2026 QSR DRIVE-THRU REPORT REVEALS SURPRISING RESULTS: TIM HORTONS THE FASTEST, AI EXPOSES A HOSPITALITY GAP

Annual study examines drive-thru speed, accuracy, customer experience and the growing impact of artificial intelligence across the quick-service restaurant industry.

CLEVELAND, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The results are in, and some of the biggest names in quick-service restaurants may be surprised by what they reveal. The 2026 QSR Drive-Thru Report, the 26th annual industry study, is now available, uncovering new insights into how leading restaurant brands are performing across speed, order accuracy, hospitality and technology.

Produced by QSR in partnership with Intouch Insight, the annual report takes an in-depth look at the drive-thru experience through thousands of data points and mystery-shopper evaluations. This year's findings offer a particularly revealing look at artificial intelligence's growing role in restaurant operations, including some unexpected consequences for the guest experience.

Among the report's standout findings:

- Tim Hortons takes the speed crown. With an average total drive-thru time of 4 minutes and 20 seconds, Tim Hortons outpaced fast-food competitors.

- AI may be costing restaurants a personal touch. While artificial intelligence is becoming more capable of handling drive-thru orders, the study uncovered a potential hospitality gap. When AI handled the ordering interaction, employee behaviors such as saying "thank you" and demonstrating a pleasant demeanor declined significantly. The findings raise important questions about how restaurants can embrace automation without sacrificing the human connection.

- Starbucks leads in order accuracy. In a category where getting every item right is critical to customer satisfaction, Starbucks stood out for its order accuracy performance, demonstrating the importance of execution alongside speed and convenience.

- Personalization makes a measurable difference. Customer satisfaction climbed from 93.2% to 98.2% when guests experienced some form of personalization, such as being greeted by name, having their name written on their order bag or being recognized as a loyalty member.

- Faster isn't always better. The study found that customer perception of speed can matter more than the actual time spent in the drive-thru. Customers who felt their experience was quicker than expected reported satisfaction levels of 96.8%, compared with 82.3% among those who felt their visit was slower than expected.

"The drive-thru continues to be one of the most important customer touchpoints for quick-service restaurants, but the definition of a great experience is changing," said Danny Klein, VP Editorial for QSR, FSR, CStore Decisions, PMQ and Club + Resort. "This year's findings illustrate that technology alone isn't the answer. Restaurants have to find the right balance between operational efficiency, order accuracy, and the personal connections that keep customers coming back. The data offers plenty of surprises, but it also provides a valuable roadmap for where the industry is headed."

A Resource for Industry Insights and Expertise

From the expansion of AI-powered ordering to the continued importance of speed, accuracy, hospitality, and value, the findings offer actionable insights for restaurant operators, suppliers, technology providers, and others serving the foodservice industry.

In addition to the report, editors from QSR and its affiliated brands are available as expert sources for interviews and commentary on the latest restaurant industry trends, including drive-thru innovation, AI adoption, consumer behavior, operational efficiency, technology, and the evolving expectations of restaurant guests.

The 2026 QSR Drive-Thru Report is available now at:

https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/the-2026-qsr-drive-thru-report/

To arrange an interview with Danny Klein or another editorial expert, contact::

Annie Wissner

VP of Marketing

[email protected] 

About Arrowfly

Arrowfly is a live and digital B2B destination serving professionals across the engineering, healthcare, food, retail, and hospitality sectors. Across 40+ brands, the company delivers trusted journalism, original content, live and digital events, video, and demand generation programs to the decision-makers shaping their industries. Powered by Clara, Arrowfly's proprietary performance platform, partners get real-time visibility into audience engagement, lead quality, and campaign ROI. The company is backed by an established reputation for editorial independence and credibility across the markets it serves. For more information, visit arrowfly.com.

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NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CAEVES Technology, Inc. today announced that CAEVES Context LAKE™ will be generally available on October 20, 2026. Part of the CAEVES AI Data Platform, Context LAKE™ now extends the platform beyond Microsoft Azure to any public, private, or sovereign cloud, as well as on-premises datacenter environments.

Context LAKE™ connects to enterprise data where it already lives and turns the information within it into trusted, governed context for AI - making it accessible, searchable and AI-ready. Source data remains in place, with no migration required; existing security, governance and access controls remain enforced, and answers remain traceable to their source.

AI-ready data, without moving the data

Enterprise data is distributed across file shares, object storage, Microsoft SharePoint, and more. Bringing that data to AI can require copying or duplicating it into another platform, while direct retrieval from large repositories can require assistants to process more information than necessary. Both approaches can introduce challenges around data sovereignty, security, governance, performance, and infrastructure cost.

