Marketing

U.S. e-commerce orders surged 147% in 2025, but growth was uneven as the top performers pulled ahead. Shoppers clicked less, yet spent more — rewarding brands that reacted faster.

Digital IDs in mobile wallets are reducing friction at checkout and verification, helping retailers reconnect online convenience with in-store shopping through loyalty, messaging, and tap-based interactions.

As retailers enter 2026, unified platforms, agentic AI, and automation are changing e-commerce operations, affecting personalization, payments, fulfillment, and the cost of competing at global scale.

Agentic AI is pushing online commerce beyond chatbots, forcing brands to rethink how shoppers discover products and stay loyal.

Nimble’s unified marketing platform aims to help SMBs replace bloated email and CRM tools with a single system for managing campaigns, contacts, and customer engagement.

Agentic, intent-based commerce is beginning to bypass search and browsing altogether, introducing a new competitive challenge to Chinese retail models and traditional e-commerce funnels.

As prices rise and AI tools shape product discovery, consumers increasingly trust what they can verify — rich information, user experiences, and transparent feedback — rather than the logo on the box.

Retailers are using Leap and Endear to turn physical stores into relationship-building hubs, unifying customer insight across channels and strengthening loyalty through data-driven clienteling and more personalized in-store engagement.

Consumers are rapidly adopting AI-powered shopping tools, but many retailers are slow to respond — widening the gap between product discovery behavior and retail readiness.

GenAI tools have become practical shopping aids, guiding consumers at critical decision points and helping them make faster, more confident choices about what to buy, which brand to choose, and where to find the best deals.

SMBs are pouring more into marketing but still guessing at what works. New data shows rising budgets, AI growth, and shaky confidence in results.

Shoppers aren’t rushing anymore — they’re pacing. Retailers have taken notice, moving beyond one-day flash deals and stretching major sales events across multiple days or even weeks.

Q3 digital ad spending delivered a mixed picture, with shifting platform strategies opening short-term gains for some advertisers and renewed pressure for others.

Retailers and brands that leverage packaging as a gateway to engage shoppers are taking the lead in the battle for attention in crowded marketplaces.