Artificial Intelligence

New York City -- At the National Retail Federation Convention in New York City on Monday, Fujitsu announced the unveiling of a new checkout technology that is designed to significantly reduce checkout times, improve customer experience and reduce operational costs.

The Kroger Co. is currently evaluating the new technology, called the Advantage Checkout System, in a limited number of its stores, according to Fujitsu. The team said they will demo the product live at the convention Jan. 10-13.

New York City -- The 100th annual “Big Show,” the National Retail Federation’s annual event in New York City, launched at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center on Sunday, Jan. 9 with a lineup of sessions and plenty of buzz.

One of the most talked-about topics? Facebook has a booth at NRF this year, representing the power that social media does, and will, play in the retail industry.

By Steve Castro-Miller, president and CEO of Bold Software, [email protected]

LAS VEGAS - LG Electronics has unveiled a number of new devices at the 2011 International Consumer Electronics Show.

Fort Worth, Texas -- Buxton, a leading customer analytics firm, has named Charles Wetzel as its new CEO.

Wetzel, 35, started at Buxton in 2004 as COO. He assumed the role of president in 2008.

“Charles is the ideal candidate to assume the CEO post at Buxton,” said Tom Buxton, founder and chairman of Buxton. “He holds the right combination of analytical expertise and management needed to lead this company into the future.”

The annual NRF Convention & EXPO has a strong history, and while the show’s early concept has evolved over the last century, its message remains the same: to bring together industry decision makers who want to find ways to drive their business.

Some attendees often question why NRF is held in New York City during January, when the weather can be downright brutal. But the reason is easy.

San Mateo, Calif. -- DemandTec, the collaborative optimization network for retailers and consumer products companies, announced that it has acquired substantially all of the assets of Applied Intelligence Solutions, LLC (AIS), a developer of intelligent software solutions for the retail enterprise with a specific focus on softline retailers.