STORES

Myung J. Chun/Getty Images

Holiday forecasts are rolling in, and once again experts are betting on a relatively strong holiday sales season despite economic uncertainty and high gas prices.

“There is a general consensus that this will be a robust holiday season with overall sales growth in the 4%–5% range,” Neil Saunders, managing director and retail analyst at GlobalData, told Retail Brew. “This is consistent with the solid spending uplift that has been coming from consumers all year.”

The caveat is that many forecasts include the impact of higher prices, he added, whereas volumes “remain positive but are somewhat weaker.” The pressure on volumes could mean that not every retailer will get a “good slice of the action this season,” and fortunes could diverge across the sector. Looking across the range of predictions, Saunders noted that the biggest deviation is in how the online channel will fare. “This will be one to watch as we know consumers that are deal hunting tend to use online a bit more,” he said.

Here’s a roundup of the forecasts so far.

Keep reading here.—AV

      

Sponsored By Anrok

Your sales tax software has probably been around way longer than Shopify. Which means it mostly gets the job done—until something more complicated comes along, like a new state, channel, or audit.

That’s where Anrok comes in. With one platform, they help monitor where you owe. From there, they register, calculate, file, remit, and reconcile every order to one single record. The platform even connects to Shopify, WooCommerce, and Stripe, with no coding necessary.

Making the switch doesn’t have to be a huge headache. In fact, Anrok’s got an in-house team that handles the migration, maps your products, and moves your registrations over.

Whether you’re just getting started or expanding to your 40th country, Anrok can help.

See why brands are making the switch.

CONSUMER BEHAVIOR & TRENDS

Illustration: Morning Brew Inc., Photos: Adobe Stock

While it’s true shoppers are getting increasingly comfortable using AI to shop, when it comes to handing over their credit card details, things have changed.

According to Feedvisor’s 2026 Consumer Behavior Report, 16% of respondents said they began their shopping journeys on ChatGPT to research products, while just 10% reported using the platform to make a purchase.

And even when AI recommends a product, only 5% of consumers purchase it immediately. Most do their own research first, with 24% turning to Google and 18% checking Amazon before buying something.

The study, which included responses from 1,006 US customers, also found that men are more likely to use AI for product research, with 65% having done so compared to 45% of women.

However, women are considerably more hesitant to hand over purchasing decisions to AI, with 74% saying they would never allow an AI agent to make purchases on their behalf, compared to 50% of men.

At the same time, women are more likely than men to engage in saving habits, including comparing prices (49% versus 39%) and holding out for sales (46% versus 36%).

And that reluctance extends to shoppers overall: 62% believe they would never trust an AI agent to complete a transaction for them.

Keep reading here.—JS

      

E-COMMERCE

Alfieri/Getty Images

Generative AI tools and chatbots may become popular gift recommendation tools heading into the holiday season this year, according to a new survey by market research firm Gartner.

This year, more than one-third (34%) of US consumers surveyed say they are “very or “extremely willing” to use AI tools or chatbots to find holiday gifts.

The results are part of a survey of 1,004 US consumers conducted in August 2026.

“The intent and deliberation that comes around getting the right product and also using AI, especially for price comparison sake, and for the starting point of inspiration’s sake, that’s where we’re seeing the big difference,” Emily Weiss, senior principal analyst at Gartner Marketing, told Retail Brew. “Not necessarily in the ‘I’m automating my purchases’ part of the journey.”

Still, Weiss added that AI is merely expanding, rather than replacing, traditional shopping discovery channels such as retailer websites, internet searches, and friends’ and family’s wishlists.

Keep reading here.—VC

      

Sponsored By Bloomreach

They’ll have what the AI’s having. Shoppers used to browse your site. Now, AI is making discoveries for many consumers. In a Bloomreach survey of 4k consumers, 43.4% said they feel more loyal to the AI tool that found them the right product than to the brand itself. Get the full report.

swapping skus

Today’s top retail reads.

Unbanded: Unilever is selling off Welly Health PBC, maker of colorful bandages, to private equity firm Forward Consumer Partners. (Reuters)

Pro and tell: Apple announced another product launch event later this month with a focus on high-end “Pro” devices. (CNBC)

Spin zone: Inspired by an internet success story to open laundromats, many owners have found the business more challenging than expected. (the Wall Street Journal)

^{*A message from our sponsor.}

Jobs

Tired of one-size-fits-all job boards? CollabWORK highlights roles that reflect your interests and goals—delivered through communities like Retail Brew. Click here to explore the full job board.