'Cause we are living in an autonomous world: RTIH runs 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 Tesco, Trigo, Sensei, Agua by Agua Bendita, Archive, Kingfisher, Footasylum, Corona, Obsess, Coach, and ZERO10.
Tesco
Tesco is trialling new tech which enables shoppers at its Fulham Reach Express GetGo store to take items from shelves and “just walk up” to the checkout which will “magically present them with a list of the products they have picked up”.
They then check the list presented and pay in the usual way.
The process is similar to using the GetGo checkout-free feature of Tesco’s app, but there is no need for the app, and the receipt is provided immediately, rather than digitally a few minutes after leaving the store.
“We are constantly searching for the perfect formula to make the shopping trip as seamless and convenient as possible,” says Sarah Quiggin, Tesco Head of Store Customer Experience.
“This trial of scan-free checkouts will add another option for customers in Fulham Reach to save time on scanning items and will reduce queuing in store.”
The technology, developed with partner Trigo, in which Tesco announced an equity investment in 2019 has been on trial by staff at Tesco Welwyn Garden City headquarters, but this marks its first public launch.
“We will be watching closely to see how customers react to this potential new option of having a list of their shopping presented to them automatically,” Quiggin comments.
Agua by Agua Bendita
Colombian luxury fashion brand Agua by Agua Bendita has launched a resale programme named Ciclos, a pledge to mother nature, the root of its inspiration.
“We believe in designing pieces that can be worn and loved for years because of their timeless style and excellent quality; through Ciclos, we offer Agua garments a renewed purpose, giving them a second life as an adored heirloom,” say Mariana Hinestroza and Catalina Álvarez, Co-Founders and Creative Directors of Agua by Agua Bendita.
The resale programme, powered by Archive, enables sellers to list their preloved Agua by Agua Bendita pieces on the Ciclos marketplace.
Superdrug
UK health and beauty retailer Superdrug has gone live with the first supplier campaigns on its new retail media network.
In a LinkedIn post, Paul Stafford, Head Of Digital Marketing, Retail Media & Online Brand at Superdrug, said: “Who would have known the journey to get the word ‘sponsored’ on our products was going to be such a complex task?!”
“Of course, retail media is much more than that, and we have more news to follow in the coming weeks as we expand our offering. If you are a supplier, please reach out to me to discuss how you can get involved.”
He added: “A huge thanks to our first suppliers Unilever (Emma Houslander and Charlotte Murphy) and Beiersdorf (Rachel Hirst & Katherine Griffiths) for their support to launch with us from day one.”
“Building an retail media network is not easy and takes a huge amount of cross-functional collaboration.”
“We would not be live today if it weren’t for the help of our teams in Legal (Sonica Beckmann (née Dua), Alison Campbell Finance (Michael Harper & Steve How), Design (Darren Donovan-Baker), IT (Jacqueline Joel, Dawn McCurdy, Nicholas Queally), Digital Marketing (Charlotte-Grace Rollinson), and many many more.”
Coach
From 15th November to 1st January, customers will be able to explore Coach’s Holiday collection digitally through ZERO10’s AR Storefront at five physical locations across North America: Boston, Atlanta, Austin, Miami and Toronto.
The aim is to inspire shoppers to unleash their personal style and explore the world of the Coach brand in a fun and immersive way that caters to Gen Z and Young Millennial audiences.
AR Storefront will feature digital recreations of the following holiday styles from Coach: Sequin Penn in Dark Magenta and Black, Metallic Star Bag in Silver, Glovetanned Leather Tabby Shoulder Bag 26 in Black, Patent Signature Leather Tabby Shoulder Bag 20 in Chalk and Silver Mirrored Pearlized Signature Round Frames.
Items will appear on the user’s body with AR special effects, including a pearlescent ribbon, multicolour holiday lights, and animated snowman. These looks will alternate on a timed sequence, allowing users and passersby to experience the entire scope of the digital collection.
The Derwent Group and Be.EV
Visitors to Trafford’s White City Retail Park are now able to charge their electric vehicles while they shop thanks to the installation of five new ultra-rapid chargers.
