SYDNEY, Aug. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — More than three-quarters (76%) of Australians trust AI shopping recommendations as much as or more than advice from a retail sales assistant, according to new research revealing how artificial intelligence is challenging the traditional role of retail staff.

The study, commissioned by global leader in supply chain commerce, Manhattan Associates Inc. (NASDAQ: MANH), found nearly half of Australians (47%) trust AI recommendations more than those provided by a retail sales assistant, while a further 29% place about the same level of trust in both.

The shift is also reflected in where Australians turn for help when researching a significant purchase. Nearly one in four (23%) use AI as their first source of information, compared with just 7% who first seek advice from an in-store sales assistant.

Raghav Sibal, APAC Vice President at Manhattan Associates, said consumers are increasingly using AI to inform purchase decisions, changing the information they may have before they do reach a retailer and what they need from sales staff.

“Consumers are using AI for product discovery, to compare options and inform their purchasing choices. These are some of the many things they might previously have relied on a retail sales assistant for,” Sibal said.

“This doesn’t make retail staff irrelevant, but it does change what customers expect from them. Shoppers might now arrive in-store already knowing which products they are considering, what alternatives are available and what they expect to pay. Retailers and their teams need to be ready to add value beyond information the customer can now find for themselves.”

The changing role of retail staff comes as AI becomes a more established part of how Australians research purchases. More than four in five Australians (83%) have used an AI assistant such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Copilot for shopping research, with 36% doing so regularly.

Value and convenience drive AI adoption

The growing use of AI comes as Australians continue to balance convenience with a greater focus on value. Separate research from PayPal found price comparison is now the most common way Australians use AI when shopping, with 57% of AI shoppers saying the technology helps them save money.

Manhattan Associates’ research suggests convenience is another important part of AI’s appeal. When asked why they would choose AI over speaking to a retail sales assistant, 42% of respondents said for its 24/7 availability, followed by speed (20%) and the ability to compare products more easily (19%).

Sibal said the speed and ease of AI-led research is raising expectations for the experience retailers provide through to purchase and fulfilment.

“AI can make it easier for consumers to reach a decision, but that puts more pressure on retailers to deliver when they move from research to purchase. Knowing a product exists isn’t good enough. Customers need to know whether it’s available, where it’s available, what it will cost and how quickly they can get it,” he said.

AI expands the path to purchase

Despite the rapid uptake of AI, Australians are not abandoning retailer-owned channels. Even if AI could accurately answer every product question, 84% of Australians said they would still be likely to visit a retailer’s website before, while 81% would still be likely to visit a physical store.

“AI can help a customer decide what they want, but it can’t compensate for a poor experience when they are ready to buy. If the price they find is different, the product isn’t available or the fulfilment options don’t meet their expectations, retailers still risk losing that customer at the point that matters most,” Sibal said.

“As AI becomes more influential earlier in the journey, retailers need to ensure they deliver a connected experience through to purchase. Consumers are arriving better informed and with clearer expectations, putting greater importance on the retailer’s ability to turn that intent into an accurate and reliable purchase and fulfilment experience,” he concluded.

-ends-

Methodology:

Manhattan Associates surveyed 500 Australian consumers.

About Manhattan Associates

Manhattan Associates is a global technology leader, providing supply chain and omnichannel commerce solutions with unmatched AI capabilities. We design, build and offer best-in-class, AI-powered, cloud-based solutions that drive resilience and efficiency for businesses. We enable enterprises to uniquely unify front-end sales with back-end supply chain execution. 

Our commitment to innovation, cloud-native platform and API-first architecture create simpler experiences and faster paths to value for our customers. We empower them to preempt and react to emerging trends and global disruptions with technical expertise and operational confidence, transforming challenges into competitive advantage. For more information, please visit www.manh.com.

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SOURCE Manhattan Associates Inc.

Recognition for powering smarter payments and treasury through a single intelligent AI-native operating system

SINGAPORE, Aug. 26, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Finmo, creator of the Treasury Operating System (TOS) for businesses to manage global payments and cash more intelligently, has won the coveted title of FinTech of the Year at the Asia FinTech Awards 2026. Finmo received the award at the Asia FinTech Awards ceremony in Singapore on 21 August 2026, emerging as the winner from nine finalists.

Now in its fourth year, the Asia FinTech Awards celebrates the achievements of Asia’s fintech community and recognises the companies shaping the future of financial services across the region. Entries are assessed by an independent judging panel drawn from across the industry, based on objective criteria including product-market fit, critical mass receptivity, differentiation and innovativeness.

The recognition reflects Finmo’s approach to solving an increasingly complex challenge for businesses operating globally: managing payments, liquidity and financial operations seamlessly across multiple entities, currencies and markets.

