Weekly intelligence across AI, ecommerce, luxury, and jewellery.
Issue W01 · December 2025
articles analysed this week
Cartier UK sales exceeded £250 million while Pragnell faced a profit squeeze despite record sales of £100.5 million.
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
Cartier UK sales exceeded £250 million while Pragnell faced a profit squeeze despite record sales of £100.5 million.
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This Week
In 2025, major players in online retail, fulfillment, and technology engaged in mergers and acquisitions, reshaping the retail industry for 2026. Some deals were driven by bankruptcies, while others focused on expansion strategies.
Ecommerce is undergoing a structural reset in 2026 due to AI-powered shopping, autonomous network operations, and tariff changes reshaping supply chains, leading companies to focus on operational agility for competitiveness.
In 2025, U.S. retailers have utilized last-mile delivery partnerships to enhance their fulfillment networks, leveraging physical stores as key assets. Leading online retailers have started utilizing services like Instacart, DoorDash, and Uber Eats for delivery.
Marketers discuss their strategies for adapting to tariffs and regulatory changes in the ever-evolving landscape of ecommerce and retail tech in 2025.
In 2025, tariffs had a significant impact on the retail industry, with Modern Retail highlighting the major winners and losers of the changes in tariff policy.
In 2025, '90s mall brands such as Gap and Victoria's Secret are working on turnaround plans to revive their reputation, but success requires more than just short-term growth.
Practical Ecommerce's article on "New Ecommerce Tools: December 31, 2025" highlights the latest offerings in mobile apps, hosting, business accelerators, avatars, review management, email marketing, agentic commerce, and video creation for ecommerce businesses.
This Week
Cartier's UK sales exceeded £250 million for the first time, with a growth rate double that of its parent company, Richemont. Operating profit also saw a significant increase of 25% to £15 million in the financial year ending in March 2025.
Pragnell achieved record sales of £100.5 million in the 2024-25 financial year, marking the first time sales surpassed £100 million. Despite a 6% revenue increase, operating profit declined by 11% to £8 million due to rising costs and investments in expanding its retail network.
Laings' sales increased to £73.7 million in the 12 months ended May 2025, but operating profit dropped by over 40% to £1.9 million, marking a third consecutive year of declining returns.
This Week
Visa's report shows a 4.2% increase in US holiday retail spending, with artificial intelligence playing a significant role in shaping consumer behavior by influencing product discovery and price comparison.
AI-driven "zero-click" searches are changing the landscape of product discovery and decision-making, hinting at the impact of AI on shopping behavior.
AI is predicted to dominate search results in 2026 with the rise of Generative AI and AI Overviews, making traditional SEO strategies less effective.
Amazon is significantly boosting its investment in artificial intelligence and data center infrastructure, with a focus on expanding cloud capacity to meet the growing demand for AI computing in government and commercial markets. The company's cloud unit, Amazon Web Services, is spearheading these multibillion-dollar commitments.
In 2026, Modern Retail predicts increased AI shopping, disruptions in the creator economy, and potential shifts in the products brands will sell.
AI was a dominant topic in Practical Ecommerce's most popular posts of 2025, with 17 out of the top 25 articles focusing on AI and strategy.
"The Wirecutter Show episode with Kevin Roose discusses the benefits of chatbots and offers tips on using AI smartly."
This Week
Saks Global CEO Marc Metrick exits, with Executive Chairman Richard Baker stepping in amid bankruptcy speculation at the luxury retailer.
Luxury travelers are opting for off-peak trips to avoid crowds and uncomfortable temperatures, with Virtuoso predicting this trend to drive the next 12 months of luxury travel in 2026.
