Retail and e-commerce – February 2026
Retail sales growth analysed for the US, UK, France, and Germany in 2026
Bain & Company has issued their retail sales growth forecasts for the US, UK, France and Germany in its 2026 Global Retail Sales Outlook. The outlook analyses the impact of macroeconomic trends and shopper behaviour on retail sales growth.
Top 25 best performing e-commerce companies in the Netherlands
The Dutch e-commerce sector is more mature, more international and more competitive than ever. With a market volume of €36 billion and increasing inroads from foreign platforms, there is a growing need to operate in a distinctive and data-driven manner. In addition, opportunities arise from new technologies such as AI, which make it easier to generate content and thus attract the attention of consumers. These insights, together with the Top 25 companies in the sector, are shared in an Aeternus report (in Dutch) that you can download after filling in your details.
UK supermarkets playing with fire on future of food, says WWF
Drawing on data from 10 retailers (Aldi, Asda, Co-op, Lidl GB, Marks & Spencer, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose), 2025’s “What's in Store for the Planet” report (8.5 MB) by WWF assesses the progress on environmental action of 90% of the UK grocery market. WWF concludes that action on reducing environmental risks is stagnating.
The impact of sustainable packaging solutions on Finland’s retailer costs
Research (1.9 MB) by Harsha Wanigaratne at the LAB University of Applied Sciences (Finland) explores how sustainable packaging could assist in reducing the operational expenditure in S Group, a large Finnish retailer. The majority of the respondents favour the use of biodegradable and recycled packaging. However, this is impeded by some barriers, such as increased material costs, supply-chain limitations and cumbersome regulations.
Connected change initiatives in business networks: packaging in retail distribution
For her PhD study (1.24 MB) at Chalmers University of Technology, Sandra Brüel Grönberg studied how different actors in a business network might best work together to achieve results. Empirically, the thesis examines efforts to develop packaging in retail distribution, where the development of packaging involves considering product protection, transport efficiency, material use, and customer expectations. These efforts are also connected to developments of automation solutions, logistics facilities and packaging materials across firm boundaries.
Chinese online retailer JD.com announces new delivery service for Europe
Chinese online retailer JD.com has announced JoyExpress, its dedicated express delivery service in Europe. JoyExpress will support Joybuy, JD.com’s new online retail business, which is currently in the beta testing phase in the UK, Netherlands, Germany, France, Belgium and Luxembourg.
2026 retail trends: adapt or fall behind
Retail in 2026 will be shaped by AI shopping agents, private brands and health driven demand, say reporters at newsfeed Doing Business in Bentonville. In a podcast and article they explore agentic commerce, smarter product pages, value beyond price, and how retailers can win with better data, fulfilment, and wellness focused merchandising.
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