The five biggest retail technology news stories of the week
It’s Friday, the week is almost done, so let’s kick back and reflect on another eventful week for the retail systems space. Here's your briefing on the most important stories from the past five days, including Walmart Canada, Kroger, Zomato, and Boots UK.
1. Walmart Canada taps GreyOrange tech for new fulfilment centre
Robotic technology from GreyOrange will be used at Walmart Canada’s new $118 million sortable fulfilment centre in Rocky View County, Alberta, located just outside of Calgary.
The facility will be capable of: shipping 20 million items annually from the facility to Walmart customers; storing 500,000 items to fulfil direct to home and in-store pickup orders; and designed to optimise packaging, minimise waste and reduce transportation costs.
It is slated to open in September and is part of Walmart Canada’s $3.5 billion investment to make the online and in-store shopping experience simpler, faster and more convenient for its customers.
2. Kroger and NVIDIA team on AI enabled applications and services
The Kroger Co. and NVIDIA have announced a strategic collaboration involving artificial intelligence powered applications and services.
The pair will build an AI lab and demonstration centre.
The aim is to expand Kroger’s freshness initiatives, improve shipping logistics and create a better shopping experience in stores through digital twin simulations — virtual models designed to accurately reflect store layouts and other operations.
3. The future of high street beauty: Boots UK reveals ‘Store Centric’ IT strategy
Walgreens owned Boots UK has completed its first ever IT Stores Day.
On Thursday last week, the retailer’s IT team visited over 320 stores across the UK.
In a LinkedIn post, Rich Corbridge, Chief Information Officer at Boots UK & Ireland, said: “The last two years have seen us invest in where the customer wants to engage with us, on line and mobile and that’s got to have been right, but when we now talk to our colleagues in store they ask that we bring back that store centric view of the world. And today, 18th of March, we are trying to do that in one immediate and big way.”
4. Zomato Instant promises food delivery within 10 minutes
India’s Zomato will next month begin delivering food in 10 minutes in its home city of Gurugram, in what is being pitched as an industry first.
The company is calling this new service, Zomato Instant.
5. Deliciously Ella founder Ella Mills confirmed as Retail Technology Show headline speaker
Ella Mills, Founder and Brand Director of plant-based food and wellness brand, Deliciously Ella, has been confirmed as the latest headline speaker at Retail Technology Show, which will be held at London’s Olympia on 26th-27th April.
Mills takes her place in a speaker line up that also includes Dragon’s Den investor Steven Bartlett, New Look Chairman and ex-Sainsbury’s CEO, Mike Coupe, and Jeremy Schwartz, the former CEO of The Body Shop and Pandora.
