E-Commerce & AI Commerce News Digest (January 10, 2026)

Today's Top Stories

58% of Consumers Use AI Tools for Product Research, Changing Purchasing Behavior

58% of consumers use AI tools to research products

More than half of consumers are already using AI tools to research products before making purchasing decisions.

According to Ecommerce News Europe, 58% of consumers are already using AI tools for product research.

This figure indicates that AI is beginning to play a crucial role in the early stages of the purchasing process. The shift from traditional search engine-based product research to AI assistants like ChatGPT and Copilot is accelerating.

The implications for e-commerce businesses are significant. When consumers ask AI "What do you recommend?", whether your products are recommended could determine future sales. Structuring product data and preparing AI-interpretable metadata has become urgent.

This survey result supports the context for AI agent solutions announced at NRF 2026 this week, including Microsoft Copilot Checkout and SAP's Storefront MCP Server.

Salesforce: Holiday Season AI Usage Drives High Conversion, Fuels E-Commerce Growth

According to Salesforce research, AI significantly contributed to increased purchase intent and conversion rates during the 2025 holiday season.

AI-powered product recommendations and search optimization increased consumer purchase intent, ultimately driving overall e-commerce growth. Analysis shows that generative AI personalization was more effective than traditional rule-based recommendations.

These results suggest that AI utilization will remain key to e-commerce growth in 2026 and beyond.

Corporate Developments & Partnerships

Kroger Sells Vitacost to iHerb, Restructures Healthcare E-Commerce Business

Kroger sells Vitacost

Kroger is selling its Vitacost online health food subsidiary to iHerb as part of its strategy to focus on core grocery retail business.

U.S. retail giant Kroger announced it will sell its health food e-commerce subsidiary Vitacost to iHerb.

Vitacost, acquired by Kroger in 2014, has focused on supplements and natural foods as an online health food retailer. iHerb, on the other hand, is a global health food e-commerce platform operating in over 175 countries.

This sale is seen as part of Kroger's strategy to focus on its core grocery retail business. As consolidation progresses among specialized players in the healthcare e-commerce market, iHerb pursues further economies of scale with this acquisition.

Macy's Store Closures Significantly Reduced, Transformation Plan Shows Results

Macy's To Close Only 14 Stores As Its Bold New Chapter Plan Bears Fruit

Macy's will close only 14 stores in 2026, down significantly from 66 closures in 2025, as its transformation strategy shows results.

U.S. department store giant Macy's announced it will limit 2026 store closures to 14 locations, down significantly from 66 closures in 2025.

Under its "Bold New Chapter" strategy, store renovations and experience enhancements have proven successful, with renovated stores showing positive sales growth. Macy's plans to focus on its smaller "Market by Macy's" format and omnichannel strengthening.

While store closures continue across the retail industry, this stands out as an example of strategic store investment paying off.

Pacsun Launches E-Commerce App with Social Features

Pacsun launches new social e-commerce app

Fashion retailer Pacsun releases a new e-commerce app with integrated social features targeting Gen Z consumers.

Fashion retailer Pacsun has released a new e-commerce app with integrated social features.

The new app allows users to share outfits and exchange comments about favorite items. This is a characteristic initiative from the company targeting Gen Z, strengthening its approach to social commerce.

As purchasing through social media platforms increases, the strategy of completing social experiences within a proprietary app could contribute to brand loyalty building.

AI Commerce Tools

AI Payment Operations Automation Advancing

Agentic AI will capture bigger business role

AI is accelerating automation in payment operations, from fraud detection to transaction monitoring and customer support.

According to Payments Dive, AI adoption in payment operations is accelerating.

AI is being utilized across the entire payment process, including fraud detection, transaction monitoring, and customer support automation. The rise of agentic AI, in particular, is advancing the automation of tasks that previously required human intervention.

For payment providers, this represents an area where operational cost reduction and faster fraud response can be expected.

Logistics & Fulfillment

Vietnam E-Commerce Market: Logistics Becoming a Bottleneck

Vietnam's logistics sector yet to reach its full potential

Vietnam's rapidly growing e-commerce market faces logistics infrastructure bottlenecks including last-mile delivery delays and warehouse capacity shortages.

According to Fibre2Fashion, logistics infrastructure has become a bottleneck in Vietnam's rapidly growing e-commerce market.

Vietnam's e-commerce market shows one of the highest growth rates in Southeast Asia, but challenges have emerged including last-mile delivery delays, warehouse capacity shortages, and high delivery costs. The logistics gap between urban and rural areas is also widening.

When global e-commerce businesses enter the Vietnamese market, selecting logistics partners will be key to success.

3PL Solutions Driving E-Commerce Growth in Canada

How RGX Group is Powering E-commerce Growth with 3PL Fulfillment Solutions in Canada

RGX Group supports e-commerce growth in Canada with comprehensive 3PL solutions from warehouse management to shipping.

RGX Group has been reported to support e-commerce business growth with 3PL (third-party logistics) solutions in Canada.

As Canada's e-commerce market expands, demand for outsourced fulfillment is increasing. RGX Group provides integrated services from warehouse management to shipping, supporting the scalability of small and medium e-commerce businesses.

For businesses considering cross-border e-commerce to the North American market, utilizing local 3PL partners is an effective option.

Global E-Commerce Trends

IKEA Achieves 2.6% Volume Growth with Price Cuts, Profits Remain Flat

IKEA Profits Level as Price Cuts Drive 2.6% Volume Growth

IKEA's aggressive price reduction strategy drove 2.6% volume growth while profits remained flat amid inflationary pressures.

IKEA announced that its aggressive price reduction strategy drove 2.6% volume growth, while profits remained flat.

As consumer price sensitivity increases, IKEA continues its strategy of maintaining affordable prices to secure market share. However, the impact on profit margins is unavoidable, and balancing cost efficiency remains a challenge.

This serves as a reference case for other retailers regarding pricing strategy in an inflationary environment.

Alibaba: E-Commerce Under Pressure While Cloud Computing Maintains High Growth

Alibaba Needs to Prove in 2026

Alibaba's e-commerce business faces pressure from intensifying competition while cloud computing maintains high growth driven by AI infrastructure demand.

Alibaba's latest earnings show its e-commerce business facing pressure from intensifying competition, while cloud computing maintains high growth.

As domestic competition in China intensifies (with PDD and JD.com), Alibaba is shifting toward cloud and global expansion. Growing demand for AI infrastructure is driving cloud business growth.

The strategic pivot of China's e-commerce giant could impact the global e-commerce market.

Summary

The e-commerce industry on January 10, 2026, saw continued ripples from agentic AI announcements at NRF 2026, with notable survey data showing consumer AI usage and corporate restructuring and strategic shifts.

The figure that "58% of consumers research products with AI" particularly indicates that AI agents are beginning to control the entry point of the purchasing process. E-commerce businesses are now at a stage where they need to address "AI optimization (AEO/GEO)" in addition to traditional SEO measures.

Looking ahead, attention will focus on how NRF 2026 announcements develop into specific products and services from various companies.