Retail stories - Page 4

Boards enter 2026 pushing AI from experiments to governed, resilient systems as volatile economies demand proof of value and stability.

Tech Mahindra and Google Cloud will scale Gemini 2.5-based agentic AI to move enterprises from pilots to production-grade, governed workflows.

1Kosmos has joined the Saviynt Exchange, embedding biometric identity proofing and passwordless login into Saviynt's cloud security platform.

Visa teams with Akamai on new protocol to verify AI shopping agents, tackling a 300% surge in bot traffic and rising eCommerce fraud risks.

Value for money, not low prices or rapid delivery, is the strongest driver of eCommerce satisfaction, Judge.me's study of reviews finds.

Record Black Friday online sales risk hollowing out profits as soaring returns, refunds and BNPL queries squeeze retailers' margins.

Retailers brace for a “Christmas Returns Hangover” as eDesk reports a 45% spike in return requests from 26 December, denting profits.

NashTech adds five senior UK and US leaders to sharpen AI and digital transformation expertise as global client demand accelerates.

AI takes centre stage in logistics as Infios predicts 2026 supply chains built for constant disruption, resilience and human‑machine teamwork.

UiPath and Talkdesk are teaming up to fuse agentic AI, streamlining document-heavy healthcare contact centre workflows and cutting errors.

Yorkshire's Apollo3D launches Infinity Virtual Tours, turning Matterport scans into guided, data-rich journeys for retail, venues and estates teams.

Infobip logs 12.2 billion Cyber Week interactions as retailers drive a 277% Black Friday surge in rich messaging such as RCS and WhatsApp.

Melbourne-based Bodd raises AUD $15 million to fuel global rollout of its 3D body scanning tech across defence, aviation and healthcare.

By 2026, AI, social commerce and immersive physical retail experiences will transform how consumers interact with brands both online and in stores.

AI and predictive analytics are set to transform retail supply chains in 2026, enhancing customer experience and operational efficiency.

Over two-thirds of retailers expect agentic AI to boost efficiency by 2026, but only 8% have fully integrated it into their operations so far.

Topsort secures investment from W23, backed by major grocers including Tesco, to expand its AI-driven retail media platform for global grocery retailers.

Friendly fraud is set to rise by 25% over the peak holiday shopping days, with transactions averaging USD $291, costing retailers billions globally.

Prezzee launches PrezzeePay, enabling retailers worldwide to offer unified digital gift cards without costly system changes, targeting cashless Gen Z shoppers.

Retailers face rising digital and cyber threats this Black Friday, with only 22% of sites optimised for mobile user experience amid surging online traffic.