Retail technology deals and deployments at a glance

RTIH rounds up the stand out retail systems deals, deployments and pilots from the past seven days.

Google Cloud and Papa John’s International have announced a new, multi-year commitment involving the latter’s digital and data cloud strategy. 

The company will expand its work with Google to migrate its datacentres to Google Cloud, as it looks to meet a coronavirus powered surge in demand for online ordering and delivery, and boost the customer experience.

Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology could be about to launch at its Fresh grocery stores in the US.

Features of the automated checkout offering, which was pioneered at Amazon Go. appear in planning documents for a store under construction in a suburban shopping plaza in Brookfield, Connecticut, Bloomberg reports.

American Furniture Warehouse has rolled out AFW Room Planner, powered by the Marxent 3D Cloud.

E-commerce marketplace, Wowcher, has gone live with a new retail media platform from CitrusAd.

schuh and New Look have signed up to InPost’s new QR code Instant Returns service.

This follows on from its launch with Missguided last month.

Convenience store chain Circle K is expanding its Pay by Plate technology to new markets.

This lets its customers pay for fuel using sign recognition and a mobile app.

Online luxury fashion platform Farfetch has launched a virtual try on of watches tool via its iOS app, in a collaboration with Chopard.

Pret A Manger has awarded NSL a contract to assess the right to work of applicants in its UK stores as part of a recruitment campaign that is kicks off in May.  

Swedish retailer ICA Gruppen has opened a dark store in Arendal, outside Gothenburg.

This is powered by Ocado Group tech.

Amazon is rolling out biometric technology at its Whole Foods Market stores around Seattle.

Its Amazon One system lets customers associate a credit card with their palm print and then pay by holding their hand over a kiosk.

Marks and Spencer Food is tapping RELEX Solutions technology for an initiative covering forecasting, ordering, and allocation management.

Implementation began in March for M&S Food’s 1,050 stores and 13 distribution centres throughout the UK and Ireland. 

Checkout.com has been selected by online game developer and publisher, Wargaming, as one of its partners for card payments.

Rubino Shoes is using Emarsys tech for CRM, helping to better segment customers and develop more sophisticated individual profiles.

This analysis will inform customer engagement strategies in email and SMS messaging, as well as social engagement and seasonal, event-based mobile marketing and advertising.

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.

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.

Australian buy now, pay later venture Zip has partnered with UK-based The Hut Group to provide interest free payments over four instalments to the pureplay’s customers and brands using the THG Ingenuity e-commerce platform.

Zip will be an option at checkout across THG’s sites in the UK, the US, Australia and New Zealand. 

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.

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

UK-based on-demand grocery supplier, Weezy, has partnered with what3words to make locations easier to find.

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Retail technologyStaff WriterRetail technology, Online retail, E-commerce, Online delivery, Stores, Payments, Bricks and mortar retail, Supply chain, Buy now pay later, Autonomous retailComment