The State of eCommerce for Marketers – 2026 Edition

Why It Matters

Marketers must reallocate spend toward existing‑user strategies to sustain growth, and regional budget shifts demand agile planning across platforms.

Key Takeaways

• Remarketing share of ad spend rose globally in 2025
• Paid install growth slowed across 13+ markets
• Tariff-driven shifts cut UA spend in Europe, increased Asia spend
• AI queries uncovered 8,000+ insights on eCommerce data usage
• Web-to-app conversions outpaced native app installs in Latin America

Pulse Analysis

The eCommerce landscape is undergoing a fundamental transformation as advertisers confront a sustained decline in paid app installs. Brands are increasingly turning to remarketing, leveraging first‑party data to re‑activate dormant users and extract higher lifetime value. This shift not only boosts return on ad spend but also reduces dependency on costly acquisition channels, a trend that is especially pronounced in mature markets where user saturation is high.

Geopolitical dynamics, particularly tariff implementations, have forced marketers to rethink regional budget allocations. Europe’s user‑acquisition spend has contracted, while Asian markets have absorbed a larger portion of the displaced budget, accelerating growth in those regions. Platform choices are also evolving, with advertisers favoring ecosystems that offer robust re‑engagement tools and favorable cost structures. Understanding these macro‑level flows is critical for planning the high‑stakes Q4 holiday campaigns.

Data‑driven decision‑making is another pillar of the 2026 outlook. Over 8,000 AI‑powered analytics queries reveal that eCommerce teams are deepening their use of predictive models to fine‑tune loyalty initiatives, detect fraud, and optimize web‑to‑app pathways. In Latin America, web‑to‑app conversions now outpace traditional app installs, underscoring the importance of seamless cross‑channel experiences. Marketers who integrate these insights into their strategy will be better positioned to capture incremental revenue as the holiday season approaches.