ClickZ Walmart Insights Newsletter - 01.08.2025

Retailers Bet on AI to Drive Post-Holiday Sales

Author

Zihan Lyu
January 08, 2025

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Welcome to Walmart Insights, your go-to newsletter for updates and analysis on the trends shaping retail and e-commerce at Walmart. It’s 2025, and we’re kicking things off with fresh ideas to supercharge your campaigns and keep your customers hooked!

Top Reads 🌟

🚀 AppLovin’s Breakout Year
Early data from Fospha shows AppLovin is a top 3 channel for acquiring new customers and the 2nd largest source of paid traffic for some brands.

🛍️ Social Commerce Boom (Hello, TikTok Shop!)
Social commerce is set to hit $80B in the US, with TikTok Shop leading the way with its seamless shopping experience.

📱 Third-Party Sales Channels on the Rise
As disposable incomes are squeezed, shoppers are turning more to Amazon, but also its budget competitors like Temu and Shein. In 2024, Temu quietly became the most downloaded app on the US App Store.

The challenge? Brands still struggle to understand how their advertising on platforms like Meta and TikTok drives demand on third-party sales channels.
(Stay tuned—Fospha is working on a solution for 2025! 👀)

ClickZ is Live at CES—Let’s Spotlight Your Vision🌟

CES 2025 is here, and ClickZ is in action!

As part of our coverage, we’re hosting exclusive interviews with visionary thinkers to spotlight groundbreaking ideas, unveil new innovations, and engage a global audience of decision-makers.

This is your chance to share your vision and connect with a worldwide audience! 👇

Specialty Bites 🍪

Retailers embrace AI, driving holiday sales with tools like Amazon's Rufus and Walmart's conversational assistants. AI enhances personalized recommendations, boosting sales on events like BFCM. However, AI fraud alerts rise, indicating the tech's early stage. Despite challenges, AI's strategic potential for personalized marketing grows, aligning with consumer preferences.

Walmart's Data Ventures division, led by Mark Hardy, empowers suppliers with first-party data via Walmart Luminate's tools, enabling visibility into product and customer journeys. By aligning merchants and suppliers on a single data platform, the initiative enhances retail operations and customer experience, while fostering strategic marketing opportunities.

In 2024, Amazon and Walmart dominated U.S. retail, with Amazon leading in consumer spending while Walmart excelled in groceries. Both expanded digital advertising and loyalty perks, witnessing significant growth. Cybersecurity became crucial, highlighting the need for comprehensive, adaptive strategies. The rivalry continues into 2025 with ongoing innovation.

Influencer Corner 📣

Influencer Marketing in 2025: Where Should Brands Invest?

With over 50% of brands set to increase creator budgets in 2025, the question isn’t if influencer marketing will grow—it’s how brands should allocate these dollars.

Experts emphasize the shift toward scale and centrality in the marketing mix. Brands need to align spending with their goals—whether driving sales or boosting awareness.

Sarah Levinger on LinkedIn: 3 Rules for DTC Success

Timing is everything—especially for DTC brands. Sarah Levinger highlights how delivering incentives at the right moment can make all the difference. 💡

In her recent post, Sarah breaks down the 3️⃣ golden rules of timing that every brand should know.

A small spoiler: Action + reward = happy brain 🧠, reward key behaviors, and… well, you’ll have to read the full post for the rest.

Performance Pulse 📈

As e-commerce evolves, growth in 2025 hinges on mastering the basics: clarity, optimization, and personalization. SMART goal-setting ensures campaigns stay focused, while refined website usability and core platform expertise enhance customer experiences. By leveraging deep audience insights and streamlining ad strategies, marketers can prioritize long-term, sustainable growth over fleeting trends, positioning their brands for measurable success.

Retail experts predict the convergence of physical stores and digital innovation, like live shopping, will transform retail by 2025. Physical stores will evolve into interactive experience hubs, integrating omnichannel strategies.

Key tactics include:
- blending digital with in-store journeys
- utilizing AI
- enhancing customer engagement through personalized experiences

Influencer Marketing

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Global Marketing

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Marketing & Comms

 📍 Austin, TX, USA

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