Global Scans · Retail · Weekly Summary

• [New] 43% of retailers are already piloting AI, and 75% say it will be an essential part of their operations by 2026. Salesforce
• [New] Agentic commerce will orchestrate $3 trillion to $5 trillion in global retail spend by 2030, with $1 trillion of that in US business-to-consumer alone. support
• [New] Automated chat tools could handle up to 85% of retail service interactions - returns, sizing questions, complaint resolution - with potential savings reaching $11 billion each year. B2The7 | Marketing Agency in Louisville, KY | Digital &
• [New] According to the National Retail Federation 2025 Forecast, e-commerce and non-store sales are projected to grow between 7% and 9% annually, reaching approximately $1.47 trillion, which still necessitates warehouse expansion but at a more measured pace than the previous decade. Market Data Forecast
• [New] US ad spending growth will accelerate in 2026 as AI-fueled gains in social and retail media help offset a poor economic outlook. eMarketer
• [New] With 80% of exhibition space already sold, over 300 leading solution providers including Relex, Vusion and Google will showcase the technologies redefining retail. Yahoo Finance
• [New] As demand for innovation and next-generation retail solutions grows, we expect continued momentum in brand participation in 2026. Yahoo Finance
• [New] 25% of shoppers will use specialty retail chatbots and autonomous agents for product discovery. HotWax Commerce
• [New] By the end of the decade, more than one in ten retail dollars and one in four non-grocery retail dollars are expected to be spent online. / India Bain & Company
• [New] Walmart will replace paper labels with digital labels across its entire network of US stores before the end of 2026. Flipflow
• [New] Walmart announced it is moving ahead with more than 650 scheduled remodels to supercenters and Neighborhood Markets and opening about 20 new stores in 2026 and early 2027. The Shelby Report
• [New] We can expect: More user-friendly platforms
  Better scalability solutions
  Increased global participation
  Stronger regulations for safety
  In the coming years, decentralized AI marketplaces could become as common as app stores today. Outlook India
• [New] McKinsey projects agentic commerce could redirect $3 to $5 trillion in global retail spend by 2030. Thinque
• [New] Worldwide retail technology spending is expected to hit $388 billion by 2026. HotWax Commerce
• [New] Mobile shopping represents 57% of global retail e-commerce sales and is expected to reach 62% by 2027. Revenue Memo
• [New] Washington, D.C.-Retail sales are forecast to grow 4.4% in 2026, reaching $5.6 trillion. nationaljeweler.com
• [New] Walmart announced that it's planning to remodel more than 650 of its stores around the U.S. while it also will open about 20 new stores in 2026 and early 2027. Fox Business
• [New] 6.4% short interest to float is notable, and discount retailers could be in for a moment if the world continues in the direction its heading. Schaeffers Research
• [New] Mobile POS systems are expected to handle 70% of retail transactions by Q4 2026, making upgrading your payment infrastructure a top priority. InfoStream Global
• The National Retail Federation just released its 2026 retail sales forecast and the headline number is worth paying attention to: retail sales are projected to grow 4.4% in 2026, reaching $5.6 trillion. Palm Tree Retail Store Consultants

Last updated: 07 May 2026