ChatGPT Lets Shoppers Try On Clothes Before They Buy, Walmart Opens a Fifth Robotic Fulfillment Center
5 min read · October 10, 2026 · Covering October 9 · 10 stories from 4 sources
Yesterday in ecommerce: ChatGPT shoppers can now try on clothes with AI-generated photos of themselves, and Walmart opened its fifth automated fulfillment center while a new survey found 60% of holiday shoppers plan to lean on AI tools. 10 stories, about 5 minutes.
01AI & Agents
ChatGPT adds a virtual try-on button for clothes and accessories
Shoppers browsing clothing and accessories inside ChatGPT can now tap a "try on" button, upload a photo of themselves, and see AI-generated images wearing the item. Saved picks land in a new ChatGPT Library, organized into folders. The launch follows OpenAI's shopping research tool from last year and comes after retailers including David's Bridal and Etsy built storefronts inside ChatGPT. A 2024 Perfect Corp. survey found brands using virtual try-on saw conversion rates more than double.
For your store:If shoppers can already try on items inside ChatGPT, keep your product photos clean against plain backgrounds, since images like these train the tech.
Walmart opens its fifth automated fulfillment center, this one in California
Walmart opened a 900,000-square-foot fulfillment center in Stockton, California, its fifth next-generation facility. An automated storage and retrieval system brings products to workers instead of making them walk the floor, cutting the fulfillment process from 12 steps to five. The center serves Walmart.com orders and third-party sellers using Walmart Fulfillment Services. Walmart says automated sites now handle over half of its ecommerce volume and let it reach 95% of the US population with next- or two-day shipping.
For your store:You don't need a warehouse robot to copy the lesson: map your own pick-and-pack steps and cut whatever doesn't need a human touch.
60% of shoppers will lean on AI this holiday season, ICSC finds
A new ICSC survey of about 1,000 consumers found just over 60% plan to use AI tools or assistants while holiday shopping, up from 47% a year earlier, and 86% will research before buying. Sales are projected to grow 4.3% to 4.9% this season, but 49% are worried about affording gifts and half say debt will weigh on their budget. ICSC's Tom McGee said shoppers "remain resilient, but they're more discerning and value-conscious."
For your store:Expect more AI-assisted browsing and price comparison; make sure your product pages and reviews hold up when a shopper's AI assistant is doing the vetting.
The EU drafts a third fee on packages shipped in from outside the bloc
A leaked draft of the EU's planned Product Act adds a market surveillance fee on parcels from outside the EU, on top of the existing 3-euro import fee and 2-euro handling fee due in November. The fee would fund product inspections and scale with surveillance costs, with no amount set yet. Fines for non-compliant sellers could reach 6% of global revenue, though the draft gives no timeline.
For your store:If you ship into the EU from outside it, budget for a third fee on top of the two already in place.
Sainsbury's rebuilds its app around an AI shopping list called SmartLists
Sainsbury's relaunched its app with SmartLists, an AI tool that builds a shopping list from typed text, speech, or a photo of what's needed, and can turn a meal idea straight into matched ingredients. It shows Nectar Prices before items go in the trolley and folds in ChopChop delivery, SmartShop and Product Finder. Product director Ben Edge said it's "designed to take the effort out of creating and buying a shopping list."
For your store:A single app that remembers what customers buy and reorders it for them is a loyalty tool smaller stores can copy with a simple reorder button.
Chip shortages could push up Christmas tech prices, CIPS warns
CIPS's Q3 Global Pulse survey found 36% of businesses saw shipping and logistics costs jump, and 26% expect computer and peripheral prices to rise as chip shortages squeeze supply before the holidays. CEO Ben Farrell warned disruption is nearing "the point at which supply chain disruption starts to undermine the economics of making and selling everyday goods," and said boards need to act on what procurement teams are seeing now.
For your store:If you sell electronics or anything with a chip inside, lock in stock and pricing now, since lead times and costs look set to worsen closer to Christmas.
Swedish ecommerce grows 8% as pharmacy and grocery lead online sales
Sweden's online sales rose 8% year over year in the second quarter, PostNord's E-barometern report found, with every online sector growing. Pharmacy led at 13%, groceries and home electronics both grew 10%, while furniture and home furnishings slowed sharply to 4% growth from 20% a year earlier. Half of consumers called customer reviews the most crucial factor in choosing a product, and stores' own websites still handle 54% of shopping, though AI services are expected to gain ground.
For your store:If reviews already decide half your sales, make them easy to find and current, not just present somewhere on the page.
ASOS and adidas take their sold-out capsule collection to Paris
ASOS and adidas Originals are opening a four-day pop-up at adidas' Champs-Elysees store for their fifth joint collection, following a London pop-up that sold out of core styles. The 1980s-inspired range, including tracksuits and oversized track jackets, goes on early sale to ASOS.World members on 15 October and globally the next day. ASOS brand VP Vanessa Spence said the goal was to "give people the confidence to be bolder with sportswear."
For your store:A short pop-up tied to a limited drop can sell out a collection before it ever needs a markdown; a small store can borrow that scarcity, even online-only.
Boots lands OLAPLEX after shoppers searched for it for months
Boots is adding OLAPLEX's bond-building haircare to 36 UK stores and boots.com from this week, with the rollout finished by November, part of a push to add 50 new brands before peak season. Boots said OLAPLEX had been one of its most-searched premium haircare brands among names it didn't yet stock. Luxury beauty director Alice Rafferty said Boots was "incredibly excited to welcome OLAPLEX."
For your store:Track what shoppers search for on your own site but can't find; that gap is often your next best-selling addition.
Freemans relaunches with a nod to its 1950s signature and a new site
Online department store Freemans unveiled a multi-million-pound rebrand aimed at women over 40, who it says drive 93% of household purchasing and spend £92 billion a year. The refresh revives the brand's handwritten signature, last used in the 1950s, with a new plum-and-green palette and a redesigned, easier-to-navigate site. CEO Ann Steer said the retailer has "remained steadfast" in serving "a customer we know exceptionally well: women over 40."
For your store:Know exactly which customer segment drives your revenue, then let your whole site design speak to them instead of a generic shopper.
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: Digital Commerce 360, Ecommerce News Europe, Retail Dive, Retail Gazette.