Starring Amazon, Domino’s, and McDonald’s: RTIH runs you through the 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 the UK’s largest connected digital supermarket screen network, an American Girl virtual museum experience, and a pizza ordering and store operations project powered by generative AI technology and cloud computing.
Therabody
Wellness brand Therabody has created an interactive window experience as part of Harrods Tech Month.
The concept was designed, produced and installed by Outform. The result is an experience that passers-by can control from their phone to discover more about Therabody’s wellness universe and product range.
Its display takes up an entire window along Harrods’ Brompton Road frontage. A QR controlled interactive screen sits at its centre and a use of LED lighting ensures that it delivers a night time impact.
It showcases four hero Therabody products, including the brand’s newest entrant into the beauty tech space, its TheraFace Mask, an at home LED therapy mask that couples red and blue light with vibration therapy.
Shoppers can choose one of three “stories”, in line with Therabody’s three product categories which trigger corresponding content on the large LED screen.
As they watch the content, the relevant product categories light up in the window display - red for beauty, white for wellness, blue for performance - accompanied by a mobile landing page which links to the Harrods online store and a call to action to visit the brand concession on Harrods’ fifth floor and trial the product range.
Sainsbury’s, Nectar360 and Clear Channel
Nectar360, which owns and operates Nectar, a UK loyalty coalition programme, as well as managing Sainsbury’s and Argos’ retail media services, has announced plans to expand its connected digital screen network to over 800 screens, in conjunction with out of home media and infrastructure company, Clear Channel, a move that also includes the launch of a new internal screen network.
The Sainsbury's Live network currently reaches millions of shoppers every week through more than 320 full motion digital screens, placed at store entrances.
It will now become the UK’s largest connected digital supermarket screen network, as Clear Channel upgrades the existing offering, expanding the external screen network to include 420 screens and launching up to 400 internal ones across stores nationwide.
Amazon
Last weekend, Amazon opened its 100th third party store powered by Just Walk Out technology.
In a LinkedIn post, Ritu Subash, Principal PM - Physical Stores Tech - Just Walk Out at Amazon, said:
“Milestones like these make the work we do worth it! On to the next 100.”
The tech can be found in airports, stadiums, schools, grocery and convenience stores around the world.
Further details here.
JUXTA
JUXTA, a technology and micro convenience company that launched in August, reports rapid take up with businesses in the EV value chain and multiple retail partners ready to adopt its offering across the USA.
The first customers to experience its inaugural product, Nomad, were Renewal 2023 festival goers in Buena Vista, Colorado, last month. The Nomad’s ability to travel and cater to high demand yet remote locations was on display as it served thousands of revellers 24-hours a day during the event.
Renewal 2023 launched a new partnership for JUXTA with Choice Market, a retailer headquartered in Denver, Colorado with outlets across the state. The first Choice Market Nomad micro-store will open in Denver, making it Colorado’s first portable, autonomous, convenience outlet.
A further retail partnership has been formed with Golden Pantry Food Stores, a group headquartered in Watkinsville, Georgia. Golden Pantry’s first Nomad store will open in Wire Park, Watkinsville, GA.
This mixed use development, which is an amalgamation of apartments, offices, restaurants, micro-brewery, and a multi-faceted events space, has been crafted from a repurposed factory.
The integration of JUXTA’s autonomous store aims to cater to the diverse footfall ranging from local residents to a plethora of daily visitors, 24-hours a day and without the need to staff the store.
American Girl
American Girl has unveiled its 2024 Girl of the Year, Lila Monetti.
As part of the launch, the brand will reveal Lila’s own room in its virtual museum experience this October through a partnership with immersive e-commerce platform Obsess. This will let people explore more of Lila’s life and personality, including her love of horseback riding and gymnastics.
“We know our fans will flip for our newest Girl of the Year, Lila Monetti, who arrives just in time for the holidays,” says Jamie Cygielman, General Manager at American Girl.
“As with all our beloved characters, Lila will inspire kids to face new challenges with purpose and positivity and find the joy and strength that comes from unexpected friendships.”
Absolute Collagen
Absolute Collagen has chosen Pinterest and its new Premiere Spotlight ad format to raise awareness of its new Deep Lift skincare range.
With Premiere Spotlight, brands can secure premium placements on the social media platform for a selected period of time to promote high visibility campaigns to users.
This format showcases videos in locations such as the search page and the user’s home page, allowing brands to reserve their placement and dominate the screen, occupying approximately 50% of the mobile device space on the Pinterest search page.
Absolute Collagen is one of the first beauty and wellbeing brands to tap Premiere Spotlight for a product launch and brand recognition campaign.
Asda
Tata Consultancy Services has announced a multi-year partnership with Asda to support its digital transformation and to implement a new organisation wide IT operating model, following its divestiture from Walmart.
