While CarMax reported solid third-quarter results Thursday (Dec. 19), including a 5.4% increase in retail used unit sales and a 6.3% rise in wholesale unit sales, company officials attributed this growth to strong execution across its business model, led by its omnichannel strategy. This strategy has become a key differentiator, according to CEO Bill Nash. CarMax uses advanced technology to improve car images, reviews and details, providing targeted content based on individual customer preferences. It also aggregates information into easily digestible summaries, making the car-buying process more efficient for customers. “Omnichannel capabilities have strengthened our business model,” Nash shared with analysts during the earnings call

A new venture aiming to connect AI services across platforms could transform everyday commerce by letting virtual shopping agents compare prices, schedule deliveries and handle customer service across multiple retailers and websites. The vision of /dev/agents, which just landed $56 million in funding at a $500 million valuation, points to a future where artificial intelligence (AI) helpers could independently manage tasks from restocking office supplies to scheduling home repairs — provided the startup succeeds in its ambitious goal of creating an operating system that lets different companies’ AI agents work together like apps on a smartphone. While tech giants like Microsoft and OpenAI are already rolling out specialized AI agents for tasks like healthcare scheduling and marketing, the lack of a common framework has limited their ability to coordinate across services. “If the system is open and allows seamless integration of tools, it could drive down costs by reducing duplication of effort and making it easier for businesses to adopt AI,” Kevin Baragona, founder of DeepAI, told PYMNTS. “For example, instead of paying for multiple disconnected AI services, businesses could manage everything under one unified platform. But if it becomes a closed ecosystem controlled by a few players, they might charge premium prices, locking smaller businesses out