Context LAKE™ takes a unique approach. It runs as an intelligence layer inside the customer's own environment, indexes data in place, contextualizes and enriches the information within it, and enforces the permissions those files already carry. It then serves that trusted context through Model Context Protocol (MCP) to Microsoft Copilot, Claude, ChatGPT, custom agents and private AI - including in fully air-gapped environments. Customers keep full control over where data resides, which assistants can reach it and what those assistants are allowed to see.

"Enterprises should not have to choose between the AI they want to use and the place their data has to stay," said Jaap van Duijvenbode, Co-Founder and VP Product Strategy & Customer Experience at CAEVES. "Context LAKE™ extends any data source, on any cloud, to any AI assistant or agentic workflow. That matters most for sovereign cloud and AI use cases, where data cannot leave a defined boundary. Organizations shape their own data for AI readiness on their own terms, securely transforming enterprise data into accessible, searchable and AI-ready assets while reducing costs and extensive AI investments."

Key capabilities

Connect & discover data in place

Connect to enterprise data across file shares, object storage, SharePoint and OneDrive, wherever it resides, and discover what exists, where it lives, who owns it and how it is being used.

Index, contextualize & enrich

Turn enterprise data into searchable, AI-ready assets through indexing, contextualization and enrichment with metadata, entities and relationships.

Secure, classify & govern

Preserve and enforce existing permissions, classify sensitive information, apply redaction where required, and maintain an auditable record of AI access and retrieval.

Connect to any AI assistant

Serve trusted enterprise context to Copilot, ChatGPT, Claude and other assistants and agents through MCP, with APIs and other interfaces supporting additional workflows.

Optimize AI economics

Provide AI the relevant information and sources instead of requiring it to process large volumes of raw content, reducing token consumption by up to 47x in testing.

"Context LAKE™ layers data discovery, indexing, contextualization and enrichment on top of the storage customers have already invested in, with redaction and classification applied before any assistant sees a result," said Kirk Ryan, Director of AI Innovation at CAEVES. "Instead of an assistant opening file after file and paying for every token it reads, it asks once and gets back the right passages with their sources. In our testing, that cut the AI tokens needed per answer by up to 47x, and associated AI token costs with it."

Part of the CAEVES AI Data Platform

Context LAKE™ extends the capabilities introduced in CAEVES Intelligent Deep Storage™ and CAEVES Copilot Connector™ with a focus on enterprise scale, speed and deployment beyond Microsoft Azure. Organizations can connect existing data in place with Context LAKE™ or modernize file data to Azure Blob Storage with Intelligent Deep Storage™, reducing storage costs by up to 70%, and extend it to any AI assistant from there.

Availability

CAEVES Context LAKE™ will be generally available on October 20, 2026 as an annual or multi-year software subscription license for any deployment: on-premises datacenters, private and sovereign clouds, and public clouds.

For Microsoft customers, Context LAKE™ will be available in the Microsoft Marketplace, supporting rapid deployment as a cloud-native application in the customer's own Azure subscription. Marketplace availability for additional cloud providers will follow soon after launch.

To see Context LAKE™ in action, register for the October 20 launch webinar at caeves.com/webinar. Organizations can request a 30-day trial at www.caeves.com.

About CAEVES

CAEVES Technology, Inc. helps organizations securely transform enterprise data into accessible, searchable, and AI-ready assets while reducing storage costs and AI investments. The CAEVES AI Data Platform brings together CAEVES Intelligent Deep Storage™, CAEVES Copilot Connector™ and CAEVES Context LAKE™, enabling secure enterprise data access to AI across public, hybrid, private and sovereign cloud environments. 

Media Contact:

Andrew W. Mullen

CAEVES Technology, Inc.

[email protected] 

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Progressive Ranks First Overall in Semi-Annual Mobile Insurance Scorecard

WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Keynova Group, the principal competitive intelligence source for digital financial services firms, today announced the results of the Q3 2026 edition of its semi-annual Mobile Insurance Scorecard. The competitive report benchmarks the mobile apps and mobile websites of the 12 largest U.S. auto and property insurance carriers, naming Progressive as the leader in overall mobile user experience as well as for the mobile web. Allstate leads with the top mobile app.

"The strongest mobile insurance experiences increasingly combine value, convenience and security," said Beth Robertson, managing director, Keynova Group. "Carriers that help policyholders find savings, easily expand or adjust coverage and services, and securely access their accounts on mobile devices can strengthen loyalty while creating new opportunities to grow existing relationships."

Key Findings:

Carriers Demonstrate Value to Policyholders with Personalized Savings Opportunities

As insurance costs continue to rise, some carriers are adding partnership value by presenting personalized discount or coverage opportunities to help existing policyholders save money. While carriers routinely present discounts to prospects during the new policy quoting process, one-third have now introduced enhanced information and tools designed to help current policyholders identify and apply for relevant new discounts, policy options, or changes in deductibles. Guided, customized savings assessments incorporate policyholders' current deductible levels, coverages, and discounts to provide targeted recommendations.

