Artificial Intelligence

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

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.

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.

New York – Verizon Enterprise Solutions has recently introduced a location-based service that will allow retail organizations to offer real-time benefits to their customers, such as proximity-based specials and fraud detection. Verizon Location Data Services, powered by Locaid, is available now to enterprise retail clients in the U.S.

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.