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Hear Me Out: Consumer Study Reveals Phone Still Reigns in Customer Service

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New data shows 86% of Gen Z ditches digital-first for phone support

NEW YORK and LONDON, Feb. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — PolyAI, a global leader in voice AI solutions for customer experience and service, reveals that 65% of Americans prefer a phone call as their primary method of contacting customer service for retail and travel brands. Perhaps more surprising, 86% of Gen Z and younger Millennial participants prefer the voice channel for support, breaking the stereotype that young people don’t like to talk on the phone.

A recent survey of 1,000 U.S. consumers, commissioned by PolyAI and conducted by Dynata,  indicated a general openness to engage conversational AI, as long as it offers accurate and efficient support, especially during high-demand periods. While 55% of respondents are likely to immediately ask for a representative if they hear a robotic IVR (interactive voice response), 71% of consumers are willing to speak to an intelligent voice assistant if it could accurately fulfill their customer service needs (process a return, perform a price match, answer questions, etc).

“The survey’s findings echo what we’re hearing from brands we work with: their customers don’t like being on hold nor do they trust the ability of old school IVRs to solve their issue. This sentiment was born from decades of stagnation in contact center technology, which has historically been about operational efficiency over the customer experience,” said Nikola Mrkšić, co-founder and CEO of PolyAI. “Now, people are not only embracing capable AI solutions, they’re demanding those solutions be available wherever they decide to contact a business. Two big findings from this survey: customers of all ages prefer the phone, and that accuracy, speed and convenience are the keys to winning loyalty.”

The results confirm Mrkšić’s observations, as 52% of consumers feel “very comfortable” or “somewhat comfortable” using voice assistants to interact with customer service, specifically within retail and travel verticals. Surprisingly, 86% of Gen-Z and younger millennials surveyed named the phone as their preferred support channel, bucking the notion that nobody under 30 places calls anymore. (Sorry, Mom.)

During the 2024 holiday season, U.S. online spending rose 9%, influenced in part by the ubiquity of smartphones and how easy it is to make a purchase on them — with just a few taps, users can buy basically anything, even bypassing the need to input credit card info because of digital wallets. Shopping on a smartphone is quick, and when someone reaches out to customer service, they want response times to be quick, too. In fact, 58% of consumers would like to see faster response rates from retail and travel brands during the holiday season, and those retailers using voice AI solutions will be at an advantage over those that do not. Voice AI can efficiently and effectively handle inquiry surges by slashing hold times and exceeding customer expectations, even during record-breaking shopping periods.

To learn more about PolyAI, visit www.poly.ai.

About PolyAI
PolyAI specializes in creating the most lifelike conversational AI voice assistants in the world. With a focus on delivering exceptional customer service, PolyAI serves a wide range of high-call volume industries and is committed to revolutionizing the ways customers interact with brands through advanced, remarkably human voice AI solutions. PolyAI’s performance has earned spots in Forbes AI 50, Gartner Cool Vendors and Market Guide for Conversational AI Solutions, as well as a Gold Stevie Award for Contact Center Solutions in 2024. For more information, visit their website at www.poly.ai.

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SOURCE PolyAI

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2026 Canton Fair Design Award Winners Showcase China’s Innovation Strength

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October 19, 2026

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GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As the 140th Canton Fair opens, the winners of the 2026 Canton Fair Design Award (CF Award) have also been announced. Winning products are now on display in Area D of the Canton Fair Complex, offering visitors a closer look at some of the latest advances in Chinese manufacturing and industrial design.

Among this year’s top honorees, a domestically developed high-performance sport motorcycle and an intelligent navigation capsule robot gastric endoscopy system received the Best of the Best Award, the competition’s highest recognition.

The Canton Fair also enhanced the visitor experience with a themed showcase area within the award exhibition. Built around four application-oriented concepts, namely Outdoor Pleasure, Smart Living, Cozy Home and Kitchen Elegance, the immersive displays demonstrate how innovative designs can be integrated into everyday life, helping visitors better understand the practical value behind these award-winning products.

This year, 4,218 products from 2,112 companies competed for the award. Following multiple rounds of evaluation, 222 products from 174 companies were selected.

The award-winning products reflect several key trends shaping the next stage of Chinese manufacturing. Innovation remains a defining theme, with breakthrough technologies ranging from upper limb motor function assistance and enhancement system to exoskeleton robots, underscoring the growing momentum of high-end manufacturing.

Meanwhile, intelligent technologies continue to gain traction across industries. Smart products account for more than 30% of this year’s winners, with AI-powered glasses, intelligent conference terminals and smart healthcare devices extending AI applications across home, office, medical and outdoor environments.

