FutureFive Australia - Consumer technology news from the future

Australian Stories

Security & value drive Australians' digital shopping
Data Protection

Security & value drive Australians' digital shopping

Australians want high-tech retail but demand tighter data security and better value as apps, AR and digital tools reshape everyday shopping.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Wed, 28th Jan 2026
LVLY shortlisted for three Inside Retail awards 2026
Customer Experience

LVLY shortlisted for three Inside Retail awards 2026

Australian online florist LVLY is shortlisted in three customer service and online retail categories at the 2026 Inside Retail awards.

By Sean Mitchell • 3 min read • Fri, 16th Jan 2026

Global Stories

Metro Singapore partners Eagle Eye on loyalty revamp
Digital Transformation

Metro Singapore partners Eagle Eye on loyalty revamp

Metro Singapore taps Eagle Eye to power its Treasured by Metro loyalty revamp, adding personalised, omnichannel rewards and promotions.

By Joseph Gabriel Lagonsin • 3 min read • Wed, 28th Jan 2026
Wise tips five trends reshaping cross-border payments
Digital Transformation

Wise tips five trends reshaping cross-border payments

Wise forecasts five shifts to speed up cross-border payments by 2026, as new rules, tech links and customer demands reshape the market.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 5 min read • Tue, 20th Jan 2026
eDesk appoints Gareth Cummings as CEO to drive AI push
Software-as-a-Service

eDesk appoints Gareth Cummings as CEO to drive AI push

eDesk names Gareth Cummings as CEO, tasking the AI veteran with leading an 'AI-first' expansion drive across EMEA and North America.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 4 min read • Tue, 20th Jan 2026
Google unveils AI shopping protocol & brand agents
Customer Experience

Google unveils AI shopping protocol & brand agents

Google launches a Universal Commerce Protocol and Business Agent tools as it bets on AI agents to drive the next era of online shopping.

By Mark Tarre • 3 min read • Thu, 15th Jan 2026
AI agents to reshape retail, squeeze SaaS & ad spend
Customer Experience

AI agents to reshape retail, squeeze SaaS & ad spend

AI agents will reshape how shoppers discover brands, forcing retailers to rethink visibility as SaaS vendors and ad budgets come under strain.

By Shannon Williams • 5 min read • Tue, 13th Jan 2026

Stories from Other Regions

AI trust paradox exposes gaps in literacy & governance
Data Protection

AI trust paradox exposes gaps in literacy & governance

Employees trust AI data more than ever, yet European and UK firms admit literacy gaps and weak governance are undermining safe adoption.

By Shannon Williams • 5 min read • Wed, 28th Jan 2026
Keyloop to buy Motortech.ai to boost dealer AI tools
Unified Communications

Keyloop to buy Motortech.ai to boost dealer AI tools

Keyloop moves to acquire Motortech.ai, aiming to embed its AIME conversational agent across Fusion tools used by car dealers worldwide.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • Mon, 26th Jan 2026
Kitestring opens neutral lab for retail POS testing
Digital Transformation

Kitestring opens neutral lab for retail POS testing

Kitestring has launched a neutral retail innovation lab in Arkansas, letting enterprise chains trial rival POS and omnichannel systems side by side.

By Kaleah Salmon • 3 min read • Fri, 23rd Jan 2026
Gr4vy & Ecommpay link to streamline global payments
Crypto

Gr4vy & Ecommpay link to streamline global payments

Gr4vy partners with Ecommpay to give merchants single-API access to cards, wallets and 100+ local payment methods across global markets.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • Thu, 22nd Jan 2026
UK retailers target delivery fixes to lift loyalty
Customer Experience

UK retailers target delivery fixes to lift loyalty

UK retailers are racing to fix parcel delivery failures as squeezed shoppers demand smoother service and loyalty becomes harder to win.

By Kaleah Salmon • 3 min read • Thu, 22nd Jan 2026
Eagle Eye unveils AI platform for real-time offers
Customer Experience

Eagle Eye unveils AI platform for real-time offers

Eagle Eye has launched Personalized Promotions, an AI platform that generates real-time, one-to-one offers for millions of retail shoppers.

By Mark Tarre • 4 min read • Sat, 17th Jan 2026
Fateh Rural alliance targets India's rural loyalty gap
Digital Transformation

Fateh Rural alliance targets India's rural loyalty gap

Fateh Rural forms alliance to tap India's rural loyalty gap, targeting distributor schemes in a USD $3.58 billion market by 2025.

By Sofiah Nichole Salivio • 3 min read • Fri, 16th Jan 2026
AI & value reshape 2026 guest engagement in hospitality
Data Analytics

AI & value reshape 2026 guest engagement in hospitality

AI-driven personalisation and shifting notions of value will set the pace for hospitality guest engagement in 2026, Paytronix predicts.

By Catherine Knowles • 5 min read • Fri, 16th Jan 2026
Distil.ai links with OpenTable to boost restaurant revenue
Software-as-a-Service

Distil.ai links with OpenTable to boost restaurant revenue

UK startup Distil.ai links its forecasting engine with OpenTable data to help multi-site restaurant groups predict demand and lift revenue.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 5 min read • Thu, 15th Jan 2026
Revolut launches RevPoints rewards scheme in New Zealand
Gaming

Revolut launches RevPoints rewards scheme in New Zealand

Revolut launches RevPoints in New Zealand, offering uncapped rewards on everyday spending redeemable for travel, airline miles and gift cards.

By Karen Joy Bacudo • 4 min read • Thu, 15th Jan 2026