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Britons turning to AI ‘to help with savvy spending in 2026’ – American Express

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January 13, 2026

UK shoppers continue to warm to artificial intelligence (AI) in their decision-making, according to new research. AI’s increasingly shaping how consumers plan and buy goods as they look for savvier ways to manage spending in 2026, says American Express. 

American Express

Its latest Spending Spotlight research shows 29% of UK adults either plan to, or will consider using, AI assistants and tools when they shop this year, rising to 37% for consumers aged 18-34. 

Indeed, those younger consumers are using bots to compare prices (31%) and track deals (25%), along with boosting their research confidence by surfacing reviews and key product details (31%) and uncovering new brands and alternatives (27%). 

Also, 20% of consumers say AI’s helpful when looking for inspiration for new experiences, from activities and events to travel ideas – “highlighting its growing role in shaping how people plan and spend their downtime”. 

More broadly, the Spending Spotlight also shows 46% of Britons are entering 2026 with a New Year’s spending resolution, such as shopping around for deals, tracking their spending more closely and buying from eco-friendly brands. 

The research also suggests competition for consumer loyalty is set to intensify among retailers, with savvy shoppers increasingly looking to rewards and incentives when deciding where to spend. Two-thirds (66%) of respondents say they have used loyalty or rewards points to get a better deal in the past year and plan to continue doing so through 2026. 

This reward-seeking focus is also influencing where people choose to shop as 61% say they have intentionally chosen to spend with businesses with loyalty programmes and plan to continue spending with them, “reinforcing the importance of rewards to driving repeat custom”, the report said. 

Dan Edelman, UK general manager, Merchant Services, American Express, added: “We’re seeing AI progressing at pace into a valuable companion for shoppers to help them plan and feel confident in their spending decisions.

“What’s also clear is that as people continue to look at savvier ways to spend, being rewarded for their loyalty remains highly important to shoppers. For retailers, that means competing not just on price, but on the quality of information, experience and incentives they provide.” 

 

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The Perfume Shop does it again with big Christmas sales as Dior, Carolina Herrera, Chanel top the charts

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January 13, 2026

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January 13, 2026

The Perfume Shop was up against tough year-ago comparisons when it came to its Christmas 2025 sales performance. So how did the retailer, which is a portfolio mate of Superdrug in the AS Watson empire, do? Very well, considering Christmas 2024 was deemed its “busiest ever”.

Carolina Herrera Good Girl EdP

Total sales last month delivered 1.6% year-on-year growth while selling over 1.58 million bottles of fragrance between 30 November and 24 December, the equivalent of more than 63,000 bottles a day, it noted, up 6% on a year ago.

The hottest brands? “Timeless icons”, such as Dior Sauvage, Carolina Herrera Good Girl and Chanel Coco Mademoiselle, led the fine fragrance category. Launches such as Carolina Herrera La Bomba and Prada Paradigme were also among the strongest performers of the season.

The Perfume Shop said this year’s shopping behaviours “reflected a more intentional approach to Christmas spending”.

It explained: “[While we] saw online searches begin in September, customers timed their purchases around those major deal moments they knew were worth waiting for. Interest peaked around Black Friday and again from mid-December, culminating between the 14th and 20th of December, becoming the retailer’s strongest week of the season”.

It added: “The classic last-minute rush also played a starring role”, as 23 December became the single biggest in-store trading day.

It also noted that throughout the season, shoppers “continued their shift away from multi-product promotions and
instead responded best to simple price drops on single bottles or sets, a trend that has been consistent across 2025”.

Gift sets also delivered “another standout year” with overall sales increasing 4% on last year, while online demand for sets surged 62% during the peak Christmas period.

Across the full year, sets represented 16.8% of total sales, up from 15.7% in 2024, “a clear sign that customers still consider them one of the most reliable gifting choices”.

Personalisation was “another major success story”, from engraved bottles to personalised ribbons and gift messages, customers embraced bespoke touches more than ever”. Here, online personalisation services “rose significantly,” with December up 23.74% year-on-year. Individual services also saw strong growth, including 50,000 gift wraps (+84.6% on-year), 54,000 personalised ribbons (+106.8%), 21,000 engraved bottles and 3,500 custom gift messages introduced in November.

Meanwhile, Click & Collect services remained “a key part of the Christmas countdown, while Next Day Delivery again proved essential for last-minute gifting and the partnership with Deliveroo for last minute deliveries”, it added.