All Be.EV members will also have exclusive access to this, free of charge, at this location for a week, from Tuesday 14th until Tuesday 21st November.
The project marks the start of a partnership between The Derwent Group, who operate the retail park on behalf of The Albert Gubay Charitable Foundation, and EV charging network Be.EV.
Footasylum
Digital display specialist UX Global has completed a project for its long standing client Footasylum on London’s Oxford Street.
The retailer’s recently opened flagship store features more than 50 digital screens and a UK first ‘floating’ LED cube designed, manufactured and installed by the UX Global team.
The latter worked with the Footasylum team to develop the idea for a 5.5m x 3m five sided suspended cube with Philips P2.4 7000 LED screens on all sides, allowing shoppers to view the dynamic content from all angles, including underneath.
The cube offers 75 square metres of display space and its installation involved securing over 1,200 individual LED panels to a bespoke frame attached to the main steel beam running through the store, creating the illusion that it is floating.
Corona
Corona has partnered with experiential e-commerce platform Obsess to transform the beach hut previously seen in its TV ads into an immersive holiday virtual store.
This is part of its new Feliz Navi-Drip Collection with Snoop Dogg’s fashion designer Talia Coles on a limited edition, colour changing can and matching robe.
Within the virtual beach hut, customers can enter a sweepstakes for a chance to win a robe of their own, get into the holiday spirit by watching the Corona Feliz Navidad holiday ad, play a festive game to receive a discount code to purchase gear, and connect to Instacart and Drizly to order Corona online.
“I am thrilled to be collaborating with Corona on this capsule collection, applying my ‘design your life’ mantra to the beer space and holiday season,” Coles says.
“I’ve collaborated with Corona and Snoop Dogg on all of the La Vida Más Fina commercials, so it’s exciting to go a step further, extend the rules around where fashion lives and see my couture designs adorn the brand’s iconic cans.”
Kingfisher
Kingfisher has launched what is pitched as the first AI powered assistant in the home improvement sector, harnessing the capability of generative AI to support customers with their DIY projects.
Launching initially at Castorama France, this answers customers’ DIY queries and provides step-by-step advice on a range of home improvement projects, as well as tailored product recommendations.
Customers can ask the assistant questions in natural language while shopping online – for example “how do I install a worktop in my kitchen” or “which saw should I choose to cut my worktop?”.
It will answer in a friendly and conversational way with relevant advice.
As well as conversing with customers via text chat, the assistant will soon be able analyse photos to perform visual searches and answer visual queries.
J.Crew
J.Crew has launched a holiday virtual store experience in partnership with Obsess, featuring an AI Card Generator and Ski Game.
The World of J.Crew offering takes the form of a snow lodge for women’s apparel and accessories and a separate ski chalet for men’s apparel.
The AI Card Generator allows visitors to answer a set of ‘this or that’ questions, which will then generate a holiday greeting card based on their responses.
The Ski Game is inspired by a vintage video game that has the player move the skier through a series of red flags to avoid trees on the path.
Visitors can interact with content highlighting the brand’s heritage, participate in a scavenger hunt for a chance to win a cashmere giveaway, and shop J.Crew’s curated edit of winter and holiday styles.
Sensei
Portuguese startup Sensei has announced its entry into Italy with the opening of the country’s first autonomous supermarket.
Located in Verona, the Tuday Prendi & Vai location was inaugurated on Wednesday 8th November, offering a shopping experience with no queues, or self-scanning or checkout processes.
Sensei, whose autonomous stores can also be found in Europe and South America, has partnered with the DAO cooperative, which has been operating in the retail sector for over 60 years and is present in the provinces of Trento, Bolzano, Vicenza, and Verona, where it manages the Conad brand.
Tuday Prendi & Go (in English, Grab & Go) in Verona allows customers to enter without any barriers, pick up the products they want, and leave without the need to go to a checkout counter and/or wait in line to pay.
It also marks the debut of technological developments made by Sensei to enhance the user experience.
In addition to eliminating barriers to entry into the store, it offers people the opportunity to review their shopping cart, updated in real-time, before leaving the store. At the payment terminal, after accessing their cart, customers can choose from different payment methods and pay by card or using the Tuday - Prendi & Vai app.
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