E-Commerce

E-Commerce

OpenAI announced shopping research within ChatGPT, "a new experience in ChatGPT that does the research for you to help you find the right products," as OpenAI put it. ChatGPT can now help you research the right product for you. OpenAI wrote, "it asks smart clarifying questions, researches deeply across the internet, reviews quality sources, and builds on ChatGPT's understanding of you from past conversations and your ChatGPT memory to deliver a personalized buyer's guide in minutes."

For one, TJX has a few fortuitous tailwinds. Manufacturers over-acquired raw goods earlier this year to stock up for tariff-related price increases. That's ideal for TJX, which buys products cheaply when other companies overproduce. But, also, TJX is not a retail media player whatsoever and cares way more about in-store sales than it does about ecommerce. In-person is simply a more exciting shopping experience, CEO Ernie Herrman told investors during the company's quarterly earnings call last week.

The holiday season is upon us, and the biggest shopping event of the season, Black Friday, is just a few days away. In response, OpenAI launched a new feature in ChatGPT designed to help you with your shopping tasks -- for free. While the company has previously launched AI agents focused on automating the order-placing process, such as OpenAI Atlas and Instant Checkout, shopping research focuses on helping you find what you want to purchase in the first place, acting as an "expert personal shopper."

Amazon appears to be doing just that. The e-commerce giant has quietly blocked more OpenAI-related bots from crawling Amazon.com, according to updates in its publicly visible robots.txt file. The change was first spotted by independent e-commerce analyst Juozas Kaziukėnas, who posted a screenshot on LinkedIn showing new disallow rules for several ChatGPT-associated crawlers responsible for model training, web browsing and search. Modern Retail also confirmed the change by reviewing the code that underpins Amazon's e-commerce site.

We've long been fans of the London-based travel company - multiple Traveller editors swear by its luxe pieces when heading everywhere from the gym to the office to far-flung locales alike. They've some of the most elegant designs you'll find on the market today, constructed with materials such as quality Italian leather and extra-strong polycarbonate, finished with genuine suede inners, ultra-smooth wheels and sturdy YKK zippers. We appreciate the solid lifetime warranty, too.

As a parent, shopping for holiday gifts for your kids can be a dilemma. Of course you want to surprise the little ones with exciting presents, but you also know that most flashy toys won't hold their attention for very long. They'll likely lose interest in them within a few days and you'll be stuck with plastic toy cluttering up their rooms, destined for the donation bin. In addition to being a waste of money, it's terrible for the planet.

As a wholesale retailer, offers great value on products year-round, yet its Black Friday discounts take this to a whole new level. There are many early Black Friday deals already available at Sam's Club, giving you plenty of time to score some big savings. Whether you're shopping for some tech for yourself or checking off some gifts from your holiday list, Sam's Club is offering some exclusive deals through Cyber Week.

The Alexa integration adds voice commands to any device that has a physical on/off switch. Tell Alexa to turn on your coffee maker from bed, and hot coffee waits when you reach the kitchen. Command the lamp in your living room to turn off from the couch. Turn on a fan in another room without walking there. These minor conveniences compound throughout your day into proper quality-of-life improvements.

The Galaxy S25 Ultra is a cool £250 off during the sale. It is powered by the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy SoC and offers a large 6.9-inch AMOLED LTPO display with QHD+ resolution. It gets a quad-rear camera setup with a primary 200MP sensor and dual telephoto cameras. The phone packs a 5,000mAh battery with 45W wired and 15W wireless charging support.

Level up your writing supplies with these pastel highlighters. Each of the eight soft hues comes with a blocky shape that's easy to grip as well as a chiseled tip. "The best highlighters for planners! These don't bleed through pages and have smooth lines. They are great quality and the colors are perfect for planners because they're not too dark, so you can still see your writing,"

These SneakErasers are a great solution to make your kicks look brand new. They quickly and easily remove stubborn scuffs, and only need a little bit of water to activate. They're especially great to bring on vacation, or right before a big family party if pictures are going to be taken. "I cleaned two pairs of shoes and could not believe the results! Awesome," said one reviewer.

Cotopaxi is one outdoor brand getting a head start on the holiday deals with more than 100 items in its sale section, all up to 50 percent off. Grab the Allpa 20L Travel Pack for $42 off and use it as your new hiking pack, or stock up on cozy layers like the Envo Fleece Full-zip Jacket that's marked down by 40 percent. Prepare for your 2026 adventures or get a jumpstart on holiday shopping with these early Black Friday deals at Cotopaxi now.

You don't need to have a running list of all the things your loved ones say they want or need in order to be a phenomenal gift-giver. These impressive yet affordable products find the sweet spot between useful and delightful with a dash of luxe. These are hands down the bougiest and most useful gifts you can give someone for under $25.

As a shopping writer, I consider Black Friday to be my Super Bowl. I plan for it meticulously, but even still, the items on my wishlist are often sold out before I can click "check out". That's why this year I'm focusing on pre-Black Friday Sales, so I don't miss out on amazing deals on the best travel accessories, clothes, luggage, and more.

We wanted to see what kind of frozen meals lie within the retailer's walls and were pleased to find some scrumptious options, whether you're in the mood for pizza, pasta, or protein. The prices of these products range, but the highest priced item of the bunch is $4, allowing you to find at least a few things that might appeal to your taste buds and budget.

Making massive quantities of food is an essential element of the holiday season that's "baked in" to the way many people celebrate. (Haha, get it?) But as you ply your guests with leftovers, you might be reluctant to give away your storage containers that you may never see again. That's why this Aldi five-pack of festive holiday-themed food containers is the perfect way to prepare for the massive feasts - and save your food storage containers from the annual thinning of the herd.

The Apple Watch might be the best-selling watch on the planet, but if you're seeking something more interactive, you'll want to check out these early Black Friday deals on watches inspired by classic gaming consoles and games like Atari 2600, Space Invaders, and Tetris. These officially licensed wearables come loaded with multiple classic video and arcade games you can play right on the watch's screen, and each device is on sale for $60 (normally $70) at Amazon.

Black Friday isn't technically until November 28, but plenty of early deals are available already, including numerous video game discounts. One of the most unique titles you can pick up for cheap right now is Once Upon a Katamari, which is discounted to $30 (was $40). The quirky roll-'em-up series has been a cult classic for decades, and the latest game in the franchise has earned positive reviews for its new spin on familiar gameplay mechanics.

Black Friday deals are rolling in early this year, and Riley Home's event is one you don't want to sleep on - literally. The brand, loved for its hotel-quality bedding, cloud-like duvets, and spa-level bath linens, launched its holiday sale on November 14. Whether you're looking to restock your linen closet or finally upgrade the sheet set you've had since your last move, these are some of the best prices you'll see from Riley all year.