Here are the recent happenings in the Retail and Consumer Tech world as of Jan 28, 2026…
The retail and consumer goods sectors are entering 2026 with accelerated strategic shifts, powered by M&A, data-driven AI investments, and reimagined consumer experiences — even as economic pressures and evolving media landscapes reshape the path to purchase.
In a blockbuster move reshaping health and hygiene categories, The Clorox Co. agreed to acquire GOJO Industries, the Akron, Ohio-based maker of Purell hand sanitizer, in a $2.25 billion all-cash deal that expands Clorox’s health portfolio and accelerates growth opportunities across B2B and retail channels. Clorox CEO Linda Rendle said the acquisition “evolves our portfolio and scales our fastest growing, most profitable operating segment – Health and Wellness,” tapping GOJO’s deep B2B relationships and Purell’s top market position to drive long-term value. GOJO, founded in 1946 and synonymous with hand hygiene, generated nearly $800 million in sales with more than 80 % of revenue through institutional distributors prior to the transaction.
On the innovation front, Procter & Gamble is building on a decade’s worth of data foundation work to embed AI across its enterprise, strengthening its ability to navigate fragmented consumer shopping behavior and media channels. P&G CEO Shailesh Jejurikar highlighted that “retailers are becoming media platforms and media platforms are becoming retailers,” emphasizing that AI-enabled optimizations will help the company interpret “petabytes of relevant data” from connected homes, social media, ratings and reviews to better design products, marketing and supply chain responsiveness. Jejurikar also noted that P&G’s next phase is about turning these insights into individualized touchpoint experiences for consumers across digital and physical channels.
These investments in AI and data mirror broader themes emerging from NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show, where industry leaders from PepsiCo to Ralph Lauren discussed rapid innovation and portfolio adaptation. PepsiCo’s U.S. beverages president Michael Del Pozo said keeping consumers “at the forefront” enables brands to anticipate change and “fast-track innovation through AI capabilities on R&D, fast rapid sampling, testing with retailers in certain markets and launching through the digital shelf.” Meanwhile, Ralph Lauren’s “Ask Ralph” AI chat tool is driving custom shopping experiences by arranging outfits pulled from inventory based on shopper prompts — a nod to the industry’s push toward data-informed personalization and technology-enabled engagement.
The impact of AI in retail is further reflected in NRF insights that commerce is shifting toward autonomous discovery and interoperable systems, with innovations such as Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol aiming to let AI agents execute commerce actions end-to-end across inventory, pricing and checkout. Retailers are told that speed, infrastructure readiness and real-time responsiveness will define competitive advantage as product discovery becomes intent-driven and context-rich.
Economic signals continue to weigh on the sector. The Conference Board reported U.S. consumer confidence at its lowest in over a decade, influencing how households evaluate value and discretionary spending. Still, the National Retail Federation projects record-breaking Valentine’s Day spending, indicating pockets of resilience in consumer engagement and experience-driven purchases.
Retailers and brands are also reacting operationally to broader cost pressures: wholesale electricity prices spiked to record highs during severe winter weather, affecting retail operations and supply chains in key markets.
Amid all of this, omnichannel grocery tech continues to evolve with Instacart expanding its partnership with Allegiance Retail Services to deliver connected experiences — unifying ecommerce platforms, AI-enabled carts, and loyalty and digital promotions for independent supermarkets — a clear signal that integrated retail experiences are now table stakes.
From strategic acquisitions to generative AI and resilient consumer moments, retail in 2026 is defined by transformation at the intersection of data, technology and human-centric brand experiences.
Major Strategic Shifts in Grocery Retail
In a sweeping strategic pivot, Amazon confirmed it will shutter all of its Amazon Fresh and Amazon Go brick-and-mortar stores, concluding an era of physical grocery experiments that included cashier-less shopping and Just Walk Out technology. The company will instead double down on online grocery delivery and the expansion of its Whole Foods Market banner, planning over 100 new Whole Foods openings in the coming years and prioritizing same-day delivery in more U.S. markets. Amazon acknowledged that “we haven’t yet created a truly distinctive customer experience with the right economic model needed for large-scale expansion,” even as it leverages lessons learned and scales technologies like Just Walk Out into third-party locations.
Some of these former Amazon Fresh and Go locations are slated for conversion to Whole Foods stores, with new formats such as Whole Foods Market Daily Shop and experimental Amazon Grocery concepts under evaluation. This move underscores that while brick-and-mortar remains part of Amazon’s strategy, it will be closely aligned with delivery and fulfillment capabilities rather than standalone formats.
AI + Marketplace Governance
While technology opens new horizons, marketplaces are also wrestling with governance questions around AI-powered commerce. eBay has tightened its policies on autonomous agent shopping, updating its terms to prohibit “buy-for-me” bot agents from placing orders without explicit human consent — a stance that reflects broader concerns about control over checkout, data visibility and marketplace fairness as AI-driven shopping paradigms emerge.
This blend of strategic portfolio moves, economic signals, omnichannel execution and technology governance illustrates an industry at an inflection point — advancing rapidly in digital capabilities while recalibrating physical footprints and consumer engagement models in response to market reality.
This article was initiated using AI technology provided by Apple and OpenAI.
