McDonald’s is pulling the plug on its AI-driven drive-thru ordering experiment for now.

Since lockdowns were lifted, employers and employees have been in the battling ring over the return to the office and what that looks like.

Online sales tend to benefit from rainy and windy conditions, although the impact can be positive or negative depending on the geography, according to a new Adobe study.

Blockchain, the underlying ledger technology for bitcoin, is being hyped as the way retailers can finally bring holistic visibility and control over their entire supply chains. Does blockchain or similar cryptocurrencies offer the potential to transform supply chain management for retailers?

With the help of artificial intelligence-based IBM Watson, Staples is testing a digital assistant that let’s small and medium-size businesses order products, track shipments and potentially handle many more needs. How much demand do you see for digital personal assistants supporting reorders and other workplace needs?

Earlier this week, Macy’s announced a pilot program to test “Macy’s On Call,” a mobile tool that will enable consumers to get answers to questions from an artificial intelligence platform. What role will artificial intelligence tech play on the sales floor at Macy’s and other retail stores?

The Weather Company, acquired by IBM in January, will begin rolling out digital ads that people can communicate with this fall, powered by IBM Watson’s artificial intelligence. Will the AI engagement help overcome consumer aversion to digital ads?

1-800-Flowers is using artificial intelligence to provide gift suggestions and product recommendations with GWYN (Gifts When You Need), an AI version of a personal shopper. What do you think of the potential for an AI-powered gift concierge such as GWYN?

IBM Watson, the natural language processing platform that once won Jeopardy, has taken a job in customer service. Could a recommendation engine like Watson/XPS become a valuable part of customer service, or is it just a novelty?

Retailers’ love affair with data-driven insights and action will continue to heat up as tech advances promise to keep everything fresh and exciting. But the human touch that, back in the day, drove everything from product buying to ad spends consequently seems to be going the way of the cash register. How do you see the balance between people-power and Big Data shifting within retail organizations?

At the recent Shop.org conference in Philadelphia, RetailWire spoke with IBM’s director of retail and CPG global industry marketing, and Scott Duby, director global retail solutions, to hear about a new “mega shopping lab” that recently opened in Shanghai, China. Would it be beneficial for retailers to create shopping labs of their own?

Though Apple has faced a long, uphill battle to gain traction when it comes to enterprise computing, that may be about to change with the announcement of a deal earlier this week between Apple and IBM that promises the creation of “a new class of business apps.” Where do you think the Apple/IBM working relationship will face its greatest challenges?

Cultural trend spotting through social media may soon be a common tool for retail practitioners. IBM is already demonstrating its skills, identifying “steampunk” as a style that will have a sizable influence on fashion, design and media in 2013. How do you see social sentiment analytics becoming useful in retail and CPG businesses?

Although the notorious ‘showroomer’ makes up only 6 percent of all public buying traffic, they’re young, active and influential and should be considered retail’s target customers, contends a new study from IBM. Should showroomers be targeted and even cherished as customers?

American shoppers are experimenting with reality. An IBM-supplied augmented reality app is being tested at unnamed U.S. retail chains that lets shoppers specify the ingredients they want in the products they are seeking on store shelves. How will apps that personalize the in-store experience change the way Americans shop?

According to a new survey from IBM, 60 percent of marketers point to their lack of alignment with the company’s IT department as the biggest obstacle to reaching today’s consumers. What steps may help corporations better align IT and marketing departments around social, mobile and overall online outreach initiatives?

In science fiction and technology, the term “The Singularity” is often used to reference that point in time when computers surpass human intelligence. Tonight, IBM’s computer, Watson, will take a seat on the Jeopardy quiz show to challenge the competition’s top two human players. What do you think Watson-level artificial intelligence will mean for the retail industry?

A new IBM survey of more than 30,000 consumers released at this week’s National Retail Federation convention shows that consumers are optimistic about the future and willing to spend, and that technology is part of the answer to personalized service. Have we finally reached the point where innovative technology can markedly improve customer service and retailer loyalty?

Fewer than 20 percent of consumers trust food companies to produce and sell products that are safe and healthy for them to eat, according to a new study by IBM. Are consumers more concerned about food safety today than in the past?

The technology is available and the costs are reasonable but it appears that basket-at-once scanning is far from being adopted at retail. The main problem is the lack of a logical and cost-effective way to get the tags onto the products themselves. Do you think the potential benefits of basket-scanning warrant the pursuit of a technology solution given all the hurdles?

In these days when anyone and everyone can get online to share their opinions, with widely divergent degrees of honesty, manufacturers are recognizing that employees plugging their brands need to brand themselves. Have you encountered “astroturfing” and what do you think of the practice?

One of the launches at this week’s NRF convention is from ScentAir Technologies Inc., which finally brings scents to the selling process. In a tough economy, technology that engages the customer is expected to be a major theme among retail technology launches. Do you see customer experience technology as the most pressing in-store technology need at the present time?

While some consumers vex about all the complex gadgetry on their cell phones, an IBM survey found 80 percent of consumers are looking for more applications and services – not only for entertainment but also for basic transactional and utility purposes. How do you think the further development of mobile internet services will reshape consumer spending habits? In what ways can retailers prepare for this event?

Self-checkout vendors IBM and NCR are betting that a change of scenery will give consumers new reasons to use the technology to get them out of stores. According to a report on the Storefront Backtalk website, the vendors introduced smaller self-checkout systems intended to be deployed away from the front-end of stores. Do you see greater opportunities in stores that have not typically used self-checkout before or in departments such as deli, bakery, etc. in locations that deploy the technology at the front-end?

America is spending a lot less time in front of the TV as consumers increasingly surf the web and use mobile devices, according to a new survey from IBM. Of those surveyed, 19 percent reported spending six or more hours per day on the internet, compared to just nine percent who said they spend the same amount of time watching television. What do you make of the leader of I.B.M.’s Media & Entertainment Strategy and Change practice, Saul Berman’s assessment that we’re seeing the “the end of TV as we know it” with the growing popularity of the internet and wireless devices?

Whether shopping online or in stores, consumers are concerned about their personal information finding its way into the hands of criminals. Among other findings, a new IBM survey of 1,000 consumers found that 14 percent have had their personal and/or credit card information stolen…. Is the perception that a retailer is “safe” a competitive advantage?

It isn’t a secret list that only Santa knows, but a new study does spell out what shoppers would like to avoid when doing their holiday shopping this season. According to a survey of 1,000 Americans, the consumer’s pet peeve list for holiday shopping includes long lines at the checkout, packed parking lots, lousy customer service and empty shelves. How can (are) retailers using technology to address the complaints of consumers about the shopping experience?