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 3D visualisation, planning, and design tech, virtual convenience store pilots, and autonomous trucking initiatives.
Kingfisher
3D Cloud by Marxent is partnering with Kingfisher to roll-out new 3D visualisation, planning, and design tech across a number of its banners.
The initiative includes a 3D kitchen, bathroom, and storage planner with virtual reality capabilities in addition to a series of mobile 3D product configurators.
Kingfisher's B&Q and Brico Depot Romania have already launched the system in the UK, Republic of Ireland and Romania.
B&Q UK has also rolled out a line-up of intuitive, mobile first 3D product configurators for fireplaces and for the Kingfisher exclusive Atomia and Alara product lines.
Using the aforementioned tools, shoppers are able to explore, design, visualise and checkout in a single app. More sophisticated design features are available for experienced designers.
TAGR
Australia-based retail technology startup TAGR has raised $1.15 million.
Its scan and pay platform enables retailers to offer mobile checkout to their customers within a 48 hour period, with integration to their PoS system.
TAGR says that the seed round involved a number of investors, retail brands and high net worth individuals.
The capital injection will be used to build globally supported infrastructure and penetrate the US and North America markets come August/September.
Since its launch in early January, TAGR has bagged more than 10,000 users among a handful of stores.
Woolworths
Woolworths has launched a new app that promises groceries door to door within an hour for a $5 fee.
The app, Metro60, launched last week in 11 eastern Sydney, Australia suburbs. The retailer plans to roll it out in hundreds more neighbourhoods across NSW and other states in the coming months.
About 4,000 products from fresh produce to cleaning supplies will be available from Woolworths’ small format Metro stores via Uber couriers.
Puma
Puma has entered New Tokyo, the virtual city 10KTF calls home.
The shop is known for its streetwear offerings and is owned by Wagmi-san, a digital artisan whose collections and NFT community recently welcomed the sports brand.
News of the partnership was shared at an event hosted by 10KTF last week in New York.
This was one of many hosted during the week of NFT.NYC, a conference attended by crypto industry professionals, traders, and other Web3 enthusiasts.
The official announcement confirmed weeks of speculation after Puma tweeted a video previewing the new release of a classic sneaker. Camouflaged in the video is a frame with the shop’s logo and Wagmi-san at his storefront.
REWE Group
REWE Group has announced the upcoming opening of a second Trigo powered hybrid checkout-free supermarket.
Located in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin, Germany, this builds on a launch last year in Cologne.
Shoppers at the 400 square metre Schönhauser Allee location can walk in and shop for items including fresh baked goods, weighted fruits and vegetables and other grocery products, then exit the store and receive a receipt within minutes.
A traditional checkout option will also be available.
ieye
Swedish company, ieye, is tapping Sony technology as it looks to “refashion the traditional optics industry” with its network of pop-up eye testing kiosks.
Placed in locations across shopping centres, supermarkets and pharmacies, ieye’s digitalised eye test takes five minutes, with glasses being delivered in ten days and costs said to be 80% cheaper than traditional optic services.
With ieye’s use of Sony technology, customers can virtually try on hundreds of frames, selected specifically to suit them.
American Eagle
Instacart and Walmart
Instacart has expanded its partnership with Walmart Canada to include a virtual convenience store pilot in Toronto.
Called Walmart Now, this offers nearly 4,000 items for delivery in as fast as 30 minutes with service powered by Instacart and orders fulfilled from 10 of the retailer’s stores.
TikTok
TikTok is testing a dedicated “Shop” feed tab that lets users browse and purchase products from a number of different categories, such as clothing and electronics.
This serves as a hub for products being sold in TikTok Shop, which enables merchants and creators to showcase and sell products directly on TikTok. This is currently available in select markets including Indonesia, Vietnam, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
Walmart
J.B. Hunt, Waymo and Wayfair
J.B. Hunt Transport Services and Waymo report that the latest development in their collaboration on autonomous trucking technology will include a pilot delivering goods for the former’s customer Wayfair.
This will span six plus weeks during July and August and take place along the I-45 corridor between Houston and Dallas, the location of J.B. Hunt and Waymo’s original pilot nearly one year ago.
It will be the first in-depth transportation of home furnishings retail freight between J.B. Hunt and Waymo Via (the company’s autonomous Class 8 trucking unit powered by the Waymo Driver technology).
Iceland
Majid Al Futtaim
Majid Al Futtaim has opened the doors to its first brick and mortar CB2 store in Dubai, building on a temporary pop-up in Mall of the Emirates and offering a curated collection of contemporary furniture and décor.
Located on level two of Mall of the Emirates, CB2 offers online ordering, same-day delivery and at home assembly.
