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

These are the RTIH articles that caught your fancy last week, including retail technology influencers, dark stores, rapid grocery delivery services, and blockchain powered supermarkets in the metaverse.

RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List: 60 to 51 and 50 to 41

The latest edition of the RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List has arrived! Here are the people who made a splash in 2021 and are set for a barnstorming 2022.

Triple Whale raises $27.7m to develop e-commerce operating system for Shopify brands

Triple Whale, an analytics platform for Shopify brands, has raised $27.7 million in an extended Series A, the company’s first announced funding round since its foundation in May 2021.

This consists of a $24 million investment led by Elephant VC, alongside a previously undisclosed $2.7 million seed round led by NFX, and an additional $1 million raised with participation from individual investor Shaan Puri.

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.

The Hut Group agrees humm buy now pay later tie up

ASX listed alternative credit provider humm has announced a multi-market partnership with online retailer The Hut Group.

This will enable end consumers to pay in 5 or 12 instalments, offering up to £3,000 interest free over a maximum of 12 months.

The agreement will be rolled out across the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Rapid grocery delivery and the big difference between valuation and worth

Ever feel like you’re living in Superman’s Bizarro World, the DC Comics created planet where everything is weirdly inverted or opposite to expectations?

We certainly did last week when Turkish venture Getir hit a valuation of $12 billion after raising $768 million.

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.

The coming war on dark stores and how automation can help

How quickly things change! Last year, dark stores were being tipped for big things in the retail space.

Now, many countries and cities are pushing back against companies that want to open these locations to store inventory and fulfil orders.

Accolade Wines flags environmental work with Zappar augmented reality tech

Accolade Wines' Australian brand Banrock Station has unveiled an augmented reality (AR) experience whereby users scan a label on a wine bottle with their smartphone camera and take a trip around the world to check out some of the company’s 130+ environmental projects.

Blockchain powered supermarket in metaverse launched by Zipmex and Central Retail

Zipmex, a Southeast Asia-based digital asset platform, has teamed with Thailand’s Central Retail Corporation (CRC), to launch a blockchain powered supermarket, connecting consumers to the metaverse.

Stephane Coum, CEO at Central Food Retail under Central Retail, says that the company’s ‘CRC Retailligence’ strategy involves tapping new technologies to become a leader in food retail innovation.