Smart carts, innovation awards, and drone deliveries: RTIH’s biggest retail technology news stories from October
It’s November, October is done and dusted, so let’s kick back and reflect on a hugely eventful few weeks for the retail systems space. Here's your briefing on the most important stories from October, including Carrefour, Asda, Tesco, Walgreens, Asda, Sainsbury’s, Walmart, and Kingfisher.
1. Time is running out to enter the 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards: deadline for submissions Friday, 3rd November
There are now just three days left to submit your entries for the 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards, which takes place on Wednesday, 29th November at the Barbican Arts Centre in central London.
The event, sponsored by PMC, FreedomPay, Worldpay from FIS, CADS, 3D Cloud by Marxent, Goodays, and Vista Technology Support, celebrates global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Spread over 19 different categories, submissions are judged on the extent of innovation and transformation demonstrated, as well as the sustainability of the results. Previous year’s winners have included B&Q, Pets at Home, Walmart, Sook, AiFi, Compass Group, Obsess, and Ribble Cycles.
Deadline for 2023 submissions is Friday, 3rd November.
The awards culminate in a fantastic ceremony, complete with a drinks reception and Christmas themed three-course meal at the Barbican Arts Centre on Wednesday 29th November.
Key dates
Friday, 3rd November: Award entry deadline
Tuesday, 7th November: 2023 shortlist revealed
7th-10th November: Judging days
Wednesday, 29th November: Winners announced at the 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony
Categories, along with entry forms, can be found here.
2. Kingfisher introduces Athena to boost testing and learning with AI and machine learning technologies
Group Head of Data Science, Mohsen Ghasempour, discussed how the retailer is harnessing these innovations to improve the customer experience and power growth.
He introduced Athena, an AI orchestration framework which will manage how Kingfisher prompts and interacts with AI language models, as well as other AI tools developed in-house.
This is designed with advanced controls to ensure security and provide protection against sensitive or inappropriate content.
Tom Betts, Group Data Director at Kingfisher, says: “Athena will help us test and learn with these technologies even faster.”
3. Amazon set to launch drone deliveries in the UK, Italy and third location in the US during 2024
Amazon customers in the UK, Italy and an additional US city will have the option to get their packages delivered by a Prime Air drone beginning in late 2024.
Specific cities in the US and abroad will be named in the coming months.
David Carbon, Vice President of Amazon’s Prime Air, says: “As part of our continued efforts to innovate for customers, we are excited to announce the expansion of Prime Air delivery internationally, for the first time outside the US.”
“We have been delivering packages by drone for almost a year in California and in Texas. We have built a safe, reliable delivery service and have partnered very closely with regulators and communities.”
“We will continue with that collaboration into the future to ensure we are meeting the needs of our customers and the communities we serve.”
Prime Air is also unveiling a new MK30 drone design, which is said to be quieter, smaller, and lighter, than previous models.
4. Żabka Polska taps AiFi tech as it opens first store combining traditional and autonomous shopping option
Żabka Polska has launched its first ever store that is open 24/7 and offers both a traditional and autonomous shopping option.
In a LinkedIn post, Patryk Powierża, Head of Nano Growth at Żabka Polska, said: “Today we opened the first hybrid Żabka store powered by autonomous technology (supplied by AiFi). How does it work?”
“From 6am-11pm, the store operates like a traditional store with a cashier. From 11pm-6am, it is switched to an unmanned format, which enables autonomous shopping.”
He added: “Thanks to that we can extend opening hours, be available 24/7, and deliver a great retail experience to Polish customers.”
“This opening is related to a great milestone that our company has achieved. Last Friday, we opened store 10,000 in the Żabka Polska network. Our hybrid store has a beautiful 10,002 number. The future is here.”
5. dunnhumby powered Tesco Media and Insight Platform expands connected store and digital offering
Tesco Media and Insight Platform, powered by dunnhumby, has unveiled a range of new onsite and in-store media channels.
At an Upfront event in London, updates were announced including Scan as You Shop media, new in-store digital screens and new onsite digital performance ads.
“Tesco are leading the way in retail media, giving brands and agencies the power to truly shape what Britain buys, with Tesco Media now standing shoulder to shoulder with the established media houses,” says Nick Ashley, MD, Tesco Media & Insight Platform.
“This scale, combined with our advanced closed-loop measurement and cutting-edge data science, allows brands partnering with Tesco Media to connect with shoppers like never before.”
