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Australian Stories

Online shopping stories

Avast warns of surge in fake online shops in Australia
Phishing

Avast warns of surge in fake online shops in Australia

Avast flags 430,000 blocked visits to fake online shops in Australia, warning scam “ghost stores” will surge over summer sales and Christmas.

By Melania Watson • 4 min read • Mon, 8th Dec 2025
Australia Post campaign boosts Parcel Locker rewards
Digital Signage

Australia Post campaign boosts Parcel Locker rewards

Australia Post teams with The ICONIC and Oz Hair and Beauty, offering AUD $10 rewards to steer online shoppers towards Parcel Lockers.

By Sean Mitchell • 3 min read • Mon, 8th Dec 2025

Global Stories

Online shopping stories

Softonic issues guide to avoid scams in festive sales
Firewalls

Softonic issues guide to avoid scams in festive sales

Softonic issues festive-season guide warning of rising scams in fake shops, apps and delivery messages as online bargain hunting surges.

By Kaleah Salmon • 5 min read • Tue, 9th Dec 2025
Infobip sees Black Friday rich messaging volumes surge
Unified Communications

Infobip sees Black Friday rich messaging volumes surge

Infobip logs 12.2 billion Cyber Week interactions as retailers drive a 277% Black Friday surge in rich messaging such as RCS and WhatsApp.

By Kaleah Salmon • 3 min read • Tue, 9th Dec 2025
Viral festival moment boosts demand for Huski flutes
eCommerce

Viral festival moment boosts demand for Huski flutes

A viral festival clip of a top influencer sipping from a pink Huski champagne flute has sent global demand for the Kiwi drinkware brand soaring.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Mon, 8th Dec 2025
One in three Australians open to AI shopping assistants
Fintech

One in three Australians open to AI shopping assistants

One in three Australians are ready to let AI shop on their behalf, but fears over fraud, control and bad purchases still loom large.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Mon, 8th Dec 2025
UK sees world's highest Black Friday growth led by loyalty spend
Customer Experience

UK sees world's highest Black Friday growth led by loyalty spend

UK saw the highest global Black Friday growth at 16%, driven by loyalty spend, AI tools, and personalised retail experiences, outpacing US and ANZ markets.

By Catherine Knowles • 4 min read • Fri, 5th Dec 2025
How AI, social commerce & experience will reshape retail in 2026
Customer Experience

How AI, social commerce & experience will reshape retail in 2026

By 2026, AI, social commerce and immersive physical retail experiences will transform how consumers interact with brands both online and in stores.

By Shannon Williams • 5 min read • Fri, 5th Dec 2025
Friendly fraud rise during Cyber Week threatens retail profits
Online shopping

Friendly fraud rise during Cyber Week threatens retail profits

US retailers face rising friendly fraud during Cyber Week as 77% of shoppers dispute charges via banks, threatening profits amid USD $43.7bn online spend.

By Sean Mitchell • 3 min read • Fri, 5th Dec 2025
Black Friday searches hit 33.5bn as shoppers favour value & pets
Generative AI

Black Friday searches hit 33.5bn as shoppers favour value & pets

Black Friday searches hit 33.5bn, with pet products surging 81% and shoppers favouring value, wellness, and early deals over luxury goods this year.

By Catherine Knowles • 3 min read • Fri, 5th Dec 2025

Stories from Other Regions

Online shopping stories

Festive-season cyber fraud surges as shoppers seek discounts
Multi-factor authentication

Festive-season cyber fraud surges as shoppers seek discounts

Festive-season cyber fraud is surging across India, with Karnataka alone reporting losses above INR ₹2,000 crores, experts warn.

By Catherine Knowles • 5 min read • Thu, 11th Dec 2025
AI-driven cybercrime to reshape online trust by 2026
Multi-factor authentication

AI-driven cybercrime to reshape online trust by 2026

AI-fuelled cybercrime will outpace human intuition by 2026, as deepfakes, emotional scams and synthetic identities erode online trust.

By Melania Watson • 5 min read • Wed, 10th Dec 2025
Gen Z 'Returniture' trend piles pressure on UK retailers
Digital Transformation

Gen Z 'Returniture' trend piles pressure on UK retailers

Gen Z's 'Returniture' habit of sending back bulky furniture bought online is soaring, leaving UK retailers to shoulder rising costs and complexity.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Wed, 10th Dec 2025
Half of UK IT websites 'fail' basic accessibility tests
Digital Transformation

Half of UK IT websites 'fail' basic accessibility tests

Nearly half of UK IT websites fail basic accessibility checks, new research warns, risking exclusion of disabled users and lost sales.

By Sean Mitchell • 4 min read • Wed, 10th Dec 2025
Negative AI experiences put GBP £9 billion UK online sales at risk
Digital Transformation

Negative AI experiences put GBP £9 billion UK online sales at risk

Negative AI experiences in UK online shopping risk GBP £9 billion in sales, with 75% of AI-related reviews expressing dissatisfaction, new data shows.

By Catherine Knowles • 3 min read • Fri, 5th Dec 2025
Social shopping sees record Black Friday surge as UK eCommerce grows
Social Media

Social shopping sees record Black Friday surge as UK eCommerce grows

UK eCommerce sales surged 27% during Black Friday as social media platforms like TikTok fueled a 152% global rise in social shopping transactions.

By Catherine Knowles • 3 min read • Fri, 5th Dec 2025
UK shoppers want AI for delivery but not to replace people
Customer Experience

UK shoppers want AI for delivery but not to replace people

UK shoppers favour AI for delivery tracking and returns but insist it should support, not replace, human customer service roles in retail.

By Shannon Williams • 3 min read • Thu, 4th Dec 2025