Artificial Intelligence

Framingham, Mass. -- Staples has opened an online store whose products were determined by crowdfunding.

The winners of the chain’s inaugural Crowd2Shelf Contest are being featured on Staples’ new entrepreneurial store at Staples.com/fundable. The debut of the online store marks the first time a retailer has used crowdfunding to determine market demand and social support in choosing products to carry.

New York -- Target Corp. is going interactive on the pages of Vogue’s September issue.

The discounter will run an advertising campaign in Vogue that utilizes Shazam’s new visual-recognition technology and makes print ads shoppable through a consumer’s smartphone, the New York Times reported.

Some 100 Target products appear in the company’s Vogue ads, with roughly 30 available to buy using “shop now” buttons on the Shazam-enabled online site, according to the report.

New York — Ron Johnson’s newest venture has secured a big round of additional funding.

Enjoy Technology, the online e-commerce start-up founded by the former J.C. Penney chief and Apple store executive, announced it has secured $50 million in a round of Series B funding led by Highland Capital.

New York -- The founder of the now defunct same-day delivery service Webvan is back — this time with a robot-powered would-be competitor to Amazon Prime, reports ReCode.  

Louis Borders is developing a $99 shopping club that plans to offer same-day delivery of groceries and other merchandise from participating retailers. But it’s the back-end of the operation that is so interesting.

New York -- Some of the most creative retailers in marketing were recognized by Experian Marketing Services in its inaugural #SuiteLife Awards.

Among the recipients of the #SuiteLife Awards, a play on Experian’s suite of marketing solutions, were American Eagle Outfitters, Neiman Marcus, Bass Pro Shops, Finish Line and Foot Locker. The awards were presented at Experian’s recently held marketing summit attended by more than 1,000 people in Las Vegas.

Some of the most creative minds in marketing, including some top retailers, were recognized recently when Experian Marketing Services held its inaugural #SuiteLife Awards.

Among the recipients of the #SuiteLife Awards, a play on Experian’s suite of marketing solutions, were American Eagle Outfitters, Neiman Marcus, Bass Pro Shops, Finish Line and Foot Locker. The awards were presented at Experian’s recently held marketing summit attended by more than 1,000 people in Las Vegas.

Instagram is hot, and retailers that are interested in marketing their merchandise on the social network have a new option.

Olapic, a vehicle that helps turn consumer-generated photos and videos into brand assets, will be helping to integrate the recently announced Instagram Ads API for brands and retailers to start rolling out campaigns inside the app.

New York -- Kip Tindell, founder, chairman and CEO of The Container Store, will be inducted into the Retail Hall of Fame at the upcoming World Retail Congress, which will be held Sept. 8-10, in Rome, Italy. Tindell is also the current chairman of the National Retail Federation.