Simplified Cross Selling Processes Facilitate Expanded Coverage

To advance cross-selling initiatives and help policyholders obtain needed coverage, carriers can simplify quoting and enrollment by prominently positioning links to help users locate and seamlessly apply for coverage updates, additional policies, or value-added services such as telematics and accident detection. While most carriers enable policy updates through mobile channels, three-quarters of carriers support mobile quotes for proposed or hypothetical policy updates. Progressive is among the 40% of carriers that offer policyholders access to saved policy change quotes directly from the authenticated mobile web landing screen. Firms can also make new policy quoting readily accessible to existing policyholders who may want to consider additional options such as umbrella or valuable personal property coverage. Telematics solutions should also be highlighted via mobile channels: while 42% of carriers' primary servicing apps currently incorporate telematics with accident detection capabilities, just one-quarter of these firms offer full telematics enrollment from within their apps.

Adding Account Access Security Options to Protect Policyholders

As the surge of identity theft and fraud continues, carriers are expanding digital security with authentication alternatives that help protect sensitive policyholder data. All Scorecard firms employ biometric login on their apps and utilize multi-factor authentication (MFA) across their mobile channels to provide verification beyond traditional user IDs and passwords. Erie uniquely offers use of an external authenticator app, rather than a texted or emailed code, in this process. Passkeys are also emerging as a more secure alternative to traditional credentials, with close to 20% of carriers now supporting device-specific passkey login. Firms can also protect policyholder data by prominently displaying and confirming completed logout to prevent unauthorized access and protect personal data. Two-thirds of carriers confirm mobile web logout, while fewer than 20% acknowledge completed logout from their apps.

About the Mobile Insurance Scorecard

Keynova Group's semi-annual, fact-based Mobile Insurance Scorecard evaluates user capabilities, customer experience elements and best practices to identify evolving trends and insights that drive mobile strategy in the auto and property insurance industry. The evaluation encompasses the mobile channels of Allstate, American Family, Erie, Farmers, GEICO, Liberty Mutual, Nationwide, Progressive, State Farm, The Hartford, Travelers, and USAA. A separate semi-annual Online Insurance Scorecard reviews the insurance experience for website users. For more information, please visit https://www.keynovagroup.com/scorecards/#insurance.

About Keynova Group

Keynova Group is the nation's foremost competitive intelligence firm providing trusted benchmarking insights and analysis of consumer and small business digital financial services, including banking, credit card, home lending and insurance. Since 1999, Keynova Group's Scorecards have served as the go-to source for leading financial services firms to obtain reliable competitive intelligence and actionable insights. The firm's proven methodology and highly detailed results help its clients maximize the value of their online and mobile channels to deliver a premier experience to customers and prospects.

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Partnership brings DoiT's cost attribution product Attribute™, Forward Deployed Engineers and

an FTR-approved migration path onto Amazon Bedrock to teams building on OpenAI

SANTA CLARA, Calif., Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- DoiT, which attributes AI and cloud costs to the customers, features and teams that drive them, today announced a partnership with OpenAI.

Through the partnership, DoiT will work with OpenAI to help enterprises take OpenAI workloads from pilot to production, run them on AWS, and trace every dollar back to the customer, feature or agent that caused it.

Across DoiT's more than 4,000 customers, monthly AI spend has grown roughly 100-fold in two years, expanding faster than the ability to measure what they return. As spend moves out of innovation budgets and into the infrastructure behind live products, finance and engineering leaders are asked to determine which models, features and customers drive it, and whether each one pays off. Few can answer today with the precision they apply to the rest of the cloud.

Many enterprises have had to run their infrastructure on AWS while consuming OpenAI models through other providers, but that is changing quickly. OpenAI's frontier models, including GPT-6 Astra, are now generally available on Amazon Bedrock at the same per-token price as OpenAI's own API, and usage counts toward existing AWS commitments. Teams can keep the models, prompts and evaluations they already have and move the spend onto a single AWS bill, against the commitment and inside the security controls they already manage.

DoiT's OpenAI-to-AWS GenAI Migration Accelerator, approved through the AWS Foundational Technical Review and available on AWS Marketplace, enables customers to make that transition with confidence. It maps each workload against Bedrock's feature and region coverage, runs the two side by side, and moves them over in stages that can be reversed at any point. DoiT is an AWS Premier Tier Services Partner and holds both the AWS Generative AI and Agentic AI Competencies.

Once the workloads run, DoiT enables the granular attribution required for strategic investment analysis. Its Attribute™ product brings OpenAI spend into the same data model used for cloud infrastructure, data platforms, and Kubernetes, enabling teams to measure and evaluate AI cost alongside other foundational systems. Attribute traces every token, inference and training run to the team, product and customer behind it, in real time, with no tags, SDKs or code changes.

