January 2026 · E-commerce Notes

January is when the noise from peak season fades and early operating patterns for the year become clearer. As holiday results settled and first-quarter decisions came into focus, a handful of updates offered a clearer view of how platforms, retailers, and consumers are operating at the start of 2026. Below is a curated selection of January updates observed over the course of the month.

Platforms & Marketplaces

Cross-border commerce and platform control were the clearest themes in January, with marketplaces adjusting how participation works across regions. Several of these changes point to stricter operating expectations being set at market level rather than applied uniformly across geographies.

Temu moves Türkiye to a local-only operating model

Temu announced that it will operate on a local-only basis in Türkiye, stepping away from cross-border fulfillment in the market. The change tightens the operating framework for sellers and places local compliance and domestic fulfillment at the center of participation. For brands active in the market, access and execution will now be shaped more directly by local operating requirements.

Source
- https://ecommercenews.eu/temu-becomes-local-only-in-turkiye/

Temu reaches parity with Amazon in cross-border sales

January data showed Temu matching Amazon’s share of cross-border e-commerce sales. Competitive positions in global marketplaces are no longer changing gradually, and this comparison makes that clear. Cross-border scale continues to be a defining factor in platform competition.

Sources
- https://ecommercenews.eu/temu-matches-amazon-in-cross-border-sales/
- https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2026/01/22/temu-vs-amazon-cross-border-ecommerce-sales-2025/

Holiday Performance & Returns

Post-holiday reporting in January focused less on topline growth and more on the operational consequences of peak season. Attention has shifted toward tighter cost control, margin visibility, and execution efficiency.

Online holiday sales end the year with steady growth

Final figures confirmed that online holiday sales grew at a stable pace, supported by sustained digital demand and aggressive promotions. At the same time, pressure on profitability was more visible than in previous years, influencing how retailers approach the months ahead.

Sources
- https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/article/online-holiday-sales/
- https://www.retaildive.com/news/holiday-e-commerce-spending-growth-ai-assistants-two-hundred-fifty-eight-billion/808742/

Post-holiday returns rise sharply

Returns increased significantly in the weeks following the holiday season. Higher order volumes and broader assortments continue to push returns higher, turning what was once a seasonal issue into a year-round operational concern. Returns are continuing to strain operations as teams move through the early part of the year.

Sources
- https://www.retaildive.com/news/returns-spike-new-year-retail/808367/
- https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2026/01/27/2025-2026-holiday-season-returns/

Technology & AI in Commerce

AI featured prominently in January, not as a future concept, but as a visible part of how shoppers already behave. Much of the discussion has moved from experimentation to practical use within everyday shopping journeys.

AI becomes a mainstream part of product research

January reporting showed shoppers increasingly using generative AI tools to research and compare products during the holiday period. Product discovery is no longer limited to search bars and filters, and this shift is already changing how shoppers encounter products online. For many shoppers, AI tools are now being used at the very start of the research process, rather than as a secondary aid later on.

Source
- https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2026/01/13/generative-ai-online-holiday-shopping-traffic-2025/

AI-driven search moves closer to the center of retail discovery

New projections and platform announcements pointed to growing investment in AI-powered search and assistants. Retail discovery is becoming more guided and more automated, particularly as platforms compete on experience rather than assortment. These efforts are focused on improving navigation and recommendations across large product catalogs, not just refining keyword search.

Sources
- https://www.techinasia.com/news/ai-search-to-shape-595b-retail-e-commerce-by-2028-euromonitor
- https://www.forbes.com/sites/sharonedelson/2026/01/27/googles-ai-announcement-is-news-the-retail-industry-cant-ignore/

Grocery & Everyday Categories

Online grocery demand remains stable

Monthly data showed online grocery maintaining consistent demand levels. Compared to optional categories, grocery continues to behave as a steadier, repeat-driven segment, offering predictability in an otherwise uneven environment. This stability continues to differentiate grocery from more promotion-driven categories.

Source
- https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/article/monthly-online-grocery-sales/

Regional Market Highlights

Regional updates in January reinforced how uneven the pace of e-commerce development remains across markets, even as several common themes appear.

Latin America e-commerce projected to reach $215B

New projections reinforced Latin America’s expanding role in global e-commerce. Growth expectations in the region remain tied to increasing digital adoption and continued investment in logistics and infrastructure, particularly across larger urban markets. Much of this growth is expected to come from a small number of large markets rather than evenly across the region.

Source
- https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2026/01/28/latin-american-ecommerce-projection-215-billion/

Instagram emerges as the leading social commerce platform in Germany

Recent data identified Instagram as the leading social commerce platform in Germany. Social discovery continues to gain ground alongside marketplaces, especially in categories where inspiration and visual content play a stronger role in purchase decisions.

Source
- https://ecommercenews.eu/instagram-is-the-leading-social-commerce-platform-in-germany/

January’s updates make one thing clear. The year is beginning with tighter operating rules, sustained post-holiday pressure, and faster shifts in how consumers discover products. Together, these updates point to a more structured operating environment early in the year. For many teams, January has been less about long-term planning and more about adapting to tighter operating conditions. We’ll continue tracking these changes month by month.