Macy's has reported positive initial results from its AI shopping assistant, Ask Macy's, which launched in March 2026, with CEO Antony Spring highlighting higher conversion rates among users engaging with the assistant, indicating successful integration of AI in enhancing the customer experience. The platform is set to expand to Bloomingdale's, Macy's luxury brand, which achieved a record 10.2% sales growth in the first quarter. The AI initiative is part of a broader strategy to improve sales and operational efficiency, with 35 active AI tests across the company, including supply chain enhancements.

Amazon's efforts to dominate the Indian market have faced significant challenges, leading to a strategic shift under CEO Andy Jassy to AI and data centers, with a cautious approach to ecommerce expansion. The company pulled out of a major cricket media rights auction, signaling a move away from aggressive spending towards operational profitability. Despite being set to invest over $35 billion by 2030 in India, Amazon has struggled with regulatory hurdles and intense competition from local giants like Reliance and Walmart's Flipkart.

Walmart is expanding its ecommerce offerings by launching a new service that will allow customers to order Subway sandwiches for 30-minute delivery from 1,400 Subway units inside its stores this summer. The initiative aims to enhance its competitive edge against Amazon, following Walmart's use of AI technology to manage inventory and testing of drones for deliveries. The move comes as Walmart seeks to attract more affluent consumers amid a bifurcated US economy, where lower-income households are cutting back on spending.

Sephora has deepened its partnership with Google by launching direct shopping on Google's AI-powered platform via Agentic Checkout. The collaboration allows consumers to discover and purchase prestige beauty products, ask in-depth beauty questions and check out entirely within the Google environment. The partnership is designed to meet customers inside the AI platforms where they increasingly begin their shopping journeys. Future phases will integrate Sephora's Beauty Insider loyalty program, bringing personalized experiences to the AI-powered checkout.

Walmart's use of AI has enhanced personalization and improved efficiency, CEO John Furner said, but the retailer is also managing the costs associated with it. The company has limited use of its internal AI tool, Code Puppy, due to high demand and redundant use cases. Meanwhile, Executive Vice President of AI Acceleration Daniel Danker says Walmart is focused on owning the shopping functions within AI agents like ChatGPT to suggest complementary items and handle returns, ensuring a seamless customer experience.

AI has become a critical part of Unilever's approach to food discovery as it helps with detecting visibility gaps and tweaking digital content strategies for the best fit, says Olivia Kirby, director of integrated demand generation. "[F]ood and flavor are deeply emotional and cultural, so human intuition and expertise still play a critical role in interpreting those insights," says Kirby, explaining the way the AI and human expertise are connected.

Amazon has unveiled an upgraded AI-fueled warehouse robot, Proteus, as part of its $11.6 billion investment in Europe. The new Proteus robot, designed to enhance warehouse operations with AI capabilities that include task prioritization and route planning, can respond to conversational prompts, marking a significant shift in employee-robot interaction. Amazon plans to deploy this technology in Europe by 2027, alongside expanding its STARK tote-handling system to 15 sites and enhancing its grocery delivery services across the continent.

AI is transforming the retail landscape as companies like Best Buy, Gap and Dick's Sporting Goods increasingly adopt AI to improve the customer experience, and the retail industry's investment in AI is expected to grow significantly, with a focus on human-centered benefits. Best Buy is leveraging AI through partnerships with OpenAI and Google to grow beyond traditional retail, while Gap is using AI to improve product traceability and merchandise management. To enhance its customer service, Dick's has introduced an AI-powered adviser to assist customers with product recommendations and athletic training.

A DHL survey highlights that AI, sustainability demands and secondhand shopping are expected to reshape ecommerce, with 29% of consumers open to AI making purchasing decisions within five years. The survey also shows that out-of-home delivery is gaining traction, with 20% of shoppers seeking faster options. "The ability to understand and respond to customer needs has always defined success -- but our new ecommerce trend report shows that AI is now redefining that advantage at hyperspeed," says DHL eCommerce CEO Pablo Ciano.