With Attribute, finance sees what each dollar of OpenAI spend produced. Engineering sees it before the invoice arrives.

DoiT's Forward Deployed Engineers, included with an Attribute subscription, work directly with customer teams on architecture, model selection and attribution design as OpenAI workloads move from pilot to production. DoiT is already working with OpenAI on customer engagements and is expanding OpenAI certification across its engineering organization.

"AI earns its budget the same way every other investment does. It shows what it returns. Most teams cannot yet do that for their OpenAI spend, and many pay for it outside the cloud commitments they already carry," said Vadim Solovey, CEO of DoiT. "Nobody should have to choose between the models they want and the cloud they have committed to. Our partnership with OpenAI, together with our long history on AWS, lets us solve both for every team building on OpenAI,"

Organizations building on OpenAI can learn more about DoiT's OpenAI practice, including the migration accelerator, the Forward Deployed Engineering model and Attribute, at doit.com/openai

About DoiT

DoiT provides enterprise-grade FinOps and CloudOps solutions that help ensure every dollar of cloud spend is intentionally driving the business forward. Its flagship platform, DoiT Cloud Intelligence, unifies cost, architecture, security and business signals so customers can see how their cloud spend is moving and understand why. Attribute extends that same intelligence to AI workloads, tracing token, model and GPU cost back to the customers, features and agents driving it, without tags or code changes. Learn more at www.doit.com.

Media contact

Isaac Hubley

Manager, AR/PR/Corporate Communications

[email protected] 

SOURCE DoiT

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DXC Advances Intelligent Insurance Through Platform Innovation, Workflow Modernization and London Market Investment

- DXC expands Assure Platform with new capabilities designed to accelerate insurance modernization and innovation

- AI-enabled Smart Apps are delivering measurable results across critical insurance workflows, with Assure Platform adoption now exceeding 275 customers

- DXC strengthens its London Market capabilities to support improved connectivity, visibility, and operational control across critical workflows

LONDON, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- DXC Technology (NYSE: DXC), a leading enterprise technology and innovation partner, today announced a series of investments and capabilities designed to help insurers modernize critical operations, improve productivity, and adopt AI without disrupting the systems their businesses depend on.

Unveiled at the DXC Connect Insurance Executive Forum in London, the announcements build on DXC's Protect, Extend, Transform strategy and Smart AI approach, helping insurers modernize critical operations and apply AI with the governance, human oversight and accountability essential to insurance. Together, they provide (re)insurers and brokers with a secure foundation for innovation, spanning workflow modernization, platform innovation, London Market investment, and continued enhancement of critical insurance systems.

"Insurers are under pressure to modernize faster, unlock new opportunities with AI, and respond to changing market demands without disrupting the systems that run their businesses," said Ray August, President, Insurance Software and Business Process Services, DXC Technology. "By combining deep insurance expertise, secure platform services, connected workflows, and Smart AI, DXC is helping customers modernize on their terms, extend the value of existing investments, and create a stronger foundation for future growth."

A Stronger Foundation for Modernization and Innovation

DXC continues to expand the capabilities of its Assure Platform, providing insurers with a secure, governed foundation for modernization and innovation. Built to support DXC's Assure Architecture strategy, Assure Platform brings together platform services, insurance services, integrations, and Smart AI, helping insurers improve resilience and strengthen operational control.

The platform also enables insurers to accelerate access to new capabilities, including Assure Configuration Manager, a new capability that helps configure, assemble, and deploy Assure Architecture components more efficiently. Using low-code, configuration-driven deployment, DXC can reduce the complexity and effort required to introduce new capabilities, helping customers respond more quickly to changing business requirements. As a result, insurers can gain faster access to connected services, automation, and AI innovation aligned with their business priorities and operational requirements.

Improving Insurance Workflows Through AI-Enabled Innovation

Modernizing mission-critical operations across the insurance industry requires better access to information, greater visibility across processes, and the ability to make faster and more consistent decisions across the entire insurance lifecycle, from customer engagement and policy servicing to underwriting, claims, and operations.

DXC is expanding these capabilities through Assure Smart Apps, helping insurers automate work and improve how information and decisions move across the business. Designed to work alongside existing systems, Smart Apps allow insurers to begin with a specific business priority, demonstrate measurable value, and extend capabilities over time across underwriting, claims, broking, distribution, and operations.

Since first introducing Smart Apps one year ago, DXC has added 18 Smart App customers supporting more than 450 insurers and expanded Assure Platform adoption to more than 275 customers. At scale, these capabilities have already enabled 750,000+ automated transactions, 70+ agents deployed, and more than two million pages digitally extracted. Assure Smart Apps are further being deployed in DXC's Life & Wealth BPS operations, which support 11 million policies and process more than $11 billion in payments annually across 300,000 claims a year.

