E-commerce and online retail have transformed the way consumers shop, making products and services more accessible than ever before. The rise of digital platforms has led to the growth of a multi-t...

Virtual pop-up shops let customers explore products in 3D, creating immersive retail experiences that work while you sleep

Virtual pop-up shops let customers explore products in 3D, creating immersive retail experiences that work while you sleep

Discover how AI tools small business owners are using to scale e-commerce operations in 2026. Real strategies, measurable results.

We specialise in building dedicated retail and eCommerce software development teams with the roles and skills you need for top customer experience.

Millions of Americans will pop open their laptops to buy gifts this holiday season, but tech companies are racing to turn the job of online shopping over

Virtual pop-up shops let customers explore products in 3D, creating immersive retail experiences that work while you sleep

Virtual pop-up shops let customers explore products in 3D, creating immersive retail experiences that work while you sleep

Explore how online vs retail sales in 2026 influence societal trends and reflect deeper patterns in consumer behavior and wealth distribution.

Investing.com -- Bernstein analysts stated this week that OpenAI’s integration of a checkout system into ChatGPT marks a fundamental shift in how online commerce is conducted, ushering in what they call “the beginning of a new era in commerce — the Agentic One.” The move, reported by the Financial Times, would allow users to complete purchases without leaving the chat interface, with merchants paying affiliate and possibly payment processing fees. “A killer AI consumer use-case is an agent which can help us navigate the drudgery of online shopping and find the right item/service, authentic reviews, price, offers, and fill out forms,” Bernstein wrote. They estimate this shift could lift retail e-commerce growth by 1.5 to 2.5 percentage points annually. Bernstein sees this development as part of a broader transformation. “Agentic commerce can unlock new commercial models, transform existing ones and fundamentally change how we spend our time online,” the analysts said. The firm notes that OpenAI’s earlier launch of Operator, with partners such as Uber (NYSE:UBER), DoorDash (NASDAQ:DASH), and Instacart (NASDAQ:CART), showed clear signs of this trajectory. Major payment players, including Visa (NYSE:V), Mastercard (NYSE:MA), Stripe, and PayPal (NASDAQ:PYPL), are reportedly already adapting their products with AI capabilities, suggesting that card networks and processors like Adyen (AS:ADYEN) stand to benefit. “Cards (and V/MA) appear to be the winners (not stablecoins),” Bernstein noted, while pointing out digital wallets could face disintermediation unless they evolve their roles in this ecosystem. Still, questions remain. Bernstein flagged the scale of traffic OpenAI can command and the potential impact on “on-platform ads and payments, and direct consumer relationships” as key uncertainties. With MA making headlines, savvy investors are asking: Is it truly valued fairly? In a market full of overpriced darlings, identifying true value can be challenging. InvestingPro's advanced AI algorithms have analyzed MA alongside thousands of other stocks to uncover hidden gems. These undervalued stocks, potentially including MA, could offer substantial returns as the market corrects. In 2024 alone, our AI identified several undervalued stocks that later surged by 30 or more. Is MA poised for similar growth? Don't miss the opportunity to find out.