Top 10: last week’s most popular retail technology articles

These are the RTIH retail systems articles that caught your fancy last week, including Glovo, Buyk, Ahold Delhaize and wilko/StreetDrone.

Ten retail technology investments that should be on your radar

These companies are leading the way in providing innovative retail systems powered customer experiences, including Shop.com, Majid Al Futtaim, Asda, Amazon, Glovo and wilko.

Startup interview: Slava Bocharov, Co-Founder and CEO, Buyk

RTIH gets the lowdown on Buyk, a new service promising grocery delivery from dark store to doorstep within 15 minutes. The venture has just soft launched in Manhattan, with ambitions to expand across the US and beyond.

Glovo boosts Q-Commerce division with grocery acquisitions

Spanish on-demand delivery venture, Glovo, has reached an agreement to acquire grocery companies Lola Market and Mercadão.

Lola Market operates in Spain while Mercadão is exclusive to Portugal. Between them, they have a portfolio of over 30 partners across the two countries.

Glovo says that the acquisitions complement its growth strategy and strengthen its Q-Commerce division following the recent deal to buy Delivery Hero’s businesses in Eastern Europe and the €100 million partnership with Swiss-based real estate firm, Stoneweg.

Would Ahold Delhaize buy grocery delivery startup Buyk?

Ahold Delhaize should assess rapid grocery delivery startup Buyk for a possible acquisition, argues Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive.

Last week’s biggest retail technology plays

RTIH rounds up the stand out retail systems deals, deployments and pilots from the past week. Featuring Asda, Giant Eagle, McDonald’s and Majid Al Futtaim.

wilko invests £3m in autonomous deliveries venture StreetDrone

wilko, a British high street chain which sells homewares and household goods, has announced a £3 million investment in UK autonomous delivery company, StreetDrone.

The investment, which is part of a wider multi-million-pound pre-Series A round, will enable StreetDrone to accelerate the development of its delivery vehicle and systems.

The plan is to bring autonomous deliveries to Wilko consumers by the end of 2023.

Ex Ripple and Visa execs unveil pingNpay micropayments startup

pingNpay will make its blockchain powered retail micropayments network operational next year.

The London-based startup is moving out of stealth mode and initially launching in the UK, using a digital coin backed by the pound.

Oh Polly targets digital natives with InPost Instant Returns service

Fashion brand Oh Polly has signed up to InPost’s QR code-based Instant Returns service. This was launched earlier in the year.

There is no need for online shoppers to print a label at home when returning items, or at the drop off point. Instead, they scan their QR code at an InPost locker and hand the parcel over.

Missguided, New Look and schuh have also added Instant Returns to their online offerings.

AiFi powers autonomous shopping at US music festivals

AiFi is enabling autonomous retail at US music festivals including BottleRock (3rd-5th September, Napa Valley), Sea.Hear.Now (18th-19th September, Asbury Park) and Governor’s Ball (24th-25th September, New York).