A U.K.-based company Engineered Arts has developed a humanoid robot that can display human-like expressions with ease. In a short video released on YouTube, the company shows off its most advanced humanoid, dubbed Ameca, which is initially a platform for testing robotic technologies.

The adoption of robotics — and automation more broadly — in enterprises has accelerated as the pandemic prompts digital transformations. A recent report from Automation World found that the bulk of companies that embraced robotics in the past year did so to decrease labor costs, increase capacity, and navigate a lack of available workers.

At the end of 2019 — before the pandemic — the firm had around 192 million square feet of warehouse, data center and distribution space across the U.S. and Canada. Amazon added about 101 million square feet in 2020 and this year has added at least 119 million through September, according to the data and financial reports.

The Middle East represents a massive growth opportunity for the Seattle-based technology giant, which is facing headwinds in its e-commerce business amid a US labour shortage and rising inflation and freight costs. Net online store sales in the third quarter rose 3.3 per cent to $49.9 billion, as pandemic-era delivery demand began to wane.

Just days before Black Friday, NBC 10 Boston got an exclusive look inside BOS 7, Amazon’s Fulfillment Center in Fall River, as they prepare for the busiest time of the year. Consumer reporter Betsy Badell toured the facility and asked how they’re dealing with the supply chain crisis to ensure this season’s gifts get delivered on time.

Best Buy is transitioning to a new format to help with the holiday rush. NBC News’ Jo Ling Kent sits down in an exclusive interview with Best Buy’s executive vice president to learn why he believes turning half of a store into a warehouse gives the company a unique advantage.

For decades, experts have been predicting that computers will soon have human-like intelligence. But even today, that vision is far from reality.

As the holiday shopping season kicks off this weekend, consumers will find prices higher than they’ve been in months. That’s particularly true at Amazon, which has raised prices faster than rivals, according to Profitero, an e-commerce data analytics company that tracks more that 20,000 popular items across several large online retailers. Amazon’s prices on those items grew 7.5 percent in October, compared with the same month a year ago.

The other side of the supply chain — the process of returning a product — also plays a significant role. Many goods that firms work hard to bring to the U.S. will be sent back soon after they are delivered. Across all e-commerce, about 30% of purchases are returned and about half of all clothing is sent back.