Business
Cyber Monday expected to break records as shoppers flock to online deals
As the US Thanksgiving season wrapped up with flat sales, retailers are trying to lure in customers with a wide range of promotions and discounts on cosmetics, electronics, toys, clothing and other merchandise for Cyber Monday, America’s biggest online shopping event. Retailers have been strategizing to pull in US shoppers with notifications, mails and other heavily touted ads.
With a little more than three weeks before Christmas, experts say this year’s discounts have been steeper, as shoppers are holding out for days packed with promotions. Retail chain Target, announced a “two-day Cyber Monday” starting on Sunday, offering 50 per cent discount off thousands of items that included video games, home decor and other technology.
According to preliminary estimates from payments processor Mastercard, sales at brick-and-mortar stores on Friday increased by only 0.7 per cent compared to last year. Meanwhile, data firm Facteus reported that sales were actually down.
In order to make it easier to help shoppers find their products on websites and mobile apps, Amazon, Walmart and other online retailers relied on generative AI customer service and search features. Cheyenne Berens, a 29-year-old resident of Pittsburgh, also used Amazon’s generative AI chatbot services to track price of merchandise, as quoted by Reuters.
“I have found that using Rufus on Amazon has been extremely helpful in determining whether a ‘deal’ is actually a ‘deal’,” Berens said.
Caila Schwartz, director of consumer insights at Salesforce which is a cloud computing company that monitors global shopping data from over 1.5 billion consumers, explained that GenAI tools, like chatbots that handle basic queries from online shoppers about products, have helped retailers safeguard their profit margins despite increasing costs.
He also noted that, according to Salesforce estimates, retailers who utilized GenAI tools for customer service experienced a 15 per cent higher purchase rate among users on Saturday. Schwartz said that the higher conversion rate acted as “a game changer.”
According to preliminary estimates from Adobe Inc., online spending in the United States on Monday is projected to hit $13.2 billion, a 6 per cent increase from Cyber Monday last year. This follows the approximately $10.8 billion Americans spent online on Black Friday, as reported by Adobe.
Adobe reported that traffic to retail sites from chatbots or shoppers clicking on website links increased by 1,800 per cent from Black Friday through the weekend
With many Americans taking on more debt, most are turning to third-party ‘buy now, pay later’ services, and spending on these services is expected to reach $1 billion, according to Adobe projections. Adobe tracks devices using its software, which powers over 1 trillion visits to US retail sites.
Business
Indian Railways plans centrally heated sleeper train, special Vande Bharat chair car for Kashmir – check features
Indian Railways eyes two special trains for Jammu & Kashmir! Indian Railways plans to introduce two new train services to enhance Kashmir connectivity in the coming month.
A centrally heated sleeper train will operate between New Delhi and Srinagar, offering a 13-hour journey through snow-covered mountains and across the 359-m-high Chenab Bridge, which is the world’s highest railway arch bridge. The train will provide premium comfort but will not include second-class sleeper coaches, sources told ET.
Previously it was being speculated that the Vande Bharat sleeper would debut on the Kashmir route, but that doesn’t appear to be the case now.
Vande Bharat for Katra-Baramulla Route in Jammu & Kashmir
- For the Katra-Baramulla route, an eight-coach Vande Bharat train with chair car seating will be introduced, a senior railway official told the financial daily.
- The
Vande Bharat Express for Jammu & Kashmir also incorporates specialised features including silicon heating pads for water tanks to prevent freezing, and toilets with warm air circulation through specially designed ducts. - In a first for Indian Railways, the loco pilots’ front glass contains embedded heating elements to prevent frost formation in sub-zero temperatures.
- The service will reduce the 246-km Katra-Baramulla journey time to three-and-a-half hours, significantly faster than the current 10-hour bus journey. Baramulla railway station lies 57 km beyond Srinagar.
Jammu & Kashmir Train Connectivity
Katra, which serves as the entry point to the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and attracts numerous pilgrims, currently has a 16-coach Vande Bharat Express connection to New Delhi operating six days weekly.
The railway official said, “Once the Katra-Baramulla Vande Bharat becomes operational, likely by late next month, passengers will be able to seamlessly journey from New Delhi to Katra in our existing Vande Bharat and then transfer to the new service to reach Srinagar or Baramulla.”
Business
Adani spreads wings in aviation, to acquire leading MRO Air Works
NEW DELHI: The Adani Group, that operates airports in seven cities including Mumbai and is building a greenfield one at Navi Mumbai, is expanding its presence in the aviation space. It is acquiring India’s biggest private sector MRI (maintenance, repair & overhaul) player Air Works for an enterprise value of Rs 400 crore.
Adani Defence Systems & Technologies Ltd (ADSTL) has signed a SPA to acquire 85.8% shareholding in Air Works, which does line maintenance, heavy checks, interior refurbishment, painting, redelivery checks, avionics and asset management services for its Indian and global customers.
Air Works does base maintenance for narrowbody, turboprop and rotary aircraft at its facilities in Hosur, Mumbai and Kochi and has regulatory approvals from civil aviation authorities of over 20 countries. It also handles defence MRO.
Adani Airports director Jeet Adani said: “The Indian aviation industry stands at a transformative juncture, now the third largest globally and on track to induct over 1,500 aircraft in the coming years. This growth aligns seamlessly with Govt’s vision to connect every corner of our nation, creating unprecedented opportunities in aviation services. For us, creating a presence in the MRO sector is more than just a strategic step — it’s a commitment to building an integrated aviation services ecosystem that strengthens the backbone of India’s aviation infrastructure. Together, we are excited to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of India’s skies,” said
Adani Defence & Aerospace CEO Ashish Rajvanshi said: “This acquisition represents a pivotal step in Adani Defence & Aerospace’s mission to strengthen India’s MRO capabilities. Our vision is to deliver a full-spectrum MRO offering — spanning line, base, component, and engine maintenance — to meet the needs of both commercial and defence aviation sectors. In a time when
aatmanirbharta
in defence is a national imperative, we stand fully committed to scaling domestic capabilities to serve both our armed forces and the broader aviation sector.”
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