Nearly half of brands now earn 3x or greater ROI from creator partnerships, according to CreatorIQ's seventh annual global State of Creator Marketing report. The same study found that brands' creator budgets have increased 33% year over year.

The spending trajectory points in one direction. U.S. brands are expected to spend $13.7 billion on influencer marketing by 2027, according to eMarketer.

Retailers are not waiting. This year, Aerie launched a creator program for its most avid fans, while Gap Inc. began an employee creator program. Ugg started working with art students on creative content and product description pages, and Target debuted two new creator programs, Club Target and Target Ambassadors.

Kohl's has shifted its own incentive structure. The retailer began giving its creators a chance to earn a commission on every sale, in addition to getting free products, as part of stepped-up creator efforts accompanying a sales reset.

Brands and retailers say they're seeing strong returns from creator content, whether that's from mini-series or unboxing videos. Creator programs are not new, but more retail players are entering the space to court consumers, drive engagement and spur sales.

The approaches vary in structure but share a common logic: source content from people close to the brand — superfans, employees, students — rather than conventional influencer rosters alone. Aerie's program came with one notable rule: no AI.

The combination of rising budgets, record ROI and new program formats across major retailers suggests creator marketing will keep absorbing a larger share of retail marketing budgets through 2027.