TV could be Walmart's new secret weapon

📺️ Walmart wants TVs…for ads

In the battle for eyeballs, Walmart just placed a big bet.

Forget about price wars and discounts – its $2.3 billion acquisition of Vizio is all about its advertising business.

Vizio's claim to fame is that it creates and sells televisions and advertising through viewer data.

Vizio uses data from viewers' habits (gathered through Automatic Content Recognition technology) to know and understand what people watch. This valuable data is exactly what Walmart craves.

• Walmart and Vizio combined can create highly targeted ads that reach the right customers at the right time.

♟️ A move against Amazon

This acquisition helps Walmart fight against Amazon, which already sells ads on its Prime Video streaming service.

With control over Vizio's platform and its own customer data, Walmart can potentially offer advertisers a more targeted reach compared to Amazon.

In Q4 2023, Vizio made $174 million in revenue and $105 million in ad profit.

Alibaba invests $600 million on an AI companion + character startup

💸 Who’s Minimax?

Alibaba is investing a lot of money in MiniMax ($600 million to be exact).

MiniMax is a startup company in Shanghai that is creating new ways for people to interact with computers using AI.

• Minimax focuses on creating AI companions and virtual characters that users can interact with. Imagine having conversations with your favorite video game character or interacting with a cartoon come to life!

They offer Talkie for international audiences and Xing Ye for the Chinese market.

🤖 Alibaba wants more AI

This investment, exceeding $600 million, propels MiniMax's valuation to over $2.5 billion. It marks Alibaba's second major AI investment this year, all part of its shift towards AI, cloud computing, logistics and entertainment.

However, the path for Chinese AI companies isn't without hurdles.

• One major challenge is the restricted access from the U.S. for advanced computer chips which limits the ability of Chinese firms to push the boundaries of its AI tech.

Who's Wayfair? Making your home feel like home

🏠️ Meet Wayfair

When you think home goods, you need to think of Wayfair.

Wayfair is known for offering a haven for those looking to breathe more life into their living spaces.

Founded on the belief that every home is unique, Wayfair has a selection of over 30 million products from more than 20,000 suppliers, showing that there's something for everyone, every style or budget.

Wayfair's commitment goes beyond simply offering lots of furniture and decor.

🛋️ What makes them cool

They prioritize customer service and a convenient shopping experience, allowing customers to browse from inspiration to installation.

Focusing on ease and price has helped Wayfair compete to be a leader in the online home goods market with its 20 million customers.

Wayfair seems like it’s here to stay too.

Last month, their shares got a boost they had a lower-than-expected net loss after having less costs and even more customers.

The company is even going into physical retail with its first large-format store opening this spring at Wilmette, Illinois.