Argos Expands Its Marketplace to 70,000+ Products, Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days Pull In $9.86 Billion
4 min read · October 9, 2026 · Covering October 8 · 9 stories from 4 sources
Yesterday in ecommerce: Argos widened its vetted-seller marketplace, Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days pulled in $9.86 billion, and a new study found ChatGPT shoppers lean hard on product cards. 9 stories, about 5 minutes.
01Marketplaces
Argos widens its Trusted Sellers marketplace toward 130,000 products
Argos is widening its Trusted Sellers marketplace, where vetted outside sellers fulfil their own orders. The curated range has passed 70,000 products in furniture, home and toys, and now adds health and beauty names such as Clarins, Dermalogica and Medicube, plus gifting and electricals. Argos aims to reach 130,000 products by the end of 2026, while shoppers still earn Nectar Points. Managing director Graham Biggart called it 'the biggest expansion of our range in our history.'
For your store:If a big retailer can add 60,000 products through vetted partners in months, a tight seller-vetting process can grow your own catalog as fast.
Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days pull in $9.86 billion, Adobe says
U.S. shoppers spent $9.86 billion online during Amazon's October 6-7 Prime Big Deal Days, Adobe reports, up 8.5% from 2025's $9.09 billion. Discounts reached 20% off, deepest in electronics, toys and apparel. Mobile devices drove 52% of sales, about $5.1 billion. Buy now, pay later covered 6% of orders and $692 million in sales. Toy sales jumped 158%, costumes 610% ahead of Halloween, and headphones 300% versus September.
For your store:If a two-day event can move this much volume, plan your own flash sale around the same dates and lean into the categories shoppers are already primed to buy.
Tesco's online sales grow 8% as profit guidance climbs
Tesco raised its annual profit guidance to £3.15bn-£3.3bn after a strong first half, with adjusted profit up 6.3% to £1.78bn. CEO Ken Murphy said online sales grew 8% in the half, with Whoosh, its rapid delivery service, up 37% and on track to pass £500m this year. New tie-ups with Uber Eats and Deliveroo extend fast delivery, and the retailer is rolling AI-driven meal planning out to customers.
For your store:A grocery giant's rapid-delivery growth shows shoppers will pay for speed; if you don't already offer a fast local or same-day option, test one before the holidays.
Shopify adds discounted DHL shipping across seven European markets
Shopify expanded shipping tools for European merchants ahead of the holidays, adding discounted DHL rates with no separate account or monthly fee. DHL Express now covers Germany, the UK, France, Italy and Spain, while DHL eCommerce reaches Poland and the Netherlands for the first time. Merchants can batch-print labels and track orders from the Shopify admin. Product VP Cameron McKnight said it lets merchants 'take hundreds of orders through picking, packing and shipping in one run.'
For your store:If you sell into Europe on Shopify, compare these new carrier rates before signing a separate shipping deal.
84% of ChatGPT purchases come straight from a product card, study finds
A study of 224 shopping tasks by Clickstream Solutions for ReFiBuy found 84% of final ChatGPT purchase choices came from a product card, not a link or search result. 75% of tasks began with a card, and the first card shown won 43% of choices, far above chance. ReFiBuy's Scot Wingo said product cards are 'critical to winning the consumer's buying decision.' The figure covers ChatGPT only; Google's AI Mode was less card-driven.
For your store:If you sell anywhere ChatGPT might recommend you, your product title, image and price need to look complete inside a small card, not just on your page.
Walmart rolls out 1-hour pickup and in-store ASL interpreting
Walmart is launching curbside Express Pickup at 500 stores, promising orders in about an hour, free for Walmart+ members, and expanding nationwide in the coming weeks. It also added American Sign Language interpreting at U.S. service desks: shoppers scan a QR code to reach a Sorenson interpreter. US retail chief David Guggina said about 80% of Walmart's e-commerce deliveries already flow through stores, with almost 40% arriving in hours or minutes.
For your store:Fast pickup and accessibility both earn loyalty; even a small store can offer a short pickup window and a simple way for any customer to get help.
Amazon trims its Stores division, declines to say how many roles
Amazon is cutting roles in its Stores division, which runs Amazon.com and Whole Foods retail operations. The company would not confirm numbers or which roles are affected, saying only it is adjusting team structures to 'move fast as we innovate for customers' and will support affected staff through the transition. The cuts follow 2025's roughly 14,000 corporate layoffs, even as Amazon's online store sales rose 15% to about $70.4 billion last quarter.
For your store:Even a growing business keeps cutting costs in the background; review your own overhead regularly instead of waiting for a slow quarter to force the issue.
ThredUp's CEO shrugs off AI's rising bill: 'I didn't care'
ThredUp co-founder James Reinhart told the RetailClub AI Festival that AI costs grew faster than he expected as the resale platform scales usage, but said 'I was both surprised and didn't care at all.' He argues the productivity gains will outweigh early costs and wants employees using AI freely rather than cautiously. On ThredUp's Q2 call, revenue rose 17% to $90.8 million even as net loss grew to $5.9 million.
For your store:Don't let a scary AI bill stop experimentation; track the spend, but judge it against the time or sales it's actually saving you.
Levi's leans on wholesale and tariff refunds in a soft DTC quarter
Levi's grew Q3 revenue 4% to $1.6 billion, but direct-to-consumer sales rose just 2% as US back-to-school demand missed expectations; CEO Michelle Gass said the brand had overemphasized loose fits while shoppers shifted to low-rise styles. Wholesale revenue grew 6%, and about $80 million in tariff refunds lifted gross margin by 450 basis points. Roughly three-quarters of the refund is being reinvested in marketing and supply chain work this year.
For your store:Watch which of your own product bets are aging out of favor; a quick style or assortment correction can matter more than any one quarter's weak traffic.
The Daily Checkout is a daily summary written by KonvertiQ. Every story links to its original source, where you will find full reporting and context. Covered today: ChannelX / Tamebay, Digital Commerce 360, Internet Retailing, Retail Dive.