Breaking news, industry updates, and the latest developments shaping global retail, e-commerce, and commerce technology.
US subscription-trap enforcement is likely to sharpen through H2 2026, with another major FTC action probable before year-end. Three fresh signals, from a June court order to Virginia’s new click-to-cancel law, point the same way.
Funding Circle reported first-half 2026 revenue up 50% to about £138m and pretax profit of about £23m, nearly quadrupling year on year. FlexiPay transactions jumped 71% as the SME lender reaffirmed full-year guidance.
Three regulators are converging on drip pricing at once, and June 2026’s CMA fines signal the enforcement net widening into mainstream online retail. The pattern points to all-in ‘total price’ checkout becoming the default across major UK and EU platforms before the 2026 holiday peak.
The Financial Conduct Authority began regulating buy now, pay later credit on 15 July 2026, forcing Klarna, Clearpay, PayPal and other lenders to run affordability checks and hand users new complaint rights. Around 11 million UK shoppers now fall under protections that already cover credit cards, but analysts warn stricter checks could shut some borrowers out.
Watches of Switzerland Group posted record annual revenue of £1.83bn for FY26, with the United States overtaking the UK and Europe combined to become its largest market. Statutory pre-tax profit jumped 76 percent even as the group trimmed its store estate to 191 showrooms.
The retail chief AI officer appointment wave likely crests before the 2026 holiday season, backed by three June-July signals. The first quantified payoff should surface on Q3 2026 earnings calls in late October and November.
Levi Strauss beat second-quarter estimates, raised its full-year outlook and lifted its dividend, yet shares fell nearly 6% on July 10. Soft third-quarter guidance and tariff uncertainty drove the sell-off.
Fast Retailing raised its full-year profit forecast to a record and posted a 45.7% jump in quarterly operating profit. Yet shares in the Uniqlo owner fell as much as 5.1% in Tokyo after its CFO warned a weak yen could drag on Japan sales.
Trent shares fell about 12% on Tuesday, the biggest Sensex loser, after its Q1 business update showed revenue growth slowing to 19%, short of Street estimates. Weakness in sales per square foot at the Zudio value chain raised fears of store cannibalization and a normalizing growth engine.
Domino’s Pizza China operator DPC Dash reached 1,550 stores across 75 cities by June 30, adding 235 net new outlets in the first half of 2026. The pace signals confidence even as same-store sales stayed negative and Chinese consumers kept spending cautiously.