6. A2Z Cust2Mate subsidiary picked as supplier of smart carts to grocery retail giant Carrefour France
A2Z Smart Technologies Corp. has been selected to supply Cust2Mate smart carts to Carrefour's Connected Cart project for its newly merged Hypermarket and Supermarket division in France.
The first phase of the aforementioned project is the delivery of 2,000 smart carts, expected in the first half of 2024 at two Carrefour hypermarket retail locations in France.
7. Perfect Corp. and Walmart partner on AR powered makeup virtual try-on experience for customers
Perfect Corp. has announced a collaboration with Walmart to launch a makeup virtual try-on experience via the US retail giant’s iOS app.
This will allow Walmart customers to virtually try-on products across the blush, lip colour, eye shadow, and bronzer categories and discover their perfect shade.
“As a destination for beauty, we’re committed to identifying new and emerging opportunities to inspire our customers and create more personalised, seamless, customer centric shopping experiences. That’s why I’m so excited that Walmart is launching Beauty Virtual Try-On, to offer customers a more engaging and convenient try-on experience on the Walmart app,” says Creighton Kiper, Vice President of Beauty at Walmart U.S.
The offering features Perfect Corp.’s Face AI solution, which is powered by AI deep learning technology to create hyper-realistic AR powered makeup filters for customers to try-on digitally.
It will allow shoppers to virtually try-on more than 1,400 products from Walmart Beauty’s brand assortment including Almay, Black Radiance, CoverGirl, e.l.f. Cosmetics, Maybelline, NYX Professional Makeup, Revlon, Rimmel, Neutrogena, wet n wild, and The Lip Bar.
8. An accident waiting to happen?: Major Cooler Screens and Walgreens retail technology deal collapses
According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the supplier, Cooler Screens, is suing the pharmacy chain, saying that Walgreens binned a US roll-out of the internet connected doors and demanded their removal from stores.
Walgreens, meanwhile, insists that the tech didn’t work. It ended its agreement with Cooler Screens in February, according to court documents.
When then CEO Rosalind Brewer toured Walgreens stores featuring the digital screens, she is said to have made the comment, "It's like being on the strip in Las Vegas."
In a LinkedIn post, Brittain Ladd, a supply chain consultant and former Amazon executive, said: “I don't like the screens either and I applaud Ms. Brewer's decision to have them removed from Walgreens stores.”
“In fact, I do more than applaud Ms. Brewer, I give her a standing ovation. And yes, installing the screens does turn a store into a mini-Las Vegas. In addition, the screens make me feel like I am in Tokyo, Japan or Hong Kong.”
He added: “The agreement between Cooler Screens and Walgreens has a feel of sleaziness about it that I've never liked. It appears to be a classic case of a former executive leaving their employer, starting a company, and then returning to the employer to "cut a deal" which results in the former employer buying products or services.”
“In the case of Cooler Screens, Greg Wasson, is the former CEO of Walgreens. Obviously, Walgreens Boots Alliance board of directors didn't find anything wrong with doing business with their former CEO, but I would have never allowed an agreement to be signed. I strongly encourage the next CEO of Walgreens to continue with the suit and remove every screen from their stores. All of them.”
9. Zippin scores a first as it brings checkout-free shopping to those passing through Dublin Airport
A new Dublin Town To Go store, powered by Zippin technology, has opened in T1 Arrivals at Dublin Airport.
People scan their payment card to enter and a combination of cameras and weight sensored shelving then detects what they’re buying and charges their card when they walk out.
The store, the first of its kind to open to the general public in Ireland, sells a range of goods to meet the needs of both departing and arriving passengers and also those waiting to welcome people in Arrivals, including coffee, pastries, sandwiches, salads, sweets, cereal, milk and toiletries.
10. Sainsbury’s, Nectar360, Clear Channel celebrate partnership milestone with digital screen network move
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.
11. Asda inks multi-year divestiture and digital transformation deal with Tata Consultancy Services
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.
12. 20,000 cash rewards redeemed by Ocado Retail customers in first England and Wales DDRS trial
Since 14th July, Ocado Retail customers have been able to claim monetary rewards for recycling any of its own brand two and four-pint milk bottles using Polytag’s QR codes, redeemable via recycling app Bower.
The trial saw more than 20,000 Ocado Retail milk bottles scanned by over 3,000 consumers using their smartphones before being deposited into home kerbside recycling.
The QR code integrated onto the milk bottles’ labelling is scanned via the aforementioned app, the bottle disposed of in a person’s registered at home recycling bin, and the reward withdrawn into their bank account.
Up to £4,000 worth of rewards were obtained during the nine week long trial.
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