Black Friday stories

Microsoft again tops global phishing brand list as attackers increasingly mimic big tech services to steal cloud and consumer credentials.

Chargebacks surge after record online holiday sales, with USD $181 billion in returns putting retailers' first-quarter profits at risk.

Klaviyo forecasts 2026 surge in AI voice shopping, automated returns and connected-device purchases reshaping how consumers buy.

Adobe says generative AI referrals to retailers jumped nearly 700% over the 2025 holidays, driving longer visits and stronger conversions.

Criteo says agentic AI will add a powerful new eCommerce layer, reshaping search, retail assistants and LLM ad models without replacing shops.

Blue Yonder rolls out fresh AI tools to tighten retail planning, boost fulfilment accuracy and speed up warehouse and logistics decisions.

Black Friday still delivered the peak online surge, but AI-driven search stretched shopping demand across a longer November window.

Retailers urged to brace for early-year spike in chargebacks as mobile shopping and buy now, pay later fuel record US holiday spend.

Black Friday splurge triggers record December returns surge as ReBound warns rapid send-backs are straining retailers' peak operations.

AI agents, circular retail and tighter rules will upend shopping by 2026, Akeneo warns, as poor product data threatens brand visibility.

AI is transforming loyalty from points to real-time, personalised journeys as super apps and agentic engagement engines rapidly take hold.

Social media fuelled a Black Friday boom in the UK, as Rithum data showed global social sales soaring 152% and online spend up 27%.

Record Black Friday online sales risk hollowing out profits as soaring returns, refunds and BNPL queries squeeze retailers' margins.

Retailers brace for a “Christmas Returns Hangover” as eDesk reports a 45% spike in return requests from 26 December, denting profits.

Softonic issues festive-season guide warning of rising scams in fake shops, apps and delivery messages as online bargain hunting surges.

Infobip logs 12.2 billion Cyber Week interactions as retailers drive a 277% Black Friday surge in rich messaging such as RCS and WhatsApp.

A viral festival clip of a top influencer sipping from a pink Huski champagne flute has sent global demand for the Kiwi drinkware brand soaring.

UK saw the highest global Black Friday growth at 16%, driven by loyalty spend, AI tools, and personalised retail experiences, outpacing US and ANZ markets.

Brands boosted Black Friday and Cyber Monday revenue by 38% year-on-year through varied creative ads, despite only a 13% rise in ad spend, analysis shows.

Black Friday searches hit 33.5bn, with pet products surging 81% and shoppers favouring value, wellness, and early deals over luxury goods this year.