Platforms and commerce
Advertising, online platforms and shopping: what changed in price, and what changed in volume.
AI Shopping Traffic Grew 71%. Those Visits Now Earn 83% More Than Other Visits.
Adobe's retail data shows two things rising at once: the number of shoppers arriving from AI assistants, and how much each of those visits is worth. A year ago, an AI visit was worth less than half of a typical one. One number is still missing: AI's share of all traffic.
Meta's Revenue Rose 26%. Daily Users Grew 3%. Where Did the Money Come From?
In Q3 2026, Meta showed 10% more ads and earned 14% more for each one. Multiply the two and you get almost all of its 26% rise in ad revenue. For the first time in the five quarters we examined, price per ad did more of the work than ad volume.