EC & AI Commerce News Digest (February 16, 2026)

Top Stories

Rezolve AI Acquires Reward Loyalty for $230M in All-Cash Deal — Scaling AI Commerce

AI commerce platform company Rezolve AI has signed a deal to acquire loyalty program company Reward Loyalty for $230 million in all cash.

Reward Loyalty operates a loyalty and rewards platform serving airlines, hotels, and retailers, with a membership base of millions. Through this acquisition, Rezolve AI aims to integrate loyalty data and customer touchpoints into its AI commerce engine, significantly expanding its foundation for delivering personalized shopping experiences.

In the AI commerce space, the trend is accelerating beyond standalone technology toward unifying "customer data + AI engine + commerce infrastructure." A $230M all-cash acquisition of this scale is a landmark example showing that the consolidation phase for AI commerce companies has entered full swing.

Read more: Rezolve AI Acquires Reward Loyalty for $230M in All-Cash Deal

When AI Takes Over the Shopping Journey, How Much Time Does PayPal Have Left?

When AI Takes Over the 'Shopping Journey,' How Much Time Does PayPal Have Left?

Stripe and PayPal are shifting from payment tools to AI business infrastructure, competing to become the default engine for AI transactions.

As AI agents approach the point of handling the entire "shopping journey" -- from product search and comparison to purchase -- Stripe and PayPal are racing to transform from "payment tools" to "AI business infrastructure."

Traditional payment platforms delivered value at the moment a consumer clicked a button on the checkout screen. However, as AI agents automate the entire purchasing process, the checkout UI itself may become obsolete. Stripe is advancing integration with AI agents through an API-first approach, while PayPal is leveraging brand recognition and consumer trust to secure its position in the AI era.

The competition between the two has shifted from a simple dispute over transaction fees to a battle for the throne of "default engine for AI transactions." The proliferation of Agentic Commerce has the potential to fundamentally redraw the payment industry's power map.

Read more: As AI Takes Over the Shopping Journey, Stripe and PayPal Race to Transform

AI Commerce Tools

Mars United Commerce Founder Launches AI x Commerce Venture Studio "AiPX Ventures"

Mars United Commerce Founder Sally Tobin launches AI-driven tech studio AiPX Ventures

Industry leader Sally Tobin has officially launched AiPX Ventures, an AI-native venture studio designed to support founders at the earliest and most pivotal stages of building their companies.

Sally Tobin, founder of major commerce consulting firm Mars United Commerce, has established AiPX Ventures, an AI-focused venture studio.

AiPX Ventures supports early-stage startups building AI-native solutions for industries still dependent on fragmented legacy tech stacks. The launch of a studio focused on the intersection of AI and commerce by an industry veteran with decades of commerce experience is a symbolic move showing how industry talent is accelerating the AI shift.

Shopify x Swanson Health Partnership Demonstrates AI Commerce and B2B Expansion

Shopify Swanson Health Partnership Highlights Expanding AI Commerce And B2B Role

Swanson Health has completed a rapid migration to Shopify, using its AI tools and subscription infrastructure to support a broad digital overhaul.

Health supplement major Swanson Health has completed a rapid migration to Shopify, driving digital transformation with AI tools and subscription infrastructure.

This case demonstrates Shopify's expansion in B2B commerce, combining AI-driven personalization with modern subscription management. It stands out as a concrete example of how enterprise brands are actually leveraging Shopify's technology.

Global E-Commerce Trends

Twitch Executive: "Trusted Voices Are the Key to Unlocking U.S. Live Commerce"

Twitch's Sarah Iooss Says 'Trusted Voices' are Key to Unlocking U.S. Live Commerce

While live shopping has long dominated Asian markets, its adoption in the United States has hinged less on functionality and more on the depth of viewer connection.

Twitch's Sarah Iooss discussed the success factors for live commerce in the United States. While live shopping is already mainstream in Asian markets, she points out that adoption in the US depends less on features and more on "the depth of trust between viewers and creators."

On creator platforms like Twitch, the trust built between streamers and viewers directly drives purchasing behavior. Her comments suggest that the US live commerce market may develop its own unique path centered on the creator economy, rather than simply importing the Asian model.

Read more: Twitch Executive Says Trusted Voices Are the Key to U.S. Live Commerce

Wildberries Appoints Top Managers for Strategy and Global Marketing

Wildberries appoints top managers for strategy and global marketing

Wildberries & Russ (RWB), the largest Russia-based e-commerce and resale marketplace has appointed Natalia Germanova deputy CEO for global marketing, communications, and events.

Russia's largest e-commerce marketplace Wildberries & Russ (RWB) has appointed Natalia Germanova as deputy CEO for global marketing, communications, and events, and Svetlana Demyashkevich as deputy CEO for strategy and finance.

