Artificial Intelligence

Build-A-Bear Workshop is rewriting the rules on stuffed animals with a new line of toys that are linked to a mobile app.

The retailer’s new Promise Pets feature a free mobile app that families can download to bring the experience of pet care to life, teaching children about animal care through an interactive play experience. Breeds in the collection include the Golden Retriever, Beagle, Yorkshire Terrier and Persian Kitten. Build-A-Bear plans to introduce more breeds throughout the year.

Petco has filled two key executive roles as it continues to build a team to successfully execute key strategic initiatives.

The company has named Michael M. Nuzzo as EVP and chief financial officer and Michael W. Zuna as SVP and chief marketing and digital officer.

By Andy Wong, co-founder and VP of client services, Mobispoke

The rapid adoption of e-commerce in the digital age has fundamentally changed the way people shop. The online shopping experience today is not only richer and more engaging than in-store, but it is also personalized to each individual consumer, offering outfit pairings and special discounts based on a consumer’s profile.

Chicago -- ShopperTrak, a leading provider of consumer behavior insights and location-based analytics, is teaming up with the shopping app, shopkick, to deliver in-store beacon and analytics technologies that allow retailers to engage with shoppers throughout their time in the store and deliver an enhanced shopping experience.
 

Redwood Shores, Calif. – Oracle is releasing six new Oracle Retail cloud services that provide retailers with rapid access to enterprise-grade applications for managing critical e-commerce, customer engagement, order management, order fulfillment, loss prevention, and brand compliance operations.

The new cloud services stem from the Micros Retail solutions acquired by Oracle in 2014, and they are part of a growing portfolio of retail solutions hosted by Oracle and available by subscription.
 

Best Buy is strengthening its commitment to educating Canadian kids about technology with the launch of a Geek Squad Academy.

ShopperTrak is teaming up with a shopping app called Shopkick to enhance the value proposition retailers offer to their customers in-store.

ShopperTrak, a global provider of consumer behavior insights and location-based analytics, and Shopkick is the most widely used real-world shopping app. Their partnership aims to leverage the market leadership and experience of both companies to deliver superior in-store experiences and rewards for shoppers, while also providing the retail community with an analytics tool to optimize the shopper’s experience in the store.

Jeffersonville, Ind. – Retailers worried that it will take a while for consumers to become comfortable engaging in omnichannel commerce via wearable technology can rest easy.

According to new research from Accent Marketing, half of more than 1,000 consumers surveyed said they would buy wearable tech so brands can send alerts and have more insight into their lifestyle.

And three in four Millennial respondents said they believe wearable technology is a new way for brands to engage consumers. Other key findings include: