Shopper Education & Assistance

Health insurance company Cigna launched Health Connect 360, a service that delivers personalized recommendations and prevents patients with chronic diseases from skipping medication in order to proactively prevent complications. The service integrates data from a combination of sources, digital devices, and AI-enabled analytical tools to allow pharmacists to get a better view of the patients' biometric data in conjunction with their medication and quickly check in with them.

Startup Huckleberry digitizes and simplifies the complex process of purchasing and managing commercial insurance for small businesses via a user-friendly platform and AI-enabled matching feature. Replacing the traditional time-consuming insurance phone calls with an online portal, Huckleberry allows users to quickly fill a five-minute form, receive instant quotes, and seamlessly purchase desired plans. To ensure it meets all the needs required by a small enterprise, Huckleberry is built to work with a variety of coverage verticals from healthcare to beauty.

Big box retailer Walmart partnered with healthcare data analytics company Embold Health to launch Featured Providers, a benefits initiative that connects their employees with insurance plans and local doctors. Embold Health uses artificial intelligence to comb through data from public and private insurance and gathers a list of best providers, ensuring the optimal cost effectiveness and patient outcomes. Employees who choose a provider outside of the recommended list are required to pay more.

Nonprofit Goodwill uses AI from an authentication service called Entrupy to weed out counterfeit high-end handbags for sale on its ecommerce platform, shopgoodwill.com. Goodwill employees use a modified iPod Touch equipped with a special lens in order to take closeup shots of an item, using an algorithm to analyze attributes like the stitching, lining and logo in order to determine its authenticity.

Luxury resale platform Rebag created an index to appraise the resale value of handbags. The tool, called Clair (for “Comprehensive Luxury Appraisal Index for Resale”), standardizes over 10,000 handbag styles into distinct product codes, taking into account their size, style, designer, condition, and original retail price, in order to provide users with a bag’s current resale value and help them determine whether or not to buy or sell it.

Online marketplace eBay created the eBay Authenticate program to boost shopper confidence when purchasing luxury items, such as watches and handbags. Each item is inspected and verified by an independent expert, who will then list the item with a notation that its authenticity has been verified and ship the item directly to the buyer, with the original seller receiving 80% of the selling price.

Kindra is a direct-to-consumer skincare brand from CPG conglomerate P&G that offers products designed specifically for women going through menopause. In addition to dietary supplements designed to naturally ameliorate the symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes and vaginal dryness, Kindra offers a hand & foot cream and a body lotion with soothing ingredients specifically designed to combat drier skin associated with lower estrogen levels.

Swedish fast fashion retailer H&M launched a peer-to-peer fashion advice platform that connects shoppers with the community to help answer questions they may have. Users can ask questions such as, “What should I wear on a first date?” directly to the platform. They then receive answers from the community in the form of Instagram-style images or videos that include styling tips and links to purchase the featured products, which are drawn not just from H&M’s brands but other brands as well.

Curated is an online platform whose community of experts provides consumers with personalized product and experience recommendations for winter sports, golf, cycling and yacht charters. Customers get started by answering a couple of basic questions and are matched with the appropriate expert. Users can then discuss their preferences and budgets with their experts via email, video chat, text or a portal on Curated’s website. The expert then sends a list of personalized recommendations, comparing different products and prices, along with insider tips. Curated’s services are free to use, but they ask that customers send feedback and share experiences in order to improve the service.

Bookstore chain Barnes & Noble released an app called Browsery to facilitate peer-to-peer recommendations. Users can engage with one another and ask questions, no matter how broad or specific, regarding books and what they're looking to read next. It also lets readers make a to-read list within the app.

ParkStash is a peer-to-peer platform that connects drivers to local residents and businesses with spare parking spots. Drivers set their location and time preference in the app to see a list of available spaces and their price. After booking the spot, they get the host’s contact info and address, along with directions. Drivers can find hassle-free parking spots and even reserve them in advance, while hosts can earn passive income from their unused parking.

PeerStrong is an app that connects individuals who are struggling with drug addiction with a peer support network of people who are in recovery. Former addicts who are recovery and are interested in helping others can be trained a certified as a peer supporter. The PeerStrong platform will then match them with individuals seeking treatment for substance use disorders.

In a bid to become a leading global mobility services company, Toyota launched this week its long-awaited KINTO brand, which provides transport-related amenities like subscription-based leases and potentially even ride-hailing to customers in Europe

Spinlister is a peer-to-peer bicycle rental service that makes it easy to find a bike while traveling. Users can search by local area, ride type and availability dates to find a bike near them and them book and pay through the platform. Spinlister offers insurance to cover damage or theft.