Ecommerce Trends: What Anthropic, OpenAI and Google Are Each Doing in Agentic Commerce
Anthropic unveiled Project Deal, an internal pilot where 69 employees used Claude‑powered agents to buy and sell items on a Craigslist‑style marketplace. The experiment generated 186 transactions totaling over $4,000, with participants rating fairness at a mid‑range 4 out of 7. Meanwhile, OpenAI has pivoted from an in‑ChatGPT checkout to app‑centric commerce integrations, and Google is expanding Gemini‑driven agents through its Universal Commerce Protocol with retailers like Ulta and Macy’s. The divergent approaches highlight a race among LLM providers to shape the next wave of agentic ecommerce.
Why Gaming Advertising Belongs on More Ecommerce Media Plans
E‑commerce brands have sophisticated playbooks for Meta, TikTok, YouTube and CTV, yet most lack a dedicated strategy for gaming—a multi‑platform ecosystem that includes console, PC, mobile, esports and web. Research shows gamers maintain far higher focus than social‑media scrollers, with...
Residential IP Proxy Service for E-Commerce Price Monitoring: What Teams Need to Compare
E‑commerce teams that track competitor prices at scale rely on residential IP proxy services to mimic real consumer traffic and evade sophisticated anti‑bot defenses. The U.S. retail e‑commerce market, worth roughly $1.23 trillion in 2025, makes even minor pricing errors costly,...
Why Digital Platforms Are Learning From Retail Spaces
Retail design principles are increasingly influencing digital platform experiences. Companies are moving beyond click‑based metrics, focusing on user flow, comfort, and prolonged engagement by applying in‑store tactics such as intuitive navigation and minimal friction. Subtle UI adjustments—cleaner layouts, predictable interactions,...
What Makes Fulfillment Solutions Work for Fast-Growing Businesses
Fast‑growing companies are turning to third‑party fulfillment solutions to handle surging order volumes without the capital expense of building their own warehouses. Modern providers leverage automation, real‑time inventory tracking, and centralized storage to keep shipments accurate and on time. Predictable...
Kohl’s Delves Into AI for Gift Finding, Aiding Associates
Kohl’s introduced a conversational AI Gift Finder for Mother’s Day, built on Google Cloud’s Gemini Enterprise. The tool lets shoppers describe a recipient’s interests, upload photos, receive tailored product suggestions and add items to the cart without leaving the chat....
Amazon's AI-Generated Shopping Experts Now Let You Ask Questions
Amazon has upgraded its "Hear the Highlights" AI audio feature to let shoppers ask real‑time questions. The interactive Q&A appears as a raised‑hand icon in the product page, letting users type or speak queries that the AI host weaves into...
Rhode Bolsters Global Distribution with Sephora Europe Rollout
Rhode, the Hailey Rhode Bieber‑led skincare brand, is rolling out its curated line across Sephora stores in more than 20 European countries starting September. The partnership leverages Sephora’s extensive retail footprint to bring Rhode’s skin‑focused products and Peptide lip line...
Wayfair Touts Market Share Gains in Retail’s Toughest Category
Wayfair reported a 7% rise in Q1 net revenue to $2.9 billion, driven largely by U.S. sales, while active customers grew to 21.4 million, up just over 1% year‑on‑year. Despite the sales boost, the retailer’s net loss barely improved, standing at $105 million,...
AI Earned The Right To Guide Shopping Decisions, But Not To Buy
Artificial intelligence is now trusted to steer shoppers through research and selection, but consumers still balk at letting machines complete the final purchase. Euromonitor data shows AI will shape roughly $780 billion of global e‑commerce sales by 2029, yet only $39 billion...
Experian Announces Agent Trust to Power Trusted AI Driven Commerce
Experian unveiled Agent Trust, a framework that creates a verifiable link between consumers and AI agents through a new “Know Your Agent” (KYA) verification model. The system issues real‑time trust tokens that bind a user’s identity, device and autonomous agent,...
Commerce Introduces New Product Innovations Across Storefronts, B2B, Payments and AI
Commerce, the parent of BigCommerce, Feedonomics and Makeswift, unveiled a suite of product innovations at Commerce Live 2026. The updates span core platform performance, multilingual support, faster checkout, new B2B automation tools, native hosting for Catalyst, and expanded payment integrations....
