What's hot in retail technology investments right now?
These retailers and brands are leading the way in providing technology and experiences that are one step ahead of their customers’ expectations.
1. Ikea
Google Cloud has released details of its work with Ikea as the retailer accelerates its digital transformation amid the coronavirus outbreak.
2. New Balance
American sports footwear and apparel brand New Balance is to deploy Aptos’ cloud-based solutions across North America and Europe.
3. Dufry
Travel retailer Dufry is trialling a Scan, Buy, Fly mobile self-checkout solution with MishiPay at two stores in Zurich airport.
Customers can scan and pay for items using their phones, leaving them free to exit the store without any need to queue or wait at a conventional checkout. They will also be able to earn and redeem RED loyalty benefits through the MishiPay app.
4. Coca-Cola Freestyle
Coca-Cola Freestyle has launched a 'pour by phone' contactless experience powered by Amazon Web Services (AWS).
5. AliExpress
Ahead of the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, Alibaba Group subsidiary AliExpress has launched what is pitched as “the world’s first real-time livestreaming translation feature on an e-commerce platform”.
The aim is to overcome cross-border language barriers. The new solution currently supports simultaneous translation from Chinese to English, Russian, Spanish and French, as well as from English to Russian, Spanish and French
6. Walmart
Walmart is to use four US stores as test centres in order to find solutions that help its physical locations operate as both shopping destinations and online fulfilment centres. Two are up and running and two more are in the pipeline.
7. Ocado
Ocado has purchased two North American robotics firms, Kindred Systems and Haddington Dynamics, as it looks to boost its grocery picking and packing capabilities.
8. Asda
Asda has rolled out an electronic shelf edge labelling (eSEL) solution at its Stevenage innovation store.
James Sands, Project Manager - Tech Store at Asda, said in a LinkedIn post: “It’s taken just over a year and has probably been the most challenging project I’ve delivered, but after five nights of installing we now have a fully integrated eSEL solution across 22,000 lines in our innovation store.”
9. PLUS Retail
Dutch co-operative supermarket chain PLUS Retail has placed a follow up order for an on-going project involving the deployment of Pricer’s electronic shelf label (ESL) platform in its 265+ stores.
10. Marks and Spencer
M&S has rolled out its Sparks Book & Shop online reservation service to all 566 UK foodhalls and larger stores with foodhalls.
It says that it is the first major UK retailer to deploy such an offering. Sparks customers can use it to arrange shopping times and avoid the need to queue when they arrive.
