Then they unpack The Trade Desk’s latest earnings and what its slowdown (and supply‑side growth elsewhere) signal about where spend is shifting across DSPs, CTV, and the open internet.

Finally, they dig into the rush of vendors promising “LLM performance” measurement, covering how pricing is already collapsing, how little real differentiation there is, and how brands should approach contracts, trust, and experimentation in this new category.

Next, they dig into Walmart’s latest AI moves with Gemini and the challenge of who owns shopper traffic, as well as highlight areas where Walmart is set up for growth.

To close it out, they break down Amazon’s decision to shut down Go and Fresh stores and double down on Whole Foods and online grocery delivery, and what that means for your assortment, trade terms, and supply chain.

You’ll walk away with a clearer view of where the big platforms are headed next, and what your brand should start changing now so you’re not playing catch‑up in 12–18 months.

Read the full "Digital Trends to prepare for in 2026" report here.

Read the white paper, "From powerless to proactive: How brands can own the AI search revolution" here.

Iñigo unpacks Amazon’s holistic measurement framework, from pinpointing the “tipping point” for ad efficiency, to understanding both immediate and long-term campaign impact, and even tracking omnichannel results through the Amazon Shopper Panel. You’ll learn how to move beyond guesswork and use data to identify when your investment is working, which channels drive lasting value, and how to build a strategy that fits your brand’s goals.

Gabe explains how this dashboard goes beyond campaign-level metrics and helps brands understand shopper value at every stage, from first interaction to loyalty. Discover where consumers drop off, where your investments make the most impact, and how to turn insights into growth.

If you're ready to move beyond guesswork and truly see what drives value for your brand, this conversation is for you. Listen in for how our Return on Consumer dashboard gives you a clear path to smarter decisions and stronger results.

Listen in to learn how we're helping brands bridge the gap between retail media and shopper marketing, and why a holistic, consumer-centric approach is key for driving sales.

Interested in learning more about our Retail Insights AI assistant? Let's connect: https://www.flywheeldigital.com/contact-us

If you listened to the episode and want to learn more about Flywheel's Shopper Media offering, click here.

Register for Stratably's webinar, "From SEO to GEO: Mastering the New Rules of AI-Driven Commerce" with Flywheel's Mike O'Donnell here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/804566983527944792?source=fly

Subscribe to Retail Insights here.

Register for the "Future Retail Disruption" webinar presented by the Flywheel Retail Insights team here: https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7664520082946280029

Happy holidays and we'll see you next year!

Read Stratably’s report here: https://stratably.com/deep-dive-2024-amazon-avn-wrap-up/

https://www.flywheeldigital.com/guides/the-big-shift-retail-power-dynamics?utm_medium=announcementemail&utm_source=slack&utm_campaign=the-big-shift-whitepaper&utm_content=deckworthy&internal_company_id=2021A1

Be sure to tune into all of our podcast content from Shoptalk!

REGISTER FOR FLYWHEEL RETAIL INSIGHTS' "FUTURE RETAIL DISRUPTION" WEBINAR ON APRIL 9TH HERE: https://events.bizzabo.com/587928?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=podcast&utm_campaign=future_retail_disruption_webinar&internal_company_id=1929A1

Get in touch with the Flywheel Retail Insights team here! https://www.flywheeldigital.com/contact-us

Welcome back to Mastering Metail - a podcast brought to you by Flywheel Digital. You’re listening to This Month Above the Fold, a monthly series on the Mastering Metail feed where one of our digital commerce experts covers the most important ecommerce stories each month, and this is your September 2023 recap. I’m Emma Irwin, Senior Editor and Specialist at Flywheel, and I have Patrick Miller here, Co-founder and Co-President of Flywheel Digital here with me.

Samantha educates the audience on the building of WFS, offerings, benefits, and opportunities for Walmart Sellers who utilize WFS, the logistics of setting WFS, and of course Samantha tells us about the exciting launches from WFS that were announced at the Summit (you’ll have to listen in to hear them for yourself!).

Walmart Marketplace is a significant initiative for Walmart, and sellers and suppliers alike will not want to miss out on the opportunity to enter, expand, or grow their business on the marketplace utilizing Walmart and Flywheel Digitals resources for success.

*In this episode we will refer to Instacart Plus as Instacart Express, which changed post-recording of this episode.

Every episode our Host Emma Irwin and her revolving panel of industry experts dive into the latest strategies, tools and insights to drive performance across the largest commerce platforms with content spanning the entire commerce ecosystem.

Commerce is a rapidly evolving industry, and the Commerce Collective podcast from Flywheel is here to provide the knowledge and resources needed to stay ahead of the curve. Subscribe now to elevate your commerce mastery, impress your peers, and have fun along the way.