Connect International, and Sam's Club Connect (formerly Sam's Club Member Access Platform) around shared technology, platforms and capabilities while maintaining separate brand identities. The goal is to simplify how advertisers buy, measure, and scale retail media campaigns.
Nearly all (92%) commerce media leaders in the US, UK, and Germany are likely to invest in agent-specific measurement and diagnostics in the next two to three years, the leading agentic AI use case among those surveyed, according to April 2026 data from Koddi.
Retailers can bolster customer relationships and long-term revenues through deals, premium offerings, and better shopping experiences.
Marketplace expansion helps the retailer chase relevance without adding inventory.
GLP-1 users buy more produce and less fast food, forcing grocers and QSRs to adapt.
Faith in AI stops short of checkout: Consumers trust AI for product research, suggesting brands should prioritize discoverability over autonomous buying.
Partner perks help loyalty programs earn more attention—and spending.
With in-house banking, Klarna could strengthen its rewards and place fintech peers on notice for parity.
Finance apps retain 17.6% of users 30 days after download, the highest rate of any industry in North America and nearly 4 times that of shopping apps (4.51%), according to a March report from Airship.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is breaking records as the largest tournament in history with 48 teams, but economic pressures and shifting demographics are reshaping expectations for what was projected to be a $30 billion windfall for host nations. "Over the last 12 months, we've seen a flurry of activity from outside the retail sector," said our analyst Sarah Marzano on a recent episode of "In the Game." While early forecasts painted a rosy picture, with FIFA projecting over $30 billion in economic impact and the US Travel Association expecting visitors to spend $5,000 per trip, the reality has proven more complex as tariffs, inflation, and geopolitical tensions dampen international travel.
Influencers and fashion replace traditional sports sponsorships.
Host cities saw late-night traffic and revenue climb sharply.
Insights on consumer media habits, pharma ad spending, and AI's growing role in consumer health defined our top stories in H1 2026.
Jamie Dimon says Revolut's model inspired Chase UK to build an everyday banking hub, not just win deposits.
The same dynamic gives marketers a way to counter misinformation on social media.
Entertainment apps hold attention: App sessions hit a period high while music apps lost engagement, reflecting consumers' preference for active media.
At Cannes Lions 2026, Vassili Samolis, Vice President of Ad Products and AI Foundations, DoorDash, joined EMARKETER’s Sarah Marzano in our studio to share how AI is transforming the future of commerce media.
Fraud detection tools race to keep pace with AI-generated refund claims.