February 2022: retail technology deals and deployments at a glance
RTIH rounds up the stand out retail systems deals, deployments and pilots from February, including Best Buy, Ocado Group, Groupe Casino, Asos, Amazon, Carrefour, and Ikea.
Asos has signed a new agreement with Microsoft that will see the fast fashion giant continue to use Microsoft Cloud as its preferred cloud platform for the next five years.
The retailer taps Microsoft Azure and its AI capabilities to power its digital platforms and support new data led workstreams.
Through the renewed partnership, it will work with Microsoft to launch new projects to support and accelerate its strategic growth plans.
These focus on unlocking new customer experiences and business capabilities, such as Asos’ Partner Fulfilment programme, which aims to expand the range and availability of products, and maximise demand conversion, customer choice and stock availability.
Amazon is now offering its Just Walk Out checkout experience in its Whole Foods Market division.
It has gone live with the autonomous tech at a new 21,500-sq.-ft. Whole Foods store in Washington, D.C.’s Glover Park neighbourhood.
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.
Ocado Group has signed a memorandum of understanding with French partner, Groupe Casino, enabling it to offer its technology to other grocers in France.
The former previously had an exclusivity agreement to work only with Groupe Casino in France.
British fashion retailer Reiss has launched a new look e-commerce site, following its transition to the Next Total platform.
This includes a series of upgrades, such as: cut-off for next day delivery extended to 11pm; improved stock availability thanks to new store fulfilment technology; delivery points extended from 50 to 600 nationwide; and immediate refunds in-store for online orders.
A new iOS app is coming soon.
WHSmith has opened its first ever checkout-free store at LaGuardia Airport, New York.
It’s the first WHSmith to open in the US (as opposed to the retailer’s other fascias such as InMotion and MRG) and taps Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology.
Carrefour has made its hypermarkets and supermarkets available on the Everli same-day grocery delivery platform in 10 French cities: Lille, Lyon, Nice, Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpellier, Nantes, Grenoble, Rennes, Paris and their surrounding suburbs.
Pricer has landed an order of approximately 55 million SEK from the Dutch co-operative supermarket chain Plus to equip 80 stores previously under the Coop banner with electronic shelf labels (ESLs).
Grabango has partnered with MAPCO, a convenience store chain with stores throughout the Southeastern region of the US, to add checkout-free operation to its locations, beginning in Tennessee.
what3words is being made available to Domino’s Pizza international franchisees.
Those using the company’s Global Online Ordering (GOLO) platform will be able to add a what3words address field at checkout.
The latter has divided the globe into a grid of 3m x 3m squares, and given each one a unique combination of three words, a what3words address, with the aim of achieving efficient and accurate deliveries.
what3words has been piloted in Domino’s franchises in the UK, North America and Saudi Arabia.
Iceland and The Food Warehouse have teamed up with global product discovery platform RangeMe.
They now have access to more than 800,000 products from over 200,000 suppliers.
Their team of buyers will tap RangeMe’s software to discover brands and products faster, connect with suppliers, request samples, and discuss next steps.
Best Buy has selected Amazon Web Service (AWS) as its preferred provider for cloud infrastructure services and its strategic partner for developing cloud engineering talent.
Ikea is now offering shoppers in the US and Canada a buy now, pay later service with Sezzle.
Other recent retailer wins for Sezzle include Target, Lamps Plus, Barstool Sports, The Hut Group, Wakefern Food, BELLAMI Hair, California Pet Pharmacy, Market America, Rogers Sporting Goods, Dermstore, Sportsman's Guide, Made in Cookware, Spartan Race, and Princess Auto.
