Customer Journey stories

OpenAI rolls out USD $8-a-month ChatGPT Go across the US and prepares to trial clearly labelled ads for free and Go users.

StarHub has launched a compact fast-service store at Suntec City, targeting office workers and city shoppers seeking quicker, human-led support.

Babeltext debuts MC-ML-AI, a standard to turn multilingual, multichannel customer chats into completed bookings, transactions and cases.

Mortgage CRM specialist Binder hires design agency Tall to soften its image, promising a more human, less process-heavy broker experience.

Select ID becomes UK’s only dedicated identity orchestration network with DIATF status and ISO 27001, boosting reusable digital IDs for finance.

SaleCycle snaps up French personalisation specialist BEYABLE to create a unified European eCommerce marketing and conversion platform.

Amperity has debuted an AI Customer Data Agent that turns natural-language prompts into live segments and customer journeys for marketers.

Klaviyo forecasts 2026 surge in AI voice shopping, automated returns and connected-device purchases reshaping how consumers buy.

Zendesk warns APAC brands that rising CX expectations demand transparent, context-rich AI that resolves issues instantly or risks churn.

Adobe says generative AI referrals to retailers jumped nearly 700% over the 2025 holidays, driving longer visits and stronger conversions.

Salesforce launches Agentforce 360 retail tools to unify AI across marketing, eCommerce and service, promising smoother shopper journeys.

Genie Goals’ latest Life Goals book showcases 75 eCommerce campaigns, spotlighting AI-driven innovation from global and challenger brands.

Talkdesk unveils Commerce Orchestration and Consumer Goods Experience Cloud to coordinate AI-driven retail journeys end to end.

Brands must build “machine trust” by 2026 or risk vanishing from AI-led discovery as CEEK warns creativity alone will no longer secure visibility.

AI-powered loyalty schemes promise a USD $2 trillion revenue windfall in Southeast Asia as retailers race to master personalisation.

Loop Returns warns UK brands that neglected international returns risk eroding margins and loyalty as global eCommerce hits USD $6.3 trillion.

Google Cloud unveils Gemini CX AI platform to link retail and restaurant shopping, service and ordering into one joined-up experience.

Black Friday still delivered the peak online surge, but AI-driven search stretched shopping demand across a longer November window.

Brands are ditching fragmented martech stacks for centralised platforms as AI, richer messaging and costs expose the limits of siloed channels.

Customers profess loyalty but quietly walk away over price, experience or ethics, exposing how fragile many brand relationships have become.