February was a busy month behind the scenes at Arktic Fox. We officially announced the Digital Shelf Accelerator, a hands-on program designed to help brands build capability in AI, content and discoverability. We also opened our 2026 industry survey, capturing how brands and retailers are prioritising digital investment, retail media and performance in the year ahead.
From many of the discussions I am having in market, one theme continues to surface, the ground is shifting fast and teams are being expected to do more with less. This month’s newsletter explores what that some of that shift looks like in practice, from quick commerce acceleration to AI-powered comparison and the growing strategic weight of the post-purchase customer experience.
So what’s been happening in the digital, data & eComm space?
📱 Meta explores AI powered shopping research tool. Meta is reportedly piloting a shopping research feature within its AI web browser for select US users, allowing shoppers to request product suggestions and receive curated results featuring product imagery with information about the brand, price and retailer websites. Recommendations can be tailored based on a user’s location, though checkout remains on the merchant’s site. The test reflects the growing role of AI chat interfaces in early-stage product discovery, as comparison and consideration increasingly shift into conversational environments.
🪚 Bunnings launches on Uber Eats with over 30,000 products. Launching across 15 locations in Australia before rolling out nationwide and into New Zealand, the move builds on a Melbourne trial and an earlier same day parcel delivery partnership introduced in 2024. From last minute DIY fixes and garden projects to urgent worksite supplies, hardware is firmly entering the on-demand economy. The message is clear: convenience is no longer confined to food and grocery. Speed, flexibility and app-based access are becoming part of the core retail proposition, even in traditionally store led categories.
🤖 OpenAI begins testing ads in ChatGPT. OpenAI has begun rolling out ads within ChatGPT for free users in the US, marking a significant shift in its monetisation strategy. According to Mashable, ads will appear in a clearly separated format alongside responses and will be labelled to avoid confusion with generated answers, with users able to opt out temporarily. The move signals growing commercial pressure on AI platforms to scale revenue beyond subscriptions. It also positions ChatGPT as an emerging intent-driven media channel, reshaping how brands approach discoverability as consumers increasingly ask AI tools for recommendations, comparisons and purchase guidance.
🛒 Amazon to challenge Woolworths, Coles with Harris Farm fresh food deal. Amazon Australia has partnered with Harris Farm Markets to launch fresh food delivery, beginning in Sydney with same day and next day options and free delivery over $100 for Prime members. The move extends Amazon’s existing range of more than 55,000 non-perishable grocery items, enabling customers to complete a full grocery shop including fresh produce, meat and dairy. Grocery remains one of Amazon’s last major growth frontiers in Australia. As speed, convenience and digital discovery become baseline expectations in food retail, competitive pressure on Woolworths, Coles and independent networks will only intensify.
🚚 The Iconic boosts delivery convenience with Saturday delivery via Australia Post. Fashion and lifestyle platform The Iconic has strengthened its delivery proposition across the eastern seaboard of Australia, introducing Saturday delivery, both standard and express, in partnership with Australia Post. Extending fulfilment beyond the traditional weekday window reflects a broader shift in expectation. Customers are not just demanding faster delivery, they are expecting more control over when and how their orders arrive.
We hope you enjoy this month’s newsletter! 🦊
✍️ our latest insights
The race for immediacy: How quick commerce is reshaping grocery in Australia
It is hard to imagine everyday life without platforms like Uber Eats or DoorDash. What began as restaurant delivery has quietly evolved into something far more consequential for grocery and convenience brands.
Uber Eats arrived in Australia nearly a decade ago and has since surpassed one billion deliveries nationwide…
Why fulfillment & returns are the next frontier in loyalty
For more than a decade, retailers have invested heavily in building faster, more seamless online experiences. Search has improved. Checkouts have shortened. Omnichannel integration has strengthened. The objective has been clear: remove friction, increase conversion, and drive efficient digital growth.
Retailers, AI search and the future of discoverability
For years, discovery on the digital shelf largely depended on broad search engines like Google, alongside retailer search and category listings built around keyword matching. Shoppers typed in what they wanted, scanned ranked lists, and clicked through options.
That model is now shifting.
🔎 inside digital & ecommerce survey 2026
If you have followed me for a while, you will know that each year we run a report with Six Degrees Executive on what is happening on the ground across digital, marketing and eCommerce teams in Australia.
For 2026, we are taking a more deliberate focus on Retail and Consumer brands, going deeper on the capabilities, challenges and opportunities shaping eCommerce, marTech and data, retail media, AI and more as complexity continues to rise.
If you are a leader in CPG, FMCG, brand manufacturing or retail, I would value your input.
• 10 to 12 minutes to complete
• All responses are anonymous
• Contributors receive early access to the final report
🦊 introducing: the digital shelf accelerator
Over the past few months, many of our conversations have centred on the same question: are we truly set up to win on the digital shelf as AI reshapes discovery? To support brands navigating that shift, we’re launching the Arktic Fox Digital Shelf Accelerator in Melbourne this May.
A practical, in-person workshop focused on frameworks, capability and immediate application, designed to help teams prioritise what matters most. If this sits in your remit, I’d love to see you in the room. Register your interest through the link below - limited spots available!
🎙️ unpacking the digital shelf: apac edition
This month, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Belinda Gruebner, Fractional CMO and former CMO at Moose Toys, to explore how discovery in the toy industry has shifted from catalogue driven retail to creator led, always on storytelling. Having known Belinda for over a decade, it was a full circle conversation reflecting on how marketing has evolved from seasonal TV campaigns to community powered discovery, AI influenced search and omni channel journeys shaped as much by parents as by kids.
In the episode, we unpack what it really takes to scale digital and marketing capability across global markets, rethink packaging and owned content as part of the broader retail experience and navigate the ethical and regulatory realities reshaping the digital shelf, including Australia’s new under 16 social media restrictions. It is an honest and practical conversation about content, community and the responsibility brands carry as technology continues to accelerate.
📈 chart of the month
Detailed Product Information Drives Trust in AI Recommendations
New data from Salsify’s 2026 Consumer Research Report shows that detailed product descriptions and specifications are the biggest driver of trust in AI generated recommendations, influencing 31% of shoppers. Brand recognition follows at 27%, while personalised explanations and customer reviews each contribute 25%.
For brands, the implication is clear: product content is no longer a hygiene factor. The quality, structure and depth of your data will directly influence how AI represents your brand and whether shoppers feel confident enough to convert. In AI-mediated environments, incomplete or generic content does not just reduce visibility, it erodes trust at the point of decision.
🔗 what we’re reading & listening to
📰 2026 Marketplace Consumer Report | Pattern
📰 Reimagining omnichannel CX in the age of AI | qualtrics xm
📰 Emails that sell: how top retail brands drive revenue | Bloomreach
✍🏼 CBD retail vacancies fall to lowest rate on record | InsideRetail
✍🏼 Snapchat+ hits 25 million subscribers, signaling a shift beyond ads | EMARKETER
🎙️Agentic Commerce Is Here: What Shopify’s UCP Means for Ecommerce | Add to Cart
🤝 we’re here to help
Change is the new normal, and we know it can feel like a lot to navigate. That’s why we work alongside leaders and their teams to tackle challenges across digital, data, and eCommerce, helping you make sense of complexity and move forward with confidence.
Whether it’s defining or clarifying strategy, upskilling through training, or inspiring new ideas through thought leadership, we meet you where you are and support you in making things happen.
Get in touch - we’d love to hear from you.
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