Unified commerce 2026: The new retail battleground for Australian retailers

MELBOURNE, Australia - EntSun -- Australian technology consultancy Restive has released its 2026 Unified Commerce Trends Report, a free resource identifying the 15 most significant trends reshaping retail in Australia this year. The report draws on current market data and real-world examples to give retail leaders a clear picture of where the industry is heading - and what to do about it.

Retail is entering one of the most consequential periods of change in decades. Gen Z and Gen Alpha are the first truly AI-native consumers, with expectations that brands will meet them with personalised, connected experiences across every channel. At the same time, global giants Amazon, Temu and Shein are on track to capture 36 percent of Australia's online retail market by the end of 2026, generating an estimated $18 billion in sales. For local retailers, the window to modernise is narrowing.

The report covers a broad range of trends already playing out in the Australian market, including AI personalisation, social commerce, recommerce, omnichannel fulfilment, and the growing role of physical stores as experience hubs. It also examines the data infrastructure challenges that sit underneath most unified commerce failures - and why the retailers making real progress have stopped waiting for their platform vendor to solve the problem for them.

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The data tells a compelling story. Seventy-one percent of consumers now expect personalised interactions, and most report frustration when retailers fail to deliver. Nearly half of all Australians are already using AI to search for products online, rising to 66 percent among those under 45. Leading omnichannel retailers are achieving fulfilment speeds 20 to 30 percent faster than competitors, with delivery costs 15 percent lower.

The report also highlights what Australian brands including THE ICONIC, JB Hi-Fi, Bunnings and Bed Bath N' Table are doing right now to stay ahead, offering practical reference points for leaders navigating their own transformation.

Restive works with Australia's leading retail and commerce organisations to modernise customer journeys, unify their systems, and build the digital capabilities that drive sustainable growth. The 2026 Unified Commerce Trends Report is available as a free download at https://www.restive.com.au/unified-commerce-2026-trends-report/