July 2022: top 10 most clicked retail technology articles
These are the RTIH retail systems articles that caught your fancy during July, including dunnhumby, VST, Aldi Nord, Trigo, Boots, Getir, Blockbuster, Circ, Żabka Group, and AiFi.
dunnhumby and VST launch Planogram Publisher following beta test
VST and dunnhumby have announced the launch of Planogram Publisher - software that makes retailer planogram data accessible to CPG brands.
Planogram data has become increasingly complex as retailers provide more differentiation by store, which means tracking what’s actually happening in stores has become almost impossible for brands.
Whilst brands would have previously made numerous store visits to photograph and analyse what’s in-store, the pandemic stopped this time-consuming and difficult process.
Planogram Publisher will make this data available across more than 3,500 UK stores.
Aldi Nord tests out Trigo powered autonomous store in Utrecht
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.
Carrefour and Procter & Gamble team up in the metaverse
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.”
Żabka Group hits AiFi powered autonomous Nano stores milestone
Polish convenience giant Żabka Group has opened its 50th Żabka Nano checkout-free store.
These leverage AI powered computer vision technology created via cooperation with AiFi.
In a LinkedIn post, Patryk Powierża, Żabka Nano Growth, said: “BOOM! Store number 50 has been opened
“After about a year from opening the first autonomous outlet, we have reached the milestone of 50 stores.
“That number strengthens our position as the biggest chain of autonomous stores in Europe. Easily you can estimate one week – now new store. It’s HUGE!”
Circ raises $30m+ with backing from apparel and tech industry giants
Circular fashion company Circ has secured over $30 million in Series B funding.
This was led by the Bill Gates founded Breakthrough Energy Ventures with additional investment from new partners, including Inditex, Milliken & Company, and Lansdowne Partners.
Previous investors also participating included 8090 Partners, Alante Capital, Card Sound Capital, and Marubeni
Circ has developed a technology system that returns clothes to the raw materials from which they were made. It has raised north of $45 in total to date.
Boots INNOVATE launches in partnership with TCS and focuses on emerging tech
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.
Five retail technology questions for Swapi’s Pete Howroyd
RTIH asks major players in the retail technology space for their thoughts on the sector, and throws in a random question to keep them on their toes. This time around, our five questions go to Pete Howroyd, Founder and CEO at Swapi.
DPD and Cartken make autonomous delivery robots move in Milton Keynes
DPD is to commence autonomous robot deliveries in two Milton Keynes neighbourhoods, as part of a trial with Cartken.
The DPD branded robots, which will operate out of the firm's Knowlhill depot, will navigate the city's traffic-free Redway network to access the residential neighbourhoods of Shenley Church End and Shenley Lodge.
Powered by AI technology, the robots are currently ‘learning' the routes and will then be able to find their way to delivery addresses, fully autonomously.
Cartken's tech is currently being used by Mitsubishi Electric in Japan, and Grubhub in the United States.
Blockbuster back from the grave, linked with NFTs move
Blockbuster has returned to action. Well, sort of…
For millions, weekend nights in the 1980s, 1990s and 2000s meant popping to their local Blockbuster and renting a film or three.
Then streaming happened and, yada yada yada, the company filed for bankruptcy in the US in 2010. Today, there is just one store left on the planet, in Oregon.
In July, its Twitter account tweeted for the first time in two years.
“We’re back from the grave …” it said, alongside a GIF of a zombie rising from the grave.
So, what could it all mean? Click here to find out more.
Getir UK offers free Lurpak butter as shoppers fume over soaring prices
Rapid grocery delivery firm Getir has been giving away free Lurpak butter in the UK.
The product has gone viral as Brits take to social media to reveal how much its price has risen in various supermarkets.
The obsession reached a peak this month, making mainstream media headlines aplenty, with a 1kg tub of Lurpak spotted for £9.35 by one person.
Getir shoppers could go on its app and get a free tub of the butter delivered straight to their door when they spent a minimum of £20.
