The cola wars are alive and well in India.

It’s a question those of us in the U.S. know well — Coke or Pepsi? Now, the giants are squaring off in India. One recent ad promoted Coca-Cola as the half-time drink for the country’s cricket watchers; Pepsi responded by labeling itself the “any time” drink. Of course, they’re not the only two players — local brands are carving a niche for themselves, with one positioning itself as the best value at half the cost of the big players.

New AI customer-service applications show promise.

Trial runs of artificial intelligence (AI) in customer-service roles underscore the technology’s potential to reshape the retail field. Several businesses have been using AI-powered bots to interact with customers via text and voice, and initial results indicate that the devices can handle a variety of simple problems — in fact, sometimes better than humans. That’s resulted in cost savings for companies and allowed employees to focus on thornier tasks that the bots aren’t equipped to handle.

Chinese automakers push the envelope on EVs.

Chinese-based Xiaomi topped records — as well as European rivals — at Germany’s Nürburgring racetrack recently, setting new lap times for an EV and a 4-door vehicle with its SU7 Ultra test car. But what might be even more startling is its price — 530,000 Chinese yuan, or the equivalent of a little less than $75,000. Big performance at a relatively modest price could increase the pressure on other luxury manufacturers to keep up in the alluring Chinese market.

In the mood for a surprise? “Blind boxes” could have you covered.

Tchotchke-obsessed consumers are adding a little variance to their collections with a newer take on an old idea — “blind boxes.” Like baseball cards, these keychains, statues and other knick-knacks are grouped into randomized series — meaning buyers don’t know what they’re getting until they open it. One recent example is Labubu, a toothy little monster that’s gained popularity after a member of a Korean pop group released a photo holding it.