“Despite lingering inflation, relatively sluggish consumer confidence, and shrinking excess savings, people still pulled out their wallets for the holidays,” our analyst Zak Stambor said on an episode of the “Behind the Numbers: Reimagining Retail” podcast. Because it’s never too early to start planning for the biggest retail period, here are four predictions for the 2024 holiday season.

Our primary research on US online beauty buyers shares insights into how consumers discover and purchase new beauty brands and products across channels.

Dollar stores and off-price retailers set to once again dominate store openings in 2024: Economic uncertainty continues to fuel expansion opportunities for budget retailers.

Our primary research on US online beauty buyers shares insights into the evolution of consumer habits and preferences in one of retail’s most resilient categories.

Deal-seeking shoppers spent $222.1 billion online this holiday season: Elevated discounts drove spending across the electronics, apparel, furniture, and toy categories.

In January, the Retail Daily newsletter editors made four retail predictions for 2023. Some we got right (like the proliferation of Amazon Prime Day-type events) while some we missed the mark on a bit (it was not the year of AR).

Consumer spending patterns shifted in 2023: Retailers like Walmart, TJ Maxx, and E.l.f Beauty benefited from consumers growing cost consciousness.

A generous return policy can encourage consumer spending and inspire loyalty. On the other hand, a policy that makes it more costly or inconvenient for customers to return their items could sting a retailer’s bottom line. Here are some short- and long-term ways return policies can affect retailers, and ways to avoid charging customers a fee to cover return costs.

Recently, both Walmart and Target have warned that consumers’ cautious spending habits may lead to a sluggish holiday season this year. Were they right to be worried? Here’s how the holiday shopping season is going so far.

As consumers look for quick and convenient ways to shop, the number of click-and-collect buyers in the US will rise to 150.9 million in 2024, representing 53.1% of the population, per our December 2022 forecast.

Shoppers spent a record $12.4 billion this Cyber Monday: The lure of heavy discounts convinced cost-conscious consumers to open their wallets.

Mobile apps are vital for commerce. In fact, among US smartphone users, 65.8% will use retail apps in 2024, putting the category behind only maps/navigation apps (72.8%) and weather apps (71.1%) in terms of adoption, according to our July 2023 forecasts.

While consumer outlook is more positive than when inflation reached a 40-year high last year, the impact that shoppers face—higher retail prices, interest rate hikes, and depleted savings—may push cautious spending patterns into 2024. The key to having customers coming back in the new year is investing in unique value propositions, according to our analysts.

Walmart’s grocery, ecommerce business powered it through another solid quarter: The retailer’s emphasis on value and convenience are helping it win market share, even as shoppers exhibit more signs of price sensitivity.

Gen Z is redefining family, community, and what’s expected from the shopping journey. Brands will need to meet these driven, digital natives where they are with dynamic media experiences to capture and retain loyalty.

This year was challenging for retailers as inflation kept prices high and consumers cut back on spending. But there were a few bright spots, as some in-store shopping rebounded and retail media boomed. Here’s some advice for retailers on how to use in-store experiences and retail media to their advantage.

With the ascent of Chinese ecommerce disruptors and the ongoing rivalry between Amazon and Walmart, the upcoming holiday season is expected to bring some big shifts. Some of those shifts include the lessening of Cyber Five’s importance and retailers losing focus on profitability, said our analysts Jeremy Goldman and Zak Stambor on a recent episode of the “Behind the Numbers” podcast.

Ecommerce sales will return to double-digit growth this holiday season amid a backdrop of healthy consumer spending.