10 most read Retail Customer Experience blogs of 2018

by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

This year's Retail Customer Experience bloggers tackled a wide range of topics, technology and trends. Before the new year arrives here's a chance to make sure…

Alibaba, Starbucks launch virtual store in China

December 14, 2018

Starbucks opened its first-ever virtual Starbucks store Thursday in China as part of the coffee chain's previously announced partnership with e-commerce…

Mall of America debuts Ellie the Elf concierge service for holiday shoppers

December 11, 2018

Those hitting the Mall of America in Minnesota for holiday shopping now have a new helper — Ellie the Elf.

VR, AR, MR? Get ready for 'extended reality’

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Extended reality, which combines VR, AR MR and 360-degree video, stands to change the way consumers and busineses interact, and much more, according to experts.

Can AI save brick-and-mortar retailers?

Madhu Mathihalli, Passage AI CTO and co-founder, is looking forward to a technology-powered future. Why? Personalized experiences, engaging store associates…

3 ways to keep the personal touch in brick-and-mortar retail

Ron Lutz, executive vice president and chief client officer, Miller Zell, offers up insight on why brick-and-mortar retailers must be focused on delivering an…

What you can expect from this year's Black Friday

Trevor Sumner, CEO, PERCH, shares his expectations about the impending Black Friday: digital experiences that will excite, e-commerce and its continued rise as…

Why embracing new technology is a good thing for traditional retailers

Andy Tow, managing director, Retail Marketing Group, explains that as shoppers have more choice than ever, traditional retail has a prominent role to play abd…

Streamlining Your Returns Process Pays Dividends

Online shopping is booming. Returns are not.

How emerging technologies are changing the retail shopping experience

Bob Meixner, senior product strategist, Oracle Commerce Cloud, offers insight on the emerging technologies hitting the retail environment and why retailers…

How banks, customers benefit from artificial intelligence

by Will Hernandez — Editor, NetWorld Media Group

The question of how artificial intelligence can help banks to achieve more meaningful interactions with customers was an overriding theme at the Bank Customer…

Walmart goes big with virtual reality for employee training

September 25, 2018

Walmart is distributing 17,000 virtual reality headsets as part of its training strategy as the Oculus Go gear is proving to boost store associate retention…

Augmented reality apps: 5 keys to spur customer retention, enhanced experience

Blair Newman, chief technology officer at Bell One, explains that while augmented reality apps offer endless possibilities to engage customers not all apps are…

AI in the mainstream but consumers demanding transparency

June 22, 2018

Two out of three Americans are somewhat familiar with artificial intelligence with 32 percent feeling positive toward the technology but a good majority, 8…

ICX Summit exhibitors showcase tech innovation

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

One of the highlights of this year's ICX Summit in Dallas was the wealth of innovation on display at the ICX Discovery Zone, where attendees received hands-on…

Legacy mall home to cutting-edge retail customer experiences

by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com

The Microsoft store, Fossil, Lego and Tesla offer up unique interactive customer experiences within the 53-year-old NorthPark Center mall in Dallas.

AI can boost customer engagement if brand is open to change

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Artificial intelligence can allow retailers to improve the customer experience and gain valuable insights, but it is necessary to identify the core…

Augmented reality more accessible to retailers, brands

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Though AR is still in its infancy at retail, a pair of presenters at Infocomm said that it offers a new way to excite consumers, and is more economical than…

Consumers embracing AR, online shopping

June 6, 2018

When it comes to e-commerce activity 10 percent of online shoppers have tried AR technology , according to a shopping and technology trends survey conducted by…

How AI, AR & VR impact retail this year (apocalypse not included)

James Hoshor, senior mobile strategist and solutions architect for Propelics, explains that with artificial reality initiatives impacting consumer engagements…