Technology

When someone asks “what does artificial intelligence (AI) do for retail?” the first thing that comes to mind is likely something about personalization and the customer experience. For retailers competing online, it’s critical to offer that “you-know-me” type of experience that the Netflix’s and Amazon.com's of the world provide. Companies that can weave AI and…

There are many industries where manufacturing continues to be the backbone of the economy, where companies that produce products and goods used by both businesses and consumers have found a way to push forward during the COVID-pandemic. Retail manufacturers especially are continuously finding opportunities to create efficiencies while protecting the health of employees and customers.…

COVID-19 has fast tracked the adoption of emerging technologies in retail spaces, blurring the lines between traditional brick-and-mortar experiences and digital commerce. Where only a year ago we saw roughly 16 percent total penetration for e-commerce across sectors, we’ve now eclipsed 30 percent penetration, with certain categories meaningfully higher. This level of penetration represents a…

Walking into a brick-and-mortar store today feels a bit apocalyptic. Employees now don gloves, facemasks and even the occasional face shield for added protection. There are stickers meticulously placed at six-foot intervals in front of checkout counters to help consumers abide by social distancing rules. Plexiglass shields now act as a protective barrier between cashiers…

After years of hype and anticipation, artificial intelligence (AI) is starting to have a real impact on the retail industry. Within the next few years, AI will transform retailing, affecting everything from cost structures to the customer experience. AI goes hand-in-hand with e-commerce, and surging e-commerce growth rates — accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic —…

Mobile technology use is soaring in retail, and for good reason. IHL Group found retailers that provide mobile sales tools for staff enjoy 77 percent higher sales growth than those that don’t, and those that deploy mobile point of sale (POS) achieve an impressive 92 percent higher sales. It’s rare to see such spectacular return…

A couple years ago retailers set a series of events in motion that inadvertently created one of the industry’s biggest challenges: how to manage the exponential rise in product returns while also meeting customers' high expectations. As it stands, artificial intelligence (AI) may be the only solution. How it Happened It all started with pure…

Daily trends and hashtags tend to inject buzzwords and phrases into the public zeitgeist at a moment's notice. One day, the scandal of the moment attracts the dreaded “-gate” suffix, and the next day, a novel term like "coronavirus" is all anyone can talk about. Warehouse automation doesn't carry near the number of implications as…

In the midst of recent announcements, what caught my eye was the opening of Amazon.com's first Fresh grocery store in Los Angeles. Retail is undergoing a massive upheaval, and I think it will come out the other side offering a significantly better customer experience. What do I think people are looking for? Availability of what…

Organizations are headed into the most unusual holiday shopping season in recent memory, and instead of focusing on how to obtain and keep customers, they’re bogged down in day-to-day business processes. In fact, top concerns among retailers this season are forecasting, obtaining adequate stock, and keeping staff and customers safe, according to a recent survey…