Check out this week's coolest retail technology plays
RTIH Editor, Scott Thompson, brings you his top ‘future of retail systems’ deployments from the past week, including virtual runway shows, NFT communities, and rapid grocery delivery tie ups.
Instacart and Lowe's
Instacart and Lowe's are teaming up to pilot same day delivery in as fast as one hour.
Customers can now have approximately 20,000 Lowe's items, including small home appliances, building supplies, light fixtures, garden and outdoor essentials, delivered from the store to their door.
The service is initially available in Boston and Charlotte, with plans to expand in the coming months.
Lowe's is the first dedicated home improvement partner available on the Instacart marketplace.
Grubhub and Buyk
US-based Grubhub is bringing rapid grocery delivery to its online marketplace via a partnership with Buyk.
The latter was founded by Slava Bocharov and Rodion Shishkov. The pair also co-founded Samokat, Russia’s largest grocery delivery company, in 2018 before selling their stake to fund Buyk.
Fulfillment and delivery of orders will be handled by Buyk, and customers will be able to order from more than 30 initial participating locations in New York City and Chicago in the coming weeks.
Approximately 2,000 grocery and convenience items from local and national vendors, as well as Buyk’s own private label products, will be available for purchase and delivery in 15 minutes or less.
Marxent
Marxent, a specialist in 3D e-commerce and 3D omnichannel experiences for enterprise furniture and home improvement retailers, has announced a rebrand to 3D Cloud by Marxent, along with a series of new applications and application bundles.
The move comes amid increasing retailer demand for scalable, secure enterprise 3D commerce solutions.
3D Cloud subscribers include retailers and manufacturers such as Macy’s, Lowe’s Home Improvement, La-Z-Boy, Joybird, Jerome’s Furniture, American Furniture Warehouse, John Lewis and Partners, Kingfisher Group Plc., American Woodmark, PlaceMakers, and AZEK Building Products.
The Kraft Heinz Company and TheNotCompany
The Kraft Heinz Company and FoodTech startup TheNotCompany have announced a joint venture.
NotCo will bring its patented technology and artificial intelligence solutions to the table, while Kraft Heinz offers its brand portfolio and scale, to develop plant-based versions of co-branded products at “a level of speed, taste, quality, and scale yet to be seen in the industry”.
X5 Group
Russia’s X5 Group and Sber (formerly known as Sberbank) are in discussions to expand their cooperation on projects in e-commerce, data architecture management, the development of cloud technologies and artificial intelligence, as well as the creation of virtual assistants.
X5 Group’s main area of focus in e-commerce will be on developing express delivery services, while the Perekrestok Vprok stock up shopping service may be merged into Sberbank’s own online business and developed as part of its ecosystem, in particular with the SberMegaMarket marketplace.
Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana has unveiled a NFT community called DGFamily, in collaboration with UNXD, a curated marketplace for digital luxury and culture.
Members will be able to purchase exclusive NFTs with a credit card, thanks to an integration with MoonPay’s NFT Checkout solution.
There will be access to exclusive drops and collaborations, both digital wearables and physical products, as well as an exclusive slate of digital and physical Dolce & Gabbana events.
DPD
UK parcel delivery company DPD has announced a partnership with location tech firm what3words.
DPD customers can now add their what3words address in the delivery preferences section of the former’s app, with drivers knowing they will arrive at an exact specified building entrance, doorstep, or tucked away side passage.
republiqe and MONNIER Frères
Digital fashion house, republiqe, and French accessory retailer, MONNIER Frères are launching a virtual store for Decentraland’s Metaverse Fashion Week, located in the Luxury Fashion District.
COACH, Axel Arigato and Ester Manas will have a presence alongside Wandler, EYTYS and Osoi.
republiqe, which has created five of its own bespoke outfits to sit in the store, will also work with the brands to turn their physical accessories into virtual metaverse ready wearables.
Taking place from 24th to 27th March, the show is pitched as the world’s first fashion week to take place in the metaverse.
Shein
Fast fashion giant Shein has hosted a Spring/Summer 2022 virtual runway show (dubbed #Sheinforall).
The livestream initiative, which took place on Sunday via Shein’s mobile app as well as its YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook channels, featured models from around the world, showcasing the retailer’s spring/summer 2022 collection.
The event tapped use green screen technology to bring the catwalk to life, with the aim of celebrating body inclusivity and diversity.
boohoo
Online fashion retailer boohoo has teamed up with entrepreneur and realty TV star Paris Hilton for her virtual Fashion Week, which will be held in Paris World (an island built in Roblox).
boohoo has worked with MilkMoney, a marketplace for out-of-home (OOH) media buying, to secure billboard inventory.
It is the first brand to advertise in the metaverse during Fashion Week, pitched as “a natural and strategic next step for the brand”.
