March 2026 in eCommerce
)
March 2026 highlights how eCommerce is rapidly evolving, with AI-powered discovery, conversational search, social commerce and faster fulfilment reshaping how customers shop and how retailers compete.
🛍️John Lewis invests AI shopping and TikTok Shop
John Lewis has said it is investing in AI-powered shopping so its products can appear inside platforms such as Google Gemini and ChatGPT. They also launched a 90-day TikTok Shop pilot focused on beauty and gifting, and said a wider Uber Eats rollout later in March would make up to 3,000 products available from four stores with delivery in as little as 45 minutes.
Why it matters
This is one of the clearest UK examples yet of a retailer treating AI discovery, social commerce and rapid fulfilment as one connected journey. For eCommerce teams, it underlines that product data, channel-ready assortment and last-mile speed are becoming part of the same commercial strategy.
🔨Kingfisher moves B&Q beyond keyword search
Kingfisher announced a multi-year partnership with Google Cloud to deploy Vertex AI Search for Commerce and build more proactive AI shopping agents across its eCommerce platforms, including B&Q in the UK. Kingfisher said the goal is to move beyond rigid keyword search toward conversational discovery, and that early B&Q trials had already shown meaningful results.
Why it matters
This is a strong sign that retail search is shifting from “type a product name” to “help me plan the whole project.” In home improvement especially, that could mean higher-converting journeys built around baskets, project planning and guided purchasing rather than standalone SKUs.
💳Tesco uses Clubcard to push Marketplace
Tesco launched a triple Clubcard points promotion on Tesco Marketplace orders through until 7th of April, tying loyalty more tightly to its third-party marketplace push. Tesco said the marketplace now has more than 600 sellers.
Why it matters
This is a smart example of using loyalty to change customer behaviour and encourage shoppers to treat the marketplace as part of the Tesco ecosystem, not a separate add-on. That is the kind of tactic other retailers building out marketplace models will be watching closely.
🏃➡️JD.com brings Joybuy into the UK with same-day delivery
JD.com launched Joybuy in the UK, offering categories including tech, appliances, beauty, home, grocery and everyday essentials. At launch, Joybuy said more than 17 million people across 4.5 million households, including in London, Birmingham, Leicester, Nottingham, Oxford and Cambridge, were covered by same-day delivery, free on eligible orders over £29 placed before 11am. It also launched in five other European markets the same day.
Why it matters
A major international player has entered the UK market with owned logistics and same-day delivery as the headline proposition, not just low prices. That raises the bar for delivery expectations and adds fresh competitive pressure in general merchandise and everyday essentials.
🎤Just Eat takes voice ordering into Alexa+
Just Eat Takeaway.com said UK customers will be able to order from its 100,000 partner brands through Alexa+ devices when the service rolls out in 2026, building on the company’s earlier voice-ordering work inside its own app. Just Eat said customers will be able to use natural conversation to explore cuisines, reorder favourites and shop more easily via voice.
Why it matters
Voice commerce has been discussed for years, but generative AI makes it far more usable. The bigger story for retail professionals is that the shopping journey is continuing to spread into assistants, operating systems and ambient devices, not just websites and apps.
1️⃣Argos gets benchmarked as the UK’s digital retail leader
On 3 March 2026, Argos said it had topped the inaugural Digital Capability Index from Retail Week and The Grocer. According to the announcement, the index assessed 65 UK retailers against more than 75 metrics and input from over 2,000 customers, with Argos standing out for its joined-up shopping experience, same-day delivery and strong use of its store network.
Why it matters
This is a useful reminder that optimisation is no longer just about site speed or checkout tweaks. The strongest retail models are increasingly operational: fast fulfilment, smart use of stores, and a genuinely joined up online/offline experience.
