Retail stories - Page 6

Alcatel-Lucent unveils Rainbow Hub, an integration-led cloud platform linking UCC with workflows, IoT and vertical services for partners.

Visa teams with Akamai on new protocol to verify AI shopping agents, tackling a 300% surge in bot traffic and rising eCommerce fraud risks.

Value for money, not low prices or rapid delivery, is the strongest driver of eCommerce satisfaction, Judge.me's study of reviews finds.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Over two-thirds of retailers expect agentic AI to boost efficiency by 2026, but only 8% have fully integrated it into their operations so far.

Retailers in Australia and New Zealand must act like technology firms, using real-time data and strong security to thrive during peak shopping seasons.

Friendly fraud is set to rise by 25% over the peak holiday shopping days, with transactions averaging USD $291, costing retailers billions globally.

Prezzee launches PrezzeePay, enabling retailers worldwide to offer unified digital gift cards without costly system changes, targeting cashless Gen Z shoppers.

New Zealand retailers risk losing NZD $12 billion this peak season as almost half of consumers shun businesses after one bad experience.