Walmart is collaborating with Alphabet to integrate AI-enhanced shopping on Google's Gemini platform, allowing customers to purchase items such as apparel and consumables directly through Gemini's browser or app. This collaboration aims to move beyond traditional search methods by providing personalized shopping experiences, with AI offering product recommendations and tips. While the initial offering excludes fresh and frozen items, Walmart plans to expand the assortment over time.

Microsoft has introduced a new feature called Copilot Checkout, enabling users to make purchases while chatting with its AI chatbot, and this move aligns with a broader trend of integrating AI into ecommerce, similar to initiatives by OpenAI and Google. Copilot Checkout allows users to select products and complete transactions without leaving the chat interface, streamlining the shopping process. Currently available in the US, it partners with retailers like Urban Outfitters, Ashley Furniture and Anthropologie, and utilizes payment systems from Stripe, Shopify and PayPal.

Walmart's integration of ChatGPT into its shopping engine marks a turning point for AI-powered shopping, writes Goodway Group's Joe Frick. The traditional search and shelf model is being replaced by dynamic, intent-driven responses generated by conversational AI. Large language models interpret keywords, context, dietary needs and shopper history. For CPG brands, this shift means the shopping experience is now guided by algorithmic recommendations and human search behavior, requiring new content and data strategies to remain discoverable and relevant.

The Nissan Stadium in Nashville is set to open in 2027 and will feature over 40 concession locations equipped with Amazon's AI-based "Just Walk Out" shopping technology. The partnership aims to create a seamless experience for Tennessee Titans fans, allowing them to quickly purchase food and drinks without waiting in lines or stopping at a register. "Our vision is to create a truly frictionless event day experience," said Titans executive Andrew McIntrye.

Nestle has completed the first phase of its extensive S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition implementation by tech firm SAP, migrating 50,000 users across 112 nations in Africa, Asia and Oceania. This strategic move aims to embed AI capabilities within its core business systems, leveraging SAP's Joule AI assistant to automate tasks and provide real-time insights. The upgrade supports Nestle's goals of enhancing innovation pipelines and operational efficiency, with plans to extend the system globally within two years.

AI sorting technology is helping material recovery facilities improve their efficiency rates by identifying and categorizing recyclables faster and more accurately. The technology analyzes materials on conveyor belts at high speeds, assessing their type, mass and market value, significantly enhancing sorting efficiency. The issue with recyclables "has been that the cost of pulling those materials out is similar to or greater than the actual value of those materials," said Matanya Horowitz of AI-driven recycling firm AMP.

AI tools are increasingly becoming the first source of information for consumers, with 37% of respondents in a study by Eight Oh Two indicating they prefer AI over traditional search engines like Google. The study illustrates that consumers find AI faster, clearer and less cluttered, leading to higher trust in AI-generated answers. However, traditional search is still favored for product reviews, news and images. The report also notes that AI is significantly influencing purchase decisions and brand discovery.

Retailers are increasingly leveraging AI to address supply chain challenges, with over half of Nvidia-surveyed organizations citing operational efficiency and throughput as top priorities. AI is enabling more precise inventory optimization at both store and customer levels, improving demand forecasting, and enhancing traceability and transparency across the supply chain. "The retailers who will succeed will start with boring use cases that solve specific P&L problems, prove the value, then scale," said Chris Walton, co-head of Omni Talk.

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Retail in 2026 will be shaped by evolving consumer expectations, technology integration and sustainability priorities. NRF experts predict growth in AI-driven personalization, supply chain resilience and immersive shopping experiences. Retailers will focus on balancing convenience with ethical practices, leveraging data for smarter decisions and adapting to economic shifts. Sustainability and transparency will remain key drivers, influencing both product development and brand loyalty. As digital and