Arielle Feger

Retail strategy is getting more complex, but the customer journey isn't necessarily getting better. As brands invest in new channels, emerging tech, and reimagined experiences, many are still falling short on the fundamentals that actually drive discovery, conversion, and loyalty.

As retailers push into agentic commerce, success may hinge less on the technology itself and more on how quickly consumers are willing to change their habits.

The home furnishings category generates hundreds of billions of dollars annually, yet the shopping experience remains frustratingly complex for most consumers. Nearly every shopper reports feeling overwhelmed by options, with the average furniture purchase taking weeks and requiring dozens of open browser tabs before a final decision.

Article May 18, 2026 AI and automation are transforming agency operations, forcing agencies to restructure their teams and rethink their value proposition in an AI-driven world.

Commerce media spending is projected to surpass $80 billion in the US this year, according to EMARKETER's forecast, but not every network is winning buyers' trust equally.

US CPG advertisers are expected to spend nearly $59 billion on ads in 2026, according to an EMARKETER forecast. How that budget gets activated across retail media networks matters more than ever as brands navigate fragmentation, demand better measurement, and push for industry standardization.

AI implementation in retail and ecommerce has reached an inflection point where individual experimentation must give way to organizational strategy, but the path from proof-of-concept to production remains fraught with challenges around data security, cost justification, and realistic expectations about automation.

On today's podcast episode, we present our “Unofficial Monthly Retailer Awards” (UMRAs) for May, including “Most Impactful Campaign,” “Best IRL Initiative,” and “Greatest Under-the-Radar Move.” Listen to the discussion with Vice President of Content and host Suzy Davidkhanian, Principal Analyst Sky Canaves, and Analysts Arielle Feger and Rachel Wolff.

Article May 27, 2026 The current state of AI chat adoption parallels the internet's development in the mid-1990s.

At The Lead Summit in New York City, executives across retail, fashion, and ecommerce repeatedly returned to the same challenge: How to modernize through AI, personalization, and connected customer experiences without losing the identity and emotional connection that made consumers care in the first place.