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In this week's edition, insights on what customers really want for a successful in-store experience, how Sephora is elevating BIPOC with innovation, ChatGPT prompts for customer support and much more...

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Market Analysis

When consumers buy embarrassing products, they don’t want friendly service. A UBC Sauder School of Business study shows that when people buy blush-inducing items, they choose self-checkout—or failing that, the most robotic human available.

What consumers really want to improve their in-store experience, according to the PwC’s latest Study

These 7 technology trends will have the biggest impact on the jobs of the future. The global recruitment firm Manpower Group has identified seven tech trends it says will have the biggest impact on the future of jobs.

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Founder personality and entrepreneurial outcomes. Recent research findings suggest that while some traits consistently predict startup results at all stages (emotional stability), others reverse their associations with entrepreneurial outcomes as the startup matures from conception to launch (conscientiousness).

These 3 Charts Show It’s Not Easy Being A Seed Startup These Days. Even if US seed-stage companies have been the least affected by the downturn in venture capital fundraising, they are more than ever competing to attract investors' attention and will probably have to wait longer than expected, as an analysis of Crunchbase data shows.

4 trends shaping the future of practical generative AI. As generative AI continues to take off and evolve, experts expect these four trends to develop rapidly.

Who’s Innovating?

Empathy.co launches Open Innovation to build new innovation-led ideas for the eCommerce sector. Today, Empathy.co, innovator in ethical discovery, launches its new Open Innovation entity. The new, industry-first project is an innovation-led, go-to-market approach to rapidly test, validate and share new tech solutions in a public forum.

How Sephora Is Partnering With Creators for Brand Impact. With an accelerator program and TikTok partnership, the beauty brand is elevating BIPOC brands and influencers

Sony Launches Incubator Program to Bring Web3 Initiatives to Japan. Sony has unveiled a new incubator program in partnership with Japanese blockchain, Astar Network, and its frequent collaborator Startale Labs.

Kroger brings digital smart screens to 500 locations. With Cooler Screens' technology, Kroger is looking to gain more insights, metrics and activations by linking smart screens to its retail media arm.

This startup wants to curb fast fashion by helping you rent out your closet. By Rotation, a U.K.-based clothing rental app, hopes to eliminate the need for fast fashion by making peer-to-peer clothing rental mainstream in the United States.

How this Houston-based studio is tackling billion-dollar problems with internal innovation. In 2021, KPMG, formed a new entity to play in the innovation space. The Houston-based team finds innovative software that benefit KPMG's clients across industries.

The Number

44%

of brands claim they provide ‘excellent’ personalized experiences to consumers. Only 17% of consumers agree^₍₁₎

_{⁽¹⁾Twilio’s fourth annual State of Customer Engagement Report}

Startup Stories

Former Microsoft insiders run secret education start-up that uses generative AI to help students learn. Eran Megiddo and Liviu Asnash are long-time Microsoft executives and co-founders of Maximal Learning, a new Seattle-based company which has just raised $5.7 million in seed funding.

How this S’pore AI startup is transforming the marketing sector by automating content creation. ChatGPT set the tech world ablaze last November and since then, the generative AI train has shown no signs of slowing down.

Shoptalk Europe 2023 Startup Pitch Competition: Recap—10 Innovators, Two Winners. On May 9, 2023, Coresight Research hosted the Startup Pitch competition, which saw 10 early-stage retail-technology innovators compete to win the Judges’ Choice and Audience Choice awards.

Digit7 Named a Most Innovative Tech Startup of the Year. Digit7, a top innovator in frictionless shopping as well as other AI-driven automation products, today announced it was honored in this year's 10^th annual Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards.

Best practices

The innovative approach by HighTechXL could be an example for Europe  This latest research provides a new perspective on how to overcome the long-standing problem of Europe's limited ability to convert new technological inventions and breakthroughs into thriving start-ups.

How To Make Entrepreneurial Programs That Impact Underserved Communities. Businesses can make meaningful contributions to economic growth by supporting entrepreneurs and giving them the tools they need to bring their best ideas to life.

ChatGPT Prompts for Customer Support. AI-powered chatbots have been playing a customer support role for several years. ChatGPT has created new opportunities. Here are the most common customer support needs, and the ChatGPT prompts that help you meet them.

Breadth vs. Depth: How To Expand Ecommerce Revenue Streams. When it comes to generating intentional, targeted sales growth in the e-commerce sector, companies have two options: expand their target audience or invest deeper in existing customers.

Live 'Shoppertainment': The next big thing in campaigns? ‘Shoppertainment’, a blend of eCommerce and entertainment, is the latest thing that brands are beginning to incorporate into their campaigns.

How to Increase Consumer Engagement in Your App With a Retail-Branded Mobile Keyboard. Email is typically the preferred form of communication. But with consumers spending more time and making more purchases from their mobile phones, what if you could engage with them in real time on their mobile phone?

How Shopping Malls Use Footfall Analytics to Drive Sales. In the retail world, success doesn’t happen by chance. It’s a result of careful planning, strategic decision-making, and the adoption of innovative tools that provide valuable insights.

Google Marketing Live 2023: Everything you need to know. Here's a roundup of all the announcement and marketing news from the annual Google live event, including generative AI, new features and insights.

Marketers reveal how they use ChatGPT. Global technology consultancy Lorien has boldly forecast that AI models such as ChatGPT will benefit the tech sector within business with roles in machine learning, natural language processing and data management increasing.

Making ESG Ratings Count. ESG ratings are instrumental to guiding investment decisions. But, as the MSCI downgrades indicate, they are currently highly subjective and, often, inflated.

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