November is arguably one of the biggest months in the year in the world of ecommerce – from Black Friday to the pre-Christmas rush, this is a time when shoppers are on high alert, and brands are vying for attention.

Amid the flash sales and seasonal campaigns, we’ve noticed that it’s some of the most exciting trends this month aren’t about overdone Black Friday hooks or the much-bemoaned apology trend, but are in fact about technology and strategy shaping the way people discover, engage with, and buy products.

From AI-powered shopping experiences to smarter advertising algorithms, these are the trends and updates that caught Skywire’s eye this month.

PayPal + ChatGPT – Shop without even leaving the chat!

A few weeks ago, it was announced that in 2026, PayPal will allow customers to pay for products directly within ChatGPT, thanks to OpenAI’s “Instant Checkout” and the Agentic Commerce Protocol.

This essentially means that shoppers will be able to discover products, supply their payment details, and complete transactions from end-to-end – all without ever leaving ChatGPT.

Even more excitingly, merchants don’t even have to worry about integration or any security concerns, as PayPal will handle all the behind-the-scenes routing and necessary consumer protection.

From Skywire’s perspective, this is exciting – but also an intricate dance. While convenience is appealing, we believe that what separates shopping in the ordinary world from one of luxury is everything *but* the transaction itself – it’s about storytelling, curation, and personal attention.

While we acknowledge that the potential for utilisation here is massive, it’s also critical that luxury brands who are adopting this tech don’t get it wrong: it should not feel too transactional, or too rushed.

We have already seen (and liked!) that Target in the US employ a ChatGPT app that allows multi-item purchases, fresh food orders, and personalised recommendations linked to loyalty accounts. Shoppers can select from pickup, drive-up, or shipping options - all without leaving the chat interface - and at Skywire, we foresee a big opportunity to combine AI checkout with bespoke recommendations and exclusive perks, preserving the sense of exclusivity while embracing efficiency.

Imagine a virtual concierge that not only remembers your preferences but also suggests complementary items, curated experiences, or limited editions - now that’s a way that AI can enhance the premium shopping experience.

Meta Andromeda - Targeting just got personal

Meanwhile, one of the most talked about updates this month comes in the form of Meta’s latest advertising algorithm, Andromeda.

While this is an update rather than a fully new roll-out, it is worth shouting about as it has shifted the focus from targeting specific audiences to serving a sequence of ads tailored to where a person is in their purchase journey. It can process far more creative variations than the old system, choosing the right ad at the right moment to nudge a potential customer along the path to conversion.

As above, Skywire feel strongly that this tool presents both opportunities and challenges. On the one hand, it’s a chance to tell richer, more nuanced stories at scale, showing different aspects of a brand depending on the customer’s stage in the journey and their previous purchase habits.

On the other hand, luxury marketing doesn’t always lend itself to rapid experimentation. Our view is that brands should use this technology selectively - testing creative sequences that enhance the narrative rather than compromise the brand’s refined voice. Done right, it’s a way to make AI work for storytelling, and not just for performance metrics.

AI Shopping Platforms - Technology vs. Economics

Finally, we have seen not just the rise in sophistication of AI tools, but also in the spectrum of their applications, and have noticed an interesting trend.

Let’s take Shopify’s mobile app, for instance. Using the magic of artificial intelligence, it lets brands turn a simple product photo into multiple marketing assets, remove backgrounds, or generate creative scenes with a few words. This is the kind of capability that could make entire teams rethink how they approach creative production.

But here’s the catch: the economics behind many AI commerce platforms are shaky. Aggregating inventory from other retailers and relying on affiliate fees often doesn’t cover customer acquisition costs, no matter how smart the technology is.

For many of our clients, there’s a lesson in both the promise and the caution. AI is most powerful when it amplifies what you already do well: delivering highly personalised experiences, streamlining creative production, or enhancing interactions with your clients.

It shouldn’t be used as a substitute for fundamentals like owning your inventory, controlling fulfilment, or maintaining direct customer relationships. The brands that succeed at leveraging AI in their ecommerce solutions will be the ones that combine AI’s unrestrained capabilities with the restraint of human oversight and operational strength.

And at Skywire, we believe that this is how you turn raw innovation into genuine value.