Study points to growth of mobile-based AI shopping assistants

A retail future dominated by AI, AR and VR technologies is predicted by a global study from Ericsson. Smart assistants will become the norm for coming generations.

By Dan Alaimo • May 8, 2018

Bloomingdale's deploys employee training tech to reduce safety claims

Employee training is becoming more important than ever in a new retail landscape, but retailers need to see proof of its business impact.

By Dan O'Shea • May 7, 2018

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How artificial intelligence is shaping retail

More retailers are leaning on AI as a tool, tapping into the tech to improve customer service and support supply chain functions.

By Retail Dive staff

Frictionless payment, 2018 style: It’s all about social

The speed of payment is changing the retail marketplace. These innovations will be key to answering demand.

By Kevin Brown • May 7, 2018

Google: Stores are key to meeting immediate shopping needs

Consumers have come to expect free and fast delivery, but that trend is driving shoppers into nearby stores for immediate purchases, according to a report from Google.

By Dan Alaimo • May 7, 2018

Mobile’s share of online sales slipped last year

Forrester spots an unexpected downward trend in mobile sales as a percentage of all online sales.

By Dan O'Shea • May 6, 2018

Instagram tests in-app payment feature

Letting users buy products on the same platform on which they browse is the latest step in the app's push toward mobile commerce.

By Robert Williams • May 4, 2018

Amazon opens premium content sales on Alexa to all developers

SyFy Wire has added subscription access to weekly podcasts and Volley's Yes Sire game released an expansion pack to purchase for Alexa.

By Robert Williams • May 4, 2018

Samsung Pay adds image search to drive purchases

Bixby Shopping will now let users search for products via photo, and the company plans to add cash back rewards to the payment platform as well.

By Dan O'Shea • May 4, 2018

BJ’s adds wishlist feature to mobile app

The new function for BJ’s app uses machine learning to suggest products and a swipe-right, swipe-left operation much like online dating sites.

By Dan Alaimo • May 4, 2018

RetailMeNot arms retailers with in-store cash back offers

Through the company's mobile app, shoppers at stores like Macy's, Kohl's, Sephora and others can now start getting cash back offers in stores.

By Dan O'Shea • May 3, 2018

Online spending passes $100B for the first time

A new Adobe report based on quarterly data shows that e-commerce and mobile commerce are still surging, and winter isn't the only season for holiday-driven shopping.

By Dan O'Shea • May 3, 2018

Mobile marketplace OfferUp goes national

Armed with a payments feature and a deal with the U.S. Postal Service, the Seattle-based startup is taking on giants like Ebay, Craigslist and Facebook.

By Daphne Howland • May 3, 2018

Sephora, Nike test out Facebook’s AR Messenger feature

The social platform announced an augmented reality feature for businesses using Messenger, which could help retailer chatbots visualize products for consumers.

By Dan O'Shea • May 3, 2018

Digital sales up 15%, but social media impact stalls

Online sales continued double-digit growth in the first quarter with mobile driving 60% of traffic, reports Salesforce.

By Dan Alaimo • May 3, 2018

Amazon to hire thousands of tech workers

Dwarfing the hundreds laid off from corporate earlier this year, Amazon plans to hire 200 in a Minneapolis tech office, 2,000 in Boston and fill 3,000 jobs in Vancouver, mainly with technologists.

By Dan Alaimo • May 1, 2018

Google Assistant outperforms Alexa, Cortana and Siri, again

Will the gains in accuracy be the key to introducing more intelligent assistants?

By Alex Hickey • April 30, 2018

Starbucks will spotlight afternoons to win more loyalty members

About half of volume sold in the afternoon is to customers who are not members of the My Starbucks Rewards program. 

By Erica Sweeney • April 30, 2018

Amazon starts offering smart home security packages

Amazon apparently has expanded into smart home security services, including installation.

By Dan O'Shea • April 29, 2018

Amazon bringing memory, natural conversation capabilities to Alexa

By reducing friction in interactions, the new features will allow the assistant to better engage with users.

By Dan O'Shea • April 27, 2018

Walmart Labs on tech hiring binge in California, Arkansas

The retailer is trading traditional roles for highly skilled technical positions as it ramps up the R&D operations of Walmart Labs.

By Dan Alaimo • April 27, 2018

Amazon releases kid-focused Echo Dot, special Alexa version

The e-commerce giant adds another device to its growing line of "kid edition" tech, this time an Echo Dot with parental controls and special content.

By Dan O'Shea • April 26, 2018

Apps and social media platforms lack brand intimacy

The category has a Brand Intimacy Quotient of 18, well below the industry average of 27.1, according to the MBLM. 

By Erica Sweeney • April 26, 2018

Sneaker brand opens virtual store

Six Hundred Four is an art gallery and a pricey sneaker store – a ‘Sneaker Gallery' – with a physical storefront and a 3D e-commerce shopping experience.

By Dan Alaimo • April 26, 2018

Digital wallet momentum stalls

After three years of being declared the next big thing in payments, digital wallets have shown little growth since their early adoption phase.

By Dan Alaimo • April 25, 2018

Macy’s email campaign nets a 6% reactivation rate

A fourth quarter email campaign boosted active subscribers, open and click-through rates, and resulted in increased online and in-store sales.

By Dan Alaimo • April 25, 2018