Sustainability is at the forefront of all aspects of the supply chain in retail. From product development and production to shipping and returns, every aspect of the retail industry is working to become more sustainable. Increasing these efforts is challenging, as many retailers frequently introduce new products to meet the demands of the constantly evolving consumer. On average, up to 20% of clothing goes unsold and is often incinerated. Additionally, returned goods create more than 5 billion pounds of waste in U.S. landfills each year.

It's no secret that personalized communications, recommendations, and offerings make consumers feel valued and that their favorite brands care about their preferences. Retailers who optimize the consumer experience can anticipate increased satisfaction and loyalty. We've rounded up a few ways to incorporate personalization into all aspects of your consumer's experience to help turn browsers into brand loyalists. Understanding consumers wants and needs can lead to increased consumer satisfaction and loyalty. In fact, 91 percent of consumers are more likely to shop with brands who recognize, remember, and provide relevant offers and recommendations.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are often used interchangeably, but they are different. In the simplest explanation, AI is the field of computer science that studies how to make computers good at tasks that are typically done by human beings. ML is a subfield of AI devoted to creating programs that improve performance the more data you have. Both terms are used in speaking about "big data"--analytics and enabling IoT (Internet of Things) in a broader context. The entry of faster computers, IoT, "connected consumers" and the more common business approaches to the use of AI have brought this innovative technology to the forefront.

In this exclusive guest piece, Mangal Anandan, Vice President, Products and Solutions for First Insight, Inc., explores some specific applications of machine learning in relation to PLM systems. First Insight empowers retailers and brands to design, select, price and market new products with confidence. Digital transformation will be the key to survival for many retailers and brands. We recently saw Mickey Drexler, who just announced his resignation from J.Crew, admit in a Wall Street Journal article that "he missed it," referring to his underestimation of the speed of change that technology would bring to retail. With the advent of big data, machine learning (ML) and other technologies are introducing new ways to manage everything from customer engagement, to design, to supply chain, to product lifecycle management and beyond.

Geeky has never been so glamorous. To help shoppers find fashions that fit their bodies, budgets and styles, more retailers are turning to artificial intelligence (AI). As one of today's hottest technology trends, AI translates vast volumes of retail big data into rich, actionable insights, so executives can make smart decisions faster. AI has evolved into a strategic asset in retail, as the sector faces overwhelming upheaval. Amid the blistering pace of innovation, and empowered consumers who expect omnichannel excellence, affordable fashions and personalized marketing, AI guides retailers by delivering fact-based intelligence to delight shoppers.

Thanks to social media, consumers are more engaged than ever and have access to information almost at the same level as an industry insider. Senior merchants at retailers and brands have a very difficult time presenting consumers with a point of view because they already have it. Just look at the fragmentation of trends – the chief merchant of a $4 billion apparel brand recently told me "the new trend is that there is no trend." As a result, consumers want what they value, and they are doing the investigation and curation themselves. And, what they see on the runway now, they want now – not months down the road.

More retailers are turning to artificial intelligence to help shoppers find clothes that fit their bodies, budgets, and personal styles. As one of today's hottest technology trends, AI translates vast volumes of retail data into rich, actionable insights so executives can make smart decisions faster. AI has evolved into a strategic asset in retail even as the sector faces overwhelming upheaval. AI guides retailers by delivering fact-based intelligence to help them better serve shoppers. This gives retailers a leg up in a market full of empowered consumers who expect omnichannel excellence, affordable fashions, and personalized marketing.

With millions of Echo and Echo Dot devices sold last holiday season, and a projected 10 million units in homes by the end of 2017, it's clear that Amazon's voice-activated personal assistant, Alexa, is rapidly gaining widespread consumer adoption. Alexa is an illustration of Amazon's ability to meet consumer demand for speed, convenience and ease, while pioneering a new way to shop. Alexa can play music, make appointments, change TV channels and more, but the most valuable feature for Amazon is that the software enables consumers to shop directly by voice. This is great news for Amazon, but it will also inevitably change the way retailers market and sell their products. Most retailers and brands will have to act fast to prepare for ecommerce via digital assistant, and their biggest hurdle will be providing a voice-controlled shopping experience that is both intuitive and valuable for consumers.

NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Jan 12, 2017) - Cloverleaf, a retail technology company for the modern brick-and-mortar marketer and merchandiser, today announced shelfPoint, the industry's first dynamic shelf solution with built-in emotional artificial intelligence (Emotion AI) capabilities. With shelfPoint, brands and retailers can now capture customer engagement and sentiment data at the moment of purchase decision -- something previously unavailable in physical retail stores. Despite the rise of online shopping in recent years, Forrester1 predicts that 88% of purchases in 2017 will still be made in physical stores. Yet, retailers lack the in-the-moment tools necessary to captivate shoppers and gain insights that lead to sales uplift. While advancements in e-commerce analytics have upleveled marketers' understanding of consumer behaviors, brands and retailers still have little-to-no insight as to what happens in-store.

Chatbots can help secure purchases but also ship packages. Just in time for the holidays, UPS has launched a beta version of its chatbot that will mimic human conversations to help users find shipping locations, learn shipping rates and track packages. Available through Facebook Messenger, Skype and Amazon, UPS' release said it is different from the UPS website or mobile app in that users can use brief phrases like "shipping rates" and receive a voice response. "We see chatbots becoming an important communication channel for our customers over the next few years, and we're setting the stage for the incorporation of artificial intelligence throughout our customer-facing technologies," Stuart Marcus, UPS vice president of customer technology marketing, said in a release. Investing in a chatbot is likely useful for UPS' functionality, especially at times of high volume, such as the holiday rush.