Bite Says Face-Recognizing Kiosks Improve Customer Experience

Jack in the Box CEO, Leonard Comma, made news this week when he said “it just made sense” for his fast-food chain to consider switching from human cashiers to machines. To be sure, there are big societal implications if every restaurant made such a shift, but what if automated kiosks provide a better customer experience?…

Source: thespoon.tech

That’s a belief driving the startup Bite, which creates facial recognition kiosks for quick service restaurants (QSRs). Using a combination of iPads, proprietary software and machine learning, Bite’s tablet kiosks can recognize your face to unlock loyalty programs, bring up food preferences and provide opportunities for restaurants to upsell.

Record gains for retailers during holiday season

Holiday spending rose to the highest level in years during the 2017 season amid widespread economic gains, and retailers in Houston got an extra boost from the rush to replace what Hurricane Harvey destroyed.
Fourth-quarter sales rose 5.5 percent from the same period last year, the U.S. Department of Commerce said Friday. In December alone, sales increased 5.4 percent.
Many retailers this month reported positive same-store sales during November and December, driven in part by investments that encouraged crossover between online and in-store shopping. Even department stores, which have for years fought to turn around declining sales, had a brighter season.
The results exceeded the National Retail Federation’s highest forecast.

Source: www.houstonchronicle.com

115 pickup towers installed by Walmart