Executive Summary

• This week’s note “From the Desk of Deborah Weinswig” discusses where we currently stand on the artificial intelligence adoption curve.
• Investments in grocery-anchored shopping centers in the US in 2017 climbed 5.3% from 2016, making the sector one of the only retail sectors to see deal growth in a year of low transaction volume.
• British conglomerate Associated British Foods (ABF) reported a preclose trading update for the 24 weeks ended March 3, 2018. ABF said that it expects Primark’s sales to have risen by 7% at constant currency and by 9% as reported during the first half, driven by increased selling space.
• Rumors that Alibaba was planning to acquire Ele.me, one of the major online food delivery platforms in China, have been confirmed by an insider close to the deal. The current valuation of the platform is about $9.5 billion.