Artificial Intelligence

Automated assortment targeting is one of the most important technology-aided merchandising strategies to develop in the past 10 years. Retailers can use advanced algorithmic and behavioral tracking solutions to instantly determine what items a customer is most likely to buy and present them in a way that maximizes conversion potential. Omnichannel devices like smartphones, tablets and kiosks allow retailers to effectively deliver personalized assortments within the confines of a physical store, as well as online.

Finance executive Sven Wehrwein is the newest member of the Quantum Retail Technology board of directors.

The Minneapolis-based retail technology company said Wehrwein’s addition to the board brings growth expertise and knowledge of corporate finance.

Hoffman Estates, Ill. -- Sears is testing “Connected Solutions” experiential shops that bring together smart, or connected, home and personal automation products. The 1,700-sq.-ft. shops are being piloted in three Sears locations in the Chicago area, including Woodfield Mall, Schaumburg, Illinois; and Oakbrook Center, Oakbrook, Illinois.

Coinstar is closing in on its one billionth transaction and using the occasion as the basis for a contest to drive engagement on Facebook.

Thought-provoking presentations and forward-looking exchanges dominated the annual gathering of the Global Retail Marketing Association’s (GMRA) Executive Leadership Forum at the Don Cesar resort on St. Petersburg Beach, Fla.
 

Fairfield, Conn. - GE Lighting and ByteLight are introducing LED lighting fixtures that communicate with shoppers’ smart devices while in-store, enabling retailers to provide location-based services using GE LED infrastructure. ByteLight’s indoor location technology embedded inside GE LED fixtures will provide the ability to understand the precise location of shoppers using an opt-in application powered by ByteLight on their smartphones and tablets.

Barneys New York has re-launched a search function for Barneys.com, developed in collaboration with Rich Relevance, as part of its efforts to offer shoppers a customized digital shopping experience.

The upgraded function leverages site-wide customer behavior and merchant intelligence to create a personalized search experience that goes beyond collaborative filtering.

Walmart president and CEO Doug McMillon was among the dozens of high-profile business executives from the world of technology who participated in the inaugural Code Conference this week. Organizers of the event, which cost $6,500 to attend, made available a brief video of McMillon’s comments on a wide range of topics.