News Briefs

Amazon is giving verified higher education students access to resources for developing skills and careers in cloud and artificial intelligence technology.

Verified students who sign up for Student Rewards obtain exclusive access to credits, premium content, and certification vouchers. The initiative represents a commitment of more than $500 million in resources to support university students globally with the training, tools, and certification to obtain careers in cloud and AI.

When a university student (18 or older) verifies their enrollment and completes their Builder Center profile, they immediately receive 12 months of premium access to the Skill Builder platform including more than 900 courses, hands-on labs, certification exam prep, and game-based learning.

As students earn badges through actions on Builder Center — publishing articles, commenting, and maintaining engagement — they can obtain additional rewards. To register, students can sign into Builder Center and complete verification through SheerID. They then upload a photo and fill out the “about” section, which unlocks a year of Skill Builder premium access.

Participants can also join AWS Student Builder Groups, which are student-led communities at universities in more than 60 countries that explore cloud technology, build projects, and grow skills with peers.

[READ MORE: Amazon doubles AI education investment to $800K]

Two driving forces are continuing to impact Americans’ food consumption habits.

New data from Circana’s Eating Patterns in America report found that nearly half (48%) of adults are seeking more protein in their diets, up seven points from last year, placing it second only to vegetables among the food items Americans want more of. 

Circana noted that among GLP-1 weight loss medication users, 65% are seeking more protein. GLP-1s have become the second-most common diet type, used by 8.5% of adults, up from 4.8% last year, while 46% of adults report being on a diet overall. In response to the ongoing demand, 12% of commercial foodservice meals are now described as "high protein," with those occasions increasing 11% compared to last year.

Convenience and speed are also top of mind for consumers, Circana found. Half of all meals now take less than five minutes to prepare, including 65% of breakfasts, 56% of lunches and 35% of dinners. Convenience remains a strong driver at home, with frozen dinners and entrées now accounting for close to 5% of in-home occasions, up from less than 1% in the 1980s.

[READ MORE: Circana: Consumers focused on essential purchases this summer]

Snacking patterns are shifting also, Circana noted, with consumers snacking less between meals and more during or instead of a meal, up 11 occasions versus last year.

"Americans' eating and drinking patterns continue to evolve as they balance nutrition, convenience, cost and connection," said David Portalatin, senior VP and food and foodservice industry advisor for Circana. "This year's report spotlights protein and convenience as two important themes within a much broader set of shifts influencing how and where people eat and drink. While away-from-home occasions continue to rebound, home remains the foundation of America's food culture."

It’s been back-to-school season for a while, but many items remain on consumer shopping lists.

As of early August 2026, data from the National Retail Federation shows that back-to-school shoppers had only completed an average of 44% of their list, although this was up from 23% in early July. However, more than half of surveyed K-12 (52%) and college (48%) shoppers plan to finish shopping in the week or two before school starts. 

Back to school with AI

Six-in-10 (61%) respondents say they have used generative AI and other artificial intelligence shopping tools this year. Top ways respondents are leveraging AI to support back-to-school shopping include:

• Asking for recommendations and ideas (26%).
• Scanning multiple retailer sites to find the best prices/discounts (26%).
• Using visual and image search (19%).

Secondhand shopping grows

More respondents are picking up secondhand materials as they tick items off their list than they did in 2025 — about one-third (32%) of K-12 shoppers and nearly half (47%) of college shoppers have purchased or plan to purchase secondhand or refurbished items. Although both groups are buying secondhand more this year than last, college shoppers have increased their usage more (15% from 40%) than K-12 shoppers (10% from 29%). 

[READ MORE: Families plan to spend $250 per child on back-to-school supplies]

Value focus

About three-quarters (73%) of respondents say the sales and promotions on the materials they needed this year were the same or better than last year. An average 48% of purchases made by respondents were driven by coupons, sales or promotions. 

Most consumers plan to take advantage of Labor Day weekend sales – but not for big ticket items.

New survey data from coupon platform RetailMeNot reveals that while nearly three-quarters (73%) of consumers plan to show up to Labor Day sales, a large chunk of them (42%) are prioritizing groceries and essentials. Clothing and footwear (26%), seasonal clearance summer items (26%) and health and wellness products (21%) are also among the categories consumers plan to shop.

