Karolina Skwira 
The EU scraps its low-value customs relief on July 1, 2026, but three recent signals suggest the fee will not slow Temu and Shein’s European growth this year. Expect adaptation through local fulfillment rather than retreat, with their EU growth likely still positive through Q3.
Signals point to the EU tabling a Digital Fairness Act in Q4 2026 that puts dark patterns, drip pricing and personalized pricing in retail scope. The impact assessment due in Q2 2026 is the near-term tell.
Inditex reported first-quarter net profit of EUR 1.37 billion, up 5.4%, as sales rose 5.8% to EUR 8.75 billion and beat analyst forecasts. The Zara owner said store and online sales jumped 11.5% in the first month of the second quarter, sending shares higher.
Yamada Holdings and Edion plan to merge under a new holding company, creating Japan’s largest electronics retailer with about $16 billion in combined sales. Here is what the deal means for the sector, suppliers and shoppers.
Agentic checkout, where software agents pay on a shopper’s behalf, likely faces its first mainstream consumer test in the 2026 holiday season. Three signals from the last month suggest the win goes to infrastructure, not consumer volume, with agent purchases staying in the low single digits.
A wave of European payments M&A concentrated in May 2026 points to more take-privates and PSP roll-ups before year-end. Here are the three signals and the political risk that could stall them.
Consumer Trends deep dive: Why premium private label is reshaping department stores.
E-commerce deep dive: Temu versus Shein for shoppers and for competing retailers.
Marketing deep dive: Google Shopping ads explained for retail beginners.
Business deep dive: Scaling D2C internationally without losing your margin.