Commerce Data, Explained: What It Is, Why It Matters, and What Makes It Useful
Criteo explains that true commerce data goes beyond simple transaction logs to include upstream shopper signals such as searches, product views, comparisons, and cart activity. By linking these signals to specific SKUs and normalizing product attributes, Criteo turns raw data...
Google: “AI Threatens to Make Brands Invisible, but Physical Stores Are a Major Advantage”
Google’s Omnichannel Index 2026 warns that AI can render brands invisible unless they adopt a true omnichannel strategy. The report, co‑authored with IMPACT Commerce, says organizations that view omnichannel as a commercial strategy—not just an infrastructure upgrade—are pulling ahead. Retailers that lag...
Amazon Says Its AI Shopping Assistant Is Gaining Traction, with Rufus Users up 115%
Amazon reported that its AI‑powered shopping assistant Rufus saw monthly active users jump 115% year‑over‑year, with engagement climbing 400%. The chatbot, launched in early 2024, now handles tasks like recurring purchases and price‑triggered auto‑buy. Rufus helped generate roughly $12 billion in...
ZigZag Partners Trade Duty Refund for EU Duty Drawback Service
ZigZag has partnered with Trade Duty Refund to launch an integrated EU duty drawback service for UK retailers selling into the EU. The solution blends ZigZag’s returns platform with Trade Duty Refund’s digital claims engine, automating evidence capture and customs...
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Taps LTK for Social Commerce Push
Sports Illustrated Swimsuit has partnered with LTK to launch its first creator‑driven social commerce channel. An official LTK profile will let fans discover and purchase items featured in editorial content, talent spotlights, and live runway coverage. LTK will also enable...
JSW One Buys Pidilite Ventures-Backed Proptech Startup BuildNext
JSW One Platforms, the B2B ecommerce arm of the JSW Group, announced the acquisition of proptech startup BuildNext through a share‑swap with Pidilite Ventures. The transaction, valued at a mutually agreed price, also brings an additional ₹22 Cr (≈$2.6 M) investment from...
Scale, Security, and Trust - the Three Winning Factors for Visa in an Age of Agentic Commerce, According to CEO...
Visa CEO Ryan McInerney says AI‑driven agentic commerce will accelerate digitization, create micro‑transactions and lift B2B payments. He argues Visa’s massive network, proven security and deep consumer trust uniquely position the company to capture that growth. New tools such as Intelligent...
Competitive Pricing Starts with Data
Competitive pricing is becoming a strategic imperative as shoppers grow more price‑sensitive. A Retail Systems Research survey of 97 global brick‑and‑mortar executives found 53% list rising consumer price sensitivity among their top fears. Online shoppers can instantly compare offers on...
Ecommpay Report Reveals Three ‘Uncomfortable Truths’ About E-Commerce Fraud
Global payments platform Ecommpay released the first part of its report “Beyond the Black Box: Why human‑centric fraud demands ecosystem‑wide transformation.” The study, based on interviews with fraud, compliance and regulatory experts, identifies three uncomfortable truths: current fraud prevention creates...
Adapt Your Shopping Campaigns to Modern Search with AI Max.
Google unveiled AI Max for Shopping, an AI‑driven upgrade to existing Shopping campaigns that adds conversational ad copy, Final URL Expansion, and automatic format selection. The new tools pull data from Merchant Center feeds—such as fabric softness and fit—to match...
SA Women Entrepreneurs Selected for Amazon Incubator
Amazon South Africa and the female accelerator WomHub have launched the first Amazon Sustainable Sellers Incubator, selecting 35 women‑led manufacturing businesses across the country. The nine‑month program, beginning next month, combines circular‑economy training, digital‑skills development, and e‑commerce enablement on Amazon’s...
Stripe, Google Partner on Agentic Commerce
Stripe announced that its Link digital wallet will be usable by Google Gemini’s AI agents, letting the bots complete purchases on behalf of users. The integration expands Stripe’s agentic commerce network, which already includes Meta, Microsoft Copilot and OpenAI’s ChatGPT....
