Retail stories
The shortlist spans software, biotech and retail, highlighting the breadth of New Zealand firms vying for EY's 2026 entrepreneur prize.
Holiday season spending is shifting earlier, with 71% of shoppers planning to start before Black Friday and value-driven buying under pressure.
Retailers risk missing a lucrative SME market, as business buyers pay far more for notebooks than households and demand pricier, work-ready devices.
The 12-month campaign generated more than 100 earned placements and about 402 million impressions, helping Gr4vy stay visible between announcements.
Amazon reported growth across retail, grocery, pharmacy and AI shopping as it expanded product selection and accelerated delivery speeds.
Manufacturers and distributors in Australia and New Zealand will gain conversational access to ERP data as Epicor targets labour and supply chain pressures.
Brands are struggling to turn customer records into ad audiences, as tighter privacy rules and fragmented platforms slow activation.
Retailers risk missing Black Friday shoppers as AI tools increasingly narrow product choices before customers reach a website.
Businesses can now run and monitor AI agents for up to seven days as Google Cloud adds tighter identity and governance controls.
Marketing teams could see tighter accountability as Netcore.ai pairs seven AI agents with human growth engineers to manage campaigns end to end.
Faster instant payments and AI-led commerce are exposing fraud and infrastructure gaps, forcing banks and merchants to bolster resilience.
Frontline modernisation with AI is delivering productivity, profit and retention gains as manufacturers and logisticians target specific workflows.
The retailer says the new platform cut manual checks and held up through Black Friday, easing strain as sales surged across five markets.
A poor checkout can cost local merchants repeat trade, with 55% of consumers saying one bad payment experience would stop or deter them returning.
Rising diesel costs are pushing Australian freight operators to accelerate depot charging plans, as JET Charge says savings could reach AUD $4.5 million.
Banking and insurance teams could spot digital failures sooner as new tools feed governed customer-journey evidence into enterprise AI systems.
Clients across Latin America should gain broader access to Adobe implementation support as Stagwell deepens its digital transformation push.
Marketers across Southeast Asia can now use one tool to plan, create and optimise campaigns as RewardinMe folds AI into its gamified platform.
The move aims to help enterprises turn scattered AI pilots into production systems, with sector-specific tools for banking, telecoms and manufacturing.
Six in ten Australians now act on products they see on social platforms, underscoring a shift in how brands must win buyers online.