The narratives around retailers are often changing. The market judges them for both their track records and expectations for top- and bottom-line growth.

US retail sales rose in November by the most since July, fueled by a rebound in auto purchases and resilient holiday shopping.

In a recent earnings report, Walmart revealed that nearly three in 10 customers (30%) have annual household incomes exceeding $100,000. Dollar Tree reported a similar trend, with the company claiming that it picked up 2.6 million new customers in Q1 2025, a large portion of which reportedly have six-figure incomes.

Ofcom’s genuinely fascinating annual report on the state of UK media offers us some solid numbers to work with. They reckon the country spent £17.5bn on video games and streaming services in 2024. Streamers like Netflix, Apple TV and Disney+ are all captured in the digital video category. The Pay TV category is basically Sky, Virgin Media et al.

For skeptics questioning how much further US stocks can climb after a blockbuster run, one of the market’s dominant forces remains decisively bullish: individual investors.

When the architecture of decision making shifts, the entire economic system shifts with it. Retail’s evolution over the past century fits precisely within this lineage.

In the past year, at least a dozen major tech firms and retailers have launched artificial intelligence shopping agents. AI is no longer operating quietly behind the scenes; it's taking an active role in how people shop,

AI and innovation — from humanoid robots to agents — dominated the conversation at the National Retail Federation's Big Show 2026.