| A Weekly PropTech Newsletter bringing you industry updates from across the real estate spectrum |
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| As we work with clients to implement AI in all sorts of new ways, we thought that the recent news that a major retailer is pausing an AI-driven inventory system was a perfect reminder that trial and error is part of progress, not a mark of failure. When brand new tools or use-cases don’t deliver expected results, they still yield vital data: what works, what doesn’t, and which risks to avoid next time. For owners managing buildings, tenants, and operations, that mindset to iterate quickly, learn cheaply, and adjust turns early AI projects into strategic pilots that reduce long-term risk and unlock practical gains over time. Don’t let caution hold you back, expect some failures along the way, and when they come, just take your learnings and move on to the next.
In other news, air taxis might create yet another vehicle consideration for real estate owners, the psychological impact of mall closures, and of course lots of new AI news (some of which may possibly fail, but that’s just par for the course.) Are you keeping up with us on LinkedIn? See which conferences we’ll be at next, and drop us a line if you’ll be at the same ones! |
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| The next big AI fight might happen in your shopping cart [BusinessInsider] Retail is becoming a big battleground in the artificial intelligence arms race. In the past year, more major retailers have gotten in on the hype, unveiling AI tools for shoppers to use both in stores and online. Some, including Amazon and Walmart, have built AI-powered shopping assistants, while others, such as Target, have added AI features to their shopping apps or partnered with tech companies on AI tools.
Amazon starts selling its AI shopping technology to other retailers [CNBC] Amazon Web Services is offering a product to help retailers launch their own AI shopping features. The tool is built on Alexa for Shopping, Amazon’s recently rebranded e-commerce agent. Amazon continues to turn homegrown technology built to solve internal problems into commercial services.
Debenhams Group is first UK retailer to launch AI-driven checkout on Meta for US shoppers [Fashion Network] Debenhams Group has just announced that it’s the first UK retailer to enable new AI-driven in-app checkout on Meta, but only for US customers at the moment. |
| How RFID and AI are reinventing retail operations [Retail Insights Network] More retailers are combining RFID technology with artificial intelligence (AI). Together, these technologies are changing how stores manage inventory, fulfil online orders, reduce shrinkage and serve customers.
Google launches cross-retailer Universal Cart [RetailDive] Continuing its AI-powered shopping push, Google launched its Universal Cart. With the tool, shoppers can add items to their cart across merchants and services, including Google Search, Gemini, Gmail and YouTube. From there, the cart will search for discounts, aggregate price history and notify shoppers when out-of-stock products are available again.
Starbucks Scraps AI Inventory Tool That Miscounted Items, Made Errors [HuffPost] Starbucks terminated an AI program workers used for automating certain inventory counts this week, nine months after deploying it across its North American stores.The app – designed to improve Starbucks’ visibility into shortages at stores – frequently miscounted and mislabeled items, such as confusing similar milk types or missing them altogether. |
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| Walmart: Store-fulfilled deliveries getting faster [Supply Chain Dive] More than 36% of deliveries from stores arrived in three hours or less in Q1, with quicker speeds fueling customer engagement, EVP and CFO John David Rainey said.
Denver Developer Bets $8 Million on Office-to-Apartment Comeback [Propmodo] Developer Asher Luzzatto acquired four office buildings totaling more than 7% of downtown Denver’s core office space for roughly $8 million, a fraction of their prior valuations. He plans to convert half the Energy Center and two other properties into roughly 1,100 apartments, alongside retail amenities including a bookstore, art gallery, children’s museum and daycare center.
What Electric Air Taxis Mean for Real Estate Investors and Developers [LinkedIn] eVTOLs (electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing aircraft) are essentially electric air taxis — aircraft that can take off like a helicopter and fly like a plane. You may have heard of it, or read about it, but what’s the real story? And why do we believe this may result in a completely new asset class for Real Estate? |
| Future-Proof Buildings Need Smart Strategies, Not Just Intelligent Tech [Propmodo] Smart buildings will be the rule, not the exception, which means it’s no surprise that AI adoption in building management and construction is soaring. The case for intelligent technology is more than compelling: predictive maintenance thanks to AI analytics can slash operational costs by almost 18% and achieve 91% satisfaction among residents.
As malls across the U.S. shut down, this New York shopping center is defying the odds [CBS News] Each year in the United States, an average of 40 shopping malls shut down, but the Cross County Center in Yonkers, New York, is defying the odds.
What We Lose When Malls Shut Down [PsychologyToday] Microcosms of our diverse society, malls have been more than places to shop. As virtual reality dominates our lives, malls can be a buffer against loneliness and depression. Malls can be a bridge to social connection for those with special physical and/or emotional needs. It is not clear what will replace malls as gathering places in our diverse society. |
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