These capabilities are delivered within a secure, governed framework built on connected data, operational controls, and insurance-specific expertise, helping insurers innovate with confidence while maintaining the resilience and accountability required for mission-critical operations.

Supporting Critical Workflow Modernization Across the London Market

DXC provides technology supporting critical London Market services while also working directly with brokers and insurers through its broader insurance software and services business. DXC has set out its intent to combine capabilities from Assure Platform with specialist capabilities developed through the London Market Core Platform (LMCP), strengthening scale, security, and operational capabilities. This includes supporting the modernization of critical workflows to improve how work and information move across the market, enabling better connectivity, greater visibility, stronger operational control, and improved access to information while protecting the continuity and reliability the market depends on.

DXC is applying Assure Architecture and Workflow Assistant to support the modernization of selected London Market workflows, improving how work is routed, tracked and managed across the market, while maintaining the resilience, continuity and operational certainty on which market participants depend.

MEDIA CONTACT: Melanie Gorski, Media Relations, DXC Technology, [email protected]

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ANTA Sports Completes Acquisition of 29.06% Stake in PUMA, Becomes Largest Shareholder

- Becomes PUMA's largest shareholder, further strengthening ANTA Sports' globalization strategy

- Will support unlocking PUMA's potential across global markets including China, leveraging complementary strengths and multi-brand management experience

- Fully respects PUMA's deep sports heritage, distinctive brand identity and corporate culture, as well as its independent governance and brand autonomy

HONG KONG, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- ANTA Sports Products Limited, the world's leading multi-brand sportswear group ("ANTA Sports", stock codes: 2020 (HKD counter) and 82020 (RMB counter), and its subsidiaries collectively the "ANTA Group" or the "Group"), today announced the completion of its acquisition of a 29.06% stake in PUMA SE from Artémis SAS, the investment company of the Pinault family, for EUR 1,505.5 million in cash. Following the receipt of all relevant regulatory approvals and the fulfillment of customary closing conditions, ANTA Sports is now the largest shareholder of PUMA.

For ANTA Sports, this investment marks a major milestone in executing its "single-focus, multi-brand, globalization" strategy and strengthening the Group's international profile, reach and competitiveness in the global sporting goods market. ANTA Sports will bring expertise to PUMA that the Group has built across multiple brands over the years, including management, retail, and global resource integration capabilities.

Ding Shizhong, Board Chairman of ANTA Sports, commented: "We are delighted to become PUMA's largest shareholder and a long-term strategic partner. The global sporting goods market continues to offer significant growth opportunities as more people embrace active lifestyles and increase their participation in sports. ANTA Sports has built its success on a multi-brand strategy. We believe the value of a multi-brand group lies in helping each brand realize its full potential by leveraging the capabilities and resources of the broader group. PUMA has a rich heritage and strong underlying brand value. We have confidence in its management team and support the strategic transformation currently underway. As a long-term shareholder, we look forward to sharing our experience and capabilities, particularly in retail and operations, while respecting PUMA's independence and brand identity. Our ambition is to support PUMA in realizing its full potential and creating lasting value for consumers around the world."

"PUMA has built one of the most recognized sports brands in the world, with a rich heritage, a deep sports credibility, a global footprint, leading innovations and strong partners. We welcome ANTA Sports as PUMA's largest shareholder and view its long-term commitment as a strong vote of confidence in our strategy, our management team and our future," said Arthur Hoeld, CEO of PUMA SE. "We look forward to building a fruitful relationship and exploring areas where our respective strengths can create sustainable value for PUMA and its shareholders on our journey to become a top 3 global sports brand."

ANTA Sports fully respects PUMA's sport heritage, distinctive brand identity and corporate culture, as well as its independent governance and brand autonomy. As previously announced, the Group will seek adequate representation on PUMA's Supervisory Board. The Group currently has no plans to make a takeover offer for PUMA.

For further information, please contact:

Media Contact

Danielle Berg, US/international, +1 214 7092300, [email protected]

Claudia Kosser, Germany, +49 162 2737953, [email protected]

Louis Hung, APAC, +852 90841801, [email protected]

Investor Contact

ANTA Sports Products Limited

Investor Relations Department

Tel:    (852) 2116 1660 

Fax:    (852) 2116 1590 

E-mail: [email protected]

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Segway Expands Global Omni-Channel Network With New Models and Real Range Standard

New all-terrain and long-range e-scooters — ZT3 MAX and MAX G3 Pro — debut as Segway scales up worldwide sales and service alongside the "Range at Max. Speed" testing protocol.