Finmo brings global payments, cash intelligence and AI together in a single Treasury Operating System, enabling finance teams to manage and understand money across their organisation from one place. This connected approach turns real-time treasury intelligence into action — helping businesses make smarter payment decisions, optimise liquidity and manage FX exposure across markets.

“Being named FinTech of the Year is a significant recognition because it validates the problem we set out to solve. Global finance teams have spent too long working across disconnected payment, banking and treasury systems,” said David Hanna, Co-Founder and CEO of Finmo. “We believe the future is one intelligent operating system that enables smarter payments and connects how businesses move, manage and understand their money – giving finance teams greater visibility, control and confidence. We’re proud of how far we’ve come, and even more excited about what we’re building next.”

“We are delighted that Finmo won Fintech of the Year at the Asia Fintech Awards,” said Jessica Crompton, Partnerships Manager of Fintech Intel, said “Raising the bar for fintech excellence, Finmo impressed the judges with its vision, innovation and ability to deliver meaningful impact at scale. A truly outstanding entry worthy of this prestigious title.”

The award marks another milestone for Finmo as it continues to expand its platform and capabilities for businesses managing increasingly global and complex financial operations.

About Finmo

Finmo is a global fintech company transforming how modern finance teams manage cash and treasury operations, backed by PayPal Ventures, Citi Ventures, and Quona Capital. Founded by David Hanna, Akhil Nigam, Richard Oh, Raj Vimal Chopra, and Thomas Kang, Finmo is purpose-built for today’s cross-border businesses. Our Treasury Management System delivers connected financial intelligence by bringing together data from bank accounts, accounting platforms, ERP systems, and other financial tools, giving CFOs real-time visibility, control, and foresight.

Beyond insights, Finmo empowers action. Through our global payments network and cash management offerings, finance teams can move money, optimize liquidity, and manage FX risk, all within a single intelligent platform. The result: businesses act faster, scale smarter, and operate with confidence in an increasingly interconnected economy.

Trusted by leading enterprises and fintechs, Finmo is licensed in 8 jurisdictions including Singapore, Australia, Hong Kong SAR, New Zealand, Canada, the U.S., the UK, and Dubai. We are committed to building a faster, smarter, and more resilient financial infrastructure for the digital economy.

For more details, visit: https://finmo.net

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SOURCE Finmo

NEW YORK, Aug. 25, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Pinea Pi, the AI-native hardware pioneer, today revealed the technology behind its edge AI node, coming to Kickstarter from late September to late October. Starting in late August, early supporters can reserve theirs with a $30 deposit at www.pineapi.com. Raspberry Pi defined DIY computing; Arduino defined DIY electronics. Pinea Pi answers the next question: what should an edge AI device look like? The answer: three “native” capabilities.

Agent-Native: intent becomes execution. No code required — natural language alone can rewrite hardware behavior, enable capabilities such as cameras and microphones, and orchestrate skills and workflows. AI development shifts from code-driven to intent-driven.

Multimodal-Native: born with senses. An integrated camera, microphone array, and speakers work alongside the pre-installed MiniCPM edge model family. Together they span text, visual understanding, full-duplex real-time interaction, and 48kHz high-quality speech synthesis — delivering a complete perceptual loop out of the box.

Edge-Native: data never leaves the device. All inference runs locally. A real-time privacy indicator (the light ring) keeps status visible, and a dedicated offline switch keeps everything running. No token fees, no subscription lock-in — privacy that is auditable and verifiable.

Pinea Pi Pro delivers 275 TOPS of NVIDIA AI performance for robotics and embodied intelligence; Pinea Pi Lite packs up to 180 TOPS of Intel performance into an all-metal desktop AI node. Both ship with Ubuntu and a complete edge AI software stack built around the MiniCPM model family — models purpose-optimized for Pinea Pi hardware. Powered by MiniCPM, the built-in AI companion Piny recognizes its owner by face and voice, with a personal memory system that is editable, auditable, and exportable.

For ecosystem partners, Pinea Pi serves as a reference design for edge intelligence: a unified protocol, runtime, and model stack that enables any form factor to become intelligent using the same intelligence stack.

About Pinea Pi: Pinea Pi, the AI-native hardware pioneer, builds edge AI nodes that work offline with auditable privacy, guided by the belief “AI at edge. Intelligence on call.” Its core model capabilities come from the MiniCPM series by the OpenBMB open-source community — whose mission is to bring large models to every household — and Pinea Pi is the hardware extension of that open ecosystem. Learn more: www.pineapi.com

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SOURCE Pinea Pi