Artificial Intelligence

Identity fraud is at an all-time high, and despite industry efforts, fraudsters continue to rack up victims.   According to the “2017 Identity Fraud Study,” the number of victims increased by 16%, rising to 15.4 million U.S. consumers in the last year — a record high since Javelin Strategy & Research began tracking identity fraud in 2003.   

Pinterest is taking its search program to the next level.   The social media site now offers Search Ads, a feature that enables retailers to run ads as “pinners” type keywords into the search bar. The program, which started as a limited test, is now comprised of a full suite of features, including keyword and shopping campaigns that are shown in search results, as well as new targeting and reporting options, Pinterest’s head of global sales, Jon Kaplan, said in the company’s blog.  

Through the deployment of mobile data capture solutions, retailers can gain a wealth of real-time operational data and insight. On the front end, consumer barcode scans provide enterprises with valuable insights into shopping behavior and help to strengthen consumer relationships. On the back end, mobile barcode scans provide retailers with real-time snapshots into how products move through their supply chain.  

Young children looking for the carousel at Westfield’s Garden State Plaza mall in Paramus, New Jersey, were disappointed this past holiday season. Their older siblings, cousins, and perhaps even parents, were not.  

Starbucks is further evolving its digital customer experience.    Staring Monday, Jan. 30, Starbucks is launching a beta test for a voice messaging service that enables guests to place and pre-pay for their food and beverage orders “on command” via the Starbucks mobile iOS app and the Amazon Alexa platform. The new “My Starbucks barista” feature is an extension of Starbucks Mobile Order & Pay service, which allows customers to order and pay for their items before arriving at their store.  

In an era when gamers want new releases in their hands as quickly as possible, GameStop is changing the rules.   The gaming retailer calls its updated strategy a “new moment of truth.” Described as the gap between when a consumer purchases merchandise and actually receives it, this timing can truly make or break the chain’s reputation going forward — especially as digital retailing increases customer expectations.  

Every year, 30,000 retail industry professionals descend on Manhattan for the National Retail Federation’s “Big Show.    It’s a once-a-year opportunity to take the pulse of one of our most familiar industries. Amazon conspicuously abstains from the event, but it is nonetheless the focus of many conversations, distracting some retailers from the real opportunity: innovations in customer experience. Thankfully, this year a healthy shift seems to have begun.