E-commerce This Week — 25 Eyl–3 Eki 2026

Standout headlines in e-commerce this week:

• Flexible logistics: The new reality of fast online grocery — As online grocery shopping becomes mainstream, consumer expectations for speed and temperature-controlled delivery are forcing e-commerce operators to redesign their fulfillment and warehouse infrastructure.

• The real cost of running parallel shipping infrastructure — E-commerce companies operating legacy and modern shipping systems simultaneously face mounting hidden operational expenses.

• Macy's deploys AI-powered inventory forecasting at scale — US retailer Macy's is rolling out an artificial intelligence inventory replenishment tool from pilot phase to broader operations, aiming to improve in-stock availability and cut operational costs.

• Chewy's COO shares three strategies for last-mile delivery advantage — Scott Anderson, chief operating officer at Chewy, outlined how personalization and strong carrier partnerships can help e-commerce companies compete effectively against retail giants like Amazon and Walmart.

• Amazon, Costco defend against consolidated tariff refund lawsuits — Major U.S. retailers and e-commerce platforms face tariff lawsuits, with legal teams arguing no industry-wide pricing coordination exists among defendants.

• Beauty Brand Dr. Squatch Begins Peak Season Planning in January for Cyber 5 Success — Personal care brand Dr. Squatch initiates preparations for major sales events like Amazon Prime Day and Cyber 5 starting in January, demonstrating the importance of early operational planning for e-commerce peaks.

• How Rothy's scaled DTC footwear with disciplined growth strategy — While competitors like Allbirds faced profitability pressures, Rothy's surpassed $200 million in sales by carefully balancing online, retail, and wholesale channels while avoiding overspending traps.

• As AI reshapes shopping, e-commerce companies realign marketing budgets — Joint research by Northwestern University's Retail Analytics Council and AI-powered shopping assistant Minty reveals that personalized AI platforms significantly influence consumer purchasing decisions, prompting retailers to adjust their a

• Target's Shipt Launches AI Assistant as Same-Day Delivery Competition Heats Up — Shipt, Target's delivery app, rolled out an AI-powered assistant in sync with rival Instacart's comparable move this week.

• AI Agents Drive New Requirements in Payment Infrastructure — Stockholm-based fintech SolvaPay is developing payment infrastructure designed specifically for autonomous AI agents to conduct purchases, introducing fresh security and operational challenges to the payments ecosystem.

• Credit Card Installments Outpace Buy Now, Pay Later in Consumer Spending — Consumers chose credit card installment plans at double the rate of BNPL services in March 2026, signaling a major shift in deferred payment preferences toward traditional card networks.

• Macy's scales AI-powered inventory prediction system — Macy's expands its artificial intell