Artificial Intelligence

In The Pink drives data to stores

For upscale retailers, providing an intimate and responsive customer experience is even more critical than it is for more mainstream chains. In The Pink, a Falmouth, Mass.-based, seven-unit affiliate of specialty retailer Lilly Pulitzer, is disrupting both how customer service is delivered in its stores and how IT vendors deliver technology to retailers.

Ken Morris, principal, Boston Retail Partners, recently took the time to explain how real-time retailing and how the concept of “unified commerce” allows stores themselves to become networks for customer engagement.

What is real-time retailing, and how does it benefit retailers and their customers?

By Punit Kulkarni, Symphony Analytics

Redwood Shores, Calif. – Oracle has released Oracle Retail version 14, encompassing new features and functionality across its complete offering of retail business solutions. The enhanced suite of solutions is designed to enable relevant customer engagements across touchpoints, target assortments, drive improved efficiency from inventory and help reduce total cost of ownership.

Last week, I looked back at 2013 and how the biggest single trend in retail IT was customers using connective technology to take control of the shopping experience. This week, I look forward to the new year of 2014, when the biggest single trend in retail IT will be customer disruption.

Looking back on 2013 (and as always, it’s amazing how quickly “look back” time arrived), the biggest single trend in retail IT has been customers using connective technology to take control of the shopping experience. And retailers should be thrilled.

A new form of digital currency will reportedly soon be competing with Bitcoin. According to multiple media reports, the currency, known as “Coinye West,” will launch at 11 p.m. ET on Saturday, Jan. 11.

According to the Coinye West website, the currency will use a Scrypt algorithm and have a maximum number of 1,333,333,333. The site also promises that password-protected, encrypted archives containing the binaries and source for the wallet and daemon will be released before launch and that Coinye West is digital currency “for the masses.”

San Francisco -- Custom apparel and accessory provider vPersonalize.com has launched a new full-custom, online store for customers to design and buy their own personalized apparel and accessories.

vPersonalize.com features a Web-based configurator that allows consumers to design directly on a 3-D model of a T-shirt, backpack or bag and get it custom-made almost exactly as seen.