June: retail technology deals and deployments at a glance

RTIH rounds up the stand out retail systems deals, deployments and pilots from June, including Marks and Spencer, Walmart, Kroger/Ocado Group and Amazon.

Afterpay’s buy now, pay later service is now available at Amazon, CVS, Dell, Kroger, Macy’s, Nike, Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, Sephora, Target, Victoria’s Secret, Walgreens and Yeti for US shoppers using its payment app.

It says that these merchants represent almost half of all US e-commerce volume.

Homebase has announced Checkout.com as its new online payments provider.

Go Instore and Appointedd have teamed with Marks and Spencer to launch M&S Video Expert, a live video offering designed to recreate in-store beauty and furniture services for online customers.

This is operated by colleagues at M&S White City in London.

The service taps Go Instore’s live video tech and Appointedd’s online booking and scheduling platform.

A key feature is M&S staff being able to deliver interactive StoreStream live sessions on the retailer’s website, which allows an unlimited number of customers to join a live stream broadcast to learn more about products as they are browsing.

Specsavers is working with Accenture as it looks to improve its technology capabilities.

This builds on an existing relationship between the pair and calls for Accenture, working with Microsoft, to modernise Specsavers’ legacy IT architecture with cloud, intelligent automation and security solutions.

Majid  Al  Futtaim, which owns and operates shopping malls, retail, and leisure establishments in the Middle East and North Africa, has announced a partnership with RELEX Solutions.

RELEX’s automated planogramming solution will be implemented at Carrefour’s 350 stores across 17 countries that are part of Majid Al Futtaim Retail’s portfolio.

Initially, the tech will be rolled out to stores in the United Arab Emirates. It will be expanded to Majid Al Futtaim’s other markets as the project continues.

Sports Direct has reopened its London Oxford Street flagship store, following a £10 million retail tech centric makeover.

The retailer says that the 50,000 sq. ft location will host the most LED, digital and interactive technology on Oxford Street.

We are so excited to have provided the tech behind this groundbreaking new Sports Direct store! https://t.co/wZBfxef4qQ
— inurface media (@inurfacemedia) June 18, 2021

Amazon’s cashierless Just Walk Out technology is now available in a full size grocery store for the first time.

A new 25,000 square foot Amazon Fresh store lines up alongside the 10,400 square foot Amazon Go Grocery that debuted last year, and the standard 1,200 and 2,300 square feet Go locations.

It is Amazon’s 14th Fresh location in the US and can be found in Bellevue, Washington.

Boohoo Group has deployed the AI powered Bloomreach Engagement customer data and experience platform across its 13 online brands, including boohoo, PrettyLittleThing, and Debenhams.

Decathlon UK has tapped Mirakl’s marketplace platform to open its website to selected new partners in health and sport.

The retailer says that thousands of new products will sit now alongside in-house offerings. Founding partners include Donda Cycling and Pendle Bike Racks.

A Mirakl powered Decathlon marketplace has also launched in Belgium, with more countries set to follow in the coming months.

Carrefour Group has unveiled a new data and retail media strategy with the launch of its Carrefour Links platform. This taps technology developed by Criteo, Google and LiveRamp.

The future of customer experience personalisation is here! Today, we are very proud to announce the launch of #CarrefourLinks, our data analytics and retail media platform. With @googlecloud, @liveramp and @criteo. Find out more at https://t.co/fXAqKYcU8A. pic.twitter.com/wuon5rtK5h
— Carrefour (@CarrefourGroup) June 15, 2021

Coca-Cola HBC Ireland and Northern Ireland has partnered with Manna for a drone delivery service in Oranmore, Galway.

This is pitched as the largest commercial drone delivery trial of its kind in the world, with plans for further roll-out to Irish towns in the coming months.

Coca-Cola, Diet Coke, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Fanta, Sprite and the Schweppes range will be available via the Manna platform.

Medallia and KPMG UK have been selected to deliver Marks & Spencer’s new Voice of the Customer programme across its UK and International business.

Powered by Medallia’s technology and delivered by KPMG’s customer consulting team, this will bring together all of the retailer’s global data sources within one platform.

The aim is to gain a live, connected view of the customer experience across its operations for the first time, support its business transformation and help use data to drive decision making.

Kroger has opened a customer fulfilment centre (CFC) in Groveland, Florida, powered by Ocado Group technology.

This marks Kroger's entry into the Florida market with an e-commerce delivery service that features vertical integration, machine learning, and robotics.

Our Kroger Delivery network continues to expand, and we're now operating our Customer Fulfillment Center in Groveland, FL powered by @OcadoGroup. This marks Kroger’s entry into Florida with a e-commerce service that delivers fresh food fast. Read more: https://t.co/PaE23Xw8tk pic.twitter.com/aswHOQsLEw
— Kroger News (@KrogerNews) June 9, 2021

Walmart has unveiled Me@Walmart, a new app built in-house by Walmart Global Tech for US store associates.

European shoe retailer, Deichmann Group, has deployed Targomo technology in Germany.

The company, which has a presence in 30 countries with chains such as Deichmann, vanHaren and Rack Room Shoes, has selected AI powered location analytics platform TargomoLOOP for a pilot project supporting its site selection in Germany, where Deichmann operates more than 1,400 stores.