Retailers Embrace AI To Boost Competitiveness
Mark Monte-Colombo, director of seller development and brand at eBay UK, says that as we head into 2026 retail faces rapid transformation and urges small online sellers to focus on closing digital knowledge gaps, adopting always-on advertising, and using AI to improve efficiency while preserving brand trust. He recommends practical steps such as brief tutorials and testing tools, and highlights eBay's AI Activate programme offering UK sellers funded tools, training and guided support.
Key Points
- 1Close digital knowledge gaps: small retailers must build digital skills to access advertising and AI tools
- 2Adopt always-on advertising: continuous targeted campaigns sustain visibility across fragmented 2026 shopper journeys
- 3Use AI for efficiency but keep brand voice: tools automate tasks while humans maintain customer trust
Scoring Rationale
Actionable retail-AI guidance with platform-backed examples, valuable for practitioners but limited by single-company perspective and promotional framing.
Sources
Public references used for this report.
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