October: retail technology deals and deployments at a glance
RTIH rounds up the stand out retail systems deals, deployments and pilots from October, including Amazon, Walmart, Tesco, Gorillas, REWE, Trigo and Asda.
European fashion platform Zalando has extended its Magazino TORU robot fleet at its logistics site in Lahr, Germany.
The existing fleet of eight will be joined by 20 additional robots, some of which will support the picking of shoes ordered online during Cyber Week 2021.
Tesco is launching a pilot with rapid grocery delivery venture Gorillas.
The retailer’s customers will be able to order Tesco products to their doors, within 10 minutes, via the Gorillas app, starting this week.
Gorillas will set up micro-fulfilment sites at five large Tesco stores to handle the deliveries.
The first store to be involved in the partnership is in Thornton Heath, London.
Amazon has opened YUL9, pitched as the e-commerce giant’s most advanced sort centre in Canada, in Coteau-du-Lac, Quebec.
The 720,000 square foot YUL9 facility will be the first sort centre in Canada to implement Amazon Robotics' mobile robotic order fulfilment systems.
The move will enable faster order fulfilment to communities in Eastern Canada.
REWE has opened its first Trigo powered hybrid autonomous store in Cologne, Germany.
The move marks Israel-based computer vision startup Trigo’s entry into the German market.
Walmart's Global Tech and Store No. 8 teams are testing out a text to shop tool in select areas.
No news on when exactly the feature will be released to everyone, but, in a press release, Dominique Essig, Vice President of Conversational Commerce at Store No. 8, said it will be “more widely available in the future."
America's largest grocery retailer, Kroger, is set to offer more people Kroger Delivery through the addition of five new customer fulfilment centres powered by Ocado Group.
It is planning to enter the northeast market and expand in California and Florida.
Asda is extending its Express Delivery service to 96 stores.
The service gives customers access to the retailer’s full online range of more than 30,000 grocery products for delivery within one hour, if they live within a three mile radius of a participating store and order up to 70 items.
Amazon has opened the doors to the first Amazon 4-star store outside of the US.
Situated in Bluewater, this offers a range of products that are rated four stars and above, are top sellers, or are trending on Amazon’s UK site, including consumer electronics, toys, games, books, kitchen, and home.
Customers can purchase online and collect orders at the store as soon as the next day. It also offers parcel free, label free returns for items purchased both in store and online.
Digital price tags are located alongside each product with the item price, average star rating, and the number of customer reviews.
Amazon account holders will pay the price as they would on the UK site. Prime members will receive exclusive perks and deals throughout the store.
