[New] Ongoing developments in the Middle East, evolving trade policies, and supply chain disruptions continue to influence pricing and availability, while innovation in retail, foodservice, and consumer products signals where growth opportunities lie.
SeafoodNews
[New] Smartphone retail prices could climb 13% industry-wide throughout 2026 as manufacturers pass costs to consumers.
MEXC
[New] The deployment of proven AI agents is an opportunity for UK retail banks to move away from scripted bots toward multi-step workflow execution that operates within clearly defined governance and policy boundaries.
The Fintech Times
[New] AI's role in retail will not just lead to efficiency but could also reverse retail concentration by helping smaller brands scale faster and compete with retail giants such as Amazon, which may be overwhelmed by a new wave of nimble, AI-powered startups.
Coresight Research
[New] In agentic commerce, the risk in not investing is greater than investing and getting it wrong, even though retailers do not yet know exactly what will happen with agentic AI.
Coresight Research
[New] By integrating advanced technologies, Walmart hopes to become a leader in both retail and advertising sectors.
Retail Media IQ
[New] Retail sentiment has been more volatile, reacting sharply to the Q4 earnings miss in early 2026, but long-term institutional smart money appears to be using recent dips to build positions ahead of the 2027 clinical catalysts.
FinancialContent
[New] US advertisers will spend $71.98 billion on retail media in 2026, up 18.7% from 2025.
eMarketer
[New] McKinsey projects the global agentic commerce opportunity at $3 trillion to $5 trillion by 2030, with $1 trillion in US B2C retail alone.
eMarketer
[New] AI platforms will account for 1.5% of total US retail ecommerce sales in 2026, or $20.57 billion in spending, nearly quadruple 2025 figures.
eMarketer
[New] Retailers such as Marks & Spencer dealt with major cybersecurity issues, resulting in supply chain disruption and a temporary halt to online shopping.
Retail Systems
[New] Brands could revisit their Incoterms - shifting from DDP to DAP or, in some cases, FOB - to redistribute part of the transport and duty burden to US retail partners.
Le New Black
[New] With a significant increase in sales, retail media is becoming arguably the most lucrative aspect of e-commerce, with expected growth rates in the coming years.
Amaano blog
[New] At the 2026 National Retail Federation show, Google Cloud unveiled an agentic solution to bring shopping and customer service together on a single interface that will be used by businesses including Kroger, Lowe's, and Woolworths.
InternetRetailing
[New] Between 2026 and 2030, adoption of returnless refund fraud detection solutions is expected to accelerate as retailers face mounting pressure from escalating return volumes and abuse rates.
Morningstar, Inc.
[New] Nearly all leading retailers have increased investments in AI, and 68% expect full deployment of agentic AI within 12-24 months, driving efficiency and smarter decision-making (NRF; Deloitte).
FifthRow - Autonomous AI Apps for Research, Strategy, C
[New] Approximately 66% of retail executives have brought onshoring or nearshoring of supply chains into their operational planning, rising sharply from pre-pandemic trends to address chronic disruptions (Deloitte).
FifthRow - Autonomous AI Apps for Research, Strategy, C
[New] The AR/VR retail segment is expected to grow at 28-32% CAGR through 2033, supported by improving hardware capabilities, declining hardware costs, and expanding consumer familiarity with immersive technologies.
Persistence Market Research
[New] In 2026, artificial intelligence is no longer a future concept, it is a core capability shaping how retailers plan, allocate, and deliver products to customers.
Merchmix
Last updated: 16 April 2026
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