Retail stories
Merchants and banks are demanding better payment reliability as The Power 50 names 40 companies and 10 figures in its 2026 ranking.
The hire signals a sharper push into partner-led sales across Australia and New Zealand, as Fastly seeks specialised local reach.
Brands and agencies can now track footfall trends with cleansed, fraud-checked data across more than 940,000 venues in North America.
The five-year plan aims to move clients beyond pilot projects and into enterprise-wide AI use, targeting measurable returns across core functions.
Retailers and lenders could recover lost sales and automate compliance-heavy outreach as Talkdesk expands AI beyond inbound service tasks.
Government and regulated-sector customers in Europe can now choose tighter controls for sensitive workloads as TCS expands its cloud offer across the region.
Retailers could deploy branded AI shopping assistants in about 60 days, as AWS opens Amazon-tested technology to external merchants.
Manufacturers could gain auditable proof of safe driving decisions as the new software links traffic laws to autonomous vehicle behaviour in simulation.
Dealer support and local distribution in Australia and New Zealand will now come from AVOZ as OpenAudio targets retrofit and new-build projects.
British Stripe merchants will add instalment payments at checkout from July, as Affirm broadens its reach and competes for online sales.
Retailers and distributors may now be able to test supply chain changes against ROCE before acting, as hidden costs often erode profits.
Seven in 10 retailers expect growth next year even as labour costs and supply chain disruption push technology investment up the agenda.
Adoption has surged to 17.4 million users, even as most Australians remain uneasy about tech firms' data use and ad-funded answers.
Smaller online sellers risk missing World Cup sales as UK parcel volumes are forecast to rise 15% to 25% before the tournament.
Prolonged sun exposure can overheat lithium-ion batteries, causing shutdowns, damage and, in rare cases, a fire hazard for holidaymakers.
The award spotlights rising retailer demand for tools that keep dispersed store staff informed and operations consistent across large networks.
Customers in busy parts of Greater Manchester should see fewer dropped calls and faster data after 65 upgrades covering more than 14,000 postcodes.
Australian firms are starting to reap AI gains in productivity and customer service, but trust and pricing models are now under pressure.
Brands are being pushed to consolidate marketing tools as Attentive adds agentic AI features across SMS, email, RCS and push notifications.
Widespread access failures are driving disabled shoppers away, with 38% abandoning purchases and most avoiding brands after bad experiences.
