A quick look back first of all on December – and it’s fair to say that things didn’t slow down as much as expected, with new vacancies continuing right through the month. That momentum carried straight into January, making for a very busy start to the year for the Simply Commerce team, as well as many of our clients.
Early signs suggest retail delivered a strong peak trading period, reflected in increased spend and a more confident tone in post-Christmas trading conversations. While caution hasn’t disappeared completely, investment feels more targeted and closely tied to performance and scalability.
Platform discussions continue to evolve. Shopify remains the clear leader in ecommerce and we expect that trend to continue through the year. That said, Salesforce Commerce Cloud is coming up more frequently in UK conversations, particularly for brands beyond the £60m turnover mark where total cost of ownership is under closer scrutiny.
AI continues to dominate the agenda. No surprise there perhaps, although the pace of change is forcing businesses to act, not just explore, which is already shaping hiring and investment decisions early in the year.
From our side, the data reflects that momentum. New jobs are up 15% on January last year, with a significantly stronger qualified pipeline to match. An encouraging start, and a strong signal of what’s to come. Happy new year indeed!
Market Spotlight + Top 5 eCommerce Stories This Month
- Amazon confirmed plans to significantly increase AI infrastructure investment in 2026, triggering sharp market reaction. The move highlights both the scale of AI ambition and ongoing investor caution around spend versus return READ MORE
- Tesco tech report highlights digital transformation trends – Tesco’s 2026 “We Know the Nation” report emphasises AI-enabled personalisation and streamlined online experiences as key drivers of customer loyalty and long-term ecommerce growth READ MORE
- Game is to close its final standalone stores. After entering administration, the Frasers Group-owned gaming retailer confirmed it will shut its last high-street shops and focus solely on ecommerce and concessions in 200+ Sports Direct and House of Fraser stores READ MORE
- eBay confirmed increases to final value and per-order fees for UK and Germany sellers, marking one of the platform’s most significant policy changes in recent years. The move has prompted debate among merchants about profitability and marketplace competitiveness in 2026 READ MORE
- TikTok Shop is rolling out Fulfilled by TikTok across Europe (including Germany, France, Spain and Italy), letting sellers ship into local warehouses with TikTok handling warehousing, delivery and returns. The move reflects social commerce evolving into a full-blown ecommerce and logistics proposition READ MORE
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