Online shopping stories - Page 4

Sharp swings in online peak spending and 64% checkout abandonment risk derailing retailers' forecasts and promo plans for 2026.

Criteo joins OpenAI's ChatGPT ad pilot as first adtech partner, testing conversational commerce ads across ChatGPT Free and Go in the US.

Linnworks report finds mid-market retail growth closely tied to operational maturity, automation, AI use and stronger multichannel logistics.

UK retail sales jumped in January as online spending saw its fastest annual rise since 2021, signalling a more resilient consumer mood.

Ecommpay launches a free fraud guide for online retailers as UK payment fraud hits GBP £1.17 billion and AI-driven scams rapidly escalate.

Retailers risk USD $796bn in losses from returns and shrink in 2025, with omnichannel gaps fuelling preventable fraud and abuse.

Fashion and electronics see the sharpest online price swings, as Decodo data shows retailers repricing items every few hours worldwide.

Valentine's Day drove a surge in UK online orders, with early-week volumes more than doubling as delivery timing trumped last-minute buys.

Fake Olympics shop ads on Meta push fans to cloned sites mimicking Milano Cortina 2026 store to steal card and personal details.

More consumers now treat generative AI as an everyday aide and even a companion, using it for routine decisions despite trust concerns.

AliExpress tempts budget-conscious UK shoppers away from Amazon, as new research highlights price as the dominant factor in purchases.

Online Valentine's discounts shrink as shoppers browse earlier, research more and spread spending beyond traditional romantic gifts.

Cyber experts warn Valentine's Day brings a surge in romance and shopping scams, urging users to be wary of links, apps and payment requests.

Mastercard taps Peter Schmeichel to front a UK push for tokenised Click to Pay checkouts, aiming to end manual card entry by 2030.

UK startup Sendr launches AI-personalised videos for eCommerce, claiming a 33% uplift in abandoned-cart revenue and 10x more clicks.

UK consumers are embracing AI tools but trust is splintering, with most cross-checking search, social and brand sites before deciding.

UK health and wellbeing spend is smoothing into year-round habits, with fewer shoppers spending more and January gym spikes fading.

AI shopping assistants win over UK and US consumers, but most abandon tools instantly when product suggestions feel irrelevant or pushy.

UK retailers brace for GBP £1.05bn in post-Christmas returns as fashion fit woes, social commerce and ageing habits strain logistics.

Affirm extends Wayfair buy now, pay later to UK and Canada, offering instalment plans on higher-ticket home purchases amid tighter scrutiny.