The retailer has launched a multimillion-pound strategy centred on what it calls "AI-powered shopping", enabling its products to appear in recommendations generated by chatbots such as ChatGPT and Google Gemini. The move forms part of a wider digital expansion designed to place the brand directly within the new tools consumers increasingly use to search for products and inspiration.
Luke Arnel Cameron didn't launch his first year on TikTok Shop with a warehouse, a call center, or a giant ad budget. He launched with a camera and a livestream. "We launched November, 2024 ... in the UK. Our first livestream, we did 70,000 pounds," he says. "In our first year, we've done over 650,000 orders." It's not the typical outcome, but it is a revealing one.
Facebook will announce its second quarter earnings today, and the social giant appears to have solved its mobile problems. When Facebook launched its IPO two years ago, it was criticized for not having a clear mobile strategy. Just two years later, more than half of the firm's revenue comes from mobile ad sales and its stock is approaching an all-time high. Now that is has figured out mobile, it is moving on to an even more lucrative segment: commerce.
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Key stat: TikTok users ages 25-44 lead all age groups in taking action after seeing ads, with 54% gathering more info about products and 47% making purchases, according to an October 2025 survey from Edison Research. Beyond the chart: This shopping behavior tracks with broader social commerce trends. In fact, one-third of adults ages 18 to 34 have made a purchase on social media, compared with 23% of 35- to 54-year-olds, according to an August 2025 survey from Bizrate Insights and EMARKETER.
These consumers are navigating retail entirely on their own terms: discovering brands through TikTok and YouTube, engaging with live streams on platforms like Twitch (which just launched its Amazon-powered live-shopping feature), hunting for deals and secondhand finds online, and often making purchase decisions of their own, or influencing those of their family members. Gen Alpha and Gen Z will account for 40% of fashion spending in the next decade, according to a new BCG study.
Cyber Monday 2025 just became the biggest online shopping day of all time in the U.S. as consumers spent a total of $14.25 billion, up 7.1% year over year, according to Adobe's e-commerce analytics. At peak between 8AM to 10PM, Americans were spending $16 million per minute. The caps an also record-breaking Cyber Week as sales for the American Thanksgiving holiday season were up 7.7% year over year to $44.2 billion.
Social media continues to evolve at a rapid pace, making it essential for users, creators, and brands to stay updated on social media trends. Viral internet trends are not only shaping how content is shared but also transforming social media culture itself , influencing communication, commerce, and community building in unprecedented ways. Short videos on platforms such as TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts remain at the forefront of social media trends 2026.
Marketplace is getting a new "collections" feature that lets users create groups of listings and invite friends to join. Users can get started by saving a listing, starting a new collection, and then choosing whether to make it public or private. They can then add friends to their collection and share updates through Feed, Messenger, WhatsApp, and more. Meta's also testing collaborative buying, which means users can invite a friend to join their chat with a seller.
Retail's AI-driven digital transformation is well underway. In 2026, more than ever, customers are looking to technology for smoother, hassle-free shopping experiences, while businesses harness it to drive efficiency and hone their competitive edge. At the same time, the barriers between physical retail and e-commerce are blurring, and shifts in the way algorithms put products in front of us are shaking up the industry.
