Google Cloud and Bell Canada have extended their collaboration with Bell featuring Google Distributed Cloud Edge in its organization. The expansion aims to leverage Bell and Google Cloud’s strategies and capabilities to consolidate Bell’s 5G network leadership with Google Cloud’s proficiency in multi-cloud, AI, and data analytics. The joint venture would enable Bell to drive functional efficiencies and provide customer satisfaction. With Google Cloud’s digital expertise, Bell is targeting to scale up with efficient and innovative solutions to deploy core network functions such as 5G across multiple retail sectors. Read more from Itworldcanada

Abu Dhabi National Oil Company ADNOC launched the store of the future, an oasis store, which is fully automated, cashier-less and the payment method is both contactless and cashless. Consumers can enjoy a highly AI-driven shopping experience, paying through a bank card, Emirates ID, or scanning the QR code. Each shelf of the store features an electronic LED screen that displays prices, current offers, and promotions that are updated in real-time. Families would be able to enter the next generation store with a single QR code, which would track the activities of all members. The items picked by each family member would be added to the single virtual basket. ADNOC reportedly raised Dhs1.7bn net profit within the first nine months of 2021. Read more from Gulfbusiness

ACI Worldwide and YouGov’s research report on digital payment methods in India revealed that two out of five (41%) Indian shoppers prefer digital payment during festive seasons. 25% of them pay with cash and 23% opt for credit or debit cards. 33% of shoppers find online transactions safe, while COD with 35% remains on the top of the list. Consumers are less concerned with payment frauds as only 24% of people are skeptical about online payments. The National Payments Corporation of India claimed that 3.65 billion transactions worthy of INR 6.54t were induced by Unified Payments in September, setting the highest record for transaction value and volume. Read more from Retailasia

China’s Industry Ministry suggested a plan for CG companies that will help them produce more innovative products, like a robot vacuum cleaner and smart rice cooker. The guidelines presented by The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) are designed for the light industry, which includes organizations producing consumer goods items and tools. The category (light industry) encountered supply shortages for mid-to-high-end items in the past years and lacks global famous brands, which is why MIIT is now paying more attention to it. By 2025, it is anticipated that Chinese brands’ value will upgrade and the country will secure a prominent position in the global manufacturing value chain. Read more from Reuters

Alibaba utilized the technology of Text to Speech, Natural Language Processing (NLP), Emotional Speech Synthesis, and computer vision on the cloud to give birth to a 22-year-old virtual influencer, Dong Dong, for Winter Olympics 2022 in Beijing. Alibaba aims to promote its Olympic merchandise via Dong Dong, as the digital influencer is able to interact with the audience and address their queries. The creation of Dong Dong is the first step towards the digital transformation of the Olympic Winter Games and new possibilities are expected in e-commerce with the help of cloud technology. In the coming times, the firm plans to develop a mixed reality space, featuring virtual influencers powered by metaverse. Read more from Thedrum

As per the study from GfK Market Intelligence, Indonesian e-commerce excelled up to 43% among other Southeast Asian countries in 2021. This hike in Indonesian online sales resulted in significant contributions to the Technical Consumer Goods TCG industry. The market value for TCG increased up to 23% in 2021 compared to the 19% increase in 2020. Similarly, e-commerce in Singapore and Thailand grew up to 22%, contributing more than 20% to the overall TCG market value in 2021. Read more from Retailasia

Checkout.com, a cloud-based payment firm, surveyed 12,000 consumers from the Asia-Pacific region to explore the recent payment and online business trends. As per the report from Payments Optimization in APAC: Innovation from the Global Frontier, there are visible differences in the payment methods opted by consumers. 1, The results from the survey revealed that 95% of Asia-Pacific’s consumers regularly shop from online channels, and the number is expected to grow in the coming years, signifying the importance of e-commerce in the post-pandemic era. 2, Checkout.com claims that Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) service is transforming the conventional modes of the transaction into easy and flexible instalments. 3, Social commerce is expanding in the APAC region at a fast pace, as China generated US$6 billion in revenue from social commerce. The future of e-commerce involves the innovational internet web3 and cryptocurrency known as social tokens. 4, There is an overlap between centralised and decentralised means of transaction. Recent research from VISA unfolds that Singapore and Hong Kong are ready to accept cryptocurrency for payments. Read more from Insideretail

Chinese luxury brands adapted Machine learning and AI to use consumers’ data securely and reduce cost while offering quality-driven customer services. Burberry utilizes the Image Recognition Technology, featuring advanced algorithms offered by an AI-based firm, Entropy. The feature allows Burberry to identify fake or replicated products. Plus, the firm manages its inventory via Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) that enables the brand to track stock availability. Prada deployed Adobe Experience Cloud Solutions and teamed up with Sprinkler, a customer experience management firm, to offer efficient customer experience and establish a digital space. Alibaba launched chatbots to leverage its customer-centric marketing. Alibaba also partnered with Guess, a lifestyle brand, to debut an AI store in Hong Kong, where consumers can register with customized Taobao QR codes and facial recognition. Louis Vuitton joined hands with Alphabet Inc., a technology firm, to boost stock optimization. Read more from Jingdaily

Cobots, generally called collaborative robots, have made room for themselves in the Food and Beverage Industry. Unlike conventional robots, cobots are lightweight, small, and designed to function with humans. Cobots can be coordinated into assembling lines and help F&B producers in the accompanying ways. 1, cobots can manage labour-intensive tasks, allowing humans to focus on decision-making and judgment. A Swedish manufacturer of vanilla cream, Orkla Foods, automated its manufacturing line by introducing cobots, relieving its workforce from physical tasks. 2, Deployment of cobots in the production line lowers the labour cost, ultimately increasing the return on investment (ROI). Orkla Foods recovered the amount invested in Cobots within six months. 3, Cobots are equipped with sensors that recognize deterrents and forestall collisions. Read more from Apfoodonline

Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures have invested in the Indian-based startup, Velocity, which manages the revenue-based financing platform for DTC and e-commerce in India. In a series A financing funding round led by Valar Ventures, the firm has raised $20 million. Maninder Gulati of Oyo, Presight Capital, Zac Prince of BlockFi, Philippe da Mota of Hedosophia, and AngelList India head Utsav Somani’s iSeed also participated in the funding round, taking the company’s all-time raise to $30 million. Read more from Techcrunch

Zindi, a South African crowd-solving startup, solves real-world problems for global companies via AI. One of Zindi’s professional team of data scientists has utilized machine learning to improve the air quality in Kampala. Zimnat, a Zimbabwe-based insurance company, has anticipated customer behaviour with the help of Zindi’s assistance. Zimnat offered customized services to its customers to retain them. Some of the global organizations, both public and private firms including Liquid Telecom, Microsoft, UNICEF, IBM, and the Government of South Africa, have collaborated with Zindi. The startup is also planning to offer a learning and training platform for data scientists to fill in the knowledge gap. Read more from Techcrunch