August: top ten coolest retail technology reveals
RTIH Editor, Scott Thompson, brings you his stand out retail systems deployments from last month, including 3D commerce, shelf scanning robots and VR/AR and AI powered virtual fitting room solutions.
1. Farfetch and DRESSX
Farfetch has marked the launch of pre-order collections on its e-commerce platform by partnering with fashion startup DRESSX to digitally dress its global community of influencers and produce virtual editorial shoots, for the first time ever.
2. Joybird and Marxent
Marxent has partnered with Joybird to bring ‘Inspired by Pinterest Trends’ to the online furniture retailer’s 3D Space Planner.
This comes as part of Joybird’s larger partnership with Pinterest, while Marxent says that its 3D Cloud powered 3D Space Planner provides users with the only tool that features content inspired directly by the social media platform.
The new feature allows shoppers to browse photos that reflect current Pinterest Trends data within the Joybird 3D Space Planner tool, then customise the scene in 3D to reflect their real life floorplan, without searching through catalogues or product pages to find the look that inspired them.
3. Schnuck Markets and Simbe Robotics
Following the introduction of Simbe Robotics’ autonomous robot Tally in select stores, Schnuck Markets has announced a multi-year, full scale roll-out at 111 locations across the US.
It says that this makes it the first grocer in the world to utilise AI powered inventory management technology at scale.
Schnucks first piloted Tally in July 2017 and expanded to additional stores in 2018 and 2020.
Tally traverses store aisles up to three times per day and autonomously captures on-shelf data including inventory position, price accuracy, and promotional execution.
4. StubHub and Lolli
US startup Lolli has announced a partnership with ticket marketplace StubHub.
This gives people the ability to earn up to 6% Bitcoin back on tickets for the likes of sporting events, theatre, and concerts.
StubHub joins 1,000+ other retailers offering Bitcoin rewards with Lolli, including Microsoft, Sephora, Kroger, and Best Buy.
5. Watsons
Asian health and beauty brand, Watsons, has launched its artificial intelligence powered Foundation Finder tool in its mobile app for Watsons Hong Kong and Malaysia customers.
This will also later be rolled out to other Asian markets including the Philippines, Indonesia and Taiwan.
6. Sofology and Hullabalook
Furniture retailer Sofology has gone live with Hullabalook’s Stickers technology.
The latter has also added the following new features: a flip functionality for better product positioning; users can choose floor (carpet/wood) and wall (plain/panelled) types.
There is also a new product search bar, and Hullabalook has included a secondary colour band for more specific colour search.
7. Perfect Corp. and Avon México
Perfect Corp., developer of the YouCam Makeup app, has partnered with Avon México.
Avon is an early adopter of Perfect Corp’s AI and AR tech within its digital shopping experience, providing virtual try-on and shade matching for a selection of Avon PowerStay products across foundations, eye makeup, and lip categories, as well as its Advanced Techniques hair colour collection.
The service is available to over 400,000 Avon representatives across the Mexican territory.
8. Starship Technologies
Starship Technologies is to begin an autonomous delivery service on four additional US college campuses: University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), University of Kentucky (UK), University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Daytona Beach, FL campus.
9. M.Video
M.Video, part of Russian consumer electronics retailer M.Video-Eldorado Group, has launched AI powered personalised pricing for users of its mobile platform.
Customers who have signed into the app get guaranteed discounts based on their purchase history and available bonuses.
Personalised pricing for M.Video website customers will be launched in the near future.
10. Perfitly and Otero Menswear
Perfitly, a VR/AR and AI powered virtual fitting room solution for online retailers, has partnered with Otero Menswear, a brand catering to men with heights between 5’4” – 5’10”.
As a result, Otero’s new website is centred around Perfitly’s virtual fitting and tailored size recommendation capabilities. Once on the homepage, users select their height, body type, body shape, pant waist size and length.
From there, Perfitly powers and presents a personalised virtual avatar based on the user’s measurements. They can then select from a range of polos and T-shirts which are displayed on the avatar.
