TECHNOLOGY

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.
Amazon Prime Now to make its Canadian debut

Amazon is getting ready to introduce its same-day delivery service in its 10th country. Canada will be the newest country to offer Amazon Prime Now’s free two-hour delivery service. The online giant reportedly plans to pilot the program in Vancouver. Based on positive results, Amazon will expand the service to other Canadian cities throughout 2018, according to Nasdaq.
Casper extending reach into brick-and-mortar

Online mattress start-up Casper is getting more upfront with shoppers. The fast-growing company plans to open some 15 pop-up shops in cities across North America, including New York, Los Angeles and Chicago. The pop-ups are scheduled to launch in October 2017, and will remain open through spring of 2018.
New stores fuel online growth

Brick-and-mortar stores are crucial to supporting a retailer's e-commerce growth.
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.
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.