The Retail Recap – 30 January 2026 – what’s been making waves in retail this week?

From Just Eat launching its AI-powered voice assistant to reduce endless menu scrolling and ‘choice overload’, to Debenhams Group reporting strong trading, and Poundland partnering with Retail Trust to provide wellbeing support for staff, what’s been making waves in retail this week?

Just Eat launches AI voice assistant to tackle ‘choice overload’

Just Eat has launched a new AI-powered voice assistant designed to simplify ordering and reduce decision fatigue by allowing customers to place orders through natural conversation, rather than scrolling through menus.

The AI Voice Assistant enables consumers to bypass traditional search and menu navigation, using voice to speak freely about what they want. The assistant then interprets intent to recommend relevant restaurants, cuisines and products – spanning not just food, but also pharmacy, beauty and electrical items available on the platform.

The move is aimed at tackling “choice overload” created by Just Eat’s network of more than 100,000 partners, with the assistant acting as a personalised “concierge” to aide faster and easier discovery.

Debenhams Group retains PrettyLittleThing in better than expected trading update

Debenhams Group upgraded its full-year outlook, with EBITDA across total operations now expected to reach £50million, up from previous guidance of around £45million issued in November.

The retail group said the upgrade reflected “continued momentum” and “a discernible improvement in the performance of our youth brands” as well as accelerated progress on its transformation plan.

It also announced it would retain the PrettyLittleThing brand, which had previously been held by the board as an asset for sale, in light of the momentum being generated by its turnaround and the scale of the opportunity ahead.

M&S Chairman Archie Norman returns as RTS keynote

Back by popular demand, Archie Norman, Chairman of Marks & Spencer, will return as a headline speaker at the Retail Technology Show, following a standing-room-only session last year.

In a fireside conversation with Kate Hardcastle MBE, Norman will explore how deep-rooted customer trust, brand authority, technology innovation and the strength of M&S’s own-brand proposition saw the retailer voted the UK’s most trusted retailer in 2025, despite the cyberattack that impacted the business last year.

“Archie’s session was one of the standout moments of RTS 2025, with his no-holds-barred discussion and invaluable insights drawing a standing-room-only crowd,” commented Matt Bradley, Founder & Event Director at RTS.

PMC’s 2026 Leaders Forum spotlights the AI growth opportunity

PMC‘s Commerce Leaders Forum brought together leading retailers, brands and retail technology experts, including Katie King, Miya Knights, Natalie Berg and Richard Lim, to discuss unified commerce, AI-driven growth and practical strategies for scaling retail globally.

Highlighting research in PMC’s Race To Unified Commerce report, conducted in partnership with Retail Economics, Lim outlined the growing need for retailers to integrate core systems to enable the single flows of data needed to support decision-making in an era marked by rising pressures.

“Complexity is universal,” PMC’s CEO Richard Lowe said, which means “harder and faster investment” to “close the gap between [retailers’] plan, vision and execution… so they’re ready to flex to take advantage of the opportunities available.”

88% of shoppers abandon purchases on slow websites

Consumers, who are now used to instant ‘scroll-and-swipe’ shopping, are becoming increasingly frustrated with slow loading websites and poor performing ecommerce platforms, according to research from BHOST.

Three quarters (76%) of respondents described slow loading websites as ‘frustrating’, while over half (55%) of online shoppers said they won’t wait more than 10 seconds for a website to load.

“Site speed is now as much about brand perception as usability,” said Dave O’Hearns, Founder of BHOST, adding “speed is part of the user experience… if a page takes too long, visitors assume the business behind it is outdated.”

Poundland partners with Retail Trust on staff wellbeing

Poundland is working with retail industry charity the Retail Trust to enhance mental health and wellbeing support for 12,000 UK employees, including access to the Trust’s wellbeing helpline alongside counselling and financial assistance.

“Our colleagues do an amazing job, but we know working in retail, especially on the shop floor, can at times be challenging,” said Barry Williams, MD of Poundland.

With Retail Trust data showing that around half of retail workers experienced verbal or physical attacks on a weekly basis last year, Poundland will also provide dedicated resources to help employees manage and cope with abuse.

French Connection expands into North America through G-III Apparel Group partnership

French Connection Group has signed a long-term agreement with G-III Apparel Group to develop and distribute menswear, womenswear and selected accessories across North America.

The partnership will enable the brand its global expansion without making a direct entry into the U.S. market, and marks a key milestone in its growth strategy under owner MIP Holdings.

“Since takeover in November 2021, we have focused on revitalising French Connection and positioning it for long-term success,” said Apinder Singh Ghura, Chair of French Connection Group. “This agreement builds on our global momentum and reflects our commitment to expanding the brand’s reach and relevance.”

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