August 2022: top 10 most clicked retail technology articles
These are the RTIH retail systems articles that caught your fancy during August, including Amazon, AiFi, Gopuff, Pricer, and QuikTrip.
Amazon halts Just Walk Out tech powered checkout-free stores push
Amazon has put the brakes on the expansion of its UK checkout-free convenience stores, due to sales falling short of expectations and fit out costs being multiple times higher than with a standard location.
According to a report by The Sunday Times, the US giant is understood to have walked away from talks on dozens of sites for Amazon Fresh stores, and has stopped its search for more locations.
There will still be a handful of openings this year at sites where Amazon had already committed to a lease.
QuikTrip taps Amazon Just Walk Out tech for checkout-free store first
US convenience retailer, QuikTrip, has opened a store in Tulsa powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology. This is its first venture into the checkout-free space.
Those visiting the new location (in the BOK Tower at One Williams Center) will be able to insert their credit card at the entry gate to enter, shop like normal, and then leave.
Just Walk Out technology determines what items shoppers take from or return to the shelves, and when they leave, the credit card they inserted will be charged for the items they took.
AiFi launches first autonomous store in Japan with Cainz Corporation
Japan’s Cainz Corporation, a home improvement chain with 230 stores, has announced a new autonomous location, called Cainz Mobile Store, on the first floor of its HQ in Honjo City, Saitama.
The computer vision technology implemented into the store, powered by US-based AiFi, will allow customers to shop for Cainz brand household products and snack items without having to go through a cash register or self-checkout.
This will open in the near future and may expand to other locations in the future.
People will be able to download the dedicated Cainz app, present a QR code at the gate to enter the store, and begin shopping.
To complete payment, they can exit the store and await a digital receipt, which is sent through the app shortly after leaving.
The system is powered by computer vision through cameras on the ceiling that recognise customer movements and the products they pick up, then it automatically processes the payment through the smartphone application.
Amazon’s physical stores strategy is in flux. Here’s why
The above mentioned Amazon Fresh checkout-free stores UK slowdown is part of a larger movement, observes Celia Van Wickel, Senior Director, Digital Commerce at Kantar.
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.
Reality bites as cost of Amazon Just Walk Out technology hits home
Experiments like Just Walk Out tech powered Amazon Fresh stores will never work on a large scale for “normal” retailers.
That’s the view of Sigurður Ari Sigurjónsson, Director of Business Development at LS Retail.
Amazon Fresh makes key appointments in physical stores push
Peters joins from Woolworths Supermarkets where she served as Managing Director.
Her CV also includes a stint as Chief Operating Officer at Tesco Stores.
Bowrey, meanwhile, worked for Tesco for over 30 years across various functions and internationally.
Most recently, he was Retail Director at Boots.
AiFi opens 80 computer vision powered autonomous stores
AiFi has reached the milestone of 80 autonomous retail stores open worldwide.
By working with technology providers and retailers such as Verizon, Microsoft, Carrefour, Aldi, Compass Group, Sodexo, Choice Market and Żabka Group, AiFi says that it has deployed the largest number of camera only, computer vision powered stores across North America, Europe, Middle East, and Asia.
This year, it increased its speed of deployment to two stores per week.
AiFi showcased this by opening 50 computer vision powered locations with Żabka, Poland’s largest convenience store chain, in the span of a few months.
Five retail technology questions for Pricer’s Duncan Potter
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 Duncan Potter, Chief Marketing Officer at Pricer.
Gopuff boss Rafael Ilishayev addresses rapid delivery critics
Gopuff Co-founder and Co-CEO Rafael Ilishayev has taken to LinkedIn to defend his company’s rapid delivery business model.
