Drone deliveries and hot startups: RTIH presents the retail technology week in numbers
Do you like numbers? Do you like retail systems news? Then this is the article for you. Including Chipotle, Aldi UK, Walmart, Alibaba Group, and Clarks.
6,000…Walmart says that it completed more than 6,000 drone deliveries in 2022, in as little as 30 minutes per pop.
The top five items delivered via drone were: Great Value Cookies and Cream Ice Cream 16 oz, 2lb Bag of Lemons, Freshness Guaranteed Hot Rotisserie Chicken, Red Bull 8.4 fl. oz, and Bounty Select-a-Size Paper Towels.
Currently 85% of items in a Walmart Neighborhood Market meet the 10 lb. weight and volume requirements for drone delivery.
7.3%…UK physical retailers battled a cold snap, and rail and postal strikes as they rallied in December, with store performance last month posting its best footfall counts compared to pre-Covid pandemic figures all year, according to research from the BRC and Sensormatic Solutions.
Total UK footfall decreased by 7.3% in December (Yo3Y), 6.0 percentage points better than November. This is better than the three-month average decline of 10.2%.
Total UK footfall for 2022 was 11.8% below pre-pandemic levels. This was a big improvement on 2021 which was 33.2% below pre-pandemic levels.
Helen Dickinson, Chief Executive at the British Retail Consortium, says: “Historically low consumer confidence and 30 year high inflation made for an exceptionally difficult year for consumers and retailers, with footfall down over 10% on pre-pandemic levels.”
“Nonetheless, this was still a significant improvement on the previous two years when the pandemic kept many people at home. Although retailers’ input costs show little sign of easing in 2023, they continue to do all they can to keep prices affordable and tempt customers in.”
10…Specialising in the likes of video shopping apps and product visualisation and augmented reality solutions, these ten startups should be on your radars over the next 12 months.
£3.05 million…SaaS company Salesfire has announced the appointment of David Pinches as Non Executive Chairman, following a £3.05 million investment in October.
Pinches brings with him experience as a senior executive at technology companies such as Sage, IRIS Software, FinancialForce and Causeway Technologies.
7…Chipotle Mexican Grill is kicking off 2023 with a new lineup of Lifestyle Bowls as it looks to cater to contemporary wellness habits.
The brand is also launching a wellness inspired AR Lens on Snapchat to encourage people to maintain healthy habits, plus it will reward those who participate with free guac.
“We created seven new Lifestyle Bowls that embrace Gen Z and Millennials’ modern interpretation of wellbeing,” says Chris Brandt, Chief Marketing Officer, Chipotle.
“We’re making new year’s resolutions fun by gamifying the experience and offering balanced meals made with real ingredients that you feel good eating.”
The AR Lens will launch on Friday, 13th January, also known as Quitter’s Day, the day we’re apparently most likely to forfeit new year’s resolutions.
One hundred thousand people in the US who complete the Snapchat challenges will earn a promo code for a free small side or topping of guac.
Chipotle says that the activation marks the first time a restaurant brand will promote physical activity and wellness through an AR Lens on Snapchat.
16…Sireesh Nallanthighal has left Aldi UK, where he spent the past 16 years in various roles, most recently serving as Digital Transformation Lead.
He is now Co-founder and CTO at TheCarCrowd, pitched as the UK's first fractional investment platform for classic and prestige cars.
1 million and 2.1 million…Shoe retailer Clarks has hit one million followers on its Clarks Originals Instagram account and 2.1 million on TikTok.
65%, 44%, 42%, 34% and 26%…New research by 3PL provider, Kenco Group, finds that supply chain leaders are adopting many new technologies, mitigating labour challenges and implementing sustainability strategies in new and interesting ways.
The company called on more than 100 US respondents to take the temperature on key logistics trends.
To diversify their tech stacks and optimise their operations, they are investing in various types of solutions.
65% have adopted or plan to adopt supply chain visibility technology by mid-year, 44% sensors and IoT, 42% robotics and automation, 34% 3D printing and 26% blockchain.
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