Latest News
-
)
A few months’ ago, in this very series, I posited the idea that eCommerce might be making a bit of a comeback following years in the growth wilderness. The early weeks of the year were all positive fo ... -
)
Camilla Mackay-Wilson, Head of E-Commerce, Retail at Soho House, shares her career journey and insights into the world of eCommerce. She discusses her path from Marks & Spencer to leading digital stra ... -
)
The 2025 eCommerce Awards are now open for entries, and the search for the industry's best is officially on. -
)
Martina Guizzardi, Global Senior CRM & Loyalty Lead at Oner Active, shares key career lessons, consumer insights, and strategies for building lasting customer relationships. -
)
eCommerce Expo is delighted to introduce our newly formed 2025 Advisory Board – an impressive assembly of eCommerce visionaries poised to transform the event landscape. -
)
After years of decline, eCommerce is showing signs of recovery. What’s driving this shift, and is the industry finally bouncing back? -
)
Andy Mulcahy, Strategy and Insight Director at IMRG, reflects on the challenges and growth patterns of eCommerce in 2024, highlighting sector winners, market shifts, and what lies ahead for online ret ... -
)
We are delighted to announce the launch of Growth Summit 2025, an exclusive, invite-only event taking place on 24th September 2025 at ExCeL London, brought to you by eCommerce Expo and IMRG. Designed ... -
)
Discover how Frankie Thorogood built and scaled multi-million-pound eCommerce brands, navigated challenges, and learned invaluable lessons in entrepreneurship. From risk-taking to resilience, get insi ... -
)
The ever-evolving world of eCommerce and marketing has seen transformative shifts this year. Here's what stood out in 2024.... -
)
Black Friday 2024 showed positive revenue growth, marking the first uplift since 2020, but traffic remained subdued, dampening the overall success. Year-on-year comparisons were skewed due to the timi ... -
)
Retailers are gearing up for the biggest sales event of the year, but with shifting dates and unpredictable shopping habits, it’s a rollercoaster ride. Andy Mulcahy, Strategy and Insight Director at I ... -
)
Bite-size updates on what happened in marketing and eCommerce this month, to keep you ahead of the curve and inform your campaigns. -
)
In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Ramona Gohil, founder of the feminist jewellery brand Rani & Co. From humble beginnings to TikTok-fuelled success, Ramona shares her journey, insights int ... -
)
ECommerce has been in the doldrums for a few years now, with negative revenue growth, lower conversion and dips in site traffic becoming an accepted part of market conditions; that has been the post-p ... -
)
Meet Zaria Parvez, the mastermind behind Duolingo's viral social media success, who grew their TikTok from 50K to over 11M followers. Discover how she transformed Duolingo into a social-first brand, c ... -
)
If you are a regular reader of this column, you’ve probably gotten used to the updates often containing news that don’t paint a great picture of eCommerce performance. But I’m just the messenger! I ca ... -
)
Meet Adam Ull, Global Product Information Lead at H&M, who is transforming commerce by using data and AI to enhance customer experiences across digital channels. He discusses building agile systems an ... -
)
In the ever-evolving world of eCommerce, UK merchants must adopt strategic approaches to ensure sustainable growth both at home and abroad. In our recent webinar featuring Emily McMorran, CX Lead at w ... -
)
Some essential tips to help you deliver an impactful presentation with Alyssia Smith, Senior Content Manager at eCommerce Expo and Technology for Marketing -
)
A new source of information for businesses wanting to expand and increase their customer base. -
)
What a miserable year it’s proving to be for eCommerce. Revenue has performed well below expectation, site traffic overall has seen barely any growth in 2024 so far and conversion remains suppressed. ... -
)
Shaun Loughlin, Head of eCommerce at LeMieux, shares his 20-year journey in retail and eCommerce, emphasising international expansion strategies. -
)
Discover how Deliveroo enhances grocery delivery by partnering with retailers, offering logistics, and advanced tech integration, ensuring fast and reliable customer service. -
)
Explore how increasing discount usage in eCommerce is impacting revenue growth in 2024. Discover the trends, challenges, and strategies retailers are employing to navigate tough trading conditions. -
)
Big Bus Tours transformed its digital marketing amid COVID-19, leveraging local insights and tech innovations. The result? Increased revenue, higher click-through rates, and record-breaking digital pe ... -
)
We are thrilled to reveal the initial category finalists for the 2024 eCommerce Awards. -
)
Bite-size updates on what happened in marketing and eCommerce this month, to keep you ahead of the curve and inform your campaigns. -
)
Meet SJ, AllSaint's Global Leader in CX, Fraud & D2C, as she tells you more about implementing AI at a major British fashion retailer, as well as strategies for payment security and fraud prevention -
)
The UK eCommerce market has underperformed in 2024, with actual revenue growth consistently below forecasts, though some sectors like health & beauty show resilience and potential for improvement.
