As we step into 2026, Manchester Digital is proud to launch Picturing 2026 - a new series of essays from our members exploring the tech trends, opportunities and challenges shaping the year ahead.
In this piece, Nexer examines how eCommerce in Greater Manchester is being reshaped by AI and automation, and why accessibility must be embedded at the heart of digital experiences rather than treated as a compliance afterthought.
As 2026 begins, eCommerce in Greater Manchester will be shaped by rapid developments across AI and automation. But creating a successful customer experience will ultimately depend on how well businesses embed accessibility into every part of their services, including where these new technologies are present.
Accessibility is too often relegated to a compliance tick box, rather than a fundamental part of the design process. As digital experiences grow more complex, they carry a corresponding risk of creating barriers for users with access needs. And inaccessible eCommerce doesn’t just frustrate users — it actively excludes them, with ramifications for market share, brand reputation, and customer loyalty.
With the European Accessibility Act (EAA) now in force, accessibility is more important than ever. Organisations must take care to embed it across the entire user journey, from discovery and product selection to checkout and post-purchase interactions, and approach it as a continuous, iterative process informed by real users.
The Purple Pound shows that inclusion drives growth
Accessibility is often framed as a moral obligation, and it is. But it’s also a real commercial opportunity.
Disabled households in the UK have an estimated spending power of £446 billion, commonly referred to as the Purple Pound. Inaccessible websites and apps are thought to cost UK businesses around £17.1 billion in lost revenue annually.
Inclusive design removes friction for everyone, improving conversion, retention, and trust across the entire customer journey. For organisations that approach accessibility as a long-term, iterative process, this can be a significant driver of growth and brand loyalty.
The Hidden Journey
Our Hidden Journey accessibility in retail campaign included research where we explored how disabled users navigate retail experiences from start to finish. The findings show that accessibility issues rarely occur in isolation; they accumulate, creating compounding frustration and, in some cases, preventing transactions altogether.
Key insights include:
Discovery and navigation
Inconsistent menus and search functions make it hard to find products.
Content clarity
Missing labels, low contrast, and unclear language create barriers for users with visual or cognitive impairments.
Checkout and forms
Payment flows and account creation often rely on interactions that aren’t compatible with assistive technologies.
Issues continue in physical spaces
A lack of awareness about accessibility often means that frontline staff are underprepared to support customers with access needs instore.
These barriers underscore why accessibility is about designing with the people using your services. Improvements emerge through continuous iteration, testing with users with diverse access needs and building capability and awareness across teams. The full Hidden Journey report, releasing soon, will provide more insights into these challenges, and offer examples of best practice for organisations aiming to embed inclusive design as a core capability.
AI and accessibility: building for the future
Agentic AI, systems capable of autonomous decision-making, will likely play a bigger role in eCommerce in 2026. From predictive recommendations to automated customer support, AI promises unprecedented convenience for consumers.
The big question is whether accessibility will keep pace with this shift. It can, if it is treated as integral to product strategy.
Clear navigation, semantic HTML, meaningful alternative text and keyboard access remain essential. Thoughtfully applied, AI can enhance accessibility, and vice versa. For example, through voice-based interactions, adaptive interfaces, or personalised content for neurodiverse audiences.
As generative AI is such a hot topic in the news right now, with non-consensual images and challenges around content bias, are eCommerce teams looking at diversity, inclusion and disability representation in the automated output? Are they looking at artwork rights, copyright, and image manipulation, as all carry a legal risk and moral obligation.
The technology is not the barrier, but the approach often is. Teams that build capability in accessibility and inclusion alongside AI will be better equipped to deliver experiences that work for everyone.
Looking ahead through 2026
For us, three themes will define eCommerce this year…
Regulation and trust
With the European Accessibility Act in force, accessibility is a baseline expectation.
Skills and capability
Teams with expertise in both AI and accessibility will be in high demand, underscoring the need for continuous learning and cross-functional capability development.
Customer expectations
Inclusivity is increasingly a brand differentiator; users pay attention when experiences exclude them.
For digital leaders, the challenge will be balancing rapid AI adoption with iterative, user-centred accessibility and building team capability to support ongoing improvements. Greater Manchester’s eCommerce businesses can show that innovation and inclusion are complementary and not competing priorities.
To find out more about Nexer, click here.
