From predictions Gen Z will leading Valentine’s Day spending driven by digital engagement fatigue and a desire for IRL connection, to Primark’s continued expansion into the Middle East, and Belstaff adopting unified commerce, what’s been making waves in retail this week?
January sees discount-driven & delayed payday spending
January card spending fell into two halves, with a sharp spike in transactions at the end of the month following a subdued start, new data from Checkout.com reveals.
After the number of payments dipped in the second and third weeks of the month – falling to their lowest point on 17 Jan 2026 (-11%) – card activity then rallied in the final week of the month, peaking on 30 Jan 2026, when transaction volumes rose +89% on the daily average.
“January’s spending patterns show how deliberate consumers have become about when they spend, with activity concentrated around paydays and deep discount periods rather than spread evenly,” said Rory O’Neill, CMO at Checkout.com.
Build-A-Bear taps Uber Direct for q-commerce ahead of Valentine’s
Build-A-Bear has extended its partnership with Uber Direct to give customers free, same-day rapid deliveries on Valentine’s Day gifts.
The move, which follows Build-A-Bear introducing q-commerce across 33 UK stores with Uber Direct in Dec 2025, will allow shoppers to order last-minute gifts from stores nationwide on Valentine’s Day.
The white-label deliveries will be handled by Uber Direct’s courier network, which also powers Uber Eats.
“As Valentine’s Day approaches, we know shoppers want gifts that feel meaningful – even when time is tight,” said Colleen Draper, Retail and Operations Director Europe at Build-A-Bear Workshop. “Our free same-day delivery option makes personalised gift[ing] simple and stress-free.”
Gen Z’s need for IRL connection drives Valentine’s Day spend
Gen Z is tipped to lead the way in Valentine’s Day spending this year, says data from gifting marketplace Flowwow, with younger shoppers each set to make £70 of purchases, compared with the national average of £52.
UK gift orders are expected to rise +27% year-on-year with basket values increasing +68%, as Gen Z, fatigued with digital interaction, seeks authenticity through gifts and IRL connection.
Slava Bogdan, CEO of Flowwow, said Gen Z were “reclaiming” Valentine’s Day traditions “on their own terms.”
“When an algorithm can write a love letter in seconds, a [gift] crafted with care becomes proof of genuine effort. The gesture matters because it costs time and attention – currencies AI cannot replicate,” Bogdan commented.
Guest Post | Aligning agentic AI with performance goals
With a palpable buzz around agentic AI, Infobip’s Kim Johal outlines how retailers can adopt agentic capabilities into customer engagement, with clear business objectives driving execution, rather than being swept up in the hype, including:
💡 The role of data enrichment in building effective AI roadmaps
🤖 The power of agentic personalisation
🤸 The evolution of the AI-led CX landscape & its role in shopper journeys
👾 Taming the beast: strategies to align AI vision with execution
Read the full article 👉 Guest Post | Infobip’s Kim Johal on aligning agentic AI with retail performance goals.
CCS McLays & Retail Economics reveals £276m fashion “blind spot”
Fashion retailers could be overlooking an untapped £276million in savings due to a Goods Not for Resale (GNFR) blind spot, according to data from retail consumables specialist, CCS McLays, and Retail Economics.
Suppressed demand for apparel and increasingly price-sensitive customers mean retailers are running out of levers to offset rising costs through price increases or volume growth.
“With limited scope to pass on higher costs to customers, any rise in non-merchandise spend puts further pressure on already thin margins,” said Ian Hall, CEO at CCS McLays. “Even modest improvements in GNFR can unlock real savings, build resilience and free up investment for transformation.”
Primark confirms next steps of Middle East expansion
Primark is planning further expansion in the Middle East, following the opening of its first store in the region in Kuwait in October last year.
Working in partnership with retail franchise operator Alshaya Group, Primark open three stores in in Dubai in the first half of this year. The retailer also confirmed plans to open stores in two additional markets, Bahrain and Qatar, by the end of 2026.
Primark also confirmed plans to invest in existing markets, with its first flagship store in NYC set to open this spring after it celebrated 10-years of U.S. operations last year.
Belstaff turns to unified commerce to modernise retail operations
British brand, Belstaff, has completed an end-to-end digital transformation, replacing legacy technology with a unified commerce platform to improve operational efficiency and deliver more consistent CX.
Supported by Patchworks, the new architecture connects Belstaff’s commerce and core operational systems, creating real-time visibility across its channels.
Belstaff says it now has greater agility and control, enabling it to turn real-time insight into faster decisions and more connected shopping experiences.
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