We are excited to announce that our ‘The Ecommerce Returns Opportunity: Improving Experience, Conversion and Retention’ report in collaboration with industry expert nShift is available now! Returns have become a key driver of customer satisfaction, conversion and loyalty, making an effective returns strategy more important than ever.

Discover the latest insights from 1,000 UK consumers to understand changing expectations, identify opportunities to optimise your returns process, and learn how leading retailers are turning returns into a competitive advantage.

Retailers today face a difficult balancing act: strengthening fraud prevention while maintaining a smooth and seamless customer experience. As digital payments continue to grow, so does exposure to fraud. This can be particularly problematic for small to midsized retailers that may lack dedicated security resources. At the same time, customers expect fast, frictionless transactions across both online and in-store channels.

Retailers are investing heavily in artificial intelligence to enhance customer experiences and streamline operations. Industry estimates placed the global AI-in-retail market at roughly $11.6 billion in 2024, with continued rapid growth expected through 2030. With these investments, much of the industry’s attention has focused on automation and customer-facing technology. Yet despite advances in automation, customers still turn to associates when they need answers, guidance, or help completing a purchase.

Today’s highest-converting shoppers start their buying journey with AI. Sometimes they know exactly what they want. Other times, they just know what they need: relief from a headache, a warmer coat, a gift for someone impossible to shop for. Either way, they ask an AI assistant to narrow their options, get recommendations, and click through to a storefront with the decision mostly made, ready to buy. 

The promise of AI technology that is often repeated is it can transform how CX teams scale their operations, make employees more productive and open up access to data on unprecedented levels. It doesn’t always work out this way, according to Brian Cantor, managing director at CMP. The benefits vendors promised from their AI solutions can fall short in unexpected ways or require more investment than initially expected.

The Switzerland Luxury Market Report 2026 examines how one of the world’s most sophisticated luxury markets continues to perform amid economic uncertainty, changing consumer expectations and global disruption. Discover how wealth, craftsmanship, tourism, digital innovation and sustainability are influencing the future of luxury retail in Switzerland.

Understanding the Swiss Luxury Market

The Switzerland Luxury Market Report 2026 provides an in-depth analysis of this distinctive retail landscape. It explores everything from the strength of the Swiss watch industry to the growth of mobile commerce, personalised customer experiences and sustainable luxury.

A customer orders from your brand, has a terrible delivery experience through DoorDash or Instacart, and leaves a one-star review that tags you, not the driver. It doesn’t matter that you never touched the package after it left the warehouse. It doesn’t matter that the delay was the platform’s fault. 

To that customer, you failed them.

This is the central tension of last mile delivery. Retailers have embraced third-party platforms to meet rising consumer expectations for speed and convenience, and for good reason. 

Running a business online comes with numerous challenges due to the fast-moving environment , where customer expectations are higher, competition is just a click away, and technology keeps evolving. Still, moving online is clearly worth it.

In Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), 73% of people shop online, so if your business isn’t there, you’re missing a large share of customers. The European e-commerce market itself is huge, too, expected to reach €353.5 billion in 2026 and keep growing.