EC & AI Commerce News Digest (January 25, 2026)

Today's Top Stories

P&G Accelerates AI & E-commerce Investment in Q2 Earnings

P&G sharpens ecommerce and AI as Q2 sales stay soft

Consumer goods giant P&G strengthens digital sales and AI investments

Consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble (P&G) is ramping up digital sales and AI investments despite Q2 revenue growing only about 1.5% year-over-year.

The company is leveraging "petabytes of data" to deploy AI tools company-wide for media production automation, digital shelf optimization, and supply chain efficiency. They have prioritized strengthening competitiveness on online retail platforms, particularly Amazon, and are actively utilizing AI to optimize product display on digital shelves.

With plans for company-wide deployment over the next 12-18 months, this represents a leading example of AI adoption among consumer goods manufacturers.

Brunello Cucinelli Transforms Luxury E-commerce with Proprietary AI

Brunello Cucinelli launches a new AI-powered ecommerce site

Italian luxury brand Brunello Cucinelli unveils AI-powered e-commerce experience

Italian luxury apparel maker Brunello Cucinelli has launched a new e-commerce site powered by their proprietary AI platform "Callimacus."

The site's standout feature is a field where customers can input questions and needs about products. The AI understands user intent and provides personalized shopping experiences. The company commented that "this invention will play a vital role in supporting growth in both brand image and revenue."

For luxury brands, AI serves as a strategic initiative that functions not merely as a sales efficiency tool, but as a means of expressing brand philosophy.

Agentic Commerce

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy Discusses the Future of AI Shopping

Amazon CEO expects to partner with third-party AI shopping agents

Amazon expects to eventually partner with third-party AI shopping agents, even as the e-commerce giant continues to block shopping agents from scraping its site.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy spoke at Davos about the future of AI and shopping.

Jassy emphasized AI's potential to fundamentally transform consumer shopping experiences, expressing hope for it as a technology that bridges the gap between online and physical stores. He also mentioned the possibility of recreating online the serendipity (chance discoveries) of in-store shopping.

Meanwhile, he described OpenAI's $1.4 trillion infrastructure investment as "ambitious" while showing caution, stating "some details are hard to understand when you look at them." Amazon is reportedly in negotiations to invest approximately $10 billion in OpenAI, drawing attention as a strategic move amid intensifying competition in AI shopping agents.

Global E-commerce Trends

Temu Suspends All Cross-Border E-commerce Sales in Turkey

Temu suspends all cross-border sales in Türkiye following regulatory inspection

Chinese e-commerce platform Temu suspends all cross-border sales in Turkey

Chinese e-commerce platform Temu has suspended all cross-border sales in Turkey.

The decision came immediately after Turkish competition authorities conducted an on-site inspection at Temu's Istanbul office on January 21. While authorities emphasized this was not the start of a formal investigation, Temu appears to be restructuring operations for regulatory compliance.

The background includes Turkey's abolition of simplified customs procedures for low-value cross-border e-commerce starting February 1, 2026. The duty-free threshold has been gradually reduced, lowered from 150 euros to 30 euros in August 2024. This marks another clash with regulatory authorities for Temu, following an on-site inspection in Ireland in December 2025.

Korean Coupang: US Investors Request USTR Investigation

Trade minister urges USTR to separate Coupang probe from Seoul-Washington trade issues

US investors in Korean e-commerce giant Coupang request USTR investigation

Two US investors in Korean e-commerce giant Coupang (Greenoaks and Altimeter) have notified their intent to file arbitration against the Korean government and requested a USTR investigation.

Following a data breach affecting 33 million customers discovered in November 2025, Korean authorities conducted extensive investigations into Coupang. The investors claim they are receiving "discriminatory" treatment compared to Korean and Chinese competitors.

South Korea's Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo told US Trade Representative Greer that "this investigation is not because it's a US company," asking to separate it from trade issues. USTR is expected to decide on a formal investigation within 45 days, potentially affecting trade relations between Japan, Korea, and the US.

AI Commerce Tools

Etsy AI Tool Creates IP Trouble for Sellers

Etsy AI Tool Can Get Sellers in IP Trouble

Etsy's AI-powered title generation tool creates intellectual property infringement risks for sellers

Etsy's AI-driven title generation tool is creating intellectual property infringement risks for sellers.

Sellers following the platform's suggestions have received policy violation notices and legal warnings after using titles containing brand names like Disney and Pokemon, as well as expressions like "Basquiat-style."

The issue is that Etsy doesn't take responsibility in support cases, pushing dispute resolution burden onto sellers. Without clear warnings about trademark checks for AI suggestions, debate has emerged about the relationship between platform AI features and legal risks.

Lightspeed Announces Unified AI Platform for Retail & Hospitality

How Lightspeed AI's Unified Upgrade Push Will Impact Lightspeed Commerce

Canadian POS and payment platform Lightspeed Commerce announces unified AI

Canadian POS and payment platform Lightspeed Commerce has announced "Lightspeed AI."

This new feature functions as a "unified intelligence layer" spanning retail, hospitality, and wholesale platforms, providing conversational assistants to each platform. While aiming for deeper customer engagement and operational efficiency, investors have raised concerns about execution risk—whether innovation will translate directly to profit improvement.

Corporate Developments & Partnerships

Amazon Shortens SAFE-T Claims Window from 60 to 30 Days

Amazon Narrows SAFE-T Claims Window for Sellers to 30 Days

Amazon shortens the SAFE-T claims application period

Amazon announced that starting February 16, 2026, the window for sellers to file SAFE-T claims (transaction protection program) will be shortened from 60 days to 30 days.

This change applies to all claims including lost deliveries. The seller community has voiced frustration that the window is being further restricted for a program already considered difficult to get approved.

Court Permits Saks Global E-commerce Unit to Hire Liquidator

Saks Global's eCommerce Units Gets Permission to Hire Liquidator Amid Bankruptcy

Saks Global's e-commerce unit receives court permission to hire liquidator during bankruptcy proceedings

Saks Global's e-commerce unit "Saks OFF 5th Digital" has received court permission to hire a liquidator during bankruptcy proceedings.

The company acquired Neiman Marcus for $2.7 billion in December 2024, but subsequently accumulated massive debt and filed for bankruptcy on January 14, 2026. While an independent administrator continues operations, physical stores (including Saks Fifth Avenue) remain open. As restructuring accelerates in the luxury department store industry, the handling of the e-commerce division draws attention.

Summary

Today's news highlighted major brands like P&G and Brunello Cucinelli accelerating their AI commerce strategies. Brunello Cucinelli's proprietary AI platform "Callimacus" particularly stands out as a pioneering example of luxury e-commerce meets AI.

Meanwhile, global e-commerce players face friction with regulations in various countries, as evidenced by Temu's Turkey withdrawal and Coupang's USTR issues. Etsy's AI tool IP problems also serve as a case study of the risk side of AI tool adoption.

Looking ahead, watch for developments in the AI shopping agent competition mentioned by Amazon's CEO, as well as progress on the Coupang-USTR situation.