The Week In News, But Shorter
January 19 – 25, 2026

A Weekly PropTech Newsletter bringing you industry updates from across the real estate spectrum

An article in the New York Times this week declared that “Tech Firms Are Persuading Retailers to Put A.I. Everywhere” and that “retail’s foray into the world of artificial intelligence has been a free-for-all.” We can’t say that we totally agree. We do see that the industry has been quicker to adopt this technology than perhaps they have been with past ones, but we don’t think that’s negative, like the NYT article positions it. Retail has some of the best AI use-cases and we see them being used in really smart ways across the spectrum; we wouldn’t say anyone is being “persuaded” to just add AI willy-nilly. However, something from the article that we do agree with is that there are a LOT of companies, big and small, vying to be part of the retail industry AI transformation, and that can be overwhelming and confusing. That’s where NextRivet comes in – we’re here to help you make sense of what’s out there, and which tools are the right fit for your exact situation. Find us on LinkedIn or send us an email to chat!

While AI is still the most covered topic these days, we also heard about some other topics include gaming, what the future might be for luxury department stores, and what the rise of interest in thrifting looks like online.

Digital Meets Physical

Tech Firms Are Persuading Retailers to Put A.I. Everywhere [The New York Times] Retail’s foray into the world of artificial intelligence has been a free-for-all. It doesn’t matter if they’re selling $35,000 ostrich leather handbags or chicken feed for 90 cents per pound, companies are trying to figure out how to integrate A.I. into all parts of their business, from chatbots at checkout, supply chains and security to advertising, inventory management, product design and hiring.

Coach expands gaming footprint with The Sims virtual fashions [RetailDive] Upscale leather goods and fashion brand Coach is teaming up with The Sims video game on branded in-game items and wearables that will be available free to players of The Sims 4.

3 retailers on their role in agentic AI experiences [CXDive] Executives from Home Depot, URBN and Wayfair discussed during NRF how companies remain the “merchant of record” by maintaining brand voice and handling customer service and other tasks.

ChatGPT Checkouts to Take 4% Cut of Shopify Merchant Sales [The Information] Shopify has told merchants that use its commerce software that it will open up sales through AI chatbots like ChatGPT later this month, according to its site and communications with sellers. Merchants will pay OpenAI a 4% fee on sales made through ChatGPT’s checkout feature on top of typical transaction fees.

Target and Google Partner for Direct In-App Shopping Via Gemini and AI Mode [ProgressiveGrocer] Shoppers will soon be able to browse product listings and buy directly from Target in AI Mode in Google Search and the Gemini app, Google’s AI assistant. This new capability gives consumers a fast track to purchase as they’re researching right on Google.

Goodwill’s e-commerce business hits record sales as online thrifting surges [ModernRetail] Goodwill’s digital strategy is paying off: Its online marketplace, ShopGoodwill.com, just logged its biggest year ever, turning donated goods into hundreds of millions of dollars for the nonprofit’s workforce programs.

PropTalk

Amazon Joins the Big-Box League With Its Largest-Ever Store [The Wall Street Journal] Amazon is launching its largest-ever retail store, planning a new property in the Chicago suburbs with a footprint big enough to squash the average Walmart store. About half of the store will sell groceries, general merchandise such as diapers and paper towels, and food prepared on site. The other half would be used for fulfillment of online orders.

Pop Mart plots 2026 growth — here’s where [Chain Store Age] Pop Mart is planning a major mall expansion in 2026 with the help of Simon Property Group. The trending Asian toy and collectibles retailer will open at more than 20 Simon malls and outlet centers across the country this year.

At Michaels, taking Party City and Joann’s market share was priority No. 1 [RetailDive] To capitalize on share opportunities in the party space, Michaels built balloon bars, introduced nearly 500 SKUs and aims to double that product assortment this year.

Saks And The Slow Goodbye To Luxury’s Original Theatre Of Dreams [Forbes] Saks Global filing for Chapter 11 this week is not just a balance-sheet story. It is a consumer-behaviour story wearing a corporate suit. Because luxury department stores were never “just shops.” They were trust machines. They translated the chaos of fashion into a curated and coherent point of view. They made newness feel safe and offered plenty of permission to buy.

Fifth Wall’s Retreat From Fundraising Marks a Moment for PropTech [Propmodo] Fifth Wall, long the poster child for real-estate venture capital with about $3 billion in capital under management, just hit an inflection point: staff cuts and a halt to active fundraising. That marks a stark pivot from a firm that once raised record-breaking real estate and climate tech funds and assembled a roster of more than 110 strategic limited partners and 150 portfolio companies tied to the built world.