Retail stories

Fluent Commerce unveils Fluent Connect, using AI to slash retail system integration times from months to days across key platforms.

UK start-up Rove has launched an AI market intelligence platform promising faster, cheaper global expansion for consumer brands.

Widdop launches its first direct-to-consumer eCommerce site for Softies plush toys, marking a major digital shift for the 140-year-old brand.

UK Super Saturday footfall slid 6.9% year on year as cautious shoppers delayed spending, waiting for deeper pre- and post-Christmas deals.

Google Cloud unveils Gemini CX AI platform to link retail and restaurant shopping, service and ordering into one joined-up experience.

APAC retailers are rapidly adopting Agentic AI to tackle mounting supply-chain volatility and tighten inventory control by 2026.

Retailers urged to brace for early-year spike in chargebacks as mobile shopping and buy now, pay later fuel record US holiday spend.

Columbus deepens Infor alliance to drive UK roll-out of M3 CloudSuites, backed by fresh hiring and a plan to double customers by 2027.

AI notebook prices across Europe have slumped by a third, pushing the tech into the mainstream as retailers juggle volume against margins.

Younger shoppers embrace digital wallets and self-checkouts as older customers stick with cards and staff, widening a payments generation gap.

Forter launches Prism AI copilot and fresh benchmarks as agentic activity soars 2,107% and automated fraud attempts jump 202%.

JB Hi-Fi New Zealand lifts FY2025 revenue above NZD $396 million and slashes losses, yet remains short of a long-awaited return to profit.

SOTI predicts AI, automation and on-device intelligence will overhaul how Australian retailers, logistics and healthcare manage mobility by 2026.

Snowflake will run Google’s Gemini 3 AI models natively in Cortex, keeping enterprise data in-platform while deepening Google Cloud ties.

Ecommpay has been shortlisted for four FStech 2025 awards, underlining its role in driving innovation, security and inclusion in payments.

New UK platform FOLO-UP uses AI to flag unsafe products on major online marketplaces, pressuring retailers to pull dangerous listings.

Black Friday splurge triggers record December returns surge as ReBound warns rapid send-backs are straining retailers’ peak operations.

xtype sees demand surge as global firms race to tighten ServiceNow governance and prepare AI-driven change across sprawling estates.

Retailers brace for 2026 as AI, new packaging rules and reCommerce transform warehouse fulfilment, unboxing and returns strategies.

SafePay ransomware is quietly crippling small firms, with leaked data showing over 90% of victims are SMBs and many attacks never disclosed.