Last week’s biggest retail technology plays
RTIH rounds up the stand out retail systems deals, deployments and pilots from the past seven days. Featuring Asda, Facebook, Vans and Marks and Spencer/Ocado Group.
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.
English Premier League club, Manchester City, has released a second NFT (non-fungible token) collection.
This follows one in May with artist Jon Noorlander to mark winning the Premier League title.
City has launched a Creation collection, comprised of three pieces by mixed media artist, Alan Bolton, The Football Laboratory, The Football Academy and To The Blue Moon.
Skate brand Vans has partnered with online platform Roblox, allowing players to digitally shop in an interactive experience with their avatars.
US-based supermarket chain Big Y has partnered with FutureProof Retail to roll-out its new myExpress Checkout Scan & Go service.
Customers can now check out on their phone and skip the line at the cash register.
They scan their items with the myExpress Checkout app, bag their items and pay in the app to complete their purchase. They can also view Specials, and redeem myBigY targeted offers and digital coupons while they shop.
This past week marked one year since Marks and Spencer went live on Ocado.
The move saw the latter begin to sell and deliver food from M&S rather than Waitrose, after M&S splashed out £750 million to acquire a 50% stake in Ocado’s retail business.
“With operations commencing at Ocado's latest fulfilment centre in Purfleet, capacity will soon increase to 600,000 (from around 356,000) orders a week,” M&S tweeted.
InPost UK has announced its first commercial real estate partnership with The Derwent Group.
This will see its parcel lockers installed at locations across the The Derwent Group portfolio, including its shopping centre and retail park sites in the north of England.
Prominent locations include White City Retail Park in Old Trafford and Liverpool Shopping Park.
UK garden centre group Blue Diamond has partnered with customer interaction management specialist Critizr.
The company operates 37 garden centres in the South of England and the Channel Islands.
It has implemented the Critizr Connection platform in each centre to give regional teams the feedback and insights they need to take action and quickly make improvements on behalf of customers.
The tech also offers management a complete view of the customer across the group for the first time.
Customers at the Asda Stevenage innovation store can now create a personalised gift card after a new piece of technology launched last month.
The option is only available at this store and is one of a number of ‘test and learn’ trials currently live at the location.
Shoppers can use the kiosk to take a selfie or upload a picture, select a background design and write a personalised message before taking it to the till to activate.
The cards are available in denominations of between £5 and £500, with the whole process taking less than two minutes to complete.
