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

These are the RTIH articles that caught your fancy last week, including Sensei, Muffato, Tesco, Trigo, RELEX Solutions, Coach, Obsess, NASCAR, and Amazon.

Muffato and Sensei partner on Brazil's first autonomous supermarket

Sensei reports that Muffato has adopted its AI platform for what is pitched as Brazil's first autonomous supermarket.

The Muffato Go store, which opens today and is situated in Curitiba, Paraná, comes without queues, self-scanning or any form of physical checkout, and is the first deployment of Portugal-based Sensei's technology outside of Europe.

Shoppers download Muffato’s app, which generates a QR code that enables them to enter the store, pick up their items and leave.

A network of sensors provides the input Sensei's AI needs to keep track of the items each customer selects and returns throughout the 250 square metre location.

Amazon is gunning for Instacart’s grocery delivery business. Here’s why

The Save Mart Companies has launched two-hour grocery delivery in California’s Central Valley in partnership with Amazon.

It is initially offering the service at stores under its Save Mart banner in Lathrop and Ceres, California, and has plans to make it available at additional locations in the region.

This is one of those small stories that have big implications, according to Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon exec.

Top five grocery retail trends to watch out for heading into 2023

As retailers head into 2023, the industry must face many challenges, such as keeping stores and warehouses staffed in what many fear is a foundational readjustment in the labour market.

With the food industry constantly evolving, the future of grocery retail is at the mercy of global trends such as inflation and labour shortages, according to Mikko Kärkkäinen, CEO and co-founder, RELEX Solutions.

“The future of the food and grocery sector is uncertain with external forces set to rock the boat,” says Karkkainen.

“Increased inflation, supply chain issues and labour shortages, to name are few, have shifted the power dynamics across the industry. After attending Grocery Shop 2022, our team at RELEX has identified the top trends grocery retailers should be aware of heading into 2023”.

NASCAR taps Amazon Just Walk Out and Amazon One tech for checkout free experience

NASCAR opened its first concession using Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology and Amazon One offering during NASCAR Championship Weekend (4th-6th November).

Fans at Phoenix Raceway are able to purchase snacks and beverages without waiting in line at a checkout. This marks the first time Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology and Amazon One are being used at a professional racetrack.

The new store is located in the Section 151 Pit Stop.

The checkout free experience is made possible by the same types of technologies used in self-driving cars: computer vision, sensor fusion, and deep learning.

Guests can insert their credit card or hover their palm over an Amazon One device at the entry gate. They can grab what they need from the assortment of products, and then leave.

The credit card they inserted or linked to their Amazon One ID will be charged for the items they took after they leave the store.

They can enrol in Amazon One at kiosks located outside the store. They can also sign up where Amazon One already exists, such as select Amazon Go, Whole Foods Market, and Amazon Fresh stores.

Tesco opens second Trigo powered autonomous store and preps two more

Tesco has announced an expansion of its GetGo autonomous stores trial, with Chiswell Street Express now open in central London.

There will also be another location in London and one in Birmingham, allowing customers to shop and pay without scanning a product or using a checkout.

Like Chiswell Street, these will also offer the option of using a self-service or attended checkout if preferred.

The sites in Fulham Reach Express in Parrs Way, London, and Aston University Express in Aston, Birmingham are due to open over the next few months.

Tesco launched its first GetGo store in High Holborn in October 2021, which will continue to offer a purely checkout-free model.

Shoppers need to download the Tesco app and select the GetGo option. They can then walk in and pick their shopping, before scanning their app as they walk out.

Continuing Tesco's partnership with Trigo, a combination of cameras and weight sensors will establish what customers have picked up and charge them for products directly through the app when they leave the store.

October: top ten coolest retail technology plays

RTIH Editor, Scott Thompson, brings you his stand out ‘future of retail’ tech deployments from October, including Farfetch, Walmart, Marks and Spencer, Clarks, 7-Eleven, A.S. Watson, and Printemps.

October: top 10 most clicked RTIH retail technology articles

These are the RTIH retail tech articles that caught your fancy during October, including Clarks, TikTok,  Walmart,  Getir, and AiFi.

Last week’s biggest retail technology plays at a glance

RTIH rounds up the stand out retail systems deals, deployments and pilots from the past week. Featuring Marks and Spencer, Woolworths Group, Ocado, Walmart, and happy nation.

Coach enlists Obsess for immersive holiday season shopping experience

Coach has unveiled its first virtual shopping destination, with a focus on the holiday season.

Inspired by a vintage Coach store, the immersive experience allows guests to move throughout themed rooms, shop the holiday collection and play a game with Rexy, the house's mascot, to unlock special prizes.

Additionally, visitors will have the opportunity to shop via livestream videos alongside friends and influencers.

The virtual store, which is powered by Obsess, will feature Coach styles including the Tabby and Rogue, along with a dedicated section for holiday party bags and new giftable items, and a special collection featuring Rexy.

Recruitment drive underway at UK online marketplace OnBuy

UK-based online marketplace, OnBuy, has begun a recruitment drive to help deliver what it labels “a top secret product roadmap”.