Sustainability is also becoming increasingly embedded throughout the product lifecycle. Green products represent over 40% of the winning entries, while innovations such as integrated energy-saving panels and sugarcane paper demonstrate how environmentally conscious practices are being incorporated into product design, materials selection and manufacturing processes.

Established in 2013, the Canton Fair Design Award is widely regarded as a benchmark for design innovation in China’s foreign trade sector. The award recognizes products that combine design excellence with commercial value, promoting the transformation and upgrading of Chinese manufacturing and supporting high-quality trade development. Entries are evaluated across five dimensions: innovation, quality, functionality, aesthetics and sustainability.

For more convenient attendance, please click here for pre-registration:
https://buyer.cantonfair.org.cn/register/buyer/email?source_type=16

 

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SOURCE Canton Fair

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InstaMall Launches Same-Day Fashion Delivery Experience, Bringing 80+ Brands to Shoppers’ Doors in Miami

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October 19, 2026

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First-of-its-kind shopping app pairs artificial intelligence with same-day delivery, bringing luxury
and contemporary brands directly to customers’ doorsteps 

Featured luxury and contemporary brands include AllSaints, John Varvatos and Aritzia

MIAMI, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — InstaMall, a first-of-its-kind shopping app offering same-day delivery and access to real-time inventory across luxury and contemporary fashion, launches today in Miami, Florida. Now available via iOS and Android, InstaMall provides access to more than 80 contemporary and luxury fashion brands across Miami’s five premier retail clusters, including Balmain, Louis Vuitton, Bottega Veneta, Ganni, Coach, Diesel, Reformation, Aritzia, Cult Gaia, Prada and more. InstaMall will add more brands within the app in the coming weeks and seasons. 

Sitting at the intersection of fashion, technology and commerce, InstaMall brings inspiration and purchase together through a more dynamic way to discover and shop for fashion. The experience combines access to luxury and contemporary brands with the convenience of same-day delivery, bringing the speed customers have come to expect across categories like food and groceries to fashion while maintaining the brand experience retailers and shoppers expect.

Within the app, customers will have access to InstaMall’s AI-powered stylist and virtual try-on features, making it easier to browse, discover and shop styles online. InstaMall’s AI Stylist serves as an intelligent shopping assistant that responds to customers’ preferences in real time. Customers can use the AI Stylist to receive product recommendations, build outfits, ask questions and discover new styles, while its virtual try-on feature allows them to visualize select items on themselves before making a purchase.

“InstaMall was founded on the belief that the convenience customers have come to expect from same-day delivery should extend to the way they shop for fashion,” said Elliot Aboud, Founder and CEO of InstaMall. “As fashion and technology continue to evolve together, we saw an opportunity to create a more seamless shopping experience that brings customers closer to the brands they love, combining a curated assortment, AI-powered styling and virtual try-on with the ease and convenience of same-day delivery.”

Prior to founding InstaMall, Elliot Aboud helped build the Aroma360 and Hotel Collection brands, overseeing the launch of the first retail store and expanding the retail footprint to more than 30 stores across the United States and two in Dubai. InstaMall is bringing fashion and luxury to the next generation with its seamless shopping experience and wide selection of brands.

Customers can download InstaMall through the Apple App Store or Google Play, or by going to instamall.co.

About InstaMall 

InstaMall is a same-day fashion shopping and discovery app reimagining how consumers shop for luxury and contemporary brands. Sitting at the intersection of fashion, technology and commerce, InstaMall brings inspiration and purchase together in an experience that gives consumers a more dynamic way to discover and shop. Where on-demand delivery has long existed for categories like food and groceries, InstaMall brings that same convenience to luxury fashion for the first time, delivering the same day without compromising the brand experience fashion retailers and their customers expect. The company launched publicly in Miami on October 16, 2026, and plans to expand nationally. For more information, please visit instamall.co.

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SOURCE InstaMall

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PTC to Announce Fourth Fiscal Quarter and Full Year 2026 Results on Wednesday, November 4, 2026

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October 19, 2026

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BOSTON, Oct. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — PTC (NASDAQ: PTC) will release its fiscal 2026 fourth quarter and full year results on Wednesday, November 4th after the stock market closes. As previously announced on October 5th, 2026, PTC entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Schneider Electric. In light of the pending transaction, PTC is suspending quarterly earnings conference calls and is no longer providing quarterly or annual guidance.

The earnings press release and accompanying financial data tables will be accessible on the Investor Relations section of the company’s website at PTC Investor Relations.

About

PTC (NASDAQ: PTC) is a global software company that enables manufacturers and product companies to digitally transform how they design, manufacture, and service the physical products the world relies on. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, PTC employs over 7,000 people and supports more than 30,000 customers globally. For more information, please visit www.ptc.com.

Investors

Michael Maguire
mmaguire@ptc.com
investor@ptc.com

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SOURCE PTC Inc.

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