Weekly intelligence across AI, ecommerce, luxury, and jewellery.
Issue W09 · February 2026
articles analysed this week
AI-generated summary: AT&T reduced costs by 90% and improved the efficiency of its Ask AT&T personal assistant by redesigning the orchestration layer and shifting tasks from large language models to smaller ones, enhancing latency, speed, and response times.
Weekly Luxury Intelligence · ~12 minutes
Digital commerce, retail innovation, DTC trends
Market moves, brand strategy, trade insights
AI news, strategy, and business transformation
Luxury brands, consumer trends, fashion
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This Week
Mirakl achieved full-year profitability in 2025, driven by a 23% increase in annual recurring revenue to $218 million and growth in marketplace and dropship activity on its platform. The Boston- and Paris-based ecommerce software provider marked this financial milestone amid expanding marketplace operations.
AI agents are increasingly performing actions like completing checkouts within browsers and business software, but research from MIT highlights that regulatory frameworks and accountability measures for these systems have not kept pace with their commercial deployment.
Walmart Data Ventures launched the Scintilla In-Store app, enabling field representatives to access real-time store-level data to help reduce out-of-stock situations. This development aims to enhance supplier connectivity within Walmart's retail operations.
Despite the Supreme Court ruling that struck down Trump's tariffs, many Amazon sellers and online brands report they are not lowering their prices, according to a Modern Retail article dated February 26, 2026.
Dunelm has launched a new app for iOS and Android as part of its ongoing strategy to enhance omnichannel engagement by better integrating its physical stores, digital platforms, and customer data. This move represents a significant shift in the retailer’s approach to ecommerce and retail technology.
In 2026, online shoppers are increasingly using AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to research and make purchases, prompting retailers to reconsider their adoption of AI and agentic commerce technologies.
The article from Practical Ecommerce dated February 25, 2026, highlights new ecommerce tools focusing on third-party fulfillment, AI assistants, agentic commerce, omnichannel retail, Shopify integration, live-streaming, and fraud prevention.
This Week
On February 23, 2026, the US Supreme Court ruled President Donald Trump’s global reciprocal tariffs unlawful, impacting the jewellery industry.
The article highlights a common shipping issue in the jewellery industry where damaged labels cause package confusion, and offers an easy solution emphasized by a jeweler to prevent such problems.
Amanda Eddy, an Austin jewelry store owner, creatively designed her store displays using custom-built pink pedestals and budget-friendly items from Amazon, resulting in a distinctive and cost-effective style.
A new report from the Natural Diamond Council highlights rising consumer spending on engagement jewellery, indicating notable trends in the diamond jewellery market.
A recent large survey of recently married couples reveals the increasing acceptance and popularity of lab-created diamond jewellery, highlighting a notable trend in the jewellery industry.
Jewelry store owners express feelings of disillusionment and betrayal regarding exclusivity agreements in advertising, describing the experience as a tough lesson to learn, according to Instore Magazine's February 2026 coverage in the jewellery industry.
Starting March 1, 2026, Thailand will enforce strict regulations on retail gold trading to reduce speculative activities that have strengthened the baht and impacted the country's competitiveness, according to Bloomberg.
This Week
AT&T reduced costs by 90% and improved the efficiency of its Ask AT&T personal assistant by redesigning the orchestration layer and shifting tasks from large language models to smaller ones, enhancing latency, speed, and response times.
OpenAI has secured $110 billion in its largest funding round to date, led by Amazon with participation from Nvidia and SoftBank, highlighting significant capital investment as AI advances toward large-scale commercial deployment.
In a February 2026 report by NYTimes Technology, the San Francisco start-up Anthropic accused three Chinese companies—DeepSeek, Moonshot, and MiniMax—of using around 24,000 fraudulent accounts to harvest its data for training their chatbots.
The Pentagon has summoned the chief of Anthropic amid a dispute over implementing guardrails in their contract negotiations, as the AI company seeks limits on artificial intelligence use with the Defense Department.
Over 100 Google A.I. employees have sent a letter to chief scientist Jeff Dean opposing the use of the Gemini project for U.S. surveillance and certain autonomous weapons, reflecting concerns similar to those raised by Anthropic.
Amazon has committed $50 billion to OpenAI, marking the largest investment in this funding round and surpassing Nvidia and SoftBank's $30 billion pledges, as part of a multi-year partnership with AWS that values OpenAI at $730 billion pre-money.
OpenAI has secured a deal with the US Department of Defense to deploy its technology on classified networks, incorporating extensive safeguards and layered protections that surpass previous classified AI agreements. This move follows the Pentagon's designation of Anthropic as a supply-chain risk.
This Week
Shein plans to invest over $1.45 billion in intelligent supply chain systems in Southern China to strengthen its relationship with Beijing amid growing challenges. This move reflects the ultra-fast fashion retailer's commitment to enhancing its supply chain capabilities.
According to the Saks Global CEO, over 380 top brands, including Burberry and those under LVMH and Kering, continue to ship goods despite bankruptcy. This highlights ongoing activity within the luxury and consumer sector.
According to a recent analysis reported by Business of Fashion on February 25, 2026, most major fashion and retail companies are utilizing AI technologies, yet many remain hesitant to discuss their AI use openly.
The TJX Companies plans to expand its brick-and-mortar presence by adding 146 net new stores across the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Australia during fiscal year 2027, increasing its total store count by approximately 3%. This expansion reflects the retailer's accelerated growth strategy in physical retail locations.
The RealReal's annual revenues increased by 15% in 2025, reaching $693 million, according to Luxury Daily.
A recent BRC survey of retail CFOs and finance directors highlights growing concerns about rising labour costs following the Employment Rights Act's enactment in January, with 69% expressing pessimism about the impact on retail jobs.
The Pickle app, featured in NYTimes Technology on February 23, 2026, is a peer-to-peer clothing rental platform that enables users to stay fashionable while avoiding debt and reducing reliance on environmentally harmful fast fashion.