COLOGNE, Germany and PARIS, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Segway, the global leader in innovative personal transportation and service robotics, today announced at simultaneous launch events in Cologne and Paris an expansion of its global omni-channel sales and service network alongside two new models, the ZT3 MAX and MAX G3 Pro.

A further launch event in Barcelona later this month extends the European launch. Built on Segway's proven ZT and MAX G series, the new models enrich Segway's premium lineup.

Built for the Way People Actually Ride

Segway's new premium models address the two most common e-scooter complaints: range figures that don't match real-world use, and handling confidence that falls short for daily riding. The two new models target two key use cases:

ZT3 MAX: All-Terrain Confidence

Built for demanding urban roads and mixed terrain, the ZT3 MAX combines all-terrain capability with Segway's new ICBS (Intelligent Combined Braking System) for smoother, more confident stopping on uneven surfaces.

MAX G3 Pro: Long-Range Daily Commuting

Built for longer daily journeys, the MAX G3 Pro pairs a high-capacity battery with built-in fast charging, delivering comfortable, stable long-distance rides.

Real Range: What You See Is What You Ride

For e-scooter buyers, advertised range is often the first indicator of whether a product can meet daily travel needs without frequent charging.

Segway's Real Range standard builds on TÜV's "Range at Max. Speed" testing protocol. Instead of idealized conditions, it tests every mode at full speed until the scooter slows to 60% of the maximum. Segway will apply this standard across its new premium lineup and future generations and call for industry-wide adoption of standardized, real-world range labeling.

Powered by Segway's proprietary SegRange™ efficiency technology, real-world range is 60–72 km (ZT3 MAX) and 80–100 km (MAX G3 Pro), varying by local speed regulations across markets.

Global Omni-Channel Sales and Service Network

Segway is expanding its global omni-channel network to make e-scooters easier to buy, repair and own. Three complementary channels — national retail partners, specialist dealers offering test rides and local repairs, and official online channels — provide consistent, reliable support however riders choose to purchase.

In Europe, Segway plans to build a network of 1,000 specialist dealer partners over the next five years — including Segway Service Dealers — while rolling out a self-repair program across Europe and Asia-Pacific, building on its US model, where 65% of common repairs are completed by users at home.

"As e-scooters evolve into daily transport, riders around the world deserve products that work as promised, and service that supports them long after purchase," said Johnny Zhang, Vice President of Segway Micromobility Business Group. "These new models are made for real daily riding, with range numbers measured on real roads, and support that doesn't leave you stranded."

Availability

Europe: ZT3 MAX and MAX G3 Pro will be available from November — in Germany (20 km/h D-version, eKFV-compliant) and in France and Spain (25 km/h E-version models). Region-specific pricing will be announced closer to sales start.

United States: MAX G3 Plus is available for purchase with an MSRP of $1,499.99 at store.segway.com as well as trusted retailers including Amazon and Best Buy.

Asia Pacific: The ZT3, another version of the all-terrain ZT flagship series, will roll out progressively across multiple countries within 2026. Product availability and pricing will be communicated locally at launch.

About Segway

Segway transformed micromobility in 1999 with the revolutionary Personal Transporter, igniting global curiosity about the future of personal transportation. With a mission of "Simply Moving", Segway is dedicated to simplifying how people and goods move, improving efficiency, and enhancing the overall experience of everyday life.

For decades, Segway has continuously set new benchmarks in short-distance transportation and consumer robotics, constantly pushing the boundaries of innovation. Today, as the global leader in innovative personal transportation and service robotics, Segway's offerings have evolved far beyond its origins. From eKickScooters and GoKarts to e-bikes, powersports vehicles, and personal robots, Segway is pioneering the future of mobility with breakthrough technology, delivering innovative products that redefine the way we move. Discover more at www.segway.com.

SOURCE Segway

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DULUTH, Ga., Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- AGCO (NYSE: AGCO) today announced its third-quarter 2026 earnings release conference call is scheduled for Thursday, October 29, at 10 a.m. ET. The company will refer to slides on its conference call. Interested persons can access the conference call and slide presentation via AGCO's website at www.agcocorp.com under the "Investors" Section. The webcast will also be archived immediately afterward for 12 months.

About AGCO

AGCO (NYSE: AGCO) is a global leader in agricultural machinery and precision agriculture technologies. Driven by a Farmer-First strategy, AGCO delivers value through its differentiated leading brands, Fendt™, Massey Ferguson™, PTx™ and Valtra™.  AGCO's high-performance equipment and smart farming solutions, including brand-agnostic retrofit technologies and autonomous offerings, empower farmers to drive productivity while sustainably feeding the world. For more information, visit www.agcocorp.com.  

