Amazon is piloting its low-cost shopping feature, Haul, in the UK, marking the service’s first international expansion beyond the US. The move positions Amazon more directly against budget e-commerce challengers like Temu and Shein.

Haul is a mobile-only channel offering products priced at £20 or less, with most under £10. It will appear within the existing Amazon app and is being tested with a limited group of users ahead of a wider rollout in the coming weeks.

The offering includes incentives such as free delivery on orders over £15 and a 5% discount for orders above £50. However, delivery times can extend up to two weeks, a departure from Amazon’s typical speed.

For Amazon’s UK operation, this signals a strategic pivot toward the value segment, an area where rival platforms have gained significant ground by undercutting traditional marketplaces. The test may also help Amazon gauge consumer appetite for price-capped, lower-margin goods within its core ecosystem.

Haul has previously attracted regulatory attention in the US over its handling of import tariffs, but Amazon has since stated it would not display these costs to customers. The UK launch avoids this issue entirely for now.

Retail chain United Carpets and Beds has appointed McCann Leeds to handle its full media planning and buying operations, marking a strategic shift in its marketing efforts.

The Rotherham-based company will rely on the agency to deliver integrated campaigns across digital and traditional platforms. The move is part of a broader effort to modernise its brand presence and improve media performance.

McCann Leeds was selected following a competitive process, based on its ability to blend data-led planning with commercially driven creative strategy. The agency is expected to play a key role in refining the retailer’s growth strategy and helping it compete more effectively in a crowded home retail market.

Internet provider Quickline has launched a new operational and training facility in Leeds to support the expansion of high-speed broadband in rural areas across Yorkshire.

The site will be key in Quickline’s delivery under Project Gigabit, a government-backed initiative to connect remote communities with gigabit-capable broadband. The new hub is intended to streamline logistics and reduce travel for field engineers, improving operational efficiency and lowering carbon emissions.

In addition to functioning as a logistics centre, the facility includes a purpose-built training centre for apprentices and a dedicated space for student engagement. The focus is on building skills in STEM and digital literacy to prepare future workers for careers in telecoms and infrastructure.

The investment highlights the growing role of regional infrastructure in supporting national digital goals and creating pathways for workforce development in underserved areas.

Volkswagen Financial Services is closing down its used car platform Heycar after years of mounting losses and weak revenue.

Launched in the UK in 2019 to rival Auto Trader and Motors, Heycar never gained market traction. It reported a £30 million loss in 2022 and £22.4 million in 2023, with revenue falling to just £7.4 million.

The platform, which listed nearly 100,000 vehicles, will shut down operations in Germany by mid-May, with the UK business expected to follow. Around 126 staff, mostly in the UK, are at risk of redundancy.

VWFS plans to reuse Heycar’s technology in a new venture focused on digital tools for the automotive sector. Dealerships using Heycar will need to move listings to other platforms or their own sites.

UK businesses are rapidly integrating artificial intelligence tools into their operations, with adoption doubling from 9% in 2023 to 18% by early 2025, according to the Office for National Statistics. Among larger employers, nearly one in three are now using AI technologies. However, this surge in uptake is unfolding without the in-house expertise to understand or manage the systems being deployed fully.

This trend is occurring against the backdrop of a severe digital skills shortage, which government figures estimate is costing the UK economy £63 billion annually. The gap in technical knowledge is particularly problematic in regulated industries—such as finance, insurance and healthcare—where decisions must be traceable and justifiable to both customers and regulators.

Many AI systems being implemented rely on self-learning algorithms that process large volumes of data to identify patterns and generate predictions. While powerful, these models often lack transparency. They produce results without a clear rationale, making it difficult for businesses to explain or challenge their outputs. This presents a significant compliance risk in regulated sectors, primarily when decisions affect credit approval, medical outcomes, or employee assessments.

There is growing concern that businesses may unknowingly introduce invisible errors into their operations. Without the ability to audit or interpret how an AI model arrives at a decision, firms could miss critical mistakes or fail to correct them in time. Regulators are also tightening their expectations, demanding that automated systems be able to provide clear, auditable justifications for their decisions. At the same time, employees and customers increasingly resist accepting AI-driven outcomes that appear arbitrary or lack human oversight, putting overall trust in the technology at risk.

In response, some research teams are working on ways to make AI more transparent and accountable. They focus on developing tools to explain how models work, flag potentially harmful decisions, and ensure human oversight remains in place for high-impact cases. These initiatives aim to help businesses draw clearer boundaries around AI use, reduce the risk of misuse, and align with regulatory expectations.