The categories consumers are least likely to prioritize are the same ones retailers are discounting the hardest, according to the report. Only 15% of consumers have grills on their Labor Day sale purchase list, a category that retailers traditionally mark down. Patio furniture and outdoor items were at 13%, with some of the steepest markdowns of the year. Mattresses came in at 11%, and Labor Day weekend is historically one of the strongest windows to buy one, RetailMeNot noted.

[READ MORE: Numerator: Inflation cools, consumers still worried]

The average planned spend among those who intend to shop was $341. More than a quarter (27%) of consumers surveyed said they do not plan to shop Labor Day weekend sales at all. 

“Labor Day is still a real sale event. The deals on grills, patio furniture, outdoor gear, mattresses, and home furnishings are among the strongest of the year,” said Stephanie Carls, retail insights expert at RetailMeNot. “Most consumers are not planning to shop those categories, which means the value is there for anyone willing to look past their grocery list.”

RetailMeNot surveyed 1,134 U.S. consumers in May 2026 for its Labor Day weekend sale report.

Artificial intelligence continues to drive higher amounts of online retail visits, but e-commerce sites are frequently not optimized for it.

In July 2026, AI traffic to U.S. retail sites was up 62% year-over-year, sustaining the momentum Adobe has observed in recent months. From October 2024 through July 2026, Adobe analysis indicates it is up a significant 1,219%.Traffic from AI sources also continues to convert better (60% higher) than non-AI traffic, marking the 11th consecutive month where AI conversion has pulled ahead according to Adobe.

[READ MORE: Adobe: AI online retail traffic surges in May]

Adobe data from July 2026 also shows that when visitors arrive at a U.S. retail site from an AI source, the engagement rate is 14% higher than non-AI traffic. Specifically, these shoppers spend 59% more time on the site and are 33% less likely to bounce. AI- referred visitors also add items to their shopping cart at a 28% higher rate. 

However, in April 2026, Adobe data showed that the average score for homepages came in at 75%. This means roughly one-quarter of the content on homepages has not been optimized for large language models that support AI shopping agents. In July, Adobe expanded its analysis to a broader set of U.S. retail sites and found that homepage visibility dropped to an average of 61%, meaning nearly 40% of homepage content is not fully readable by shopping agents.

Readability varies by retail vertical as follows:

• Apparel: 76%.

• Electronics: 70%.

• Cosmetics: 68%.

• Sporting goods: 67%.

• Furniture & home: 64%.

• General merchandise: 63%.

• Grocery: 59%.

Adobe insights are based on direct transactions online, covering more 1 trillion visits to U.S. retail sites. A companion survey of more than 5,000 U.S. respondents conducted in July 2026 also provides additional context on how consumers are leveraging AI.

Weigel’s is leveraging artificial intelligence and the cloud to bring together key in-store workflows on a new POS platform.

The retailer is deploying the Tote AI-native POS solution to all 90 of its stores throughout Tennessee. The platform combines point of sale, back office, foodservice and store operations in a single cloud-based architecture designed to continuously improve as technology advances. 

As a result, Weigel’s hopes to improve customer service, better support associates, simplify operations, and be able to adopt new store technologies as they emerge.

"We're a big believer in the power of technology to make our stores better and our associates more productive," said Doug Yawberry, president and CEO of Weigel's. "Tote AI gives us a platform that can grow and evolve as quickly as our business does. We're excited to build with a partner who shares our commitment to delivering the best possible experience for our customers and our store teams."

Other convenience retailers that have deployed Tote AI solutions include Huck's Market and Loop Neighborhood Markets, which has implemented the Tote Genie store associate AI agent.

[READ MORE: Midwest convenience chain Huck’s Market modernizes POS]

"Weigel's is a great example of where the industry is headed," said Shyam Rao, Founder and CEO of Tote. "They've built a beloved brand through decades of investing in their customers, their communities and their people. We're thrilled to partner with a team that's just as excited as we are about what's possible when innovation and hospitality come together."

Established in 1931, Weigel's is a family-owned and operated East Tennessee business operating 90 convenience stores, a commissary, a dairy, and a bakery.