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 week, including digital advent calendars, 3D experiences, and autonomous checkout solutions.
Asda
Asda is testing out new technology which aims to make it easier for blind and partially sighted customers to navigate their way around its Stevenage store.
To coincide with the UN International Day of Persons with Disabilities, from 3rd December Asda’s flagship technology store will be the first supermarket in the UK to be integrated into the GoodMaps smartphone app, specifically built for use amongst the blind and partially sighted.
Marks and Spencer
M&S saw over 100,000 mobile app downloads in just 48 hours after the retailer launched its new Sparks digital advent calendar.
Every day from 1st-12th December, Sparks customers will get a special festive offer to use across M&S clothing, home, food etc.
On one of the 12 days, they will also be able to to enter a draw for a chance to win two tickets to an exclusive performance by Gary Barlow.
M&S says that over 2.5 million customers have visited its app this week and 800,000 have got involved with the advent calendar.
Build-A-Bear Workshop
Buzz 3D has partnered with Build-A-Bear Workshop to launch Bear Builder 3D Workshop.
Customers can use this to experience the stages of the brand’s shopping process, including stuffing their furry friend, participating in the heart ceremony, and adding a sound or song.
Buzz 3D’s technology links the retailer’s web page to the 3D experience. The final shopping basket is posted back to its website and picked up by its conventional payment gateway.
The experience has been optimised for desktop and mobile, and is streamed through web browsers using Nutanix Frame.
Bear Builder 3D Workshop is available now to Bonus Club members in the US and will be rolled out for UK members in the future.
7-Eleven
7-Eleven has teamed with Nuro to pilot a commercial delivery service using autonomous vehicles in Mountain View, California.
Customers can access this through the convenience store giant’s 7NOW delivery app.
The pilot will initially use Nuro’s self-driving Priuses before moving on to its R2 delivery vehicles.
LEON
Payments big hitter Adyen has announced the extension of its partnership with fast food brand LEON to include Adyen Giving.
This enables customers to donate directly to LEON’s chosen charity when making payments on digital kiosks in-store.
Since the partnership began in June 2020, the company has worked with Adyen and Vitamojo to create an online Click and Collect ordering channel and power the roll-out of self-service digital kiosks in-store.
LEON also relied on Adyen’s solution to help launch its coffee subscription service, which was used to encourage guests back into restaurants as they returned to the office post lockdown, making it possible for customers to order drinks online and collect in-store.
LEON has chosen to direct donations to Bags of Taste, a non-profit that helps people in poverty to cook healthy, delicious food on a tight budget.
The Adyen Giving feature is currently running at 20 of its restaurant locations and has so far raised over £8,000 from 11,000+ individual donations.
The Stem
Online garden centre The Stem has partnered with Stuart to launch a service that will see over 4,000 Christmas trees delivered (within the M25) to customers over the festive period.
Deliveries are dispatched from Stuart’s delivery hub in East London and powered by its fleet of 100% electric vans. The former has also committed to planting ten new trees for every Christmas tree sold.
Customers can place orders directly on The Stem’s website and shop from its range of Nordmann Fir trees grown on a Devon farm. They can then choose free next day delivery (if ordered before 9am) and nominated day delivery.
Machsanei Hashuk
WalkOut, which has developed an autonomous checkout solution, has announced a deal with Machsanei Hashuk, a supermarket chain based in Israel.
As part of the agreement, the retailer will implement WalkOut’s tech in all 62 of its branches. Deployment will begin next month.
bp
bp is integrating automated checkouts into Amoco and ampm stores across the US.
It has teamed with Grabango to retrofit 10 convenience locations, Grabango's largest multi-store roll-out thus far.
