Global Lead, #Retail and #Digital Consumer Insights @Euromonitor. @Forbes contributor. Expert in how #tech is reshaping #commerce. #ecommerce #technology
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Michelle Evans predominantly covers topics related to business, e-commerce, consumer trends, retail, and social media. She focuses on citing data in her articles which indicates a preference for fact-based insights.
Given her focus on these areas, Michelle may be receptive to pitches that offer unique data-driven perspectives or analysis on emerging consumer trends, the impact of social media on commerce and retail behavior, as well as the evolving landscape of e-commerce.
As there is no specific geographic focus mentioned in her coverage attributes it seems she takes an international view when covering these topics.
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Next-Gen Online Storefront is one of Euromonitor International's five new Trending Topics for the year ahead.
By: Michelle Evans Professor
Disclosure statement Josh Holloway receives funding from the Australian Research Council. Duncan McDonnell receives funding from the Australian Research Council.
Michelle Evans, Contributor 4 min read The retail industry has never been short on disruption, but 2026 stands apart as a decisive turning point.
Three major trends indicate a retail reset is afoot. Winning will require a different playbook than the one that retailers relied on even just a few years ago.
Checkout may determine who owns the purchase long term, but discovery determines who gets considered. While everyone debates the purchase, AI is taking hold of search.
Companies that didn’t start in retail are now competing for shoppers’ attention and spend as they become retailers themselves.
AI checkout is being treated as inevitable. AI has earned the right to guide decisions, but it has not yet earned the right to spend on a shopper’s behalf.
AI is already reshaping the shopper journey. The question is no longer whether it will influence shopping, but where it will matter most.
The retail landscape is rapidly polarizing into an "age of extremes," accelerated by e-commerce and AI. Large retailers leverage scale and efficiency, while direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands build direct customer relationships and personal engagement. Mid-market retailers are increasingly squeezed, lacking the giants' scale and the DTCs' direct connections, a shift reflected in market share. AI will further intensify this divide, shifting competition from product access to visibility via recommendations. Both large players with vast data and distinctive DTC brands benefit. Mid-tier retailers face a critical challenge, needing clearer value propositions, category authority, or stronger first-party relationships to remain relevant as AI-mediated discovery hinders passive consideration. The internet created choice, but AI will determine who surfaces, making the middle's survival harder.
JCPenney remains one of the clearest examples of the pressure facing retail's middle, where legacy department stores are trying to defend relevance
