RTIH runs through 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 augmented reality powered treasure hunts, drone deliveries, joint retail/FMCG brand experiences in the metaverse, and autonomous robotic smoothie kiosks.
Aldi Nord
Aldi Nord has opened an Aldi Shop & Go store in the Dutch city of Utrecht.
This is a 370㎡ (3,982 square feet) AI powered location where shoppers can walk in, select their items, and walk out without having to queue at the checkout lane or scan any items.
In its largest store format to date, Trigo applies its algorithms to shelf sensors and ceiling mounted cameras which analyse anonymised shoppers' movements and product choices.
Payments and receipts are settled digitally.
DPD UK
Parcel delivery firm DPD has partnered with Quadient to access a new UK wide network of smart parcel lockers.
Quadient will initially install 500 contactless locker stations this year, with a plan for 5,000 in the coming years.
200 of the initial installations will be 24/7 outdoor facilities, and locations could include shopping precincts, housing estates, serviced car parks and higher education sites.
Carrefour and Procter & Gamble
Carrefour has partnered with Procter & Gamble for what is pitched as “the first joint retail/FMCG brand experience in the metaverse”.
This involves the latter’s Mr. Clean brand.
In a LinkedIn post, Elodie Perthuisot, Chief E Commerce, Digital Transformation and Data Officer & EXCOM member at Carrefour, said: “Thanks to their Lab, we are both offering Carrefour customers a marketing activation of a new style, between gamification, immersion, Web3, all with a Mr. Clean as you have never seen it before.”
She added: “This is a test to renew the classic advertisements and activations, create a link between the metaverse and e-commerce, and especially receive feedback from our customers to evolve this experience.”
Shopify and YouTube
Nissan Stadium
Nissan Stadium in the US has announced that five Zippin powered checkout-free stores will launch in time for the Tennessee Titans pre-season this summer.
These will be operated by Levy and Legends on both the concourse and club levels.
“At Nissan Stadium we’re always looking for ways to offer our fans the greatest level of convenience and ease of purchase,” says Adam Nuse, Titans Senior Vice President of Business Operations.
“Working with Zippin will offer our fans a quick and easy way to grab the food and drink items they need, and get back to enjoying Nashville’s biggest stage: Nissan Stadium.”
Jisp and Payzone
Jisp and Payzone have partnered to allow UK retailers to offer integrated home delivery, Click and Collect, Scan and Save and store specific loyalty services, in addition to accessing brand rewards and content.
Payzone retailers will be able to use Jisp’s Scan & Save solution, via the Payzone Plus device.
Jisp will promote leading promotions in-app and online to drive shoppers to their local Scan & Save store.
Love’s Travel Stops, Blendid and Jamba
Blendid and Jamba have announced plans to expand their Jamba by Blendid autonomous robotic kiosk locations to Love’s Travel Stops, building on initial deployments in retail locations and college campuses.
The first kiosk piloted at a Love’s Travel Stop will open this summer in Williams, CA, just outside of Sacramento, marking an expansion into rest area locations.
Yuu and Gophr
Scottish grocery app Yuu has announced a partnership with last mile, on-demand delivery company Gophr.
The pair are working together to deliver everyday essentials from over 70 convenience stores across Glasgow with plans to roll the service out across Scotland by the end of 2022.
Sodexo and Tortoise
Tortoise is partnering with Sodexo to bring a mobile smart store - aka a vending machine with wheels - to Comic-Con this year.
One of Tortoise’s robots, carrying Sodexo’s carne asada burritos and 20 ounce bottles of Gatorade, will be present in the main Pavilion at the San Diego Convention Center to service Comic-Con’s estimated crowd of 135,000 attendees from 21st-24th July.
Boots UK
Boots UK has launched a new INNOVATE workspace in partnership with TCS at its site in Nottingham.
The aim is to encourage and nurture a startup culture. INNOVATE has been designed to be an agile incubator combining creative space with top talent and evolving technology.
Britvic
Britvic has launched The Robinsons Big Fruit Hunt, an augmented reality activation designed to get parents and kids outdoors and hunting for virtual fruit hidden across Great Britain.
This is a geo-location-based digital treasure hunt that works through a smartphone browser (no need to download an app) and offers thousands of prizes to the best virtual fruit hunters.
Amazon
Amazon is set to begin drone deliveries in Texas later this year.
Customers in College Station, Texas, will join those in Lockeford, California, to be among the first to receive Prime Air drone deliveries in the US.
Amazon (again!)
Starting this week, customers across the US will begin to see custom electric delivery vehicles from Rivian delivering their Amazon packages, with the EVs hitting the road in the likes of Baltimore, Chicago, Dallas, Kansas City, Nashville, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, and St. Louis.
The aim is to have thousands of these vehicles in more than 100 cities by the end of this year, and 100,000 across the US by 2030.
This is the product of Amazon’s partnership with Rivian, which the companies announced in 2019 when the former co-founded, and became the first signatory of The Climate Pledge.
Co-op and Starship Technologies
Co-op and Starship Technologies have expanded their UK partnership with robot deliveries rolling out to neighbourhoods in Bedford.
In partnership with Bedford Borough Council, the collaboration will see up to 45,000 residents across 20,000 households in Bedford receive quick autonomous deliveries of groceries selected fresh from three local Co-op stores in the area (Goldington; Queens Drive and Kempston).
Co-op and Starship already operate this service in communities across Milton Keynes, Northampton and Cambridgeshire.
Nike
Nike has opened its latest store concept, Nike Style, in Seoul, South Korea.
The company describes it as a “remixed expression of sports retail culture that blurs the line between physical and digital.”
Nike Style stores feature “gender agnostic lifestyle product zones” for certain clothing, including fleece, tops, footwear and accessories.
A second location will open in Shanghai during the autumn. The concept will then expand into other countries.
St-Germain and Pinterest
St-Germain has partnered with Pinterest to target Pinners who are looking for cocktail inspiration, bartender hacks and ways to improve their drinks.
This features an immersive and interactive experience and is the first partnership to be replicated across multiple countries (UK, US, Canada, France and Italy).
The interactive video unit prompts Pinners to make three choices as they build their own custom cocktail. The video then changes and responds in real-time based on selections.
Jose Cuervo
Earlier this year, Jose Cuervo announced it was working on the first tequila distillery in the metaverse.
This National Tequila Day (24th July), it will officially open its doors to the experience in Decentraland.
