This week's coolest retail technology reveals
RTIH Editor, Scott Thompson, brings you his top ten ‘future of retail systems’ deployments from the past seven days, including Bitcoin payments in El Salvador, checkout free stores, QR code powered interactive street art and inventory tracking autonomous robots.
1. Shop.com
US-based e-commerce platform Shop.com is getting into the cryptocurrency payments game.
The company, which is owned by Market America, has partnered with BitPay, enabling it to accept payments in several cryptocurrencies including Bitcoin, Dogecoin, Ethereum and Litecoin, as well as five USD pegged stablecoins.
The BitPay integration is available in all the countries where Market America operates, which includes the US, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, UK, Singapore and Malaysia.
2. Mercadona
Cimcorp has implemented an automated solution for Spanish grocery retailer Mercadona.
This is the first of four systems ordered by the supermarket giant.
Installed in Mercadona’s new distribution centre in Zaragoza, the solution handles the distribution of fresh fruits, vegetables, and packed meat products.
3. Laybuy
Buy now, pay later venture Laybuy has teamed with LA-based multimedia artist Donna Adi for an ‘Instagrammable’ mural located on Thomas Street in Manchester’s Northern Quarter.
Celebrating the introduction of hundreds of new brands to Laybuy’s app, this features a model surrounded by various items, from lipstick to shoes.
When people scan QR codes, both in person and online, the piece of interactive street art will offer them the chance to get their hands on said items, along with products from such brands as Asos, Net-a-Porter, Charlotte Tilbury and Nike.
4. Ted Baker
Ted Baker has partnered with Secret Sales to launch its first ‘always on’ UK digital outlet, enabling it to sell aged stock away from the brand’s main website.
Currently listing around 800 non full price lines, Ted Baker has selected Secret Sales to be its sole off-price marketplace channel.
It has connected its supply chain and inventory systems to the platform to trade in real-time, without the need to physically move stock to a third-party seller.
5. Majid Al Futtaim
Majid Al Futtaim, which owns and operates shopping malls, retail, and leisure establishments in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, has announced the launch of checkout free store, Carrefour City+.
A first for Carrefour worldwide and opening this week in Mall of the Emirates, this taps AiFi powered artificial intelligence technology.
Store access and shopping payment is enabled via the MAF Carrefour app. Once inside Carrefour City+, every item picked up by customers is automatically added to a digital shopping basket and the purchase is completed by walking out.
6. Amazon
Amazon has opened an Amazon Fresh location in Dalston, London.
Situated at 28-31 Kingsland High Street, it is the sixth such UK convenience store to feature Just Walk Out Shopping tech.
The other five are in Camden, Ealing, Wembley Park, White City and Canary Wharf.
After launching in Go stores and then larger Fresh supermarkets, Just Walk Out technology is also set to be deployed in two Whole Foods locations Stateside.
The service is coming to Washington DC and Sherman Oaks, California next year.
7. GXO Logistics
GXO Logistics has launched an automation pilot at its fashion e-commerce warehouse in Tilburg, the Netherlands.
Its Pick-it-Easy Robot station is tailored for a key, unnamed customer, in collaboration with tech provider KNAPP.
The AI-based vision system recognises each product and identifies the optimal gripping point and gripping speed, while the arm places items into a pocket conveyor for sorting, grouping and routing to packing stations.
8. McDonald’s
McDonald’s is now accepting payments in Bitcoin through Lightning Network. But only in El Salvador.
Crypto journalist Aaron van Wirdum broke the news this week after he visited a McDonald’s restaurant in the country and was presented with a printed QR code directing him to an invoice page on Lightning Network.
9. Decathlon
PAL Robotics’ StockBot inventory tracking and data collection solution has been selected for roll-out across Decathlon stores in multiple countries.
This was first implemented in Decathlon Singapore, and then France, The Netherlands, Spain, Poland, Ireland, Italy, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, and Australia.
10. Belcorp
Belcorp, a beauty company which is home to the ésika, L’Bel and Cyzone brands, has deployed Perfect Corp.’s artificial intelligence and augmented reality powered virtual try-on technology.
Belcorp plans to integrate this across Latin America, and has already launched the tech in Mexico, Peru, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, and Panama.
