Technology news and archive

Amazon to invest 700 million euros in European robotics and AI

Amazon is leveraging its Innovation Lab, a diverse team of scientists and engineers from around the globe, to pioneer new technologies aimed at enhancing support for employees and improving customer satisfaction. Situated in Vercelli, Italy, the Amazon Operations Innovation Lab is shaping the trajectory of work across Amazon's network where...

Retail

Harrods to host multisensory cinema experience

Xydrobe, a VR cinema pioneer, will host a multisensory experience on the 5th floor at Harrods commencing in June. The company is set to unveil a cutting-edge virtual reality cinema at the luxury department store, will seat up to 20 guests and feature monthly changing 4D brand experiences. Xydrobe is a company that collaborates with luxury brands...

Retail

US retailers embrace transformative potential of AI

The US retail landscape is witnessing a surge of interest in artificial intelligence (AI), with industry giants such as Lowe’s, Walmart, Victoria’s Secret, and Rent the Runway significantly increasing their investments in AI technologies, as reported by Barron’s. While AI has been a fixture in retail operations for some time, the emergence of...

Fashion |OPINION

Is fashion's love affair with the metaverse over?

The diminishing enthusiasm of the fashion industry for the metaverse appears to align with a broader trend, where companies are increasingly directing their focus towards generative AI rather than the realms of immersive internet and digital avatars. Data from S&P Global Market Intelligence Kagan shows funding rounds involving 278 metaverse...

Fashion

Luxury brands are turning to blockchain for authenticity and insurance

In the world of digital luxury, a significant change is happening with the adoption of blockchain technology. One standout player in this field is Vaultik, known for creating a digital vault exclusively designed for luxury items. Their digital passports combine ownership and authenticity, providing a unique blockchain certificate for each luxury...

Fashion

Meta calls for labeling AI images on its platforms

Images created using artificial intelligence (AI) and posted on Meta’s Instagram, Threads and Facebook platforms will be labelled. In a statement Meta said “as the difference between human and synthetic content gets blurred, people want to know where the boundary lies. People are often coming across AI-generated content for the first time and...

Fashion Featured

Shopify announces new tools, including AI powered search

E-commerce provider Shopify is introducing over 100 updates in its Winter '24 Edition, a biannual showcase of the latest products and innovations. These updates aim to enhance merchant productivity and creativity significantly. In response to the evolving search behaviors of customers, Shopify said it is launching Semantic Search, an AI-powered...

Business

Mango StartUp Studio invests in market analytics start-up

High street fashion retailer Mango is making strides in innovation by investing in Flipflow, a startup specialising in market analytics and real-time stock control across diverse marketplaces. The strategic move, facilitated through Mango's accelerator, Mango StartUp Studio, involves supporting Flipflow with a convertible equity loan,...

Retail

Mango enters Roblox as it strengthens digital innovation

Mango is reinforcing its commitment to digital innovation through its entry into Roblox, an immersive platform with over 70 million daily active users. The company has inaugurated its inaugural virtual store within the Outfit Shopping Mall on Roblox, where users can purchase Mango Teen digital garments and products for their avatars. Teaming up...

Fashion

Luxury brands and online platforms: A challenging fit after Farfetch's decline

While the digital landscape has become increasingly influential in the retail and services sector, luxury brands often find that online platforms are not the most suitable channels for their products. One primary reason is the limited number of true luxury brands, and these exclusive entities typically prefer to maintain a direct-to-consumer...

Business |Interview Featured

Chapter 2’s Kenneth Loo on what to expect from fashion tech in 2024

“I can see aspects of how we’re going to implement technology to allow us to fix what I think we can all agree on as those in the fashion industry is a pretty broken system,” Kenneth Loo said in a conversation with FashionUnited on the future possibilities of Web3 and emerging tech. Through such systems, the co-founder and chief executive of the...

Fashion |Opinion Featured

Fashion tech: In 2023 the metaverse took a back seat

When the world was housebound during the pandemic, all things digital stepped to the fore. Not a week went by without a fashion brand launching a digital activation, aiming to build communities in the ether via augmented reality, virtual reality, or any other Web3 application, all to appeal to our avatars and seek revenue via new digital...