Last week’s retail technology deals at a glance

RTIH rounds up the stand out retail systems deals, deployments, initiatives and pilots from the past seven days, including Iceland Foods, Instacart, Pets at Home, Dune London and Morrisons.

Instacart has announced plans to offer automated fulfilment as a service to grocers in North America, and it has inked a multi-year deal with Fabric as part of the initiative.

The service will combine Fabric’s software and robotics with Instacart’s proprietary technology and gig shoppers for fulfilment inside dedicated warehouses and existing retailer locations.

Instacart plans to kick off early stage concept pilots in partnership with grocery retail partners over the coming year. This is the company’s first move beyond its legacy store-based fulfilment offering.

Autonomous shopping venture AiFi has ramped up its partnership with US retailer Loop Neighborhood to introduce its computer vision, camera only platform into stores in California, starting with two Bay Area locations. 

This follows a tie up to design an autonomous gas station store, using AiFi’s NanoStore model in Campbell, California in 2019. 

Shopify Plus powered retailer Free Fly has selected Brightpearl as its digital platform to streamline and automate day-to-day operations.

Blackhawk Network has been appointed to launch Iceland Foods’ first ever gift card programme in the UK. 

The Body Shop, working with eyezon, has launched an on-demand one-on-one livestreaming service in the Russian market. 

Halfords is using Descartes Systems Group’s last mile delivery solution across its customer facing mobile tyre replacement service and its new international field service software business Avayler. 

The tech spans delivery appointment booking, route planning and execution, mobile proof-of-delivery (POD) and notifications processes. 

Topo Solutions is developing a new digital supply chain management platform for REWE Far East, the sourcing arm of food retailer REWE Group in Asia. 

The solution uses visual interfaces and drag and drop features, replacing the need for extensive coding.

Pets at Home has launched a one hour Click & Collect service, powered by an order management solution (OMS) from OneStock.

Morrisons is testing out a store with no checkouts or staff, known internally as Project Sarah, at its Bradford head office. 

Britain's fourth largest supermarket, which is currently at the centre of a takeover battle, is working with US venture AiFi on the initiative.

Customers (or Morrisons staff members in the case of this trial) download an app on to their smartphone which must be scanned on entry. 

Digital cameras then track where people are in the store and record which items they place in their bags.

Lush has selected ilands Secure Cloud Backup for Veeam Cloud Connect solution.

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