Pillows that track your snoozing patterns? A bed that adjusts based on how much you twist and turn? Companies are adding more technology into their products, hoping to lure customers craving a better night’s sleep. Some specialized businesses are making gadgets that promise to measure and improve the quality of slumber, while mass-market retailers like […]
Here Come ‘Smart Stores’ with Robots, Interactive Shelves
Tomorrow’s retail stores want to take a page from their online rivals by embracing advanced technology — everything from helpful robots to interactive mirrors to shelves embedded with sensors. The goal: Use these real-world store features to lure shoppers back from the internet, and maybe even nudge them to spend more in the process. Amazon’s […]
Macy’s Tests Artificial Intelligence Tool to Improve Service
Macy’s is testing a mobile tool using artificial intelligence that lets shoppers get answers customized to the store they’re in — like where a particular brand is located or what’s in stock — that they would normally ask a sales associate face-to-face. The tool, which the nation’s largest department store chain calls a “mobile companion,” […]
Alco Electronics’ David Leung on Making Gadgets in China
A look inside Alco Electronics Ltd.’s factory in China shows what it takes to succeed as a maker of gadgets for the rest of the world — human precision in tiny tasks and increasingly automated manufacturing, but also flexible thinking and perks to keep the best employees. Chinese workers in blue coats and caps worked […]
Best Buy Reports Weak Holiday Shopping Results, Outlook
NEW YORK (AP) — Best Buy’s shares sank Thursday after the nation’s largest consumer electronics chain reduced its sales outlook for the fourth-quarter as it reported weak holiday business in mobile phones and personal devices. The Minneapolis-based company said it now expects a larger drop in fourth-quarter revenue, though the company improved its outlook for operating […]