Artificial Intelligence

Scottsdale, Ariz. – For all the advancements in retail in recent years, the tools and processes supporting the global supply chain remain outdated.

New York -- Brixmor Property Group announced that in 2014, it completed lighting upgrade projects at 39 shopping centers, for an estimated combined energy reduction of 68%, or 6,100,000 kilowatt hours annually. That is equivalent to the annual carbon emissions from electricity used in 585 homes or the greenhouse gas emissions from more than 10 million passenger vehicle miles.

American Apparel is bolstering its omnichannel effort with two new hires in marketing and digital engagement.

The company announced two leadership appointments: Thoryn Stephens has been named chief digital officer, a newly created position, and Cynthia Erland has been named SVP of marketing.

Armonk, N.Y. - IBM is betting big on the cloud. The enterprise technology giant is releasing new hybrid cloud technology and services designed to extend clients' control, visibility, security and governance in a hybrid cloud environment similar to what they have in their private cloud and traditional IT systems.

In doing so, IBM aims to increase data portability across environments and make it easier for developers to work across cloud and non-cloud environments.  

New York -- The mobile payments war continues to heat up. In a post on its blog, Google said it partnering with the three of the nation’s largest wireless carriers — AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile — to bring its Google Wallet mobile payment app to their Android phones later this year.  

Google also said it has purchased some technology and intellectual property from payments firm Softcard (formerly known as Isis) to make Google Wallet better.

By Shah Karim, Saferock

If it hasn't done so already, the consumer experience will undoubtedly include omnichannel shopping, mobile, and social media as part of what consumers do naturally. Based on this inevitable evolution of how customers engage with retailers, here are seven retail “megatrends” which will become reality by 2020.

The White House recently hosted a daylong Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection at Stanford University. Speakers ranged from President Barack Obama to Apple CEO Tim Cook to Walgreens president Alex Gourlay). Here are a few takeaways.

Retailers Recognize Chip and PIN

New York -- Rebecca Minkoff’s New York flagship combines advanced technology with the designer’s fashion-forward apparel and accessories to create a highly engaging and immersive shopping experience — one that’s right in sync with the brand’s omnichannel- and mobile-savvy customer base. It’s also in sync with the ethos of the designer herself, who has entered the wearable tech market, with a bracelet that alerts the wearer to calls and texts, and a cuff that charges mobile device