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 seven days. Featuring Carrefour, Clarks, Orbit Baby, Asda, Superdrug, and Sodexo.
VMware reports that Carrefour France has achieved a milestone in its goal to move 50% of its applications to the public cloud by 2022.
Using Google Cloud VMware Engine, the retailer has completed the migration of all VMware workloads in France to the Google Cloud Platform.
Worldline has deployed its Scan & Go solution in nine Carrefour Proximité convenience stores.
Scan&Go, which uses the former’s Scan & Pay solution, is an in-store self-scanning app.
For the first time, Carrefour Proximité customers can shop via their smartphones in the following way: Scan a QR code on entering the store to access a web app; Scan their chosen items; Pay using their smartphone; Show their receipt upon leaving the store.
Footwear retailer Clarks has inked a deal with Israeli circular economy tech startup, OtailO.
It has gone live with OtailO’s sustainable online product returns solution in the UK and is now looking to expand it to the United States.
Emplifi reports that online retailer Orbit Baby has selected its ShopStream by Go Instore solution.
Customers will now be able to connect to product experts for live demos and consultations.
Buymie has launched a one-hour grocery shopping service in Leeds and Bristol in partnership with Asda, allowing customers to access the latter’s full online range of products with the on-demand delivery platform.
Buymie's network of personal shoppers will pick, pack and deliver each order, giving customers the ability to submit any preferences and discuss their requests, including the type of substitutes they would accept if their original choices were unavailable.
The service, which will operate under the brand Asda Express powered by Buymie, will be initially trialled for three months across selected postcodes within a three mile radius of ten Asda stores in Leeds and Bristol and will create 60 new jobs in the two cities.
A2Z Smart Technologies Corp. has announced the expansion of a pilot for its Cust2Mate smart carts with Evergreen Kosher Market.
These are now available also at Evergreen's Pomona, New Jersey location in the US.
The smart carts recognise every purchased item and enable in-cart payment so that shoppers skip lines, while also allowing grocers to direct shoppers to discounted products and in-store promotions.
Superdrug has announced the upcoming launch of Superdrug Marketplace for premium and emerging brands.
The platform is set to go live in September this year.
It is powered by Mirakl and Superdrug owner AS Watson’s strategic technology partner SAP and will be integrated into the existing Superdrug.com website.
KPS Digital will be responsible for the project delivery.
Sodexo will bring eat>NOW autonomous grocery stores, high tech vending machines, and virtual dining concepts delivered by robots to campuses across the US this spring.
“Students want three things: convenience, choice, and quality – often in that order,” says Kevin Rettle, Global Vice President, Sodexo Innovation and Digital, Universities.
“Sodexo is in the business of helping our clients meet those needs head on, so we’re introducing campuses to the latest in innovative foodservice with eat>NOW autonomous grocery stores, high tech vending, partnering with the top brands that students are looking for, and delivering it to their doors.”
Walgreens Boots Alliance plans to open 22 robot powered micro-fulfilment centres across the US to fill customers’ prescriptions.
By 2025, as much as half of the retailer’s total prescription volume could be filled at the automated hubs, says Rex Swords, Walgreens’ Group President of Centralised Services, Operations and Planning.
