#Retail

A global study reveals that depression and serious psychological distress vary by job sector, with retail, food service, media, and healthcare support roles showing the highest risk. The findings underscore the need for sector-specific mental health programs, particularly as young adults and women are disproportionately affected. Data from more than 536,000 working adults across the United States informed the analysis, which examined how occupation, age, gender, and insurance status influence mental well-being. The insights are especially relevant for Thailand, where rapid economic shifts and urban growth are reshaping the workforce and its vulnerabilities. In Thailand, service and hospitality roles have expanded quickly, reflecting global patterns of stress in high-demand industries.

China has unveiled sweeping updates to its value-added tax (VAT) refund scheme for international tourists, rolling out instant refunds in additional locations and making the process smoother and more enticing for overseas visitors. The new policy—effective from July 1, 2025—marks a major departure from the previous refund-upon-departure model, allowing eligible tourists to claim cash back directly at participating stores and select refund counters, rather than navigating cumbersome airport procedures. This change aims to attract greater numbers of foreign tourists, boost retail spending, and revitalize the local economy after several challenging years for China’s tourism industry.

A major reform in China’s VAT refund system promises faster cashbacks for international visitors. Starting July 1, 2025, eligible tourists can receive VAT refunds instantly at participating stores or designated counters, reducing the need for airport queues. The move aims to rejuvenate China’s tourism sector and spur retail spending after recent challenges.

For Thai travelers, the change could significantly affect shopping plans. Instant refunds at the point of sale are common in top destinations such as Japan, Australia, and parts of the European Union, but China’s expansion marks a notable upgrade. The program will cover major cities including Shanghai and Beijing initially, with expansion to Dalian and Hubei province announced for July 2025. Dozens more duty-free shops, shopping centers, and airports nationwide are expected to join over time.

The intersection of design and computer science is revealing innovative possibilities for the way we live, shop, and build—thanks to cutting-edge research emerging from institutions like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). A recent report highlights the work of a MAD Fellow at MIT, a graduate student innovating by merging artificial intelligence (AI), augmented reality (AR), and robotics with human-centric design to create systems that make everyday tasks smarter and more intuitive. This approach is not just shaping the future of architecture and retail but also carries implications for sustainable development and community resilience—including lessons with strong relevance for Thailand’s rapidly modernising society.

A cutting-edge collaboration between design and computer science is reshaping how we live, shop, and build. At the forefront is an MIT MAD Fellow whose work merges artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and robotics with human-centered design. The goal: create systems that make everyday tasks smarter and more intuitive. The implications reach beyond architecture and retail, touching sustainable development and community resilience with clear relevance for Thailand’s fast-growing, modernising landscape.

Thailand’s dense cities and rural communities stand to gain from these global advances in user experience and digital tools. The flagship Curator AI platform exemplifies the trend. It streamlines online furniture shopping by combining AR with vision-language AI to offer personalized, context-aware recommendations. By scanning room dimensions and allowing natural-language requests, Curator AI suggests furniture options and visualizes them in place, simplifying decision-making. The research team described Curator AI as a solution for people who don’t know where to start when furnishing a room. The project’s smart blend of speech and visual analysis helped it win first prize at an MIT AI Build hackathon, bringing funding and recognition to the team’s approach. Data and updates come from MIT News reports.