France: 75% of Imported Products Did Not Meet EU Rules
The French consumer‑protection authority (DGCCRF) tested more than 600 products bought from seven foreign online marketplaces in 2025 and found that 75% failed to meet EU product rules, with 46% deemed dangerous. All electrical appliances examined were non‑compliant, and many...
EXEC: Crocs See DTC Strength Offset Steep Wholesale Declines in Q1 Beat
Crocs Inc. reported Q1 2026 revenue of $921 million, a 1.7% decline but well above the 8% drop analysts expected. Wholesale volumes fell sharply—18.9% for the Crocs brand and 24.7% for HeyDude in North America—while direct‑to‑consumer sales surged, especially a 31.2%...
IndiaMART Q4: Net Profit Plunges 72% YoY To ₹50 Cr
IndiaMART InterMESH reported a sharp decline in Q4 FY26 net profit, down 72% YoY to ₹50.2 Cr (≈$6 M). Operating revenue grew modestly 14% YoY to ₹404.3 Cr (≈$48.7 M), driven by a 10% rise in its ecommerce platform and an 83% jump in...
Supply Chain Focus Remains for Retailers as Global Instability Persists
Retail executives surveyed at the World Retail Congress say supply‑chain capabilities will be among the top three spending priorities in 2026, with 56% earmarking higher budgets. Customer experience, personalization and AI investments also rank high, while only about one‑in‑six executives...
Asian Online Giants Eye Europe Growth
Asian fast‑fashion platforms Shein and Temu are redirecting growth efforts toward Europe, recruiting local brands, designers and sellers to sidestep tariffs and raise product quality. Shein has launched a localized UK marketplace, now hosting over 2,500 British sellers and promising...
Fujifilm Debuts Instax Spot Photo Booth, Print Station
Fujifilm North America launched the instax Spot, a combined photobooth and wireless print station for high‑traffic venues. Available in tabletop and freestanding models, it offers AR effects, QR‑code smartphone printing, and supports both instax mini and Square film. The device is marketed...
How Leading Retailers Are Re-Thinking the Role of the Shopping Cart
Retailers are redefining the shopping cart as a strategic, data‑driven platform rather than merely a checkout tool. AI‑enabled carts equipped with cameras, scales and connectivity are being rolled out beyond pilots to full‑store deployments, allowing real‑time personalization, navigation and in‑store...
Report Finds UK Fashion Spend Growth Slows, Shoppers More Selective
Cardlytics’ State of Spend report, based on anonymised data from over 23 million UK bank accounts, shows online fast‑fashion spending rose 9% in 2025, propelled by an 8% rise in transaction count, while average basket size fell 3%. High‑street fashion growth...
Udora Secures $10 Million as It Prepares Saudi Market Entry
UAE‑based gifting platform Udora has closed a $10 million private funding round to accelerate its regional rollout, including a planned entry into Saudi Arabia in the third quarter of 2026. The marketplace, which links shoppers with local florists, confectioners and artisans...
Taager Moves Into China to Fix Sourcing Bottlenecks for MENA Sellers
Taager, the Cairo‑based social e‑commerce platform, has opened its first supply office in China, shifting from a pure software layer to a vertically integrated supply‑chain model. The new hub lets the company directly inspect goods, negotiate with factories, and accelerate...
Travel Checkout Has Become the New Departure Gate
Travel companies are moving the checkout experience to the center of the booking flow by embedding digital wallets and other finance tools. A PYMNTS Intelligence and Marqeta survey of 30 U.S. firms shows 93% now offer at least one embedded...
Revolut Opens First Physical Store In Barcelona
Revolut announced the opening of its first physical storefront in Barcelona, located on the prestigious Passeig de Gràcia. The 1,200‑square‑foot space offers cash withdrawals, crypto kiosks, and on‑site financial advisors, blending digital banking with a tangible customer experience. The launch...
INTERVIEW: Designing Retail Media for Scale and Relevance: Helene Trad on Kingfisher’s Approach
Helene Trad, head of retail media at Kingfisher, explained at Retail MediaX Europe how the group is building a modular, customer‑centric retail media platform that serves both trade‑focused Screwfix and inspiration‑driven B&Q. The strategy blends a unified measurement backbone with...
John Smedley Unveils Revamped Website and Receives Second Royal Warrant
John Smedley, the 200‑year‑old British knitwear label, launched a newly redesigned website built on the Centra e‑commerce platform and created with London agency Limesharp. The site showcases interactive fabric shade filters, fit explainers and richer model photography to streamline the...
