Black Friday stories
Cyber Weekend spending of AUD $6.8 billion shows retail's strength, but AI-powered scams mean cyber readiness is now a peak-season necessity.
Criteo says agentic AI will add a powerful new eCommerce layer, reshaping search, retail assistants and LLM ad models without replacing shops.
Blue Yonder rolls out fresh AI tools to tighten retail planning, boost fulfilment accuracy and speed up warehouse and logistics decisions.
Black Friday still delivered the peak online surge, but AI-driven search stretched shopping demand across a longer November window.
Retailers urged to brace for early-year spike in chargebacks as mobile shopping and buy now, pay later fuel record US holiday spend.
US holiday online sales hit a record USD $257.8 billion as shoppers shifted to mobiles, Buy Now Pay Later and generative AI search tools.
Black Friday splurge triggers record December returns surge as ReBound warns rapid send-backs are straining retailers' peak operations.
AI agents, circular retail and tighter rules will upend shopping by 2026, Akeneo warns, as poor product data threatens brand visibility.
AI is transforming loyalty from points to real-time, personalised journeys as super apps and agentic engagement engines rapidly take hold.
Australians are reshaping Boxing Day, prioritising essentials, thrift and online safety over impulse spending amid cost-of-living strain.
Social media fuelled a Black Friday boom in the UK, as Rithum data showed global social sales soaring 152% and online spend up 27%.
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.
Australian holiday shoppers are spending strategically, forcing retailers to sharpen promotions, personalise offers and boost in-store experience.
Cyber Monday online orders in the UK surged, running about 70% higher than Black Friday as shoppers held out for last-minute deals.
AI now underpins most UK Christmas campaigns, as 78% of marketers use it to deliver more personalised festive ads amid rising consumer demands.
Online marketplaces now dominate UK high-value shopping journeys, as brands risk invisibility without strong, optimised product data.
New Zealand enters 2026 with rising job confidence but clunky hiring, AI gaps and demands for flexibility are reshaping work and recruitment.
ASOS's GBP £130m stock write-off shows AI gloss cannot mask a broken ERP, as messy data turns clever tools into costly liabilities.
Intel launches a Canada laptop guide from CAD $399.99 to CAD $2,199.99, bundling select gaming models with a free blockbuster PC title.