Amazon launches Alexa for Shopping as Rufus moves behind the scenes
Amazon has introduced Alexa for Shopping, combining its Rufus shopping chatbot with Alexa+ across its app, website, and Echo Show devices. The assistant can answer product questions, compare items, track prices, and support shopping reminders. It can also handle scheduled shopping actions and eligible automated purchases. The company said Alexa for Shopping combines Rufus’ product […]
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Hershey applies AI across its supply chain operations
Artificial intelligence is moving beyond software and further into the physical side of business. Companies in food production and logistics are starting to use data systems to support day-to-day decisions, not long-term planning. That change is visible in The Hershey Company’s latest strategy update. At its Investor Day, the company said it plans to use […]
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Trustpilot partners with AI companies as traditional search declines
Trustpilot is reported to be pursuing partnerships with large eCommerce companies as AI-driven shopping gains traction. In an interview with Bloomberg News [paywall], chief executive Adrian Blair said that AI agents acting on behalf of consumers require lots of information about the businesses they’re willing to interact with. He said the most effective systems will […]
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DBS pilots system that lets AI agents make payments for customers
Artificial intelligence is moving closer to the point where it can act, not just advise. A new pilot by DBS Bank shows how that shift may soon affect everyday payments, as financial institutions begin testing systems that allow AI agents to complete purchases on behalf of customers. DBS is working with Visa to trial Visa […]
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Debenhams pilots agentic AI commerce via PayPal integration
Debenhams is piloting agentic AI commerce via PayPal integration to reduce mobile friction and help solve a familiar problem for retailers. Mobile checkout abandonment remains a persistent revenue leak for digital retailers. Debenhams Group is attempting to close this gap by deploying an agentic AI interface within the PayPal app. The pilot makes Debenhams the […]
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URBN tests agentic AI to automate retail reporting
Retail decisions often depend on weekly performance reports, but compiling those reports can take hours of manual work. Urban Outfitters Inc. (URBN) is testing a new approach by using agentic AI systems to generate those reports automatically, changing routine analysis from staff to software. The retailer runs brands like Urban Outfitters, Anthropologie, and Free People, […]
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Retailers examine options for on-AI retail
Big retailers are committing more heavily to agentic AI-led commerce, and accepting some loss of customer proximity and data control in the process. As reported by Retail Dive, the opening weeks of 2026 have seen Etsy, Target and Walmart push product ranges onto third-party AI platforms, forming new partnerships with Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot, […]
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Retailers bring conversational AI and analytics closer to the user
After years of experimentation with artificial intelligence, retailers are striving to embed consumer insight directly into everyday commercial decisions. First Insight, a US-based analytics company specialising in predictive consumer feedback, argues that the next phase of retail AI should be epitomised by dialogue, not dashboards. Following a three-month beta programme, First Insight has made its […]
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How Shopify is bringing agentic AI to enterprise commerce
Shopify is enhancing core enterprise commerce workflows with agentic AI, automating operations while expanding sales channels. The adoption of generative AI in commerce has largely centred on customer support chatbots and basic content generation. Shopify’s Winter ‘26 Edition, titled Renaissance, pushes this technology toward agentic commerce where AI systems actively manage workflows, configure infrastructure, and […]
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The future of rail: Watching, predicting, and learning
A recent industry report [PDF] argues that Britain’s railway network could carry an extra billion journeys by the mid-2030s, building on the 1.6 billion passenger rail journeys recorded to year-end March 2024. The next decade will involve a combination of complexity and control, as more digital systems, data, and interconnected suppliers create the potential for […]
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