Event Coverage | January 23, 2019 Register for Free Access AI Creates Smarter Living: Takeaways from the TechLIFEStyle Conference in Hong KongThe Coresight Research team attended TechLIFEStyle conference, part of StartmeupHK, held in Hong Kong January 22, 2019. StartmeupHK is an initiative launched by InvestHK to promote Hong Kong as a startup destination, connecting entrepreneurs and investors. The theme of the event was “living smarter, living better,” looking at how lifestyle technology can be woven into everyday life. These are some highlights of the event. Read More
Insight Report | January 22, 2019 Premium Chinese New Year Preview: Year of the Pig Celebrations to be Worth ¥1 Trillion to Retail as Digital Gifting and Traveling Continue to Go BigRetail and food-service sales during Chinese New Year grew steadily from 2011 to 2018. During the 2018 Chinese New Year Golden Week (February 15-21), retail sales reached ¥926 billion (about $146 billion), 10.2 % higher than the same period in 2017 —and more than double what it was in 2011, according to Ministry of Commerce statistics. Read More
Flash Report | January 18, 2019 Register for Free Access Walgreens Boots Alliance and Microsoft Forge Partnership to Explore Digital Health OpportunitiesDrugstore retailer WBA and technology giant Microsoft have entered into a seven-year agreement which includes developing software and technology for patient care management and retail store operations. This alliance follows close on the heels of last month’s deal with Alphabet’s life sciences business Verily to help patients manage medication. Through this partnership, WBA will be able to leverage Microsoft’s cloud services suite Azure. The suite of tools and applications uses several cutting-edge technologies, such as cloud, AI, the Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain. Microsoft has developed a host of healthcare tools, such as a smartphone app to connect users with healthcare providers and AI-based software engines to crunch masses of patient data to help detect possible health conditions sooner. Read More
Deep Dive | January 17, 2019 Premium 10 Tech Startup Trends Reshaping Retail in 2019: Get Ready for Digital DisruptionThe retail industry has undergone a significant transformation over the past decade, and continues to evolve quickly. In 2019, the market will be defined by emerging technologies that change the way consumers interact with brands, by new engagement formats and channels, as retailers look to collaboration more with startups to future-proof their businesses. Read More
Event Coverage | January 16, 2019 Register for Free Access NRF 2019 Day 3: Hearing About Mission-Driven Brands, China’s Digital Leadership and How Inclusion Can Fuel GrowthOver the course of the day, we heard multiple panelists emphasize that consumers want to know what companies and brands stand for, and not just what they are selling. Companies are increasingly taking stands on social and political issues and we expect this trend to continue into 2019. In 2018, Dick’s Sporting Goods took a stand on gun control; Patagonia has a long heritage of being a mission-driven company and has given over $100 million to support environmental issues including air, water, and soil. The company also announced it would donate all the proceeds of the recent corporate tax cut to entities that combat climate change, saying the environment needed the money more. Read More
Event Coverage | January 15, 2019 Register for Free Access NRF 2019 Day 2: Challenging Old ParadigmsCoresight Research Founder and CEO Deborah Weinswig discussed AI in retail with experts from Guess, JD and Markable in a panel discussion called The Intelligence Revolution is Here. Weinswig discussed the massive opportunity in AI in a range of areas from communicating with customers, to optimizing prices and products, to managing inventory and delivering experiential retail. Read More
Insight Report | January 15, 2019 Premium New Retail Briefing #1: JD.com and Alibaba RestructureOn December 21, 2018, JD.com announced it would restructure its operations with JD Mall, the company’s main revenue-generating unit. JD Mall will be divided into three business departments, including serving customers; business support services; and, infrastructure control and risk management. JD.com said in its announcement that the new structure will enable it to better focus on customers. JD Mall’s restructuring also aims to diversify its management team and assuage investors that Liu Qiangdong, JD’s founder and CEO, is not the only person driving decision-making at the company. Read More
Event Presentation | January 14, 2019 Premium The AI Revolution is Here – Presentation at NRF 2019 Read More
Deep Dive | January 12, 2019 Premium Understanding WeChat, China’s Super App: Part 2 — How WeChat Mini Programs Spell Opportunity for Brands and RetailersWeChat dominates the social media scene in China — so much so that even large companies are leveraging its reach over using their own apps, and even buying add space in WeChat games. To tap into this opportunity, WeChat has been developing “mini programs” that operate within WeChat but function as a separate company app would, allowing users to order, pay for, pick up or have goods delivered. What’s the opportunity? Read More
Event Coverage | January 10, 2019 Register for Free Access CES 2019 Day 4: Five Cool Things You Need to KnowAMD is currently giving Intel serious competition in the microprocessor wars, and announced several new processors — for desktops, servers, mobile and graphics — and AMD says this increased computing power will be needed to solve society’s challenges in education, healthcare, climate change and energy. Read More
Event Coverage | January 10, 2019 Register for Free Access CES 2019 Day 4 Takeaways: Innovative Technology Startups At CESThe Coresight Research team is in Las Vegas this week for CES 2019 (formerly, the Consumer Electronics Show). This year’s event features over 4,400 exhibiting companies, including standout startups alongside established companies. Read More
Event Coverage | January 9, 2019 Register for Free Access CES 2019 Day 3: Five Cool Things You Need to KnowAI promises to make businesses smarter and free humanity of many mindless, repetitive jobs. This means people who do mindless, repetitive tasks will need to find something else to do. The good news is, AI will also create new, higher-skilled jobs, such as building and maintaining the AI systems. Read More
Event Coverage | January 8, 2019 Register for Free Access CES 2019: Five Innovative Technology Startups From Day 2Chronolife has a device to help people with chronic or congestive heart failure (CHF) by anticipating medical emergencies with its wearable Chronolife vest. The Parcel Guard is a smart mailbox designed to prevent “porch pirates” — people who steal packages from your front porch. P&G Ventures, Procter & Gamble’s startup division, unveiled at-home skincare device Opté Precision Skincare System (Opté). Capstone Connected Home launched the Smart Mirror, a mirror integrated with Google Assistant with touchscreen capabilities. The Bread Bot, developed by Wilkinson Baking Company, a fully automated robotic bread-making machine that bakes and sells bread like a vending machine. Read More
Event Coverage | January 8, 2019 Register for Free Access CES 2019 Day 2: Five Cool Things You Need to KnowSeveral major electronics companies (including LG, TCL and Samsung) announced ultra-high definition TVs with 8K resolution (which offer four times the number of pixels of a 4K TV). This resolution is especially suitable for larger screens (55” and larger.) An interesting development, but could be a while before you can enjoy the full 8K experience, given that 4K content is available through only a small number of broadcasters — and requires a high-speed Internet connection of at least 25 Mbps. Read More
Event Coverage | January 7, 2019 Register for Free Access CES 2019: Five Innovative Technology Startups From Day 1The Coresight Research team is attending CES 2019 (formerly, the Consumer Electronics Show) in Las Vegas this week. Here are some of the notable startups and startup trends we saw on day one: Snips offers voice assistant technology as a white-labelled solution for enterprise device manufactures. Dreamlight provides a “smart” sleep mask, a complex sleep-aid system that uses lighting and sound to help people sleep better. Lululab showed offLumini, an artificial intelligence skincare assistant that analyzes facial skin to make personalized skincare product recommendations. Read More
