Artificial Intelligence

LEDs, wireless controls are key to the future of retail lighting solutions

Lighting is fundamental to any retail store, whether for setting a scene and influencing how a brand is perceived or even encouraging shoppers to make a particular purchase. However, if not managed correctly, it can be extremely expensive. In fact, lighting accounts for around 53% of all electricity consumption in a typical retail outlet, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

A 12-year-old CEO is among the 25 individuals named to the National Retail Foundation’s 2017 List of People Shaping Retail’s Future.    Mikaila Ulmer, founder and CEO of Me & The Bees Lemonade http://gala.nrf.com/the-list-2017#MIKAILA-ULMER, is the youngest of the list’s honorees, all of whom will be recognized at the NRF Foundation Gala on January 15 during the NRF Big Show in New York City.  

Coming soon to Starbucks: virtual baristas.   The coffee giant plans to add a Siri-like virtual assistant to its mobile app that will allow users to place an order by talking to a virtual barista that will then send the order to a store nearby user where it will be made by an employee.  

L’Occitane has gone high-tech in its New York City flagship.   Located in the Flatiron District of Manhattan, the renovated store seeks to addressing the demands of today’s shoppers for immediacy and information while also channeling the rich heritage and culture of the brand’s Provence, France, roots.     

At its recent I/O 2016 developer festival, Google signaled its intent to embrace artificial intelligence. With Google’s fall release of the Pixel phone and, more important, its Assistant, the transition to an AI-powered future is underway.  

Looking to make digital transactions safer, two credit card network powerhouses are joining forces to tokenize shoppers’ payment card credentials.   

Upscale brands are grabbing the attention of holiday procrastinators.   Three in 10 shoppers are still scrambling to finish holiday shopping, according to the National Retail Federation, and many are jumping online in search of their perfect, albeit “last minute” holiday gifts.   

7-Eleven has completed 77 autonomous drone deliveries to customer homes in the United States.   Through its collaboration with Flirtey, a service that supports commercial drone deliveries to customer homes in the United States, the convenience store chain conducted regular weekend deliveries to mobile shoppers during November. A dozen select shoppers used a custom app to place orders, which were fulfilled from a dedicated 7-Eleven store, the company said.