Additional AGCO News

- AGCO Tech Day 2026 Spotlights Autonomy, AI and Mixed-Fleet Solutions to Enhance Farmer Profitability

- AGCO Restructures Executive Leadership Team

- AGCO to Unveil Global Products and Farmer-First Innovations at 2026 Farm Progress Show

SOURCE AGCO Corporation

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The Consumer Collective's "Second Nature" study finds nearly half of Americans already buy or would consider buying luxury items used, and close to 9 in 10 have bought secondhand at some point.

BROOKLYN, N.Y., Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Secondhand shopping has moved well past thrift-store clothing. The Consumer Collective, a consumer insights and advisory firm, today released "Second Nature: The State of Secondhand Shopping in America," a report on how U.S. consumers shop, spend and think about buying used goods.

Key findings

- 76% bought something secondhand in the past 12 months, and 89% have done so at some point

- 44% are buying more secondhand than they did two years ago, including 66% of Gen Z

- 49% already buy luxury items secondhand or would consider it, rising to nearly 80% once shoppers still on the fence are counted

- Millennials (89%) and Gen Z (85%) lead in secondhand buying in the past year, versus 59% of Americans 62 and older

Luxury resale shows the clearest room to grow, led by younger shoppers: 61% of Gen Z and 60% of Millennials already buy luxury items used or would consider it, compared with 27% of those 62 and older. Condition and authenticity top the list of concerns about buying luxury used.

Clothing remains the entry point — 71% of shoppers have bought used clothing — but for the next year, consumer shopping plans extend into furniture, electronics and books. Few shoppers assume new means better. Just 11% said brand-new offers better value; 34% said secondhand does and half said it depends on the category.

In-person shopping still wins out over online: 54% of consumers prefer buying secondhand in a physical store, 18% prefer online and 28% like both equally. Shoppers who like both spend the most, with about 1 in 3 spending $500 or more on secondhand goods in the past year. Thrift stores remain the single most popular destination.

"Enthusiasm around secondhand shopping started in clothes, but is spreading to more categories," said Allison Collins, co-founder of The Consumer Collective. "Brands that treat resale as a side market are missing where their customers already shop."

"The growth of the resale market has massive cross-category implications," said Jessica Ramírez, co-founder of The Consumer Collective. "Over time, we expect to see consumers' gravitation towards secondhand pull spend from other retailers."

The full report includes results of an August survey of 400 U.S. shoppers, category breakdowns, motivations, generational and income data, and a regional look at where secondhand shopping is the most popular.

"Second Nature" is available now through The Consumer Collective's insights library. More data is available to media upon request.

About The Consumer Collective

The Consumer Collective is a consumer insights and advisory firm helping brands, founders, investors and technology companies navigate a rapidly changing consumer landscape. We connect the dots between how people live, think and spend and what those shifts mean for business. Our work brings together original consumer research, market intelligence, trend forecasting and deep sector expertise to identify emerging opportunities and separate lasting shifts from passing signals. From beauty and wellness to fashion, food, retail and technology, we help clients understand what is changing, decide where to focus and turn consumer insight into clear, actionable business strategy. Founded by Allison Collins and Jessica Ramírez, The Consumer Collective also publishes Inside The Collective, a paid weekly newsletter.

Media Contact: [email protected] | theconsumercollective.co

SOURCE The Consumer Collective

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First-of-its-kind effort to close the gap between the benefits Veterans have earned and the benefits they receive

NEW YORK, Oct. 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- CLEAR (NYSE: YOU), the secure identity company, announced today that the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has integrated CLEAR1, CLEAR's secure identity platform, as part of a pilot to reimagine the Veteran experience across digital and physical touchpoints. The pilot provides a new, fast, simple, and secure way for Veterans to create or access their VA.gov account—online or in person at select VA Medical Centers.

VA serves a community of roughly 17 million living U.S. Veterans and operates the nation's largest integrated health care system, serving 9.1 million enrolled Veterans each year. VA.gov is the critical digital connection to the care, benefits and services Veterans have earned, but that connection begins with the ability to create and access a VA.gov account. As part of VA's broader modernization effort, the CLEAR1 pilot will make that first step simpler and more consistent, whether a Veteran begins online or at a VA facility.

Beginning today, Veterans can select CLEAR to create or access their VA.gov account. After a quick, one-time setup, future sign-ins take just seconds with a selfie. Veterans who prefer in-person support, do not have a smartphone, or face connectivity challenges can enroll with CLEAR Ambassadors using CLEAR Pods at six participating VA medical centers in Brooklyn, New York; Washington, D.C.; Palo Alto, California; Decatur, Georgia; Orlando, Florida; and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Behind that experience, CLEAR1 uses multi-layered verification that combines biometrics, government-issued identification and trusted data sources to establish confidence in the person accessing the account. That assurance is increasingly important to combat fraud, waste, and abuse among benefit access. Federal agencies reported an estimated $186 billion in improper payments in fiscal year 2025 across 64 programs. At VA, the Government Accountability Office found that the Beneficiary Travel Program alone accumulated an estimated $1 billion in improper payments between 2018 and 2024, including confirmed cases of fraud. Verifying that the right person is receiving the right benefit is the first line of defense, and every dollar recovered is a dollar available to the roughly 17 million Veterans who deserve support and resources after their service.

