I've got a question for retailers who have a fear of the unknown: in reality, do they really know everything when it comes to their core operations, from stock levels and price points to distribution volumes and promotions? Most decisions are still largely made on gut feeling or by an individual who believes their experience will always outperform a computer, which in today's technological environment is nonsensical. There's a lot of hype surrounding artificial intelligence (AI), and Gartner research states that the number of enterprises employing AI has grown 270% over the past four years; and yet, many companies are still sceptical about what it means or how it could benefit their business. There is a clear purpose, however: retailers can use AI to illuminate areas of the business that were previously shrouded in uncertainty. When unhindered by human interference or pride, AI and Machine Learning (ML) can clear the fog surrounding the unknown, ensuring that all decisions are made using accurate statistics and data.

With the festive time of the year, everyone is going crazy about the mind-blowing sales going on in Flipkart Big Billion Day and Amazon India Great India Festival Sale. Diwali is celebrated to mark the triumph of Lord Rama over Ravana or the triumph of good over evil. However, for businesses in India, Diwali is the go-to make money festival. It is known as the big Indian Festive Season with eye-popping deals on from apparel, add-ons, shoes, consumer electronics, home appliances, furniture and also traveling. But did we ever imagined, how these e-commerce companies have prepared for these big sale days or how their courier partners are ensuring that last-mile delivery to the customers?

Earlier this month, Business Insider reported that retail giant Walmart has more than 1,500 data scientists and 50,000 software engineers--and it is seeking to hire even more to advance its artificial intelligence technology. Given that Walmart is primarily a brick-and-mortar retail outlet, this news tells us much about the role data science and AI are playing in every sector. As digital transformation fully takes over virtually every industry under the sun, leading companies all share one specific thing in common: they harness the power of data. Data utilization is no longer a luxury reserved for a handful of elite companies. Today, no matter the industry or size of your business, leveraging data is necessary to succeed. The value of data is finally being recognized in every aspect of a business.

Foreign Lush customers in Japan can now shop without language barriers as the brand launches the first language-free concept store in Shinjuku district. By using AI technology, the UK cosmetics retailer helps its customers enjoy their retail experience without words as they use digital functions, including interactive walls and app-controlled lighting, to locate and choose their favourite products. "Shinjuku represents the ultimate version of what we want from a shop. Importantly, it was the first time our tech warriors and brand and shop design teams collaborated to create a retail space in a digital age," said Adam Goswell, tech R&D manager at Lush. Besides being its first language-free concept store, Lush Shinjuku is also its largest store in Asia, spreading over four floors with its signature fragrant goods.

When Amazon debuted its automated convenience store in Seattle in early 2018, I was impressed with the consumer experience but also aware of the long-term ripple effects. At a time when the self-checkout machine market was expected to grow, due in part to labor shortages and lowered kiosk prices, Amazon leapfrogged over that technology and many others, such as mobile payments. They went from self-checkout to no-checkout. The company had, in effect, done the exact same thing that allowed it to dominate the e-commerce side of things: They made shopping easier. To use industry lingo, they reduced the friction of transactions.

This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read Wirecutter's continuously updated list of deals here. Down to $65 from a street price of $90, this is the first deal we've seen on the recently released Echo Show 5. We may see better deals over deals events like Black Friday or Cyber Monday, but at the moment, this $25 discount is well worth a second look if you're interested in the latest Alexa smart display. We have yet to test the Echo Show 5 and report our thoughts in our guide to the best smart display for Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, but if you're an Alexa user looking for the latest tech, this is the latest version of our top pick.

Oscar-nominated actor Samuel L. Jackson is lending his iconic voice to Amazon's Alexa – profanities and all. During Amazon's event to unveil new products and services Wednesday, the online shopping giant announced that Jackson will be the first celebrity voice for its Alexa virtual assistant and was created using neural text-to-speech technology. There will be both an explicit version and a clean version when the feature launches later this year. The Alexa "skill" will cost 99 cents as an introductory offer. After the introductory period, the price will be $4.99, according to the product page.

Syte, which uses visual AI technology to aid retailers, landed an investment of $21.5 million the company announced Monday. Syte plans to grow its reach across the United States, Europe and Asia; open a new office in San Francisco and expand its New York space; and hire about 70 new employees in Israel and the U.S. The funding will enable the visual product discovery company to invest in visual AI research and development, and introduce its latest product, visual AI personalization. The funding round was led by Viola Ventures with assistance from Storm Ventures, Commerce Ventures, Axess Ventures and Lyra Ventures. The fresh investment pushes the company's total funding to date to $30 million. Syte plans to quadruple its user base in 2020 by "focusing on enterprise and SMEs, strengthening current relationships, and building new ones," it stated in a company blog post.

Our Machine Learning models gives organizations the room to strategize their business decisions based on insights derived from programs that iteratively learn and develop to make more accurate decisions. Our algorithms help in data-driven decisions that define the retailers' success. Machine learning facilitates the continuous advancement of computing by exposing the models to new situations, testing and adapting, through pattern and trend detections for making improved decisions in future but not identical scenarios. Our focus area is the ability to easily analyze and create prediction models based on huge sets of master data that is business information shared across your entire organization. This includes data sets about the infrastructure including network, storage, and more.

Today, more and more retail companies understand that to stay ahead of the curve, they need to reshape their businesses, implementing tech-forward approaches and solutions. Data mining and analysis are key to making a shift. According to McKinsey, data-savvy retailers have the potential to increase operating margin by more than 60%. Companies can combine data from marketing, sales, transactions, customers, etc. to identify the existing patterns and make more accurate decisions. Data analysis brings diverse opportunities to businesses, allowing to reach customers and offer a smarter experience to them.