Retail Stories - Page 23

UK Stories

Retail stories

UK marketers embrace AI for more personalised Christmas ads

AI now underpins most UK Christmas campaigns, as 78% of marketers use it to deliver more personalised festive ads amid rising consumer demands.

By Sean Mitchell • 3 min read • Wed, 17th Dec 2025

Digital Transformation

Gen Z 'Returniture' trend piles pressure on UK retailers

Gen Z's 'Returniture' habit of sending back bulky furniture bought online is soaring, leaving UK retailers to shoulder rising costs and complexity.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Wed, 10th Dec 2025

Global Stories

Retail stories

Unified Communications

Black Friday returns surge threatens brands' profits

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

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Wed, 17th Dec 2025

Unified Communications

Retailers hit by 'Christmas Returns Hangover' surge

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

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Wed, 17th Dec 2025

Customer Experience

Understanding the holiday shopper: A retailer's guide to winning the season

Australian holiday shoppers are spending strategically, forcing retailers to sharpen promotions, personalise offers and boost in-store experience.

By Brendan Straw • 5 min read • Tue, 16th Dec 2025

Digital Transformation

NashTech boosts UK & US leadership to meet rising AI demand

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

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Mon, 15th Dec 2025

Ransomware

AI reshapes supply chains as disruption becomes the norm

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

By Shannon Williams • 4 min read • Fri, 12th Dec 2025

Digital Transformation

Twilio predicts stricter AI customer service rules by 2026

Twilio predicts Asia Pacific customer service will face strict AI transparency rules and mandatory bot disclosures by 2026.

By Shannon Williams • 5 min read • Fri, 12th Dec 2025

Unified Communications

UiPath & Talkdesk unite agentic AI for healthcare CX

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

By Catherine Knowles • 4 min read • Thu, 11th Dec 2025

EduTech

Apollo3D unveils guided virtual tours with analytics

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

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Wed, 10th Dec 2025

Unified Communications

Infobip sees Black Friday rich messaging volumes surge

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

By Kaleah Salmon • 3 min read • Tue, 9th Dec 2025

Fintech

One in three Australians open to AI shopping assistants

One in three Australians are ready to let AI shop on their behalf, but fears over fraud, control and bad purchases still loom large.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Mon, 8th Dec 2025

Data Protection

Bodd secures AUD $15 million to drive global 3D scanning growth

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

By Sean Mitchell • 3 min read • Mon, 8th Dec 2025

Customer Experience

How AI, social commerce & experience will reshape retail in 2026

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

By Shannon Williams • 5 min read • Fri, 5th Dec 2025

DevOps

AI-driven data & supply chain innovation to reshape retail in 2026

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

By Shannon Williams • 5 min read • Fri, 5th Dec 2025

Data Protection

APAC shoppers pay more for trusted brands with data privacy

84% of Asia-Pacific shoppers will pay more for brands they trust with personal data, highlighting growing concern over digital privacy and customer experience.

By Sean Mitchell • 3 min read • Fri, 5th Dec 2025

Customer Experience

AI set to reshape customer trust, transparency & service by 2026

By 2026, AI will transform customer service with firms mandated to disclose AI use, boost transparency, and balance trust and security in interactions.

By Melania Watson • 4 min read • Fri, 5th Dec 2025