E-commerce news and archive

Fast delivery is losing to lower prices, ICSC survey finds

A new survey from ICSC suggests shoppers are becoming less willing to pay a premium for speed, as rising delivery expectations, return costs and fulfillment fees push value to the front of the purchase decision. Conducted online from May 13 to May 15, among a demographically representative U.S. sample of 1,000 respondents, the “Cost of...

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Online sales in France hit new record with 7 percent growth in 2025

Paris - For the seventh consecutive year, online sales set a new record in 2025. Sales were up by 7 percent, with French consumers spending almost 200 billion euros online, the Fédération du e-commerce et de la vente à distance (Fevad) announced on Wednesday. E-commerce is “firmly established in the daily lives of French people,” Marc Lolivier,...

Retail

StockX launches 'Listings' for the sale of secondhand sneakers and apparel

StockX has launched another new feature, Listings, a new marketplace dedicated to the sale of secondhand sneakers and apparel. The launch comes as StockX continues to expand and builds on the opening of its first permanent store in NYC and the upcoming launch of StockX Live, a live shopping experience set to debut this summer. The new addition...

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Study: European e-commerce to grow despite challenging consumer climate

European digital commerce is projected to grow by 6 percent annually until 2029, despite the challenging consumer climate. According to the authors of the McKinsey study, “Europe’s new e-commerce agenda: How AI is resetting growth and competition”, this not only indicates “remarkable resilience” but also describes a fundamental shift. Artificial...

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Growing problem with criminal customers in e-commerce

E-commerce worldwide is suffering from a growing number of fraudulent customers. According to an analysis by US cybersecurity service provider LexisNexis Risk Solutions, both the economic downturn and organised crime contribute to this. International gangs are reportedly targeting and recruiting people to commit online shopping fraud or provide...

Fashion

Research reveals serial returners account for 60 percent of e-commerce return CO2 emissions

New research from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel provides more insight into serial returners and the impact of frequent parcel returns. The study reveals that while only 15 percent of consumers return products excessively, they are responsible for almost 60 percent of the CO2 emissions linked to returns. For the study, the shopping behaviour of...

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easyGroup expands into e-commerce with marketplace launch

British brand conglomerate easyGroup is entering the online retail sector with the launch of easyShop.com, a new marketplace platform developed in partnership with e-commerce company OnBuy. Scheduled to launch in the fourth quarter of 2026, easyShop will initially operate across 21 European countries and aims to bring retailers together on a...

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Mystery shoppers in fashion retail: from a monitoring tool to a coaching instrument

Interview Mystery shopping has long been a familiar tool in fashion retail for assessing in-store customer experience. Previously used primarily to monitor service agreements, its focus is increasingly shifting towards learning and improvement. Retailers now use insights from store visits as input for coaching, training and discussions on the...

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Fashion

Gen Z is driving secondhand growth, but poor returns are costing brands loyalty

Gen Z is the driving force behind secondhand commerce in the United States, but a growing number of younger shoppers are ready to walk away from a brand entirely after a poor return or refund experience — putting post-purchase trust at the centre of resale's next phase of growth. In fact, 60 percent of Gen Z have stopped buying from a brand...

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EU imposes 200 million euro fine on online retailer Temu

The European Commission has imposed a 200 million euro fine on the Chinese online marketplace Temu for illegal products. The Brussels authority announced that the company had failed to properly assess the risks and damages to consumers. This is a particularly serious breach of the Digital Services Act (DSA). Consumers in the EU were highly...

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Fashion

Asos launches AI shopping app in ChatGPT

E-commerce giant Asos has launched a new shopping app within ChatGPT, aimed at combining conversational AI, fashion discovery and shoppable video content for customers in the UK and US. Developed with video commerce platform Bambuser, Asos Stylist allows users to search for products, browse trends and receive styling recommendations directly...

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Retail|Report

How AI is redefining the role of physical stores, and what retailers should know

Artificial intelligence (AI) is not only changing how we shop online, but it's also transforming physical retail. While stores are still viewed as essential “anchors” for commerce in 2030, AI, together with shifting consumer behaviours, continues to reshape the purpose of physical retail. A new study released by ICSC and McKinsey & Company,...