Wildberries holds a dominant share in the Russian domestic market and has been expanding into neighboring regions including CIS countries and Turkey in recent years. The appointment of dedicated global marketing leadership signals further international expansion ahead.

China's Xiamen Exports Over 47 Million E-Commerce Parcels to Brazil

Over 47 million parcels have been exported from Xiamen, China to Sao Paulo, Brazil via a dedicated cross-border e-commerce air route.

Cross-border e-commerce logistics from China to Latin America is growing rapidly, with Xiamen serving as one of the key hubs. Demand for dedicated air routes is expanding as Chinese e-commerce platforms like SHEIN and Temu continue their push into Brazil. This data underscores the steady progress in building China-to-South America logistics infrastructure.

Logistics & Fulfillment

FedEx to Close Nearly 500 Locations — Rising Delivery Costs at Risk

Shipping giant slashing nearly 500 locations

How these cuts could make your deliveries more expensive

FedEx has revealed plans to close approximately 500 locations. This is part of the integration strategy between FedEx Ground and FedEx Express, consolidating overlapping facilities.

Despite increasing parcel volumes, revenue growth has not kept pace, forming the backdrop for these closures. While facility consolidation aims to improve cost efficiency, the shrinking delivery network may ultimately lead to higher shipping rates. For e-commerce businesses, shipping cost management is becoming an increasingly critical business challenge.

iHerb Opens Riyadh Fulfillment Center in Saudi Arabia

iHerb Opens Riyadh Fulfillment Center, Accelerating E-Commerce Growth and Faster Delivery in Saudi Arabia

The new iHerb fulfillment center underscores Saudi Arabia's growing role as a regional hub for logistics, trade, and e-commerce.

Health supplement e-commerce giant iHerb has opened a new fulfillment center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, aiming to improve delivery speed in the Middle East region and accelerate e-commerce growth.

Saudi Arabia is advancing e-commerce and logistics infrastructure development under Vision 2030, strengthening its presence as a regional hub for logistics and trade. iHerb's establishment of a local fulfillment center is one example of the shift from cross-border e-commerce to localization.

Rising Shipping Costs Squeeze E-Commerce Seller Margins

Sellers Should Monitor How Shipping Costs Are Squeezing Their Margins

Sellers must monitor shipping costs on a product level as ever higher rates and surcharges squeeze their margins Ship.com advised

An analysis article reports that rising shipping rates and additional surcharges are squeezing e-commerce seller margins at the product level.

Ship.com advises that sellers need to monitor shipping costs at the product level and understand the impact on margins. Combined with the FedEx location closure news, 2026 is shaping up to be a year where shipping cost management is a critical theme that will determine e-commerce business profitability.

Payments & Fintech

Stripe and the $140B Question — IPO Speculation Reignites

Stripe and the $140bn question: Rewinding the week that was

Last April, I spent a day with John Collison. In the morning, he gave me a tour of Weston Airport, the private airport that he, along with a consortium of other investors, acquired in 2021 from the Galway builder Brian Connelly.

A detailed report on payment infrastructure giant Stripe's $140B valuation and IPO speculation, featuring an interview with co-founder John Collison.

Stripe holds a dominant market share in global online payment processing and has recently been strengthening its position as an API foundation for AI agents. While the IPO timeline remains unclear, it has the potential to become one of the largest fintech IPOs in history, with implications for the entire payments and e-commerce industry.

Sante Raises $7.6M for Wine & Spirits Fintech Platform

Santé: Wine And Spirits Fintech Platform Raises $7.6 Million

Santé, a fintech platform serving the wine and spirits industry, announced it has raised $7.6 million in funding led by Bonfire Ventures, with participation from Operator Collective, Y Combinator, and Veridical Ventures.

Sante, a fintech platform specializing in the wine and spirits industry, has raised $7.6 million in a round led by Bonfire Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator and Operator Collective.

Sante provides payment and financial services addressing the unique complexities of the alcoholic beverage industry, including the three-tier distribution system and state-by-state regulations. The funding will be used to expand the sales team and develop new products for retailers with complex transaction needs, such as grocery stores. Vertical fintech continues its growth trajectory.

Summary

Today's biggest topics are AI commerce consolidation and scale (Rezolve AI's $230M acquisition) and the structural changes AI is bringing to the payments industry (PayPal vs Stripe). On the logistics front, FedEx's massive location closures and rising shipping costs are adding pressure to e-commerce seller margins. Meanwhile, global e-commerce logistics infrastructure continues to expand steadily, as evidenced by iHerb's Middle East expansion and the Xiamen-to-Brazil cross-border e-commerce growth. This week, Stripe's IPO speculation and US live commerce market developments also remain in the spotlight.