2025 retail podcaster predictions, BFCM tactics that go beyond discounting, Q3 retail media recap, and more

It's Tuesday November 19, and the evolution of retail media marches on!

Here's what I've recently published, read, and listened to in the past week.

And after all that, I share the topics I'm planning on covering in the near future, in case you want to weigh in! 👇

Beyond Discounts: 7 Leading Brands Share Their Black Friday Strategies [Forbes]

Black Friday isn’t just about slashing prices. I spoke with seven top brands -- MANSCAPED Daily Harvest Bully Max Jool Baby Robotime-Total Puzzle Solution BRUNT Workwear and Rumpl to uncover their unique approaches to this shopping frenzy. From exclusive product launches to immersive customer experiences, their insights offer valuable lessons for any brand looking to stand out during the busiest time of the year.

Read the full article

AI Shopping Agents, A ‘Vibe-Cession,’ And Other E-Commerce Trends For 2025 [Forbes]

I recently spoke with hosts of leading e-commerce podcasts about what's coming in 2025. The key predictions:

• A continuing "vibe-cession" pushing consumers toward value-priced goods
• AI shopping assistants (like Amazon's Rufus) replacing traditional search boxes
• Major brands bringing software development in-house, challenging the SaaS model
• TikTok Shop gaining serious momentum, especially if regulatory concerns clear up What excites me most? The democratization of capabilities through AI - smaller brands will finally be able to compete with the big players on content and operations.

Cheers to Jason Goldberg Michael Erickson Facchin Destaney Wishon Jordan Ripley Kunle Campbell Lauren Livak Gilbert and Phillip Jackson for your POVs!

Read the full article

Amazon Takes On Temu With New ‘Haul’ Store, Just In Time For Holidays [Forbes]

You all saw the news and have probably checked it out already. What I found very interesting was Salesforce data that came out just a few days earlier, showing that:

📊 56% of Americans bought from Chinese marketplaces in last 6 months (!!)

🎄 69% of these consumers plan to make purchases on those apps for the holidays

The main reason for consumers to avoid Temu and similar marketplaces so far has been concerns over security of their payment information, and another top reason is that consumers are unsure if their orders will arrive. It's these 2 reasons that I think that Amazon could be successful at converting a good percentage of these hold-out customers into shopping from their Haul selection.

Read the full article

Retail Media Costs Stabilize While Competition Heats Up [Forbes]

Retail media advertising costs are showing signs of stabilization after several quarters of significant inflation, even as competition between platforms intensifies, according to new research released today. The eCommert Navigator Q3 2024 report, which analyzed data from over $10.3 billion in ad spending across 15 markets and 17 categories, reveals that aggregate cost-per-click (CPC) growth has plateaued at just 2% year-over-year, down from double-digit increases in previous quarters.

Read my takes from this research in the full article.

The story of IKEA [Podcast]

If you love hearing the origin stories of big retailers, don't miss this episode of the Founders podcast about IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad. It's a classic rags-to-riches story, with strong Walmart-like cost-management overtones. Particularly resonant with the Temu/Amazon Haul news item from this week -- many, many consumers really care about value. Kamprad went to many lengths to give consumers of all means access to practical and beautiful furniture. The culture of cost leadership is still mandated in the organization today.

What I'm working on next

I'm looking at the following topics for upcoming posts. If you have a strong POV on any of these, please reach out to me!

1. 3P Amazon sellers are saying there's been an uptick in fraudulent customer returns. If you have a story to share, I'd love to hear from you.
2. How do AI shopping agents like Amazon's Rufus affect shopping behaviors, and what can we expect from retailers in the near future? I have recently chatted with Carter Jensen about a cool tool he developed that shows the AI is surfacing at least partly personalized results.

Quote of the week:

“All these people built businesses and have done amazing things. I just went where I was told to go.” 

This is what Neil Armstrong said when he went to a party attended by entrepreneurs and industry leaders. Yes, THE Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, also felt like an imposter at times.

It’s easier than ever to compare our own accomplishments to others. Chances are, whoever you’re comparing yourself to, also feels like they are coming up short in some way. 

Thanks for reading! 🤓