For sure, Amazon took all the oxygen out of the room and the breath away from the entire retail industry. And it continues … except for one retailer. As it turns out, Amazon was but a tweak in the nose of the behemoth from Arkansas. But that's all it took. Like all of the Avengers combined, the roughly three-quarters of a trillion-dollar force, with CEO Doug McMillon at the helm, is crushing Amazon on the ground. And Walmart will just continue to accelerate, widening the gap to the point where Amazon will never catch up in the physical world …
Technology
Calling the Retail Innovation/Disruption Bluff
One of the debilitating downsides of having been a card-carrying futurist with Faith Popcorn's BrainReserve is learning the dirty little secret of big companies' off-stated quests for innovation and their vociferous lip service championing of disruption. Here it is: Like the weather, everyone talks a great deal about retail innovation, but nobody (in these big clunky companies) ever does anything about it. Except, of course, when they swallow up some startup and then dumb it down. Retail Woes Retailers, designers, manufacturers: You know the …
Data + 3D = Efficiency!
It's denim season again and we are anticipating what's next. How will trends in eco-responsible production and gender adaptability in styling and innovations deliver true consumer personalisation? What will be the big new denim story? More importantly, is the skinny jean dead yet? Whether it's the re-invented five pocket jean with wide or tapered leg shaping or a chino style sitting high at the waist, one thing remains constant: consumers demand a perfect fit, irrespective of design trends. As an industry, how can we best deliver fashion, …
How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Retail, Culture, and Everything
Shoptalk and South by Southwest ran consecutively this year. In spending time at both, certain correlations stood out. The implementation of artificial intelligence in retail was examined in detail at Shoptalk, whereas its role in our overall economic activity and lives was an overarching theme in Austin at the SXSW Interactive Festival. The Term Artificial Intelligence is Becoming a Catch-All Before we go any further, it might be useful to set a baseline for AI. A simple definition of artificial intelligence according to futurist, professor, …
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Speeding Up on the Information Superhighway
Do you remember the term "information superhighway?" In the early to late 1990s it was the go-to expression used by every journalist, techno-geek and politician to explain the speed at which data was transmitted over the web. However, the high-speed chase is accelerating with the advent of 5G technology, the designation for the 5th generation of mobile communication that could bring enormous benefits to retailing -or the biggest headache since you tried explaining the internet to your grandmother. Digital Revolution At its most ambitious, …
Intel’s Open Retail Initiative: A Catalyst to Future Success
I'd like to think of my role in the retail industry as an advocate and messenger, supporting the transformation and advancement of the industry by sharing strategic insights. My ability to do this is staying on top of emerging trends and developments - particularly technology initiatives that are moving at warp speed. On that note, Intel recently launched a big one. I'll get to it, but first, some context. Everything, every service and everybody in the world is being connected, more quickly, precisely and efficiently. It's made possible by …
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Beauty’s Great Beyond
If the reports are accurate - that he intentionally plunged to his death from the balcony of his 32nd story downtown Toronto penthouse - it was a really sad, shocking end to Deciem founder Brandon Truaxe's 40 years on this Shakespearian "mortal coil." Was it wholly unexpected? No, not by those close to the charismatic Wizard of Products. This manically creative individual, who'd launched 15 brands virtually simultaneously and lured Estée Lauder Cos. as an investor, had been publicly dissembling for a good 18 months before the alleged …
Rise of the Machines
In 350 BC, a Greek mathematician named Archytas created the first robot, a wooden dove that flew 650 feet. In 1495, Leonardo Da Vinci is said to have built an armored robot with inner workings. In 1966, The Stanford Research Institute developed Shakey, which looked something like a stripped-down ATM and the first robot to incorporate logic and reasoning-a precursor to AI. From these and many other rudimentary beginnings evolved a fascination with robots and robotics that has sparked the imagination of scientists, industrialists and, of …