December 2025

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 31 dec 2025

The shopping experience is being redefined due to the adoption of AI, analytics and integrated signage systems by European retailers. According to Sony Retail Index 2025, there are still three key challenges to full scale digitalization - (1) Lack of Evidence: Retailers struggle to demonstrate measurable benefits from retail tech investments. (2) Skills Shortage: There is insufficient focus on hiring and developing talent to manage and evolve retail technology. (3) Trust Deficit: Stakeholders remain sceptical about AI-driven processes. Moreover, it also recommends some strategic priorities that will lead to full potential of digital transformation - (1) Start Where It Matters: Address pain points like long queues, stock availability, and inventory loss. (2) Test Fast, Scale Fast: Expand successful pilots quickly. (2) Integrate, Don't Replace: Connect new technologies with existing systems. (3) Integrate, Don't Replace: Connect new technologies with existing systems. (4) Position Compliance as Value: Communicate robust privacy protections to customers. Chris Mullins, Head of Product Marketing, Professional Solutions and Displays at Sony Europe, says, 'Retailers don't lack innovation – they lack visible progress. Customers want proof that technology improves their shopping experience today, not promises for tomorrow...' Read on...

Invidis: AI Must Deliver on Its Promise
Author: NA

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 31 dec 2025

The outdoor spaces should be extension of the home and should seamlessly connect the best of both. Landscape designers predict a shift toward more relaxed design in 2026. Nick Fobes, PLA, partner at the landscape architecture firm Hoerr Schaudt, says, 'Homeowners are gravitating toward aesthetics rooted in nature and simplicity. While every design must respond to the architecture and regional context, the common thread is a desire for calm, grounded outdoor spaces that feel deeply connected to the environment. Clients want landscapes that enhance their experience of the outdoors - not compete with it.' Anastasia Casey, founder of The Interior Collective, says, 'Everyone wants outdoor spaces that can serve multiple purposes, from entertaining to quiet retreat, and that also feel like an extension of the home. Overly formal layouts and anything that looks too staged or brand-new is out.' Jamie Lyn Smith, principal designer and owner of Smith Home Studios, says, Think indoor-level comfort and design-forward style brought outside: overstuffed sofas in soft, durable performance fabrics, sculptural accent chairs, and concrete or stone tables that look just as at home in a living room as they do on the patio. The goal is spaces that feel cozy, curated, and livable, blurring the line between inside and out.' Following are the trends for porches and patios in 2026 - Firepits and Fireplaces; Wellness Spaces; Plants That "Earn Their Keep; Outdoor Kitchens; Modern Cottage Garden Appeal; Hardscape with Personality and Functionality; Understated Water Features. Read on...

Veranda: The 7 Biggest Porch and Patio Trends for 2026, According to Designers
Author: Arricca Elin Sansone

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 20 dec 2025

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is now a globally acceptable concept with different regions and nations implementing it according to their socio-economic setup. In the middle-eastern countries, particularly in United Arab Emirates, with fast economic shift from traditional to modern, CSR practices of corporations is attracting the interest of academics and researchers. In one such research study, 'Corporate social responsibility in a non-western context: The case of the United Arab Emirates' (Authors: Osman Antwi-Boateng of United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain; Noura Eisa Saeed Al Harasi of United Arab Emirates University in Al Ain), published in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications 25 September 2025, explores the institutional and cultural dynamics that drive CSR practices in UAE, a non-western thriving economy, and examines the benefits and challenges associated with it. Moreover, the study tries to find out how CSR functions in a hybrid political economy and rentier contexts, which UAE provides an apt example. Researchers say, 'Rather than just identifying the benefits and challenges, the study also explores how CSR is shaped in environments where state-corporate relations are tightly coupled, and civil society influence is marginal. In doing so, the study enhances the applicability of dominant CSR theories such as stakeholder theory, in the context of the UAE's political economy.' KEY FINDINGS - Social Benefits (Utilizing stakeholder theory and thematic analysis approach): Improved stakeholder dialogue, value creation, and responsiveness to societal need; Economic Benefits: Job creation and enhanced corporate competitiveness; Challenges: Contradictory regulations, dependency culture, lack of embedded frameworks, and poor impact measurement. According to the researchers, 'The findings have several policy implications. First, the findings offer valuable guidance for cooperation among stakeholders in the UAE and other countries regarding embracing and implementing CSR initiatives. Second, the findings offer valuable lessons about CSR, which can guide companies in identifying the best CSR practices and avoiding bad practices to maximize outcomes from CSR initiatives. Third, the findings can guide public awareness campaigns regarding CSR to deepen the practice among companies. Finally, the findings indicate that the political economy of a country plays a vital role in the practice and benefits of CSR as government developmental priorities and regulations drives the CSR agendas of corporations and organizations.' Read on...

Nature: Corporate social responsibility in a non-western context: The case of the United Arab Emirates
Authors: Osman Antwi-Boateng, Noura Eisa Saeed Al Harasi