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Artificial Intelligence

  • Alibaba lifts outlook based on skyrocketing sales

    The Chinese e-commerce giant had a very merry holiday as its December quarter sales surged 54% year-over-year (YoY).   Alibaba’s sales hit $7.7 billion for the three months ended on Dec. 31, 2016, exceeding analysts’ expectation of $7.3 billion. The increase is also prompting the retailer to “adjust up our 2017 fiscal year revenue guidance from 48% to 53% year-over-year growth,” said Maggie Wu, CFO of Alibaba Group.   

  • Microsoft taps LinkedIn exec to head up tech

    Kevin Scott is joining Microsoft in the newly created role of chief technology officer (CTO).   Scott most recently served senior VP of infrastructure at LinkedIn, which Microsoft purchased in June for $26 billion.   

  • Analysis: Walmart should focus on its customers to succeed, not try to copy Amazon

    Walmart made sweeping changes to its e-commerce organization for the second time since it acquired online retailer Jet.com and appointed company founder Marc Lore as head of its own e-commerce division. The latest move, announced in a memo to Walmart associates on Jan. 13, further consolidates the retail giant’s online properties, and strengthens Lore’s influence on the chain’s digital strategy as it faces-off with Amazon.    

  • Tech Bytes: NRF 2017: Evolve with disruptors to remain relevant

    The trends featured at the annual NRF Convention & Expo never fail to get the tech juices flowing, and this year was no exception.    Sessions and the expo floor illustrated how retail technology has changed dramatically in a very short time. However, the event also relayed a sobering message: the industry needs to greatly evolve to keep up pace with customer expectations, and remain relevant in the long-term.  

  • Alibaba makes a bold move to fight fake goods

    Alibaba is championing the fight against counterfeit merchandise.   In a new alliance with international brands including Louis Vuitton, Samsung and Mars, Alibaba has created an anti-counterfeiting group. Called the Alibaba Big Data Anti-Alliance, the 20-member consortium of industry and technical leaders is working to keep pirated goods off of Alibaba’s e-commerce platform, according to the company’s website.  

  • Texas to gain another Amazon fulfillment center

    Everything is bigger in Texas — including Amazon’s breadth of fulfillment centers.   The retail giant is planning its ninth Texas fulfillment center in Coppell, a move that will create 1,000 more full-time positions. The facility, which will be outfitted with state-of-the-art robotics, will be Amazon’s third located in Coppell. Amazon’s first Coppell warehouse began fulfilling customer orders in 2013; the second launched during the 2016 holiday shopping season.  

  • Holiday competitiveness: Walmart vs. Amazon

    Did Walmart's $3.3 billion acquisition of e-tail startup Jet — the largest buyout in American e-commerce history — help it this holiday season?     A new report from Ugam finds Walmart's first holiday season following its acquisition of Jet.com last summer saw fewer out-of-stocks, but that the chain still has room for improvement on pricing and assortment.  

  • Target CIO Mike McNamara Talks Tech Transformation

    Mike McNamara, chief information officer and digital office for Target Corp, was among the speakers this week at the National Retail Federation’s annual Big Show in New York City. McNamara described how Target’s technology team is leading the way on transformation.   In the blog post below, which is on Target’s website, McNamara discusses the change he is leading, and some of the exciting technologies he saw at the Big Show: 
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