The Sydney Morning Herald
App scans faces of bar-goers to guess age, gender
A watchful eye has arrived on San Francisco's bar scene, but not to keep you in check. It just wants to check you out.
A new app launched last weekend that will scan the faces of patrons in 25 bars across the city to determine their ages and genders. Would-be customers can then check their smartphones for real-time updates on the crowd size, average age and men-to-women mix to decide whether the scene is to their liking.
GAME over: retailer in administration in Australia
The video game retailer GAME has on Monday gone into voluntary administration in Australia, putting at risk the jobs of more than 500 employees in its 92 stores.
The development may also have a negative impact on customers with pre-orders, while those holding GAME gift cards now face added restrictions such as a requirement to buy a minimum number of items with cash before using them.
Making do with a 20th century store concept
As e-commerce, and technology generally, continues grabbing the headlines, the imagination of shoppers, and retail market share, a lot of retail industry gurus have reached consensus about what store-based retailers and shopping centre operators need to do to shore up their relevance.
It’s to offer a superior shopping experience.
Secrets of the shopping trolley
This article discusses how the Australian diet is changing.
Yeah, yeah, I know - two serves of fruit and six serves of veg; three serves of lean meat and six (six!) serves of grains. Two-and-a-half of dairy; and beer, vodka and triple-choc mud cake "only sometimes and in small amounts".
Retail magic: no undressing in the virtual changing room
A new device promises a virtual change-room for customers who do not want the hassle of undressing or are rushed for time.
The technology, which could hit Australian stores later this year, comes as retailers are hoping it will help stem the drift to online shopping.
Group buying novelty wears off
There are only so many sets of cheap sheets and discounted gadgets the Australian public can buy.
The latest figures from Quantium – the online retail consultants who analyse National Australia Bank's credit and debit card database on an anonymous basis – show February's group buying activity down 34 percent from the August peak.
Bridging the office divide
As the title of the 1992 book Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus implies, men and women often seem to be on different planets when it comes to how they understand messages and approach problems.
This also applies especially to men and women working side-by-side in an office setting, relationship experts say. However, there is hope: men and women can learn each others' language, according to people who specialise in communication.
Receiver hints at further WOW discounts in future
Receivers for Australia's electronics retailer WOW Sight and Sound say goods may be further discounted in the future, in the wake of criticism from shoppers on Thursday.
Hundreds of bargain hunters lined up outside WOW stores ahead of opening time on Thursday morning hoping to snare a good deal, after advertisements spruiked discounts of up to 30 percent at the soon-to-close retailer.
However, many customers left empty-handed saying the level of discounting had been disappointingly low.
Pacific Brands's 1H losses deepen
Struggling Australian clothing maker Pacific Brands has widened its first half losses and predicted worse is to come in the second half.
The company on Friday also revealed it was considering takeover offers from various parties.
Pacific Brands on Friday reported its first half loss had widened to AUD353,865 million (USD381.2m) in the six months to 31 December from AUD206.1m in the previous corresponding period.
Reject Shop back on dry land after flood disaster
Shares of Australia's discount variety store chain The Reject Shop (TRS) jumped nearly 8 percent on Wednesday as the retailer confirmed the disaster of last year's Queensland floods was finally behind it with a lift in first-half earnings.
