technology Archives - McMillanDoolittle

a vending machine and the interior of a store

May 18, 2026 In Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Anthropic AI Merchant and Andon Labs AI Store Manager: Too Early, or Just a Bad Idea?

Two seminal news organizations recently published their perspectives on retail pilots that utilize AI for either Merchandising (WSJ: Anthropic) and/or Store Operations (Bloomberg: Andon Labs). Both write-ups appropriately recorded the mixed business outcomes from these pilots: a money losing vendor machine that gave away product…

March 25, 2026 In Strategy

Texas Roadhouse: Winning at Retail in 2026

Retail and restaurant leaders spent the past several years navigating a brutal cost environment. Labor costs have risen. Food costs—particularly beef—have been volatile and elevated. Many operators have struggled to maintain margins while keeping traffic stable. Yet one brand has continued to outperform: Texas Roadhouse. The…

February 20, 2026 In Trends

Easy Journeys: Designing Retail That Feels Effortless

For our second Retail Innovations trend of 2026, we are exploring Easy Journeys, effortless shopping experiences. “Easy” used to mean convenient. Today, it means intuitive, confidence-building, and frictionless at every touchpoint. Download your free copy of Retail Innovations Modern shoppers compare every experience to the…

a washer, beauty product and coffee maker

December 5, 2025 In Artificial Intelligence (AI)

ChatGPT’s First Holiday Season

Technically you could argue the first holiday season was last year. However, the flurry of announcements and new shopping-specific functionality to try out clearly makes 2025’s holiday season the year shopping agents debuted. OpenAI productized “Shopping Research” to all global users on Nov. 24, just…

October 24, 2024 In Trends

Highlights from Shoptalk Fall 2024

Our McMillanDoolittle team attended the inaugural Shoptalk Fall conference in Chicago from October 16-18. This event is the latest addition to Hyve Group’s portfolio, which also includes Groceryshop, Shoptalk Europe, and Shoptalk Spring. Shoptalk focuses on digital and technology innovation. The theme for Shoptalk Fall…

July 29, 2024 In Trends

Top Trends in Transformation

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has rapidly evolved from a nascent technology into a core driver of digital transformation, influencing every sector from healthcare to finance, and manufacturing to education. According to recent studies, AI and automation are set to radically reshape an estimated 1.1 billion jobs…

June 6, 2024 In Fashion

Zara’s Tech-Forward Concept Store Arrives in Chicagoland

Zara recently opened a “white box” concept store in the Chicago suburb of Skokie. This new flagship is a two-story, 28,000-square-foot space that boasts a minimalist and modern design, equipped with the latest omnichannel integrations. This store represents Zara’s ongoing efforts to enhance its presence…

a banner at the National Restaurant Association

May 23, 2024 In Trends

Top Takeaways from the National Restaurant Association Show

The McMillanDoolittle team recently attended the annual National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago to explore the latest developments in the food industry. Read on to discover our top five food and technology trends dominating this year’s show. Vegan seafood is emerging as the latest trend…

April 23, 2024 In Sustainability

Announcing Our Global Report: New Business Models to Drive Sustainable Prosperity

Happy Earth Day from the McMillanDoolittle team! We’re thrilled to announce the release of our latest global publication that provides a blueprint for a more sustainable retail industry. This collaborative market study with the Ebeltoft Group, a consortium of global brand and retail experts, represents…

February 28, 2024 In Innovation

Apple Vision Pro Ushers Brands into Era of Spatial Computing

Apple unveiled the Apple Vision Pro in early February, marking the onset of the “era of spatial computing”. To explore the implications this holds for brands and retailers, our team at McMillanDoolittle demoed the device at the Apple Store located on Chicago’s Magnificent Mile. For…

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