Why China is retail’s future: Unattended stores, walletless buying, automated warehouses

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

E-commerce is driving automation on all fronts in China: purchasing; delivery; and supply chain logistics. Artificial intelligence is also driving change.

Amazon sales up but a bit slower growth this past holiday season

February 5, 2019

Amazon's sales are still going up but not as fast as in the past, and it's spending more than ever on shipping to lure customers.

Valentine's Day spend should be a record-setter

February 5, 2019

Consumers are projected to spend more than ever on Valentine's Day yet fewer will be celebrating the annual February love event.

Helzberg Diamonds deploys AR for virtual ring experiences

February 5, 2019

Helzberg Diamonds has launched a concept store, called the Helzberg Ring Experience, boasting a AR experience that allows customers to virtually try on rings.

Using push-to-talk technology to boost the customer experience

Jesse Robbins, CEO of Orion Labs, offers up insight on why push-to-talk devices and mobile communication are key to improving the customer experience. And…

More jobs in January, but unemployment jumps a bit

February 4, 2019

The government shutdown, so far at least, isn't having a big impact on the U.S. workforce as 304,000 jobs were added last month.

German manufacturer debuts multipurpose POS kiosk

February 4, 2019

Format, a Germany based manufacturer, has introduced its POS Multi Terminal with a 31.5-inch touchscreen designed for multiple purposes, according to a press…

West Virginia lawmakers mull motor vehicle license renewal kiosks

February 4, 2019

A West Virginia legislative committee passed a bill that mandates the placement of kiosks for license plate renewal in order to alleviate lines at Division of…

BookingBug introduces new workforce experience platform

Karim Iskandar, EVP of Global Sales for BookingBug, introduces a new workforce experience to the BookingBug platform for enterprise retailers and financial…

Ensuring peak holiday season performance in 2019

Don White, vice president of enterprise solutions at Snapfulfil, believes now is the time for retailers to assess and review the past holiday season…

Virtubox kiosks in play for India Expo Mart

February 1, 2019

Virtubox, a company that offers cloud-based Android software for interactive touchscreen kiosks with corresponding display on Android and iOS mobile phones…

Debit card losing consumer traction

February 1, 2019

The number of consumers who use debit cards for purchases has declined steadily since 2011, the year following enactment of the Durbin Amendment, and now…

Personalization, customization technologies gaining clout in retail

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Virtual shopping and shopper personalization were twin themes during the recent CES show in Las Vegas. A pair of sessions, "Shopping as a virtual adventure…

2019 predictions for retailers, technology innovation

Tony Rodriguez, Digimarc CTO, predicts the next stage in customer experience will focus less on new and more installations and more on changing business…

Standard Cognition buys robotic mapping startup

January 31, 2019

Standard Cognition, which provides AI-powered autonomous checkout solutions for brick and mortar retailers, has acquired Explorer.ai, a mapping and computer…

Report: AI will disrupt US job market

January 31, 2019

Those fearing that automation will put the U.S. worker out to pasture won't like the insight from a Brookings Institution report that claims 25 percent of U.S.

Square debuts free debit card for small businesses

January 31, 2019

Square Inc. has announced the launch of Square Card, a free business debit Mastercard that helps businesses manage their cash flow by eliminating the time…

Marriott rebranding contactless credit card, loyalty strategy

January 31, 2019

Marriott International and Chase Card Services are rebranding their co-branded credit card to a contactless card called the Marriott Bonvoy Boundless Credit…

Bitstop introduces Bitcoin ATM

Andrew Barnard, Co-founder of BITSTOP demos the Bitcoin ATM.

5 technologies primed to transform the grocery shopping experience

Rupal Shah, head of shopper research at research specialists, Simpson Carpenter, explains why the grocery shopping experience is on the brink of big change…