Walmart watches the weather to decide what food is going to sell better. Predictions powered an 18 percent increase in sales by having more steaks in stock when it's warm, dry, cloudy and windy, and beefing up burgers when it's hotter and less windy. High temperatures with a light breeze sell more salads; clear sunny days sell more berries. But you don't have to be a retail giant to use AI to improve your supply chain. Predictive analytics and remote sensors tell distributors when a fridge needs restocking with soda or a coffee vending machine needs topping up (avoiding the fine that Mars Drinks levies when a product is out of stock).

"The End of Work" author John Tamny discusses why technology will help the jobs market and how robots will help the entertainment industry. Walmart's robot maker Bossa Nova Robotics announced on Thursday that it has raised another $29 million to help ramp up its production to fill more retailer requests over the next six months. Martin Hitch, co-founder and chief business officer of the San-Francisco-based robotics company, says the new funding will allow them to produce hundreds of robots a month to meet its new demand for 2019. The new $29 million funding round was led by Cota Capital, China Walden Venture and LG Electronics, which bumps up the company's total funding to $70 million. Bossa Nova also announced a new manufacturing partnership with Flex to expand its production.

You walk into your local Walmart. There may be someone to greet you at the door, yet as you make your way down the aisle, you realize you need help. Within moments a drone flies down from above and hovers in front of you, then leads you to the item you're trying to find. Is this real, or is this science fiction? Walmart has filed a patent for drones to help shoppers in its stores. The way it works is simple.

By the first few months of 1982, it had become more common to see electronics stores, toy stores, and discount variety stops selling 2600 games. This was before Electronics Boutique, Software Etc., and later, GameStop . Mostly you bought games at stores that sold other electronic products, like Sears or Consumer Distributors. Toys'R' Us was a big seller of 2600 games. To buy one, you had to get a piece of paper from the Atari aisle, bring it to the cashier, pay for it, and then wait at a pickup window behind the cash register lanes. Everyone had a favorite store in their childhood; here's a story about one of mine. A popular "destination" in south Brooklyn is Kings Plaza, a giant (for Brooklyn) two-story indoor mall with about 100 stores. My mother and grandmother were avid shoppers there. To get to the mall from our house, it was about a 10-minute car service ride. So once a week or thereabouts, we'd all go. The best part for me was when we went inside via its Avenue U entrance instead of on the Flatbush Avenue side.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Marks & Spencer has signed a strategic partnership deal with Microsoft to test the integration of artificial intelligence technologies into the retailer's stores and operations, it said on Thursday. The deal will see Microsoft's AI engineers work with M&S's engineers to examine how the technology can benefit customers and increase efficiency in its business. No financial details of the deal were disclosed.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Marks & Spencer has signed a strategic partnership deal with Microsoft to test the integration of artificial intelligence technologies into the retailer's stores and operations, it said on Thursday.

Whether Father's Day, Mother's Day, a birthday or simply "just because," buying gifts can feel like counting grains of sand - i.e., it's not easy. Meanwhile, there are 250,ooo--300,000 e-commerce companies in the U.S. all vying for the attention of shoppers. How are consumers possibly expected to decide where to spend their hard-earned money? And how can retailers create a more personalized shopping experience, rather than facing the same demise as the 6,700 retail locations that closed their doors in 2017? In short, the retail sector is in a sticky wicket.

Amazon is increasingly claiming territory once held exclusively by department stores - and it's doing so again, essentially placing a dressing room in your house. The retail giant has officially launched service for Prime members that allows them to try on the latest styles before they buy at no upfront charge. Customers have seven days to decide what they like and only pay for what they keep. Amazon announced Tuesday, June 20, 2017, that it's testing a new service for its Prime members that lets customers try on the latest styles before they buy at no upfront charge, take seven days to decide and only pay for what they keep Shipments arrive in a re-sealable box with a pre-paid label for returns. The company had been gradually rolling out the service to Prime members in the US over the course of the year.

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. Though the exact date hasn't been announced yet, it has taken place every year in July.

The search giant is building alliances as it races Amazon to develop new ways for people to shop, from voice-enabled smart speakers to faster and more convenient home grocery delivery. Google last year teamed up with Walmart Inc. WMT 0.73% to let users order a selection of the retailer's products on Google's virtual assistant and speakers, a challenge to Amazon's Alexa service. Earlier this month, Google joined with Carrefour SA, Europe's largest retailer, to offer same-day delivery of perishable groceries to people's homes in France. The deal announced Monday also could help Google boost advertising revenue, which has been threatened by Amazon recently as businesses increasingly shift ads to the internet shopping site. The JD investment comes as Google seeks to strengthen its connections in China.