Retail stories
The shortlist spans software, biotech and retail, highlighting the breadth of New Zealand firms vying for EY's 2026 entrepreneur prize.
New Zealand retailers may need to rethink payday-driven sales as 40% of employed workers now draw income from multiple sources, Afterpay found.
Retailers risk missing Black Friday shoppers as AI tools increasingly narrow product choices before customers reach a website.
Businesses can now run and monitor AI agents for up to seven days as Google Cloud adds tighter identity and governance controls.
Marketing teams could see tighter accountability as Netcore.ai pairs seven AI agents with human growth engineers to manage campaigns end to end.
Faster instant payments and AI-led commerce are exposing fraud and infrastructure gaps, forcing banks and merchants to bolster resilience.
Frontline modernisation with AI is delivering productivity, profit and retention gains as manufacturers and logisticians target specific workflows.
The retailer says the new platform cut manual checks and held up through Black Friday, easing strain as sales surged across five markets.
Household budgets are set to be reshaped as AI agents steer purchases worth USD $3.35tn by 2030, WARC and PHD say.
Rising fraud, shipping costs and AI-driven shopping are set to squeeze retailers' margins this holiday season unless customer data improves.
Rising diesel costs are pushing Australian freight operators to accelerate depot charging plans, as JET Charge says savings could reach AUD $4.5 million.
Banking and insurance teams could spot digital failures sooner as new tools feed governed customer-journey evidence into enterprise AI systems.
Clients across Latin America should gain broader access to Adobe implementation support as Stagwell deepens its digital transformation push.
Marketers across Southeast Asia can now use one tool to plan, create and optimise campaigns as RewardinMe folds AI into its gamified platform.
The move aims to help enterprises turn scattered AI pilots into production systems, with sector-specific tools for banking, telecoms and manufacturing.
Six in ten Australians now act on products they see on social platforms, underscoring a shift in how brands must win buyers online.
Supply chain disruption tied to Middle East tensions is leaving 54% of UK shoppers facing poorer shelf availability, a survey found.
Most UK enterprises now see AI boosting productivity, but 78% are keeping human approval points and guardrails in place.
Brands are still relying on people for nearly half of social interactions, highlighting the limits of automation in customer-facing moderation and replies.
Marketers are under pressure to prove returns sooner, driving demand for tools that test ad spending before budgets are committed.