Artificial Intelligence

The Next Great Thing
Trends offer new opportunities, responsibilities
The next great thing isn’t a piece of tech, an improved process, a branded message, or a fast-changing business model. It’s all this — at once. The fact is the next great thing is retail itself.
Retail lies at the convergence point of some of the most profound changes any business can experience. More, it plays out in front of customers and the rest of the world in real time. Retail brands that quickly harness new ideas by learning the details that make them work well become the winners.
REIMAGINING STORES
As digital commerce forces brick-and-mortar stores to innovate, industry experts share their views on the future of physical retail.
From department stores to discounters to home improvement chains, nearly all retailers are engaged in the same game: trying to imagine what stores of the future will look like in an increasingly digitized world.

Center Stage at SPECS 2017

Retail and restaurant executives, architects, suppliers and other industry professionals involved in store design/planning, construction and facility management gathered together for Chain Store Age’s 53rd annual SPECS conference.
The event, held at the Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, Fla., focused on the evolution and innovation of physical stores in a digital age, and explored industry trends that are transforming how stores are designed, built, operated and maintained.
Staples names former HP security exec to lead cyber-security

An office supplies giant is taking steps to tighten up its data security strategies. Staples named Brett Wahlin as its chief information security officer (CISO), responsible for global enterprise-wide information, product and data security. He will report to chief technology officer Faisal Masud, who leads Staples Digital Solutions, a new organization within the company that combines its traditional IT and digital organizations.
Coming soon: The Walmart Dash button?

Amazon’s signature Dash button may be getting some competition from a rival very soon. A patent filing by Walmart reveals that the retail giant could be developing an Internet of Things-based device that tracks how shoppers use products in their homes and then electronically reorders merchandise.
Amazon extends commitment to AI, drones

The United Kingdom is preparing for Amazon’s newest technology hub — a lab that will focus on innovations from artificial intelligence to machine learning. The online giant plans to open a new 60,000 sq. ft. development center in Cambridge this fall. The facility will have the capacity to employ more than 400 associates, including machine learning scientists, knowledge engineers, data scientists, mathematical modelers, speech scientists and software engineers.
Study: Associates complain they can’t access necessary info

Despite retailer efforts to deliver information, store employees still struggle to access the information needed to complete tasks. In fact, 75% of decision makers said their employees frequently ask about procedures that are documented, and 73% indicated that critical information is scattered across many disparate locations.
Study: Consumers still like shopping in stores — when the experience is right

Even in a digital age, consumers still enjoy shopping in stores — if the shopping experience meets their expectations. One of the biggest turnoffs: long lines. That’s according to a new study from payments company Adyen, which revealed when a “preferred” shopping experience is implemented — whether it be changing how someone checks out or how they interact with sales associates — 63% of people claim they will shop more.
Report: Automation could propel Amazon’s grocery operation

Automation could drive Amazon’s grocery business in more ways than one. Not only will a focus on automation prime the online giant’s AmazonFresh operation to disrupt the grocery industry, but it could also help the endeavor reach a breakeven point, according to CNBC.
Pizza giant links deliveries to customers’ smart technology

Domino’s Pizza now lets customers sync their smart home devices with the ETA of their pizza deliveries. The pizza giant is partnering with If This, Then That (IFTTT), a free platform that allows users to create connections — or applets — between digital devices and services. By integrating its digital Domino's Tracker, which enables customers to monitor orders from preparation to delivery, into the platform, the company has created Domino’s-branded applets.
The Future is Unified — and You Should Be Too

Customer experience is everything. In fact, Accenture found that 45% of customers are willing to pay more for a better customer experience. It’s also what gets customers into the physical store. With more consumers turning to the ease of online ordering and straight-to-door shipping, retailers are in a bigger crunch than ever before to not only increase footfall, but to keep customers coming back. So what can retailers do to turn first time visitors into loyal customers? Get unified.
Q&A: Online home furnishings brand goes high-touch, high-service

Eighteen year-old online home décor and furnishings brand ATGStores.com has a new name, a new look and a new focus on personalized, one-on-one service.