The CMO Performance Report 2018 report, from digital marketing challenger agency, QueryClick, surveyed over 150 Chief Marketing Officers for UK consumer brands with a revenue of over £150 million and an e-commerce offering, found that 66% of CMOs for large retail brands have plans to invest in machine learning to enhance their digital marketing strategies within the next 12 months. The survey also found that over half (53%) of retailers will invest in voice search technology within the next 12 months. By 2019, the voice recognition market is predicted[1] to be a $601 million industry, and its value is set to accelerate even further as research predicts[2] 50% of all searches will be voice searches by 2020. Overall, 75% of CMOs said their brand will change its SEO strategy to ensure it appears in voice-led search results. Of those, 43% said they would do this within the next 12 months.

Move aside traditional bankers, Humanoid Robots are here! As customers embrace new technology, banks are also trying to meet client expectations by digitizing their operations with the help of latest technology including artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual assistance. So, for the first time in the United States, HSBC Holdings HSBC has unveiled seven humanoid robots -- Pepper -- at its flagship Fifth Avenue branch in New York. Developed by SoftBank Robotics Group, the humanoid robots are expected to reduce wait time at branches, assist and encourage customers to use available technical tools and platforms, and make clients aware of HSBC products and services. All these efforts are expected to draw more business.

Amazon is set to open a second location for its radical Amazon Go concept store. The store, the second in Amazon's hometown of Seattle, will be a mile away from the original location. Amazon confirmed the new store in a statement, saying'We are excited to bring Amazon Go to 920 5th Avenue in Seattle. The store will open in Fall 2018.' Amazon confirmed the new store in a statement, saying'We are excited to bring Amazon Go to 920 5th Avenue in Seattle. The store will open in Fall 2018.' Pictured, the original store The first store debuted one mile away at the base of Amazon's Day One tower in January, after more than a year of fine-tuning the concept. The second store will be located in the new Madison Centre office tower at the corner of Fifth Avenue and Marion Street, according to GeekWire.

Today's retailers have to find profitable strategies to deliver on their customers' expectations, amid significant fulfillment challenges and complexities. Customers don't understand the massive omnichannel fulfillment operation that is set into motion when they click "Buy Now." Whether they purchase a product on your e-commerce site for home delivery or order a product to be delivered to your nearest brick and mortar location, customers want immediate inventory availability, fast shipping and a seamless end-to-end purchasing experience. Here's a closer look at how AI and cognitive technologies are helping improve omnichannel fulfillment in a world of rising customer expectations, free 2-day delivery from the competition, and rapidly shrinking margins. What does intelligent fulfillment look like?

Robotics, machine learning and artificial intelligence are already redefining the industry, with platform companies pioneering the use of these smart technologies. Traditional retailers and manufacturers need to catch up or risk becoming uncompetitive. Dr Thomas Erwin, Global Head of KPMG Lighthouse Center of Excellence for Intelligent Automation and Data & Analytics, says that companies need to learn to work with these technologies – especially AI – and recognize the cultural challenges ahead. These relatively young technologies are changing so fast that companies also need to keep their options open. In 10-15 years' time, AI could be making most of the operational decisions in a business.

Prime Day 2018 will begin on July 16. Amazon Prime members can once again look forward to getting steep discounts gadgets, things for your home, travel gear, and more. While Amazon's Prime Day is not as big as Black Friday (yet), at least you don't have to endure the psychological trauma of being pushed around in large crowds and waiting in long lines out the door at brick and mortar shops. And an added benefit -- without major gift giving holidays coming up, as Amazon puts it, this is a day to focus on yourself. Prime Day is a time Amazon Prime members can enjoy lightning deals, price cuts, and promotions.

Even if you carefully check the labels, stickers, and stamps on every product you buy at retail stores or online shopping websites, chances are high, you'll still end up purchasing a product from today's booming illegal economy and across illicit markets.

To be honest, the Fourth of July is not the first, or even the fifth or sixth, retail holiday on our calendars. And a lot of people--both customers and retailers--are saving up their big guns for Amazon Prime Day, our real national summer shopping holiday. Nevertheless, it's still possible to save a couple bucks, especially if you're shopping for travel and outdoor gear for your summer vacaciones. In our opinion, the best deal of all is a year's subscription to WIRED for $5, which still comes with a free Yubikey. But we've rounded up a few others for you to look at on National Fireworks Day.

Autonomous grocery delivery buggies may roam U.S. neighborhoods if Kroger's pilot program works out. The largest American supermarket chain announced a partnership with Mountain View-based Nuro this week to test the concept of driverless home deliveries. The pilot will start this fall in an as-yet-unnamed market. Nuro applies robotics, artificial intelligence, and computer vision technology in partnership with local businesses looking for innovative ways to deliver goods that are cost effective for merchants and convenient for customers. "We are incredibly excited about the potential of our innovative partnership with Nuro to bring the future of grocery delivery to customers today," says Yael Cosset, Kroger's chief digital officer.

If you squint a little, you can see the Apple Store clerk as a cyborg, a hybrid of human and machine. Each store is flooded with smartphone-wielding salespeople who are able to help customers with everything from technical questions and support to purchase and checkout. There are no cash registers with lines of customers waiting with products pulled from the piles on the shelves. The store is a showroom of products to explore. When you know what you want, a salesperson fetches it from the back room. If you're already an Apple customer with a credit card on file (and as of 2014, there were 800 million of us), all you need to provide is your email address to walk out the door with your chosen product.