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 games offering free cryptocurrency, sustainable technology startups, digital first stores, and a rapid delivery first.
Chipotle
Chipotle is launching a new interactive game called Buy The Dip that engages people in a stock market simulation to ‘buy the dip’ at its lowest point and gives away a total of $200,000 in free crypto.
You have to be part of the company’s loyalty programme to play.
Winners will get free cryptocurrency in the form of Bitcoin, Ethereum, Avalanche, Solana, and Dogecoin.
Promo codes will also be on offer for 1-cent guac and 1-cent Queso Blanco through to 31st July (National Avocado Day).
It’s possible to access the game by clicking here. The game will be open from 10am PT to 6pm PT each day through to Sunday, 31st July.
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s has announced the launch of the Sainsbury's Innovation Investments which will invest a minimum of £5 million over the next four years into startup businesses commercialising technologies that look to reduce operational carbon emissions and water usage.
Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) will scout and invest into early stage companies, not limited to the Sainsbury’s supply chain, across a range of sectors.
The first investment is expected to be announced before the end of 2022.
Asos
EdTech startup, Multiverse, has partnered with Asos to extend the online retailer’s Data Academy and further develop data skills across its business.
Funded through the apprenticeship levy, 73 Asos employees have thus far been enrolled in the Academy.
Target
Target will add three new sortation centres in the next year - two in greater Chicago and one in the Denver metro - as it looks to “power even speedier delivery for our guests, while helping our teams work more efficiently and reducing our shipping costs”.
The new additions will line up alongside Target’s six existing sortation centres across the US.
Zapp
On demand delivery firm Zapp has launched Zapp Boutique, making it the first company in the quick commerce space to stock Daylesford, Dr. Barbara Sturm, OnlyRoses, Lelo, Trudon and a number of other premium brands.
Customers will now be able to shop products from Antinori, Brindisa, Cipriani, Cîroc, Dr. Barbara Sturm, Fornasetti, Ginori 1735, La Roche-Posay, Lina Stores, Lelo, Moët & Chandon, Trudon, tonies and Vichy.
London-based high-end gifting brand OnlyRoses has joined the line-up of brands available on Zapp Boutique.
Its Infinite Rose Waldorf Crimson (£209.99) and Infinite Rose Champagne (£104.99) arrangements will be available for rapid delivery, 24/7.
M&S
Tata Consultancy Services has helped Marks and Spencer (M&S) digitally transform its HR function.
TCS has been a strategic partner to M&S for over a decade.
For the HR transformation journey, its team built a cloud-based solution using the Oracle HCM suite.
As part of the programme, TCS migrated 27 million records of M&S employees working across 1,450 locations in the UK, and enabled “seamless, secure data connects across the landscape”.
The solution provides the workforce with anytime, anywhere, intuitive self-service capabilities.
This allows HR operations teams to focus on other value adding activities.
Boots
The Tech At Boots team has showcased MongoDB in the first ever Innovation Station broadcast.
This is part of the Boots INNOVATE workspace, which launched last week in partnership with TCS at the retailer’s site in Nottingham.
In a LinkedIn post, Lesley Caddow, Enterprise Account Executive at MongoDB, said: “With such a strong strategic partnership it’s great to discuss how innovation will help shape Boots’ future and transform heath and beauty in the UK.”
“Thanks Rich Corbridge (CIO at Boots UK & Ireland) and Michelle Kearns (IT Leader at Boots Ireland) for being the perfect hosts! And our very own Genevieve Broadhead for her amazing insight into MongoDB and retail.”
Best Buy
Last year, Best Buy started testing new store models in Charlotte, North Carolina and how all of them work together to meet its customers’ varied and changing needs.
It is now introducing another piece to that pilot: its first ever small format, digital first store.
This 5,000 sq. ft. location, which opens on 26th July in Monroe, will feature a curated selection of best in category products, services like Geek Squad, and new ways to pick up tech.
Best Buy is also testing a new digital first shopping experience that encourages customers to do everything from shop, select their product and get advice digitally while in the store.
“This is one more way we’re continuing to invest in our stores to better serve our customers’ needs in an ever growing digital world and create a more seamless shopping experience,” Best Buy says in a press release.
“We’ll continue learning from our store pilots in Charlotte as this new small format store test gets underway.”
Tesco
Tesco is working on a second checkout-free GetGo store.
Self-service terminals will sit alongside an autonomous retail option when the location opens in central London in the near future.
The store in Chiswell Street (near to the Barbican) is fitted out with Trigo’s cashierless technology, which is a combination of check-in gates, ceiling cameras and shelf scales, as spotted by Toby Pickard, IGD Head of Innovations and Futures.
A Tesco spokesperson confirmed the launch to RTIH, but did not share an opening date.
Tesco’s first checkout-free store opened in High Holborn last year, following a trial at the grocery giant’s colleague store in Welwyn Garden City.
