E Commerce

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This prediction was made in June 2026. While retail media continues to grow and promises closer ties to sales, it is too early to definitively confirm that comprehensive, standardized, and easily accessible retail sales signals tied to media are 'finally available' across the industry as of the current date.

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Pritchard predicted a 'new S-curve of brand building' driven by data and AI, leading to 'one-to-one' consumer engagement and direct connection to retail, happening at a 'rapid pace' in various regions including the US. Since 2024, there has been a broad and observable acceleration in retail media, performance marketing, and data-driven commerce across the globe, with a focus on personalized consumer engagement and direct-to-consumer strategies. Major brands, including P&G, have significantly increased their investments and capabilities in these areas, confirming the predicted 'rapid pace' of transformation towards a more integrated media and commerce ecosystem.

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Retail media and cross-border e-commerce marketers like Temu and Shein continued to be cited as significant drivers of ad spending throughout 2024.

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Directionally consistent with observable trends in AI-native applications, AI-powered e-commerce tools, and increased self-serve models. However, the prediction lacks a specific timeline, and the 'bunch of new very big successful companies' is still an evolving trend rather than a fully resolved outcome by mid-2026.

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By 2025, leading platforms including Google, Amazon, TikTok, Meta, and major OTAs have integrated AI shopping and recommendation agents. Surveys and usage data from 2025 show rapid growth in AI chat-based travel planning and AI-assisted product discovery. The prediction is consistent with observed 2025 behavior, especially regarding travel recommendations.

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The prediction is made for 2026, so it's too early to judge.

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Several smaller or less-successful retail media efforts have slowed or wound down. The trade press has questioned if every retailer needs its own media network. There has been growing investment in multi-retailer retail media platforms and aggregators. This prediction is substantially accurate at the trend level.

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The prediction of aggregation players across retailers has largely materialized with the rise of platforms integrating multiple retail media networks. There are also signs of smaller retailers struggling or partnering, aligning with 'some retailers giving up' and 'a lot of noise about how it 'might not be worth the hassle'' due to complexity and ROI concerns. While not every retailer has definitively 'given up', the overall direction and trends described are visible.

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The concept of agentic commerce is still developing, and whether retailers will continue to block AI agents or form narrowly scoped partnerships remains to be seen. The core motivation of controlling customer relationships and monetizing first-party data still holds true for major retailers like Amazon and Shopify.

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Retail media networks saw significant growth, with new platforms emerging and existing ones expanding, aligning with Seufert's "everything is an ad network" thesis.

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Amazon officially launched 'Amazon Supply Chain Services' in May 2026, making their logistics network available to other businesses, precisely as predicted.