In anticipation of the pilot's launch, CLEAR invited Veterans to test CLEAR's VA.gov sign-in experience and provide feedback. Cheffren C., a U.S. Army Veteran said: "My transition from military service to civilian life was tough, and the VA has been supportive of me as a veteran all along the way. I see the VA investing in this new technology with CLEAR, and that it's only going to bring these benefits to veterans and their families faster and easier. It's comforting to know the same technology and company I trust from travel is available for veterans accessing VA benefits."

"I use VA.gov for health care, and when I was first separating, I was logging into the website basically every week," said Erik B., a U.S. Navy Veteran who also tested CLEAR on VA.gov. "The sign-in experience with CLEAR is very easy to use. I had assumed there would be more steps or paperwork needed, so I was very impressed with how quick and easy it was. Often when signing in to systems, you have to keep track of different usernames and passwords. What I love about CLEAR is that all goes away. It's a much more seamless process."

Caryn Seidman Becker, CEO of CLEAR, said: "CLEAR's mission is to make experiences safer and easier by securely connecting people to their true identity. We're honored to work with the Department of Veterans Affairs to meet America's Veterans and their loved ones where they are. Veterans earned these benefits, it should be easy for them to access them. Secure identity is the front door to care, and when that door works seamlessly and securely, Veterans get served faster and taxpayer dollars go where they belong."

Verifying with CLEAR is free and optional. Veterans may continue using another sign-in method if they prefer, and choosing not to enroll will not affect their ability to access VA benefits or services. Veterans' personal health information will remain with VA; CLEAR does not receive or access it through the identity verification process.

CLEAR has spent more than 16 years building identity infrastructure for the most highly regulated, highest-stakes environments in the country, from airport security checkpoints to health care. With over 43 million members, CLEAR is the leader in secure identity for the moments that matter most.

CLEAR1 is being deployed across federal health and civilian agencies, and CLEAR is under contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to modernize identity verification on Medicare.gov. CLEAR1 is Full Service certified by Kantara Initiative for NIST IAL2/AAL2 for its standard remote, self-service enrollment flow.

CLEAR is committed to privacy done right. Members are always in control of their own information, and the company does not sell biometric or sensitive personal data. There is no cost for Veterans to use CLEAR to sign in to VA.gov, enrollment is voluntary, and Veterans who choose not to enroll will continue to be served through existing VA processes. The VA and CLEAR will consider expanding this offering pending the results of this pilot program.

About CLEAR

The mission of CLEAR, the secure identity company, is to strengthen security and create frictionless experiences. With over 43 million Members and a growing network of partners across the world, CLEAR's secure identity platform is transforming the way people live, work, and travel. Whether you are traveling, at the stadium, or on your phone, CLEAR connects you to the things that make you, you—making everyday experiences easier, more secure, and friction-free. CLEAR is committed to privacy done right. Members are always in control of their own information, and we do not sell biometric or sensitive personal data. For more information, visit clearme.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release may contain statements that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. This includes, without limitation, statements regarding the scope, duration, timing, and potential expansion of the CLEAR1 pilot with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), including the availability of online and in-person enrollment and participating VA medical centers; the expected benefits of the pilot for Veterans, including faster and simpler account creation and access on VA.gov; the deployment of CLEAR1 across federal health and civilian agencies, including under CLEAR's contract with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services; the ability of CLEAR's identity verification technology to help combat fraud, waste, and abuse in federal benefit programs; and anticipated demand for CLEAR's secure identity platform in government and healthcare settings. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results, developments and events may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including the risk that the VA pilot may not be continued, expanded, or converted into a long-term contract; the risk that Veterans may not adopt CLEAR1 at anticipated rates, including because enrollment is voluntary, or that the pilot may not deliver the expected benefits; reliance on government procurement processes, funding, appropriations (including the risk of a government shutdown), and policy decisions; the ability of government customers to terminate, modify, or decline to renew contracts or pilots, including for convenience; the ability to maintain required certifications and regulatory compliance, including Kantara Initiative Full Service certification for NIST IAL2/AAL2; risks related to the collection, storage, and processing of biometric and personal data; competition in the identity verification market; the ability to successfully deploy CLEAR1 technology at scale across federal agencies; and those described in Clear Secure, Inc.'s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the sections titled "Risk Factors" in its Annual Report on Form 10-K. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this release, and CLEAR disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein except as required by law.

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SOURCE CLEAR

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