EXCLUSIVE: Depop Partners With Kasey Musgraves on New Shop
Depop announced a partnership with Grammy‑winning singer‑songwriter Kacey Musgraves, launching a new Shop Drop that showcases 20 pieces from her personal wardrobe. The items, priced under $100, will be released in weekly capsules beginning Monday at 3 p.m. EDT. All proceeds...
Best Place to Buy Glasses Online: A Complete Guide to Smart Eyewear Shopping
Online eyewear shopping has surged as digital tools and AI‑driven virtual try‑on make buying glasses faster, cheaper, and more convenient. Retailers now offer a wide range of frames, lenses and custom options, delivering cost savings of 40‑70% versus traditional stores....
Wayfair Inc (W) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
Wayfair reported fourth‑quarter 2025 revenue growth of 6.9% year‑over‑year, or 7.8% when excluding the Germany exit, driven by strong U.S. demand and higher average order values. Adjusted EBITDA more than doubled to $224 million, representing 6.7% of net revenue, while contribution...
Amazon Pushes Delivery Speed as Q1 Revenue Surges to $181B
Amazon reported $181.5 billion in first‑quarter revenue, up 17% year‑over‑year, driven by a 15% rise in unit volume and faster delivery speeds. The company delivered over one billion same‑day or overnight items and expanded 1‑hour, 3‑hour and sub‑30‑minute "Amazon Now" services...
Amazon Retail Unit Drives Q1 Gains
Amazon reported a robust first‑quarter 2026, with North America retail sales climbing 12% year‑over‑year to $104.1 billion and total revenue up 17% to $181.5 billion. Unit growth accelerated to 15%, the strongest since the pandemic’s tail, driven by faster delivery, a broader...
Vessi Targets ‘Clean’ Product Data to Maximize AEO Opportunities
Vessi, the waterproof footwear brand, is embracing Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) rather than blocking AI agents, aiming to capture traffic from large‑language‑model platforms like ChatGPT. Leveraging Shopify’s new feature that surfaces ChatGPT sessions, the company filters AI traffic and ensures...
Carve Designs Shares Approach Toward AI Agents’ Traffic
Carve Designs, the sustainable women’s apparel brand recently acquired by Charles Komar & Sons, is actively blocking traffic from AI agents to protect the integrity of its conversion metrics. The company has invested in anti‑bot technology that distinguishes bot patterns from human behavior,...
The Debrief | Why Some Retailers Are Ignoring the Internet
A growing niche of fashion boutiques, such as Ven. Space and Dot Reeder, are deliberately limiting their digital footprints to escape soaring customer‑acquisition costs and costly returns. These retailers rely on hyper‑local intimacy, in‑store purchasing, and meticulously curated assortments that...
Biometrics vs Privacy: Why Palm Payments Like Amazon One or Tencent & Visa Projects Would Face EU Legal Risks After...
Palm‑based payment systems such as Amazon One, Tencent's biometric checkout and Visa's pilot are drawing scrutiny from EU regulators. Under the GDPR and ePrivacy Directive, palm scans are classified as sensitive biometric data, requiring explicit consent and robust safeguards. While...
Etsy CEO Calls on Sellers to Refresh Inventory, Provide ‘Really Great Human Service’
Etsy reported Q1 revenue of $631 million, with its marketplace segment climbing over 6% to $433 million and services up more than 10% to $200 million. Net income rose $33 million to $105 million as gross merchandise sales hit $2.5 billion, despite a 2% dip in...
Get 32GB of Corsair Vengeance DDR5 RAM for Just $249 — Act Fast and Don't Miss Woot's Blowout Sale
Woot is offering a 32 GB Corsair Vengeance DDR5‑6000 kit for $249, a steep cut from its $360 list price. The discount combines a 25% sale with a $20 promo code (TWENTYOFFPC) and is limited to one unit per customer. The...
Amazon Extends Annual Pet Sale
Amazon is extending its annual Pet Day promotion from two to five days, running May 11‑15, 2026. The sale will feature discounts on thousands of items across categories such as grooming, food, toys, and health products for dogs, cats, fish, horses,...