This will see the grocery giant leverage TCS’ cloud, AI, and security solutions.
TCS will build a new digital core by implementing multiple cloud-based ERP platforms to streamline Asda’s supply chain forecasting, buying and merchandising processes, HR processes, warehouse management, and e-commerce processes.
Additionally, it will use its Machine First Delivery Model to automate the retailer’s IT operations, with the aim of providing a seamless experience for employees and customers, and improving operational resilience.
Domino’s Pizza and Microsoft
Domino’s Pizza and Microsoft have partnered on a project involving pizza ordering and store operations and generative AI technology and cloud computing.
The companies will leverage the Microsoft Cloud and Azure OpenAI Service to enhance the former’s ordering process through personalisation and simplification.
With Microsoft as its primary cloud provider, Domino’s has already been experimenting with data and AI capabilities in a bid to make store operations smarter, simpler and more robust.
Work on modernising its store systems has evolved into the early stages of developing a generative AI assistant powered by Azure
OpenAI Service intended to help store managers save time on daily tasks such as inventory management, ingredient ordering and staff scheduling.
With plans to streamline pizza preparation and quality control with more predictive tools, this generative AI assistant will be designed with the goal of freeing store managers to dedicate more time to team member experience and customer service.
Aetrex
Aetrex, a specialist in foot scanning technology and orthotics and comfort footwear, has announced the launch of a new analysis segment on Foot.com called the Development Lab, providing users the ability to pull accurate, detailed measurements of any aspect of a 3D foot scan.
Foot.com is a subscription-based platform that aggregates millions of global 3D foot scans collected from Aetrex’s Albert 2 Pro and Albert 3DFit foot scanners, with the aim of helping footwear designers and developers create better fitting and functioning shoes.
Alibaba Group
McDonald's Egypt
Roboost has announced a partnership with McDonald's Egypt.
With Roboost's AI powered solution, the fast food giant says it is poised to fully automate its last mile delivery cycle, optimising operations before delivery starts, and reducing manual actions.
"We are excited to partner with McDonald's Egypt and help them continue to deliver on their famed promise of the fastest delivery in Egypt," says Mohamed Gessraha, CEO at Roboost.
"With our AI powered solution, they can fully automate their home delivery operations, optimise their routes even without digital locations, and improve their delivery times, all while offering their customers a consistently superior delivery experience.”
“We are confident that our partnership will set new standards in the delivery market across the region."
Sook and Liverpool ONE
Sook, which takes vacant retail spaces and gives them a modular, digital fit-out which can be rented by the hour, is launching a new space at the Liverpool ONE shopping, residential, and leisure complex.
The 1,250 sq ft space will offer leases ranging from three days to a months and comes fitted out with digital display boards, screens and fixtures.
Sook supplies brands with a range of data analytics and digital planning tools, giving tenants information on how best to use the space and operate with optimum efficiency.
The space will be used for a variety of uses including music, artists, workshops, fitness classes, experiential brand campaigns and traditional retailers.
Amazon (again)
Amazon has in recent weeks been busy tinkering with its Amazon Fresh checkout free convenience stores in Kensington, White City, and Southwark, London.
The ultimate aim here is alleviating some of the friction associated with the e-commerce giant’s Just Walk Out technology.
In a LinkedIn post, Thomas Monaghan, EU Head of Construction & Design at Amazon, said: “Busy couple of weeks in the team with lots of launches. Adam Quig (Senior Project Manager at Amazon Fresh Stores) and Steve Kirk (Senior Construction Manager - Amazon - Worldwide Grocery Real Estate) launched entry exit updates in Kensington and White City last week, with Southwark relaunching this week.”
He added: “Harriet Fitzgerald-Allsopp (Construction Coordinator at Amazon) helped to launch our first self-scans in Monument with some new signage to aide customers by Julia Wyatt (Senior Store Designer, Architect, Retail Designer) and Matthew Lyons (Senior Design Concept & Innovation Manager).”
“Thanks to everyone in the supply chain who helped deliver these challenging, quick turn around projects.”
Ecoloc
Ecoloc is a new kitchen product with a lid tailored to fit all Ikea food containers in the 365+ series.
Using UV technology from Swedish research company, PureFize, this is said to illuminate food contained within an Ikea container, through the adapted lid.
Depending on how the food has been handled and its condition when placed in the container, using the bactericidal light can extend shelf life by up to 300%, it is claimed.
Food contamination happens largely from microorganisms in the air and when someone or something touches it, leading to food degradation.
However, when food is placed in a container and EcoLoc is applied, the UV light kills the microorganisms. Research found that bread can last 200% longer, and tomatoes up to 300% longer when using EcoLoc.
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