RTIH lays out this week's coolest retail technology plays
RTIH Editor, Scott Thompson, brings you his top ‘future of retail’ systems launches and deployments from the past week, including artificial intelligence driven digital home design experiences, checkout-free stores, and a tie up that aims to make TV streaming the next e-commerce shopping destination.
Ethan Allen
Bitreel has launched a retail metaverse experience with Ethan Allen.
The company’s initial launch of its Virtual Design Centre offering showcases its product portfolio while fostering collaboration between its interior designers and clients.
It will be further expanded with 75 indoor and outdoor room settings and more than 2,000 shoppable products.
eBay
eBay has announced the acquisition of KnownOrigin, a nonfungible token (NFT) marketplace.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
KnownOrigin, which was founded in 2018 in Manchester, UK, enables artists and collectors to create, buy and resell NFTs via blockchain supported transactions.
eBay began allowing the buying and selling of NFTs in May 2021.
Shopify
Ikea
Ingka Group, the largest Ikea retailer, has launched a new artificial intelligence driven digital home design experience, Ikea Kreativ.
This offers customers a “lifelike, fully integrated way” to design and visualise their own living spaces, via their computers and smartphones.
Ikea Kreativ taps the latest developments in spatial computing, machine learning and 3D mixed reality technologies.
Its core technology was developed by Silicon Valley AI specialists, Geomagical Labs, which Ingka Group acquired in April 2020.
STOCKED and Zapp
Convenience meal solution STOCKED has launched into its first ever retail collaboration with British on-demand delivery firm Zapp.
STOCKED creates meals which are frozen into blocks, slotting straight into the freezer.
Founded by school friends and hometown neighbours, Sam Moss and ex-street food Chef Charlie Gilpin in April last year, the venture has since gone on to win three Great Taste Awards and achieve 99% five star reviews on Trustpilot.
The duo have launched three of their most popular dishes with Zapp, which can be delivered straight to customers' doors within minutes, 24/7.
Chevron
Amazon
Located in the former Baby Gap outlet in Bligh's Meadow, this will be open 7am-11pm, Monday-Sunday.
Like its London counterparts, it is powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology.
To shop, customers scan the QR code from their Amazon app, buy what they need, and walk out.
Gopuff and London’s The O2 arena
Quick commerce big hitter Gopuff has announced a tie up with The O2 arena in London.
It has been named as the O2’s Principal Partner and Official Grocery, Food and Beverage Delivery Partner.
Through the multi-year deal, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, Gopuff will deliver food and other essential items within the venue, as well as offering unique VIP experiences, access to tickets, and so on.
Fans visiting the venue can now bypass concession lines through Click and Collect services in the O2 app powered by Gopuff.
A competition for customers across the UK will kick off the partnership, with the opportunity to win seats in the latter’s VIP suite.
Gopuff will also provide its service to the artists who perform at The O2 whilst they’re onsite.
Twitter and Shopify
Twitter has announced a new partnership with Shopify.
The deal will see the social media giant launching a sales channel app that will be made available to all of Shopify’s US merchants through its app store.
This allows merchants to onboard themselves to Twitter’s Shopping Manager, where sellers can access product catalogue tools and enable other shopping features for their profiles.
Jisp
Jisp’s Scan & Save solution has reached a key milestone across Nisa, Londis, Budgens, Premier and Family Shopper stores in the UK.
Since its launch in September 2021, Scan & Save has achieved 260,000 scans, 142,000 vouchers issued and 122,000 redemptions.
Conversion rates between scan to voucher issued is 54% and voucher issued to redemption is 86%.
Macy’s
Macy’s has announced a limited collection drop of free NFTs that include access to its first augmented reality wearables as well as the launch of a Discord channel.
“As we commemorate our Independence Day with the nation’s largest pyrotechnic celebration, Macy’s wanted to take the fun into the Web3 frontier bringing the revelry to a digital landscape,” says Will Coss, Executive Producer of Macy’s 4th of July fireworks.”
“These free NFTs will help attract a new set of fans with an easy to access implementation that democratises this emerging space for a mass audience, while also embracing a digitally native audience with added utilities including augmented reality wearables.”
Roku and Walmart
Roku has announced a TV shopping partnership with Walmart.
The two companies are working "to make TV streaming the next e-commerce shopping destination" and have inked a deal that will make Walmart the exclusive retailer allowing streaming viewers to purchase products fulfilled by the company and directly on Roku's platform.
