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AUGUST 4, 2026 |
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In this edition: |
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TOP STORY |
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Every retailer heading into the back half of 2026 knows consumers are stretched, and most plan to win them through price. That assumption is only partly right. |
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Some shoppers still have room to spend and just need a reason to feel good about it. Others are counting every dollar and have learned to distrust the retailers asking for it. Treating both groups the same, or treating the whole market as simply "trading down," is how a promotion or a pricing strategy that should work ends up falling flat. |
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IN THE NEWS |
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As shrink rates fall, retailers may have room to eliminate some store friction. Retailers reported a 12.4% decrease in shoplifting incidents and an 8.1% decrease in merchandise theft incidents between 2024 and 2025. |
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DoorDash builds retail relevance through relatable marketing. DoorDash is using consumers’ cringe-worthy purchases—like laxatives and UTI tests—as fodder for its latest CringeMart ad campaign. |
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Amazon pulls more grocery spending from traditional supermarkets. The number of active customers buying perishables each month has grown over 50% since the start of the year, CEO Andy Jassy said on the company’s Q2 earnings call. |
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EMARKETER EVENTS |
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Featured Event | On-Demand |
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The New Rules of Brand Discovery: What AI Means for Marketers |
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What determines whether AI recommends your brand? Join EMARKETER’s Stephanie Paterik and Blake Droesch to learn how AI is reshaping brand discovery and what marketers can do to strengthen visibility, with new insights from the AI Visibility Index. |
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Featured Event | September 15 | NYC |
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The Future of Digital |
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The agenda is live! Check out the full lineup of sessions featuring EMARKETER analysts, fresh forecast data, and leaders from top brands like Gotham FC, Colgate-Palmolive, SharkNinja, LG Electronics, and more. Join us at City Winery NYC on Sept. 15 and be part of the conversation shaping what’s next in digital. |
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ANALYSIS |
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While most marketing leaders know AI-driven discovery is reshaping how consumers find brands, almost none of them have built the infrastructure for it. |
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Only 13% of marketing leaders have a clear path from AI-driven visibility to partner compensation, according to an April 2026 survey of 100 US marketing leaders conducted by EMARKETER and Partnerize. |
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QUIZ |
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What percentage of US back-to-school shoppers started early because they're worried prices will rise? |
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A) 25% B) 35% C) 45% D) 55% |
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