Best Buy Forms Retail Media Partnership With CNET

Best Buy store

Best Buy has launched a retail media partnership with consumer technology publication CNET.

The collaboration is designed to help brands reach larger audiences of “high intent” shoppers at a time when many consumers are demanding digital integration in their in-store journey, according to a Thursday (April 25) press release.

Through the partnership, customers will see “curated content and unbiased editorial advice” from CNET experts in stores, on the Best Buy website and on the retailer’s mobile app. This will include product reviews and expert picks that match the viewer’s shopping experiences.

“When shopping for technology, we know that many consumers like to do their own research and turn to Best Buy and CNET to help them explore, discover and get inspired by new and exciting technology,” Best Buy Chief Marketing Officer Jennie Weber said in the release.

“This partnership allows us to integrate expert advice throughout every stage of the customer’s shopping journey, as well as leverage these insights to unlock new levels of personalization and engagement for our customers and partners.”

The partnership will also let advertisers share ad spaces across Best Buy and CNET, letting them see the effect of their advertising campaigns “through a full-funnel, closed-loop media solution,” the companies said.

Many consumers want to see some sort of digital integration with their brick-and-mortar retail experience. The PYMNTS Intelligence study “2024 Global Digital Shopping Index: U.S. Edition,” created in collaboration with Visa Acceptance Solutions, found one-in-every-five consumers say they prefer to shop in stores with the help of digital technologies.

Beyond that, PYMNTS explored some other trends in the space in a recent interview with Elizabeth Marsten, vice president, commerce strategic services at Tinuiti.

For example, there’s the integration of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in search experiences, letting retailers offer more personalized shopping journeys.

In addition, the rise of in-store retail media experiences offers a glimpse into the future of brick-and-mortar engagement, although this presents some challenges, such as privacy concerns and technological limitations.

“What you don’t want is someone walking through a personal care aisle and being shown an ad as they’re just pushing their cart down the aisle for something they bought in the past that could be slightly embarrassing or they don’t want other people to see on the screen,” Marsten told PYMNTS earlier this week. “You’re talking about things like your hemorrhoid creams or pregnancy tests — that kind of stuff.”

 

Flying Cars Can Wait: CES Shows Future Is Robots That Cool Your Soup, Pick Up Socks

AI Me gadget from CES 2025

What do the movies “Blade Runner,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Back to the Future Part II” and Spike Jonze’s “Her” all have in common?

These science fiction movies, each depicting various versions of a future full of fantastic technologies, all take place in the year 2025 or earlier.

Though some of the high-tech gadgets and futuristic innovations seen in these films, such as hoverboards and flying cars, haven’t quite materialized in everyday life, they have sparked imagination and set the stage for the very real innovations. As the dozens of groundbreaking products and wacky gadgets that debuted at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) this week reveal, the future is certainly now.

CES, after all, rarely disappoints when it comes to providing a first-look at some truly strange gadgets that might just represent the ultimate showcase of tomorrow’s technology.

From artificial intelligence (AI) being embedded into everything and smarter than ever home devices, to autonomous robotic companions and wearable tech that both bends and blends reality, many of the inventions that once seemed out of reach in Hollywood films are now being unveiled on the convention floor.

See also: The Five Not-So-Obvious Things That Will Change the Digital Economy in 2025

Could Smart Home Robots Revolutionize Daily Life?

It’s becoming clear that today’s technological advancements are increasingly bridging the gap between what was once imagined and what’s now becoming real.

For example, smart home robots are no longer a futuristic fantasy — they are being positioned as potentially indispensable components of modern households.

CES 2025 saw the debut of the Roborock Saros Z70, a robot vacuum with a telescopic, five-axis arm. Rosey the Robot from “The Jetsons” has nothing on this little gadget, which its maker describes as “a mechanical arm that sees and thinks,” and is able to pick up and put away items like socks, shoes, tissues and more.

For more serious household tasks, the SwitchBot Multitasking Household Robot K20+ Pro was also unveiled at CES 2025. “Whether it’s delivering objects, vacuuming, monitoring pets, purifying the air, providing home security, or even mobilizing smart tablets, the K20+ Pro juggles household management with ease … from delivering food and drinks to carrying small packages,” said a company release.

Read more: Training Robots Using Video Games Could Democratize Warehouse Automation

The K20+ Pro’s core is designed for customization and flexibility, serving as a modular foundation that allows users to create, adapt, and personalize the robot for a wide variety of innovative applications, and can connect with third-party smart devices like Alexa, Google Assistant and Siri, ensuring integration into any smart home ecosystem.

Elsewhere, TCL premiered its “AI Me” (Amy) concept companion robot, complete with animated eyes, autonomous movement and an AI-powered camera on its head; while Dreame showcased its X50 Ultra robot vacuum that has legs to avoid obstacles.

As smart home technology continues to evolve, the integration of robots designed to assist in daily activities could significantly alter how we interact with our homes, manage tasks and even shape the future of work.

TomBot, for example, debuted an emotional robotic lap dog, Jennie, an AI robot therapy dog designed to keep seniors company. On the more playful side of things, Tokyo robotics startup Yukai Engineering introduced the Nékojita FuFu, a portable cat-shaped robot that can blow air to cool hot food or drinks.

It wasn’t solely robotics for use at home being showcased at CES. John Deere used the Las Vegas event to reveal its own autonomous agricultural products. The fully autonomous machines were on display from Jan. 7 to 10, and were a bit bigger in size, if equivalently less cute, than the TomBot puppies.

Read more: Google Reportedly Bringing Gemini AI to TV Sets

The Future Is Calling and Consumers Can Answer Anywhere

Behind the strangely futuristic convenience of a robot picking up your laundry and taking out the trash while it vacuums and interfaces with the rest of your household appliances lies a much larger story: the rise of the smart economy.

As CES 2025 showed, augmented reality (AR) glasses are the eye candy of the smart economy. A host of futuristic specs were unveiled, capable of a range of tasks that turn the wearer into a high-tech superhero.

Halliday showcased “the world’s first proactive AI glasses with invisible display,” while freshly debuted Loomos.AI glasses offer a ChatGPT-4o integrated AI assistant.

But other appendages remain up for grabs, and innovative products from smart rings to apps like WowMouse, which allows smartwatch wearers to control devices using just their gestures and fingers, are vying for market share in ways that aim to make daily life more convenient, efficient and secure.