E-Commerce & AI Commerce News Digest (January 12, 2026)

Today's Highlights

commercetools Announces Agentic Commerce Strategy at NRF 2026, JD Sports Becomes First Adopter

commercetools Kicks Off NRF 2026 - including Updates on Stripe ACS, AI Hub, and Helping Enterprises Stay Discoverable and Shoppable in Agentic Commerce

At a glance Stripe and commercetools showcase early enterprise adoption of the Agentic Commerce Suite (ACS), with JD Sports signing on as the first...

commercetools made multiple announcements at NRF 2026 signaling its full-scale entry into agentic commerce.

The company announced integration with Stripe's Agentic Commerce Suite (ACS), with JD Sports stepping up as the first adopter. JD Sports combines commercetools' Agentic Jumpstart with ACS to enable seamless product discovery through large language models (LLMs) and AI assistants through to secure checkout and payment.

AI Hub functionality expansion was also announced. AI Hub is foundational technology that enables retail companies to make products discoverable by AI agents and complete transactions without major changes to their existing commercetools environment. This is expected to significantly lower the barrier to entry for agentic commerce.

Nespresso was also announced as a new customer. Dirk Hoerig, the company's founder and CIO, stated: "2025 was a year of understanding how Discoverability changes in an AI-driven world. 2026 is the year to put that understanding into action," emphasizing the transition to the implementation phase of agentic commerce.

Korean FTC Suggests Possible Business Suspension for Coupang Over Data Breach

FTC chief says business suspension of Coupang possible amid data-breach probe

Ordering a temporary suspension of business operations at e-commerce giant Coupang may be possible, the head of Korea's antitrust watchdog said Mon...

Ju Byung-gi, Chairman of Korea's Fair Trade Commission (FTC), suggested the possibility of a temporary business suspension order against Coupang.

In a radio interview on the 12th, Chairman Ju stated: "If corrective orders are not implemented or deemed insufficient for consumer relief, business suspension is also possible." Coupang had announced on December 25 last year that a former employee had gained unauthorized access to 33.7 million user account records.

The former employee is said to be a 43-year-old Chinese national who worked in the company's IT department from November 2022 to 2024. They allegedly stole internal security keys and actually saved data from approximately 3,000 accounts (names, email addresses, phone numbers, addresses, limited order information, and 2,609 apartment entrance codes).

In response, Coupang announced platform-specific vouchers worth 1.69 trillion won (approximately 170 billion yen) as compensation for victims, but the Ministry of Science and ICT criticized these findings as "one-sided and incomplete." Additionally, over 500,000 people have joined class action lawsuit forums in online communities, with law firms filing suits seeking 200,000-300,000 won per person in damages.

Payments & Fintech

Ant International Supports Google UCP, Major Asian Payment Provider Enters Agentic Space

Ant International Partners with Google's Universal Commerce Protocol to Expand AI Capabilities

Business Wire IndiaAnt International, a leading global payment, digitisation, and financial technology provider, is collaborating on the launch of...

Ant International announced support for Google's Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP). With 1.8 billion user accounts and 150 million merchants primarily in the Asia-Pacific region, the company's entry accelerates the global expansion of agentic commerce.

Ant International is developing agentic payment solutions leveraging its expertise in Alternative Payment Methods and digital wallets. Using the company's Antom EasySafePay, users can complete shopping through checkout without leaving their AI experience.

On the security front, they utilize Multi-Party Computation (MPC)-based AI risk management and mobile device security systems to detect and block fraudulent transactions. They also provide refund guarantees for payment partners against account takeover fraud.

Jiang-Ming Yang, Chief Innovation Officer, stated: "We are pleased to deepen our collaboration with Google and support the agentic commerce ecosystem. We will leverage our payment capabilities to provide merchant-friendly, seamless user experiences and end-to-end trust."

AI Commerce Tools

Fluent Commerce Announces AI-Powered A/B Testing for Fulfillment Optimization

Fluent Commerce Launches AI-Powered Order Sourcing Logic with A/B Testing

/PRNewswire/ -- Fluent Commerce, the leading global provider of distributed Order Management System (OMS), Fluent Order Management, today announced...

Fluent Commerce announced an AI-powered A/B testing feature for Order Management Systems (OMS). This feature allows retail companies to test multiple order sourcing logics in parallel and automatically identify optimal strategies.

Previously, comparing fulfillment strategies was difficult, with many companies relying on "experience and intuition." The new feature enables real-time comparison of metrics including gross margin, shipping costs, split shipment rates, order-to-delivery time, and average shipping distance. Additionally, AI can automatically apply winning sourcing logic to production.

CEO Graham Jackson stated: "Order sourcing is one of the most complex decision points in commerce, and until now it has relied on static rules and intuition. By applying AI to both the design and execution of A/B testing, retailers can move from guessing to knowing."

The pilot program will begin for select existing customers in H1 2026, with general availability planned for H2 2026.

Business Developments & Partnerships

Pacsun Launches Social Commerce App PS Community Hub for Gen Z/Gen Alpha

Revolutionizing Retail: Pacsun Launches PS Community Hub

/PRNewswire/ -- Pacsun is expanding its mission to reshape retail through creator-driven community engagement with the announcement of the upcoming...

Pacsun announced "PS Community Hub," a unique platform merging social commerce and the creator economy. The app, unveiled at NRF 2026, takes a different approach from traditional retail apps and loyalty programs.

Users can post content, build followers, and earn affiliate rewards. Top creators are offered opportunities to co-create capsule collections with Pacsun. AI is used for content moderation, personalization, customer service, and analytics.

As a next-generation mobile platform targeting Gen Z and Gen Alpha, it represents an attempt to redefine the relationship between brands and consumers.

Global E-Commerce Trends

Spanish E-Commerce Market Hits Record High in Q2 2025, Up 22.6% YoY

Spanish e-commerce sales hit record EUR 28.3 bln in Q2

The Spanish e-commerce market continued posting double-digit growth in the second quarter of 2025, reaching record sales of EUR 28.3 billion, up 22...

The Spanish e-commerce market recorded its highest-ever sales in Q2 2025. According to the latest data from regulator CNMC, sales reached €28.3 billion, representing 22.6% year-over-year growth.

Driving this growth are digital services including travel, entertainment, and streaming. Mobile commerce penetration is also notable, with 71% of all e-commerce transactions occurring via mobile in Q1 2025.

On the logistics front, carriers including Correos, SEUR, and GLS have enhanced their systems, reducing average delivery times by 25% year-over-year. Same-day and next-day delivery is becoming standard in major metropolitan areas.

Market forecasts indicate the Spanish e-commerce market will grow at an average annual rate of 8.21% from 2025 to 2029, reaching $56.46 billion by 2029.

Summary

January 12's e-commerce and AI commerce industry continued to be dominated by NRF 2026 announcements. commercetools' Stripe ACS integration and JD Sports' first adoption indicate that agentic commerce is transitioning from the experimental to the implementation stage.

Meanwhile, Coupang's data breach issue has once again highlighted the importance of data governance for e-commerce platforms. The Korean authorities mentioning the possibility of business suspension in response to the massive leak of 33.7 million personal records serves as a warning to the entire Asian e-commerce industry.

Ant International's Google UCP support signals that agentic commerce is gaining momentum in Asian markets as well. With 1.8 billion users, the company's entry is expected to accelerate AI agent-mediated payments in the Asia-Pacific region.

Going forward, attention should be paid to detailed implementation plans from companies announced at NRF 2026 and new partner companies adopting Google's Universal Commerce Protocol.