Way back in 2017, retail industry analysts predicted a "retail apocalypse" due to the number of brick-n-mortar retailers that closed their doors. So far, however, the four horsemen of 2018 have not yet been summoned. Today, more businesses than ever are leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and virtual reality (VR) in retail to find new ways to attract and engage customers. Here are just a few ways retailers use mobile and emerging technologies to commingle brick-n-mortar and digital experiences. Consider the explosive growth of interactive voice technologies like Alexa, Google Home and Siri.

No question that Amazon is a smart operator. But it's also capable of some astounding blunders, particularly when automation and big data take a hand. That seems to be the case now as a lot of Amazon customers have found their accounts locked without much in the way of explanation or efforts to rectify the situation. For at least a week, many Amazon customers have complained on social media that their Prime accounts -- the ones that people pay for -- were either locked or closed with little to no explanation. Some are affiliates, meaning they help drive some business to the company.

To Stitch Fix's "hybrid design" tool, fashion design is a puzzle work of 30 to 80 pieces. On the website of online personal shopping service Stitch Fix, the company features a customer review that reads, "I love that my stylist listens to my feedback. The personal note included in my Fix shows how much pride she takes in serving each client." Stitch Fix's personal stylist is the best of its kind. Indeed, few stylists in the industry has achieved the same level of success at outfit pairing and shopping recommendation.

Machine Learning algorithms can predict patterns based on previous experiences. The overarching practice of Machine Learning includes both robotics (dealing with the real world) and the processing of data (the computer's equivalent of thinking). These algorithms find predictable, repeatable patterns that can be applied to eCommerce, Data Management, and new technologies such as driverless cars. The full impact of Machine Learning is just starting to be felt, and may significantly alter the way products are created, and the way people earn a living. Machine Learning algorithms are trained with large amounts of data, allowing the "robot" to learn and anticipate problems and patterns.

Traditional and new-school retailers alike are using AI and robotics to automate various parts of the retail chain, from manufacturing to last-mile delivery. Retail is under pressure to crack the AI code. After all, corporations in every industry are scrambling to adapt and integrate artificial intelligence into their products -- and retail is no exception. Learn how Walmart, Amazon, Sephora, Zara, and other retailers are using AI to reinvent the brick-and-mortar store. For traditional retail giants, this means entering the playing field with the likes of e-commerce behemoths Amazon and Alibaba, both of which are leveraging big data and powerful AI algorithms to transform the retail space. In addition to fierce competition, the need for a change in strategy is being underscored by the record rates at which many US retailers are shutting down. In 2017 alone, 21 retail chains applied for bankruptcy, including high-profile names like RadioShack, Toys R' Us, and Aerosoles.

Artificial Intelligence and consumer behaviour are a partnership that we are going to see much more of in the coming months and years ahead. That's because our shopping behaviour is highly individual and complex. Getting to grips with it takes businesses a good deal of time, effort and money. Even though psychologists understand a reasonable amount of shopping behaviour, most of those studies have been conducted in "real world" brick and mortar stores. That kind of research has enabled retailers to design shops that encourage more buying.

For retail IT leaders, it's become difficult to ignore two emerging technology trends: artificial intelligence and augmented reality. Hardly a week goes by without a headline on how retailers can use AI and AR to engage with customers and make their shopping experiences more immersive and personalized. Just last week, clothing chain Zara said it would introduce AR displays in its stores starting in April. Reuters reports that it will show "models wearing selected looks from its ranges when a mobile phone is held up to a sensor within the store or designated shop windows, with customers able to click through to buy the clothes." Before retailers make significant investments in these emerging technologies, they need to ensure that have defined a problem they want to solve with the new tech, retailers and IT experts say.

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Apple Inc has hired a prominent artificial intelligence executive who recently left Google in a bid to boost its Siri voice assistant and other offerings powered by the technology. Apple confirmed that John Giannandrea, who previously served as Google's top artificial intelligence executive, will join the company later this month as its chief of machine learning and AI strategy, reporting to Chief Executive Tim Cook. The New York Times reported the move earlier. The hiring of Giannandrea is important because the Cupertino-based company is widely viewed as lagging its rivals in key areas of artificial intelligence. Though Siri made its debut in 2011 well before other voice assistants, Amazon.com

Watching the evolution of physical retail has been inspiring. Retail centers are defying the skeptics and continuing to reconfigure themselves as consumer hubs for entertainment, education and fitness, alongside traditional shopping. Brands are remodeling stores to excite consumers. Online brands are recognizing the advantages of brick-and-mortar locations and continue to multiply their physical square footage (a nine-fold increase since 2012, according to one estimate). As we enter the second quarter of 2018, I expect even bolder changes this year and beyond.