July 2022: top ten coolest retail technology plays
RTIH Editor, Scott Thompson, brings you his stand out ‘future of retail’ systems deployments from July, including checkout free stores, drone deliveries, Web3 initiatives, and augmented reality activations.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
Farfetch
Online luxury marketplace Farfetch is revamping its Dream Assembly initiative after a two-year hiatus to focus solely on Web3 in partnership with European VC firm Outlier Ventures.
Dream Assembly Base Camp will provide a cohort of Web3 startups in the luxury fashion and lifestyle sectors with mentorship, networking, and support.
The remote 12-week programme will be tailored to each startup and will focus on digital fashion, tokenized loyalty, immersive experiences, and the creator economy.
Participating companies will gain access to Farfetch and Outlier Ventures’ network of mentors from the fashion, technology and Web3 industries, as well as investors, to support their future fundraising efforts.
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company has announced the six companies that will be joining the 2022 Disney Accelerator.
This year's class is focused on building the future of immersive experiences and specialises in technologies such as augmented reality, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and artificial intelligence characters.
The Disney Accelerator kicked off in July. Over the course of the programme, each participant company will receive guidance from Disney's senior leadership team, as well as a dedicated executive mentor.
It will conclude with a Demo Day during the autumn at The Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, CA.
Żabka Group
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!”
Co-op
The Co-op and Microsoft Caboodle platform is now live in all of the former’s 2,600 food stores across the UK.
Created with technology consultancy BJSS and Team ITG, the not for profit digital solution enables UK supermarkets, cafés and restaurants to connect with community groups and volunteers to redistribute surplus food.
It is built on Microsoft’s Power Platform technology.
