Customer Experience (CX)

Mercuryo teams up with Visa to enable near real-time crypto-to-fiat off-ramps via Visa Direct, simplifying global access to funds.

United lets Economy passengers preorder fresh meals on longer flights, aiming to boost choice, streamline catering, and cut food waste.

TreviPay and Visa launch Pay by Invoice, helping banks move B2B payments off checks and ACH into automated, issuer-financed invoice transactions.

Parloa secures $350M in Series D funding led by General Catalyst, boosting its valuation to $3B and accelerating global expansion of its AI agent platform.

Uber and Kroger roll out nearly 2,700 stores on Uber Eats, Uber and Postmates, expanding same-day grocery delivery nationwide.

Allegiant agrees to buy Sun Country for $1.5B, creating a larger leisure airline with expanded routes, loyalty benefits, and $140M in expected synergies.

As retail events stretch longer and demand comes in waves, brands learn that protecting availability—not cutting prices—is the real growth strategy for 2026.

impact.com posts record growth in 2025 as brands move from ads to partnerships, fueled by creators, AI innovation, and global expansion.

FLock.io introduces FOMO, a decentralised AI launchpad that rewards model creators with crypto and aims to undercut Big Tech pricing.

Peak New Year travel tests VPN and SASE resilience. How IT teams can reduce latency, close security gaps, and keep remote workers productive.