Check out RTIH’s most popular retail technology articles on LinkedIn
Here at RTIH, we’re big fans of LinkedIn and are busy building an amazing community of retail tech enthusiasts on the social media platform. These are the articles that are currently on their radars, including Boots, Mirakl, Zapp, Jisp, and GoPuff.
Boots preps Mirakl powered online marketplace
UK health and beauty retailer, Boots, is set to launch a new online marketplace, with the aim of welcoming third-party brands into its digital offering.
Due to launch in spring 2023, Boots Marketplace is part of the retailer’s digital strategy to rapidly extend the range of its website and explore new and diverse categories for its customers.
Marketplace products will be integrated with the existing product range on boots.com, offering customers access to hundreds of new brands across established names and new sellers.
Powered by Mirakl, customers will still enjoy a single checkout for mixed baskets and access to the likes of Boots Advantage Card points.
Zapp offers STI and UTI tests rapid delivery service
Rapid delivery firm Zapp has teamed up with digital health specialist Certific to stock STI and UTI tests that give patients a test and treatment plan from their homes, with no waiting times, no appointments and quick results turnaround time.
The tests were made available on Zapp’s mobile app in time for World Sexual Health Day, Sunday 4th September, an annual event organised by the World Association for Sexual Health.
Zapp’s delivery will enable patients to receive results and diagnosis for STIs within as little as 24 to 48 hours (via Royal Mail), as well as results and diagnosis for UTIs in 60 minutes, without the need for a medical centre visit.
B2B enterprise software tech veteran Martin Ward joins Jisp advisory board
Retail marketing and grocery shopping app, Jisp, has appointed software technology expert Martin Ward to its advisory board.
Ward has also become an angel investor in the startup.
With over 30 years of B2B enterprise software technology experience, his background includes senior positions at Oracle and SAP, co-founding two startups, both of which made the Tech Track 100 listing of the UK’s fastest growing private companies.
Ward’s latest role is Partner at Waypoint Partners, where he specialises in helping early-stage B2B SaaS ventures accelerate their growth.
GoPuff hires Amazon veteran Patrick Bigatel as Vice President of Grocery
Patrick Bigatel has joined quick commerce firm Gopuff as Vice President of Grocery.
He was previously Vice President Of New Business Development at Booster.
Prior to that, he spent almost 15 years at Amazon, holding such positions as General Manager, Amazon Heavy-Bulky, Home Services and Local Selling.
Puma Group hires Ian Kennedy as Global Head of Digital Experience, E-Commerce
Ian Kennedy has started a new position as Global Head of Digital Experience, E-Commerce at Puma Group.
He joins from Chelsea Football Club, where he served as Head of Digital.
Rapid grocery delivery bubble bursts. Here’s why it’s no great surprise
The rapid grocery delivery sector is falling on hard times after booming during the Covid-19 outbreak.
What’s surprising is it’s only just happening now, says Jonathan Carrier, Co-Founder at ZipCharge.
In a LinkedIn post, he observed: “I find it incredible that a business built on such poor fundamentals and unit economics can raise so much money. It’s been a Ponzi scheme of growth, with heavily discounted service driving false hyper-growth metrics of new users, to fund further unsustainable growth.”
Chartwells Higher Education and Standard AI eye 100 autonomous retail stores
Standard AI and Chartwells Higher Education, a division of Compass Group, have announced an expanded partnership that will bring 100 autonomous retail experiences to higher education institutions in the US.
In 2020, Chartwells Higher Education was the first company to retrofit an existing retail environment using Standard AI’s autonomous platform, enabling university students to walk in, select their items, and go on their way without having to wait in a checkout line or scan barcodes.
Lululemon, Patagonia and REI deploy Trove recommerce operating system
Trove reports that its technology is now present in 700 bricks and mortar stores in the USA.
Arc’teryx, Eileen Fisher, Levi’s, Lululemon, Patagonia and REI are among the companies now offering their customers a convenient way to trade in items at stores.
From CIO to CEO of Whole Foods - did Jason Buechel just rewrite the retail rulebook?
Five years after Amazon announced that it would buy Whole Foods for $13.7 billion, a major change has taken place, with incoming CEO Jason Buechel taking over from John Mackey.
In a LinkedIn post, Andy Gamble, CIO at Currys, said: “From CIO to CEO of Whole Foods Market in under 10 years - huge congratulations Jason Buechel. Carrying the torch and shining a light on a path as yet largely untrodden.”
He added: “With so much pivotal cross functional change and transformation now under CIO ownership - is now the time for the most progressive businesses to see commercially oriented CIO roles as viable CEO succession?!!”
Uber Eats and Co-op agree rapid online delivery tie up
Co-op and Uber Eats have teamed-up as part of the convenience retailer’s plans to expand its on-demand online home delivery service.
Through the partnership, shoppers will be able to order via the Uber Eats app from around 1,000 Co-op food stores by the end of the year, with groceries delivered in as little as 30 minutes.
With the phased roll-out underway from this week, customers can use the Uber Eats app to choose from over 6,000 products stocked in local Co-op stores.
With products picked fresh in local stores, the service is available for a full grocery shop as well as on-demand top-up and forgotten items, meal ideas and treats for evenings in at home.
