Artificial Intelligence

Framingham, Mass. – IDC Retail Insights research director Leslie Hand has been named to the 2013 Top 50 Retail Influencers list developed by point-of-sale, inventory and customer loyalty software provider Vend. Hand has spent the last 25-plus years in the retail technology industry, and prior to joining IDC Retail Insights was the director of global RIFD strategy for Ahold.

More stores will be open on Thanksgiving, which is also the first full day of Hanukkah

Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. It's hard to believe that September is already here — time for retailers to attend to the holiday shopping season. We at ShopperTrak recommend the following ways to prepare for the coming busy months.

> Maximize opportunities during the shorter selling season. 

Pritzker Group Venture Capital, formerly New World Ventures, has invested $45 million in Chicago-based SMS Assist, a leading mobile and cloud-based facilities maintenance technology company.  
 

Online retailer Rue La La will be leveraging Artisan Mobile’s Artisan Optimize platform to enhance its mobile technology.

"We are excited to be working with Artisan Optimize to directly impact the results of our mobile app," said Gerry McGoldrick, VP, Marketing, Rue La La. "Through their technology we are learning what drives conversions and, more importantly, we are able to make changes quickly and easily to keep consumers engaged."

Saks Fifth Avenue is leveraging Stylewhile’s iPad App so the retailer can offer online shoppers the opportunity of fitting clothing to their specific body type before making a purchase.
 
Stylewhile is capable of aggregating product imagery from online stores and fitting them on a model of a number of body types. Users can not only virtually try on clothes, but also use the App to select various items from retailers to create complete ensembles.
 

New York -- Saks Fifth Avenue, in partnership with Stylewhile, has launched a new iPad App that allows users to fit clothing to their specific body type before purchase. Not only can users virtually 'try on' clothes, but they can also use the App to select various items from retailers to create and style complete looks with the touch of a button.

Austin, Texas – Digital coupon provider RetailMeNot, Inc. has named Gokul Rajaram to its board of directors, effective Oct. 15. Rajaram is currently product engineering lead at Square, where he leads software development for Square Register, a full point-of-sale system for local businesses, and other products.

Gokul Rajaram, head of product engineering at disruptive payments company Square, has joined the board of directors at digital coupon marketplace RetailMeNot.