Daily AI Retail AI Guru Brief – Saturday, November 8, 2025

Today, the retail landscape sees significant shifts as Macy's collaborates with Amazon, signaling the growing convergence of retail and marketplace ecosystems.

Key Moves

• Partnership: Macy's integrates Amazon's retail advertising technology for sponsored products, suggesting a deeper collaboration that could enhance Macy's online advertising capabilities and potentially boost sales.

Quick Hits

• Gap returns to UK High Street after 4 years with new London stores — Gap re-establishes its presence in the UK with new store openings.
• Allbirds leans on new product launches to stoke turnaround — The company introduces new products to drive a business turnaround.
• Nike vet joins Reebok; AI may boost mall traffic — Reebok hires a Nike veteran, while AI technology could increase mall footfall.
• Debate over creator marketing measurement; retail media adspend to exceed $200B — Discussions on marketing metrics arise as retail media spending surges.
• Retail media growth slows as channels fragment and industry consolidates around commerce media players — The retail media landscape faces challenges amid fragmentation and consolidation.
• Starbucks Barista Union authorizes strikes starting on Red Cup Day — Unionized baristas plan strikes to coincide with a major promotional event.
• Amazon sues Perplexity over AI shopping agents — Amazon takes legal action against an AI company, highlighting its expanding influence.

What's Next

Macy's integration of Amazon's advertising tech underscores the importance of retail media networks and personalized advertising in driving sales. As retail media adspend is projected to surpass $200 billion, the industry faces both opportunities and challenges, with fragmentation and consolidation on the horizon. Retailers will need to navigate these dynamics while leveraging partnerships to enhance customer engagement and sales performance.