Retail media draws 'reluctant buyers'

Author

Stephen Babcock
February 02, 2023

The daily current header

Retail media is growing fast, but many brands are “reluctant buyers” of advertising space on marketplaces, a report from the Association of National Advertisers finds. The complexity of multiple networks and a lack of measurement standardization are among the reasons. In the next phase of growth, brands want retail media networks to drive brand equity, and ultimately sales incrementality.

By taking stock of the current Amazon buying process, journalist John Hermann asks us to consider: What is shopping, and what should we expect from it? Amazon’s marketplace, advertising network, reviews and logistics are all interlocking engines that have brought growth, but now the company is cutting costs. Hermann argues that the “junkification” of the ecommerce experience is part of the belt-tightening plan. – Intelligencer

Women’s fashion brand Pinko launched a virtual store alongside a new physical store in Milan this week. Built by Emperia, the virtual store makes a metaverse experience accessible through laptop or mobile, while also allowing shoppers to move about a digital space and browse items. Music included.

Fanatics is following eBay into the realm of livestreaming for discrete collector categories. Fanatics Live will have a standalone app that creates a new shoppable experience. The initiative will be helmed by former Google and Snap executive Nick Bell. – CNBC

The Federal Reserve continued its campaign to bring down inflation by raising interest rates this week, but did so by downshifting the size of the increase. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the process of disinflation is officially underway. But the result is that demand is cooling as a result of the Fed’s actions. The Current pulled out important takeaways for the consumer economy.

A banner that says "Want to know how to spend your next $1?"

Tweet of the Day 🐦

Were you forwarded this email by a friend or colleague?