Artificial Intelligence

GameStopTechnology Institute (GTI), the specialty retailer’s business unit, has entered into strategic partnerships with Shelfbucks, BestFit Mobile and Dynamic Signal to further extend its focus on driving technological innovation and change within its store environments.

GTI was launched by GameStop to pursue an open innovation strategy whereby the company partners with leading organizations and institutions to explore and build best-in-class research and development capabilities.

New York - Ugam, a provider of managed analytics technology, has released Assortment Intelligence, a solution that generates insights for retailers about what products to keep, carry and drop, based on real-time data collection and analysis. The solution delivers rich, accurate, up-to-the-minute data that helps merchandisers identify assortment gaps and opportunities to differentiate their offerings.

By Bill Davis, Director, MB&G Consulting

For much of the last year, traditional brick-and-mortar retailers have been mired in a slump. Not only was last holiday season the toughest in several years, the consumer discretionary sector, which includes retail, was the only one of the 10 macro S&P sectors to be in the red for the first half of 2014. As a result, retail is widely perceived to be in a funk.

Bentonville, Ark. – Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has made a follow-on order for GenKey fuel cell units from Plug Power Inc. Wal-Mart will add an additional, seventh, GenKey site to the original six-site contract it announced in February 2014.

Seattle – Amazon.com has opened a 3D printed products store, an online marketplace that gives customers access to more than 200 unique print on-demand products, many that can be customized by material, size, styles and color variations, and personalized with text and image imprints. The new store features search tools, interactive 3D preview functionality and a product personalization widget.

Walmart’s sustainability efforts are benefitting fuel cell provider Plug Power Inc., which said a contract it secured with the retailer earlier this year has already been expanded.

Plug Power said it received an order from Walmart for a seventh on site hydrogen fuel cell power solution branded as GenKey.

Plug Power entered into a contract with Walmart back in February for six of its GenKey solutions consisting of GenDrive fuel cells, GenFuel infrastructure construction and hydrogen fuel supply and GenCare on-site maintenance.

Yonkers, N.Y. - Westchester’s Ridge Hill shopping center will host a special “pop-up” event with MakerBot showcasing its 3-D printing technology on July 24, from 6-9 p.m.  There will be live demonstrations, jewelry design classes and equipment available for sale at the event.

San Bruno, Calif. – WalmartLabs, the division of Wal-Mart’s e-commerce operation dedicated to developing new technology, has purchased Luvocracy, an online community that helps consumers find products recommended by family members, friends and online influencers. Founded three years ago, Luvocracy was one of the first companies to enable the entire social shopping experience, from discovery to commerce, to occur within its app.