Artificial Intelligence

Amazon marks 20 years as a public company
Amazon is celebrating two decades as a public company in a big way — as an enterprise worth nearly $460 billion. The retail giant, which began as a modest online bookstore, went public on the Nasdaq in an IPO valued at a modest $438 million. Today, Amazon has grown into an empire that not only sells books, but has become a major player across categories, including clothing, food, furniture, jewelry, private-label goods and electronics, among other segments.
‘Alexa, pay my AmEx bill…’
American Express cardholders are now only a voice-command away from browsing their account or paying their bill. The credit card company is expanding its partnership with Amazon by launching its new Amex skill for Amazon Alexa. The skill brings select experiences of AmericanExpress.com and AmEx’s mobile app to Amazon’s voice service Alexa, within devices like Amazon Echo and Echo Dot.

Study: Gen Z digital, decisive and drone-ready

More than any generation before it, Gen Z has high expectations related to customer service and engagement across emerging channels. That’s according to a new report by American Express, “Raising the Bar: How Gen Z Expectations Are Reshaping Brand Experiences.” The study, conducted by Forrester Research, surveyed 1,027 North American Gen Y (ages 23 to 37) and Gen Z consumers (ages 16 to 22).
Supermarket Trends: Technology, food safety and sustainability are top of mind

The supermarket industry is constantly changing. Consumer food choices and how they shop, frequent regulation modifications and new technologies to integrate are just a few things we gathered from recent customer input concerning the most pressing issues for the industry. As 2017 rolls along, there are four emerging trends we see that grocery marketers should be aware of for the remainder of the year. 1. Impact of the digitally engaged food shopper on retail facilities
Target debuts 360° shopping

Target Corp. is taking a cue from Hollywood to help shoppers create the living room of their dreams. The discounter is using the same type of computer generated imagery that figures in movie blockbusters to create a 360-degree, virtual reality-like experience on its website. And it’s shoppable.
Amazon Disrupts Again: Here’s what you need to know

Ever since the announcement of Amazon Go and its promised checkout-free shopping experience, retailers have been left wondering, “what does Amazon Go mean for the rest of retail?”
Better Energy Savings

Retailers looking for dramatic energy savings at the lowest cost should think radical – and that means using an integrated design process right from the start.
“Radically efficient buildings are, among other things, 75% more energy efficient than typical construction” said Paul Westbrook, president of RE:source consulting, at the SPECS session, “An Improved Road to Energy Savings.”
About the Future …

What will the stores of the future be like? It’s certainly not a new question, but it’s one that seems to have taken on increased urgency as the shift to digital continues and retailers, some of them under siege from more nimble online competitors, wrestle with how to ensure their stores remain relevant going forward. It’s also a question that is sure to be top of mind for the shopping center owners and brokers who gather at the end of May in Las Vegas for RECon, the annual retail real estate confab.
Using Data, IoT to ReInvent Store Experience

Chain Store Age recently spoke with Goro Yumiba, chairman and CEO of SATO Global Solutions, and learned how retailers can leverage Internet of Things solutions, including RFID, to bolster in-store experiences.
How can embracing the power of data improve retailers’ business processes, growth and results?
In today’s fast paced dynamic business environment, successful retailers must be responsive to the market and make decisions promptly. Enter the power of data.
Amazon: Breaking Down the Myths

There’s no denying that Amazon has changed the face of retail, but there are many misconceptions about how the company actually operates. Unfortunately, these fallacies are leading many retail companies into making bad strategic business decisions as they try to duplicate Amazon’s success.
The following is a breakdown of some myths — along with a few takeaways:
Thomas Pink Deploys Real-Time Solutions

Menswear retailer bullish on Internet of Things, RFID
While most retailers continue to dip their toes in the Internet of Things waters, Thomas Pink has jumped in with both feet — and is seeing results.
The luxury menswear brand is involved in an IoT proof-of-concept test at its store on Wall Street in downtown Manhattan. Using a cloud-based IoT platform from Acuitas Digital, the retailer has the backbone it needs to seamlessly integrate networking, hardware, software and analytics solutions — all necessary pieces to digitize the physical store.
Finding Inspiration in a Tech Lab

Want to stay ahead of the competition — or at least keep pace with it? Invest in a tech lab — or an accelerator.
With the pressure to innovate greater than ever, savvy retailers understand they can no longer wait for new solutions and technologies to be proven in the field. That’s why so many of them have invested in tech labs (aka “retail innovation labs”).