10 retail technology investments that should be on your radar

These retailers and brands are leading the way in providing technology and experiences that are one step ahead of their customers’ expectations.

1. Amazon

Amazon has announced the launch of Amazon Salon, an experiential hair care and styling venue where the e-commerce giant will showcase new products and technology.

This will be set over two floors and more than 1,500 sq. ft. on Brushfield Street in London’s Spitalfields.

2. Kroger

Kroger has introduced its first customer fulfilment centre, powered by the Ocado Smart Platform.

This is the result of an exclusive Kroger and Ocado partnership, signed in 2018.

The CFC is located in Monroe, OH, a city north of Cincinnati.

NEW: 🇺🇸 Delighted to have introduced the Monroe CFC tonight w/ @KrogerNews! What a huge moment for our partnership & for the story of online grocery in the US! A massive well done to @kroger & @OcadoGroup teams for their hard work on this milestone. You can be very proud! https://t.co/rVG5bDhQxq
— Luke Jensen (@LukeJensenOcado) April 14, 2021

3. Moss Bros. and L.K. Bennett

CaaStle, a US-based B2B rental technology platform, is launching in the UK.

It has partnered with Moss Bros. to launch MOSS BOX, a subscription rental service for men.

The company will also team with L.K. Bennett to offer an unlimited rental service exclusively for women. This is set to go live during the summer.

4. Rakuten Europe

Chiliz, the blockchain venture behind the Socios.com fan engagement platform, has announced a partnership with Rakuten Europe.

The latter’s customers in Spain, UK and Germany can use Rakuten points to redeem fan tokens.

These are collectible, tradable digital assets that provide owners with benefits including voting rights, VIP rewards, club and sponsor promotions, AR enabled features and super fan recognition on Socios.com.

5. Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield

Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield has announced a three year deal with The Cloud + Compass to deliver OOH media campaigns featuring real-time footfall data at Westfield London and Westfield Stratford City.

The use of a StoreBoost platform, which is connected to the JCDecaux network of digital screens in URW’s UK malls, and Digital Doorman technology, will kick off with campaigns from Deezer and L’Occitane.

6. Marks and Spencer

M&S is building an automated online warehouse within its Bradford distribution centre as part of the retailer’s Never the Same Again programme.

This will line up alongside a Castle Donington facility (which opened in 2012) and in-store pick model.

Working closely with @XPOLogistics_Eu , we've begun to extend our Bradford DC so it becomes a second online warehouse for M&S dotcom, with 300 new jobs to be created in the local community later this year.

Read more here: https://t.co/VWLNpdlteu pic.twitter.com/ppHx1NScXf
— M&S News (@MandSnews) April 19, 2021

7. Starbucks

Starbucks and Arizona State University are teaming up to create the ASU-Starbucks Center for the Future of People and the Planet, a facility that will look to find new ways to design, build and operate Starbucks stores.

This is scheduled to open in December on ASU’s Tempe campus.

8. The Save Mart Companies

US-based The Save Mart Companies has launched a pilot involving the Simbe Robotics autonomous inventory robot Tally.

It will deploy Tally in three Save Mart stores in the Modesto area; two Lucky California stores in Dublin and San Ramon; and two FoodMaxx locations in Modesto and Tracy.

9. Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods Market has adopted Honeywell’s Solstice N40 (R-448A) refrigerant Stateside as it seeks to reduce refrigerant emissions under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s GreenChill programme.

The retailer will retrofit its commercial refrigeration systems at more than 100 stores.

10. Yandex

Yandex is now providing Yandex Rover autonomous delivery services from Moscow supermarkets.

These have started making deliveries from Azbuka Vkusa and VkusVill stores in the central Moscow district of Khamovniki, and the plan is to expand to other grocery chains and locations.