One in three consumers willing to use AI for Christmas gift recommendations
More than a third of consumers are willing to use generative AI tools for Christmas gift recommendations, but traditional shopping channels continue to dominate purchasing decisions, according to new research from Gartner. A survey of 1,004 US consumers conducted in August 2026 found that 34% were very or extremely willing to use GenAI-powered tools or […]
PPC Advertising: What eCommerce retailers should compare
Pay-per-click advertising can put an online retailer in front of customers at precisely the moment they are looking for a product. But reaching somebody who wants to buy is not the same as acquiring a profitable customer… A campaign might deliver impressive click-through rates, increasing sales and an apparently healthy return on ad spend (ROAS), […]
Retail AI adoption races ahead of governance, CIOs warn
AI adoption is moving faster than governance structures can manage at 95% of retail organisations, creating a growing divide between those making technology decisions and those ultimately responsible for the risks, according to new research. Thoughtworks’ global survey of 3,200 CIOs found the governance gap is particularly pronounced in retail. While 62% of retail CIOs […]
eCommerce Personalisation: How to measure what actually improves conversion
Personalisation can influence almost every stage of an eCommerce journey. Retailers can change product recommendations, search results, offers, website content, emails and post-purchase communications according to what they know about a customer. But once personalisation becomes widespread, a deceptively difficult question emerges: Is it actually making customers more likely to buy? Our first article, eCommerce Personalisation […]
Make sure you’re at the eCommerce Forum this February
Free delegate places at the eCommerce Forum are still available – secure yours today and join the industry in London this February! This event provides the best experience for all eCommerce & digital marketing brands/ retailers/ companies looking to explore a diverse range of key industry solution providers. It is an invitation-only event that saves you time […]
In October 2026 we’re covering PPC and Account Issuing solutions – Make sure yours are part of the story!
Each month on eCommerce & Payments Briefing we’re shining the spotlight on different parts of the market – and in October we’ll be focussing on PPC and Account Issuing solutions. It’s all part of our ‘Recommended’ editorial feature, designed to help eCommerce management buyers find the best products and services available today. So, if you’re a […]
Retailers struggle to recover full value from returned products despite circularity push
Just 9% of retailers are able to resell more than half of their returned products at full price, despite widespread adoption of circularity strategies, according to new research. The Circularity Index from ReBound Returns and Advanced Supply Chain (ASC), based on research among 150 senior leaders at mid-to-large UK and European retailers, found 86% have […]
eCommerce Personalisation Strategy: A guide to turning customer data into relevant experiences
Personalisation technology can give eCommerce teams access to increasingly sophisticated capabilities. The harder question comes after implementation: What should actually be personalised? A retailer could theoretically change website content, recommendations, emails, offers and customer journeys for hundreds of different audiences. Doing so does not automatically create a better shopping experience. Good personalisation should make the […]
Enterprise retailers risk falling behind on AI personalisation, research warns
Some of the UK’s largest retailers are lagging behind smaller competitors in deploying AI-powered personalisation, potentially missing opportunities to improve conversion, revenue and customer loyalty, according to new research. The Race to Unified Commerce report from commerce technology specialist PMC and Retail Economics found that 15% of enterprise retailers with turnover of £1bn or more have yet […]
eCommerce Personalisation Software: What retailers should compare
Personalisation has become a familiar feature of online retail. Product recommendations, abandoned-basket messages, personalised offers and individually tailored emails are now commonplace. More sophisticated retailers are extending personalisation across websites, mobile, SMS and the post-purchase journey. But greater technical capability does not automatically create a better customer experience. Poorly implemented personalisation can be irrelevant, repetitive […]