Good afternoon,

Here’s the headlines for this week: 28 November 2025

ECOMMERCE

Will Black Friday 2025 Be a Repeat of Last Year?

• Early indicators show consumer spending mirroring 2024 levels, with moderate growth driven by cautious shoppers
• Retailers are leaning more heavily on loyalty incentives and early-access deals to stimulate demand
• Economic uncertainty may suppress impulse purchases, keeping promotions aggressive through December

How Amazon, Target and Walmart are approaching AI in customer experience

• Retail giants are deploying AI to hyper-personalize shopping journeys, from recommendations to checkout flows
• Amazon is investing heavily in agent-based support, while Target is focusing on store-level AI
• Walmart continues to expand AI in logistics and replenishment to reduce friction and improve satisfaction

EU Moves to End Duty-free Small Parcels, Targeting Ultra-fast Fashion Players Shein and Temu

• The EU plans to remove the €150 duty-free threshold for small parcels by 2026
• The reform directly impacts fast-fashion marketplaces like Shein and Temu, which rely on micro-shipments
• Policymakers expect fairer competition and improved customs oversight

Fearful of Trump's raids, some Hispanic shoppers turn to safety of online buying

• Heightened immigration enforcement is pushing more Hispanic consumers toward ecommerce for safety and anonymity
• Retailers are seeing increased online demand in categories tied to essentials and family purchases
• Advocacy groups warn of long-term impacts on in-store retail traffic

Google will let users call stores, browse products, and check out using AI

• Google is rolling out an AI agent that can call stores, check product availability and complete purchases
• The system uses Gemini to automate complex shopping tasks end-to-end
• Retailers may gain visibility and traffic without needing to integrate new tools

Perplexity announces free product to streamline online shopping

• Perplexity is launching a free shopping assistant that compares prices, finds product details and checks stock
• The product integrates with PayPal to simplify checkout
• The move positions Perplexity as a key player in AI-driven commerce search

TECH

Australia is banning social media for kids under 16. How will it work?

• Australia becomes one of the first major countries to enact a nationwide under-16 social media ban
• Verification will rely on digital ID checks and platform-level compliance
• Experts warn of challenges around enforcement and potential privacy concerns

Jeff Bezos Creates A.I. Start-Up Where He Will Be Co-Chief Executive

• Bezos is launching a new AI startup, Project Prometheus, where he will serve as co-CEO
• The venture focuses on foundational models and enterprise-scale automation
• Industry analysts expect competitive pressure on OpenAI, Anthropic and Google

RETAILERS

OpenAI and Target partner to bring new AI-powered experiences across retail

• Target is adopting OpenAI technologies to improve search, support and in-store assistance
• The partnership includes custom models to personalise promotions and streamline customer interactions
• Pilot programs are expected to roll out in early 2026

Amazon Ads announced Ads Agent, an AI agent that simplifies how advertisers plan, launch, and optimize campaigns

• Amazon unveiled an AI tool that helps advertisers plan, launch and optimise campaigns automatically
• The agent can generate creative elements, forecast performance and run A/B tests
• Designed to reduce complexity for sellers and brands using Amazon Ads

Ford to offer certified used cars for sale on Amazon Autos

• Ford’s certified pre-owned vehicles will soon be listed on Amazon Autos
• Shoppers will be able to compare models, check availability and schedule test drives online
• The move signals Amazon’s deeper push into automotive ecommerce

Amazon quietly blocks more of OpenAI’s ChatGPT web crawlers from accessing its site

• Amazon is expanding restrictions on OpenAI’s crawlers, limiting access to product pages and pricing data
• The move underscores growing tension between major AI platforms and retailers guarding proprietary data
• Observers expect more companies to revisit their crawler permissions

See you next week,

The ChannelSight Team

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