Merchandising & Store OpsFriday, September 18, 2026
A McKinsey Global Merchant Survey indicates that 71% of merchants report that AI merchandising tools have had limited to no effect on their business.
LG Electronics acquired a 51% stake in Bear Robotics in January 2025 to expand its commercial robot presence and strengthen its connected kitchen and smart-home ecosystem via the LG ThinkQ platform.
The global market for AI in personalized nutrition is projected to grow from $1.57 billion in 2025 to $8.04 billion by 2033, driven by digital wellness platforms.
OneRail, a last-mile delivery software platform, raised a $42M Series C in November 2024, bringing its total funding to approximately $109M and projecting profitability for 2025.
Onebeat, an AI inventory optimization platform, launched in the United States in May 2025 with $15 million in funding led by Schooner Capital.
Stripe and OpenAI's Agentic Commerce Protocol is now live, integrated into ChatGPT and supported by merchants on Etsy, Shopify, and Instacart.
