Artificial Intelligence

Amazon Jeff Bezos is certainly not sitting back and relaxing in his company’s success.      As his annual letter to shareholders reveals, Bezos is spending a lot of time thinking how his company can remain vibrant and successful. The letter repeats a theme that the executive brought up in his letter last year: how to keep alive the animal spirits that led Amazon to greatness, reported the Seattle Times.  

A social media player is getting in on the robot delivery game.    Through a partnership between Yelp and robot delivery startup Marble, customers in San Francisco’s Mission and Potrero Hill neighborhoods will soon receive their Yelp Eat 24 deliveries via rovers, according to ReCode.   When a customer places an order, they may receive a notification with the chance to opt-in for a robot delivery.   

Amazon’s upward trajectory is not going to stop anytime soon — and it’s not going unnoticed on Wall Street.  

Ulta Beauty chain is adding a new “consultant” to its in-store team.   Through its partnership with hair color brand Madison Reed, Ulta is deploying a color-recognition chatbot (called Madi) that gives consultations similar to those customers receive from a professional colorist in a hair salon.     Described by Madison Reed as the industry’s first-ever color-recognition chatbot, Madi combines artificial intelligence and selfies to engage in-store shoppers.   

Target Corp. is deploying a number of solutions to reduce its energy use.     The retailer, recently named Energy Star Partner of the Year for the second year in a row, counts more than 1,400 of its buildings as having Energy Star status — the Environmental Protection Agency’s certification of energy efficiency — more than any other retailer. And the number is still growing as Target works towards its goal of having at least 80% of its buildings certified by 2020.  

Fashion retailer abof is breaking new ground by leveraging machine learning and natural language to better service its online shoppers.    Aditya Birla Online Fashion (abof) sells apparel, footwear and accessories for men and women, and has a strong millennial consumer base. Knowing this customer segment expects a highly convenient and distinctive customer service, abof needed a way to personalize its online experience.  

The luxury brand is about to embark on the “next era” of its omnichannel shopping experience.    Extending its long-time partnership with Yoox Net-a-Porter Group (YNAP), Valentino is upgrading its omnichannel platform, a move that will give customers access to its extensive product assortment, in-store mobile features, and faster delivery through fulfillment from Valentino boutiques.   

The retail industry is going through an innovation revolution, driven by game-changing technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality and advanced analytics.