Google's shopping AI sparks surveillance pricing debate
Google faces accusations about personalized upselling in Universal Commerce Protocol after January 11 announcement, while company denies claims about price manipulation.
Retail
The latest news about retail ads. Retail media ads are digital ads that are placed on retailer websites and apps. They are typically displayed on search results pages, product detail pages, and category pages. Retail media ads can be used to promote products and services from both the retailer itself and other brands.
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Amazon forces all sellers to use prepaid returns, ending high-value exemption
Amazon eliminates high-value exemption for return labels on February 8, 2026, requiring all US seller-fulfilled orders to use prepaid shipping program.
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Visa builds payment infrastructure for AI agents to shop on your behalf
Visa's Rubail Birwadker reveals how the company is building tokenized payment systems for agentic commerce, addressing fraud concerns as AI agents begin making purchases.
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Target and Walmart bring checkout directly into Google's AI assistant
Target and Walmart enable direct purchasing through Google Gemini and AI Mode in Search, powered by Universal Commerce Protocol announced January 11, 2026.
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Universal Commerce Protocol could make checkout buttons obsolete
The Universal Commerce Protocol threatens e-commerce platforms' differentiation while creating opportunities for merchants to escape platform lock-in.
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Mastercard bets future payments run through AI agents instead of people
Mastercard introduces Agent Pay today for autonomous commerce, partnering with Google on Universal Commerce Protocol as 800M OpenAI users signal demand.
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Google launches protocol for AI agents to shop across platforms
Google launches Universal Commerce Protocol with major retailers on January 11, 2026, introducing checkout APIs and payment standards for autonomous AI agents.
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Private label sales hit €352 billion as shoppers reshape European grocery
European retailers' own brands now command 38.5% of grocery market value, outpacing manufacturer brands by 2.5x.
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JPMorgan Chase takes over Apple Card in $2.2 billion banking shift
Apple's credit card moves from Goldman Sachs to Chase after consumer lending losses topped $1 billion, with 12 million cardholders facing 24-month transition.
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Microsoft launches checkout inside Copilot as AI commerce battle intensifies
Microsoft introduces Copilot Checkout on January 8, enabling direct purchases through AI conversations with PayPal, Shopify, and Stripe while launching Brand Agents for merchant websites.
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Criteo sets Luxembourg vote as ad platform seeks capital flexibility
Criteo schedules February 27, 2026 shareholder meeting for Luxembourg redomiciliation vote, streamlining corporate structure with direct Nasdaq listing.
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Retail import volumes to stay down through spring amid tariff uncertainty
U.S. container port imports expected to decline year-over-year until May 2026 as retailers navigate tariff policy uncertainty and post-holiday shipping lulls.
