The way customers discover products is evolving faster than ever. In a world where attention spans are short and purchase decisions happen in seconds, businesses must rethink not just how they capture attention but where. The New Market is Shoptalk’s new event designed to explore this thrilling, ever-shifting landscape—where retail media meets the explosive rise of next-generation discovery channels.

The stats tell the story:

• Retail media is booming - According to our friends at EMarketer, worldwide spending on retail media is going to surpass $165 billion next year – that’s a 230% increase in just 5 years. Retailers have launched their own networks to capture shoppers’ attention mid-shop, turning stores and websites into advertising powerhouses.
• Social media continues to skyrocket - Platforms like TikTok have grown from social apps into discovery engines, with 61% of users saying they find new products there. Shoppable video is on track to reach $80 billion in sales by 2026.
• Next-gen discovery channels are taking off – Immersive worlds, gaming platforms, connected TV, and other next-gen publishers are rewriting the playbook, capturing both attention and commerce dollars in ways we couldn’t have imagined a decade ago.

At The New Market, we’re diving into the full discovery ecosystem, exploring the full mix of tools, technologies, and strategies shaping how people discover, engage with, and buy products.

Here’s why this matters now:

• The speed of change is unprecedented – Today’s marketing landscape is evolving faster than traditional models can keep up, and discovery is no longer a linear process. As consumers toggle between scrolling, gaming, streaming, and shopping, brands and retailers need to meet them wherever they are.
• Discovery is fragmenting and converging – Once-clear boundaries between retail, media, and social platforms are collapsing. Retailers are becoming media networks, media companies are launching marketplaces, and social platforms are creating entirely new ways to shop.
• The rules are being rewritten – The traditional purchase funnel is giving way to a seamless, real-time journey where discovery and purchase are virtually indistinguishable. Traditional ways of defining, measuring, and scaling discovery no longer apply. Optimizing these touchpoints requires a new playbook—and The New Market is your guide.

This groundbreaking event builds on everything you already love about Shoptalk—visionary speakers, transformative content, and unmatched networking—with a focus on the future of discovery in the attention economy. It’s where retail media meets its next chapter, and where the future of marketing, shopping, and storytelling is being invented.

I can’t wait to see you in Barcelona to shape the future of discovery together.

— Sophie Wawro, Global President, Shoptalk