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Achilles Ion Gabriel to step down as Camper’s creative director

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January 13, 2026

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January 13, 2026

Camper announces the departure of its creative director, Achilles Ion Gabriel. The designer, who has been with the Mallorcan company since 2019, will step down from the creative helm of both the main brand and its more experimental line, CamperLab. As the Balearic footwear company reported on Tuesday, the last collections developed under his leadership will be for spring/ summer 2027 and will be presented at the beginning of next December.

Camper announces the departure of its creative director, Achilles Ion Gabriel. – Camper

“Achilles has played a key role in strengthening Camper’s contemporary identity and in the evolution of CamperLab, which has gone from being a footwear brand to a fashion brand,” said Miguel Fluxà, CEO of Camper. “His vision and leadership have contributed significantly to the evolution of both brands. We are grateful for his contribution and proud of what we have achieved together, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavours,” the executive added.

The company said that, following the designer’s departure, the in-house team will assume the creative direction of the two labels, “ensuring the continued development of both brands going forward.”

“I am deeply grateful to Camper and CamperLab for the trust they have placed in me over the years. I would also like to thank our customers and consumers for their loyalty,” said Achilles Ion Gabriel. The Finnish-born designer assumed the role of creative director at CamperLab in 2019 with the mission of transforming a footwear-focused brand into a fashion label with a full catalogue; a year later, he also took on the same position at the flagship brand, Camper.

Founded in 1975 by the Fluxà family on the Balearic island of Mallorca, Camper is now a global footwear company. It operates a commercial network of around 350 of its own stores and is present in more than 2,500 multi-brand points of sale across around 50 markets. According to its latest available financial data, in the 2023 financial year it achieved a turnover of 225 million euros.

Over the past five years, the company has focused on elevating its positioning, mainly through its CamperLab line, which debuted at Paris Men’s Fashion Week last June. It was in 2024 that the label moved into ready-to-wear, and in 2025, in addition to opening a store in Paris and opening a pop-up in London, it unveiled its new brand identity.

As for the main brand, last summer Camper presented a capsule with Issey Miyake and opened the first store designed by then creative director Achilles Ion Gabriel on Madrid’s Calle Serrano.

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Spring and Autumn Fair trade shows make leadership changes

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January 13, 2026

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January 13, 2026

​Trade show specialist Hyve Group has made two senior leadership appointments ahead of upcoming Spring Fair (1-4 February) and Autumn Fair (6-9 September).

Fay Tranter

Fay Tranter has joined the Spring Fair team as event director, while Matthew Mein has been appointed event director for both Glee and Autumn Fair, “reinforcing [the events’] commitment to long-term growth, strategic focus and delivering exceptional experiences for exhibitors and visitors alike”.

Tranter brings a “strong and diverse background spanning B2C and B2B events, marketing, sales and event leadership”. She has also worked in London’s West End with impresario Andrew Lloyd Webber, “giving her a unique blend of commercial and creative expertise”.

Portfolio director Jackson Szabo added: “As the largest show in the UK, Spring Fair demands year-round strategic focus and dedicated leadership to unlock its full potential. But more broadly, our role is about supporting the retail industry at a time of real change. From independent retailers to major multiples, businesses are looking for inspiration, practical insight and trusted connections, and Spring Fair has a critical part to play in enabling that growth. Fay brings a fresh perspective, a wealth of experience and an infectious energy.”

Following the co-location of Autumn Fair and Glee, and with both shows “retaining their distinct identities, communities and sector focus”, Mein’s is an internal appointment that sees him add Autumn Fair to his Glee directorship, to “ensure each event continues to deliver clearly defined value for its core audiences while benefiting from closer strategic coordination”.

Matthew Mein
Matthew Mein

Mein added: “Glee and Autumn Fair together represent a huge opportunity. Bringing these communities closer will allow us to create a more connected, dynamic and impactful event experience. The growth we’re seeing now, and the strength of the 2026 pipeline, makes this an incredibly exciting time to take the next step.”

Szabo also said: “With [the shows] coming together… our ambition is to create environments that genuinely help retailers source better, plan smarter and build more resilient businesses. Matthew understands the challenges facing the industry and the importance of serving distinct communities well, and that’s exactly what we need as we look to support sustainable retail growth across the UK.”

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