TECHNOLOGY

The mattress wars are heating up
There's more disruption in the mattress category at retail. West Elm has entered into a partnership with hot online mattress company Leesa Sleep, which will replace another hot online startup — Casper — as the home furnishings retailer's official mattress partner. The news come on the heels of Casper's announcement that it will open up more than a dozen pop-up stores in cities nationwide.
Dunkin' Donuts names marketing chief
Dunkin' Donuts has tapped an agency marketing/advertising veteran to head up its U.S. marketing efforts. The company appointed Tony Weisman, 57, to the position of U.S. chief marketing officer, effective in late September. He most recently served as the North American CEO of DigitasLBi, a global digital agency network, which has worked on the Dunkin' Donuts account for some six years.

Discount giant steps up cloud and AI initiatives

Walmart is making a bold move as it continues to seek out ways to distance itself from Amazon. The discount giant is investing in Nvidia chips. These high-level graphical processing units (GPUs) will be the foundation of a robust cloud network where Walmart data scientists can build out AI systems, reported Geek Wire.
Report: Alibaba to open a physical mall in China

An e-commerce giant is making a big push into the brick-and-mortar world. Alibaba, China’s largest online sales platform, is building its own shopping mall, with a goal of enriching the real-world shopping experience with technology and convenience, reported MarketWatch.
Flash site pioneer unveils redesigned, more customized Web experience

Online luxury retailer Gilt.com is kicking off its 10th anniversary with the launch of a new website. The company, a pioneer in online flash sales, unveiled a complete site redesign on Tuesday. Dubbed “The New Gilt,” the site continues to feature daily new arrivals and the flash sales that it's known for, but it will also feature easier site navigation, more exclusive offerings, and edited and dynamic editorial content — all of which will contribute to a more tailored customer experience, Gilt said.
Walmart pledges up to $20 million in hurricane relief

Walmart is significantly expanding its Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. Walmart and the Walmart Foundation announced they have committed up to $20 million in support of relief efforts in response to the severe weather impacting the Gulf region. This is an increase from the retailer's previously announced $1 million of in-kind donations for immediate relief.
Uniqlo creates plan to embark on digital transformation

In a move to attract more specialized information technology specialists, Uniqlo is renovating its digital DNA.
Delivery wars heat up as two more retailers expand same-day services

Best Buy and Macy’s are stepping up their same-day delivery efforts as they continue to bolster their defenses to compete with Amazon and other rivals. Best Buy announced on Thursday it is expanding its same-day delivery of online orders from 13 metro areas to 27, with more to come. The retailer expects that customers in nearly 40 cities will be able to take advantage of service for the holiday selling season.
Moody's: Amazon is ‘weakest’ of large retailers

Amazon isn't as dominant as is widely believed — at least not according to a new report from Moody's Investor Services.
Online giant’s partnership expands Alexa’s reach

Amazon’s newest move could take voice-assisted ordering to new levels. The online giant is joining forces with Microsoft to integrate the companies' two digital assistants. This will allow Amazon’s Alexa to activate and talk to Microsoft’s Cortana device, and vice-versa.