Check out this week's coolest retail technology reveals
RTIH Editor, Scott Thompson, brings you his top ‘future of retail systems’ deployments from the past seven days, including the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival, crypto at the movies, and the grocery sector’s ‘Pearl Harbor Moment’ courtesy of Amazon Fresh and Just Walk Out technology.
Nude Foods Market
US-based grocery retailer, Nude Foods Market, has launched MishiPay’s mobile self-checkout solution as the primary payment method in its flagship store in Boulder, Colorado, instead of conventional registers.
The Scan, Pay & Go technology enables shoppers to use their own mobile device to scan the QR codes on products in the store to add them to their virtual basket.
Then, when they have completed their shopping, they can checkout instantly with the tap of a button using a variety of digital payment methods and can then leave the store.
The customer receives a digital receipt that is also emailed to them. The next time they visit the store, shoppers can use MishiPay to register any glass storage jars they have returned, and receive an automatic account credit.
Brik + Clik
Experiential retail venture Brik + Clik has partnered with US startup Moon to offer Bitcoin Lightning Network payments at its Point of Sale locations in New York and Los Angeles this holiday season.
“You'll be able to pay with Bitcoin for awesome DTC brands like Goli Nutrition, GETMR, OLIPOP PBC, Candy Club, and Kin Euphorics,” Kenneth Kruger, Founder and CEO at Moon, said in a LinkedIn post.
“In NYC? Swing by their flagship location on the ground floor of the Oculus starting Monday to pay with Lightning. In LA? Starting Black Friday you can check out their cabanas sprinkled throughout Westfield Century City.”
Habitat
Habitat, a homewares brand within the Sainsbury’s group, has launched a new digital shopping experience entitled Room Creator and created by Hullabalook.
“The Room Creator experience enables shoppers to visualise products in their ideal room setting before they buy,” Hullabalook said in a LinkedIn post.
“It's also the perfect de-risking tool for online furniture shoppers. And an engaging way to encourage shoppers to explore more of a product catalogue.”
The company’s tech is now live with six of the top UK furniture retailers.
Alibaba Group
Alibaba Cloud says that it fully migrated all of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group’s systems and operations onto the cloud ahead of the 11.11 Global Shopping Festival.
This it claims, reduced computing resources by 50% for every 10,000 transactions compared to last year.
There was also a boost of 20% in technology deployment efficiency and 30% in CPU resource utilisation.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s is set to open a cashierless store in London later this month, using Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology.
This will make it the first known customer outside the US for the tech that powers Amazon Go and Fresh stores.
The SmartShop Pick & Go location, situated in High Holborn on the edge of the City of London, is currently open to Sainsbury’s employees.
Amazon
The grocery sector’s ‘Pearl Harbor Moment’ has arrived courtesy of Amazon Fresh, according to Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive.
In the US, the e-commerce giant has just opened a 35,000 square foot store with Just Walk Out capability.
Something, Ladd argues that most, if not all of the major grocery retailers, including Walmart, didn't think would be possible for several more years.
“What Amazon has done is made every grocery store in the US, and globally, obsolete,” Ladd said in a LinkedIn post.
Zappos
American online shoe and clothing retailer Zappos has partnered with Bitcoin rewards startup Lolli.
Shoppers can now earn 1.5% back in free Bitcoin every time they shop with Zappos.
AMC Theatres
American cinema giant AMC Theatres is adopting cryptocurrencies for online payments.
CEO Adam Aron has announced on Twitter that the company now accepts Bitcoin, Ether, Bitcoin Cash and Litecoin. These line up alongside traditional payment options like Apple Pay, Google Pay and PayPal.
WHSmith
WHSmith is set to open its first checkout-free store in the coming weeks.
This will be based inside one of New York’s three major international airports and will feature Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology.
The store will be WHSmith branded, as opposed to the retailer’s other fascias such as InMotion and MRG.
Mode
UK-based FinTech Mode is teaming up with over 40 merchants, including Ocado, Homebase and Boots, to offer Bitcoin cashback on purchases.
The scheme, which is presently live with THG and L.K. Bennett, offers a percentage of a purchase’s value back in Bitcoin (presently between 5% - 10%).
Customers will be able to browse cashback offers on the Mode app before going to the selected retailer’s website to buy items.
The Bitcoin will be credited into their Mode account, where they can store the asset or tap the company’s FCA registered exchange in a bid to grow their Bitcoin.
