Another five retail tech startups to watch in 2020

RTIH recently flagged up 10 startups that should be on your radars in 2020. More, please, you cried. Oh, go on then, we replied. Here are five more new kids on the block set to make waves this year.

1. Tokinomo

Tokinomo has developed a solution that uses sound, motion and light to bring products to life at the shelf and increase shopper engagement.

“It’s a way of creating an emotional bond with the customers and turning your product into a storyteller at the Point of Sale. That’s the true magic of it,” Founder, Ionut Vlad, recently told RTIH.

2. SandStar

Mike Kiser recently joined China-based AI, computer vision solution provider SandStar, formerly known as YI Tunnel, as the President of North America.

“SandStar’s cutting-edge technology truly transforms retail industry,” he said. “My motivation and focus are to obtain the resources required to fully exploit this exciting new technology to accelerate speed to market and position SandStar as the leading AI, computer vision company in the world.”

3. Tryd

Tryd provides a delivery service for high street shops, allowing customers to receive their items within a one hour slot.

Its Try Before You Buy service for fashion products offers the customer 15 minutes to try the items on in the comfort of their own home or office. If they are not fully satisfied with their purchase, Tryd will return items to the store.

4. JGOO

Former M&S and BHS exec David Anderson recently joined JGOO as a non-executive director.

Launched in London in 2017, JGOO, via its partnerships with WeChat Pay and Alipay, helps connect UK and European companies to Chinese shoppers and tourists. It is a subsidiary of the British FinTech group R8, with backers including Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, who sits on the board as a non-executive director.

5. Alert Innovation

A Walmart supercenter in Salem, New Hampshire is now fully operational with the retailer’s Alphabet solution.

Developed exclusively for Walmart by Alert Innovation, the system operates inside a 20,000-square-foot warehouse-style space, using autonomous carts to retrieve ambient, refrigerated and frozen items ordered for online grocery. After it retrieves them, Alphabot delivers the products to a workstation, where a Walmart associate checks, bags and delivers the final order.