Social successes and spooky drones: 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 Best Buy, Walmart de Mexico y Centroamerica, L’Occitane en Provence, Good Housekeeping, Monoprix, Tom Ford, and Żabka Polska.
Walmart de Mexico y Centroamerica
Navori Labs has deployed a unified digital signage software and AI-based camera analytics solution for Walmart Connect, the omnichannel retail media business of Walmart de Mexico y Centroamerica.
This is now live across all 173 Walmart Supercenters in Mexico and 180 of 200 in-country Sam’s Club locations, with the remaining 20 stores to follow.
The Navori Labs QL digital signage and Aquaji analytics solution allows Walmart de Mexico y Centroamerica to gather customer engagement metrics and offer analytics, including shopper demographics, to DOOH advertising partners that advertise their brands across its in-store digital media networks.
L’Occitane en Provence
Set up in a cozy chalet within the Provençal French Alps, the experience aims to reflect the brand’s focus on the joy of giving and sharing, bringing about the spirit of gifting, allowing guests to discover its limited edition holiday ranges, alongside a learning journey into L'Occitane’s recycling initiatives.
Stepping outdoors, each guest is greeted by a Christmas experience, with an Olive tree that they can light up themselves.
The Provencal Christmas tree, a millenary tree symbolisng joy, strength and togetherness, is also the spot where guests get to create their own personalised postcard, containing their curated product wishlist, to send to their loved ones.
Good Housekeeping and TalkShopLive
TalkShopLive reports over two million views and counting for its recent Good Housekeeping tie up.
This saw the latter team up with the online livestream home shopping platform to introduce its first ever GH Live Shopping Week, where people could score exclusive deals on gift worthy products from celebs and influencers.
From 9th October through to 14th October, it was possible to tune in every day to the experience on goodhousekeeping.com.
Things kicked off with Dolly Parton and the chance to nab a copy of her very first rock album, Rockstar, and her upcoming book, Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones.
Elsewhere in the schedule, Good Housekeeping hosted an exclusive reveal of select products from Paris Hilton’s new cookware line with Walmart.
Conway Kombucha
Polytag has announced a partnership with Conway Kombucha, producers of Blighty Booch, that aims to help the drinks brand increase direct-to-consumer sales and enhance communication with customers through a QR code solution.
From October, Blighty Booch will feature Polytag’s GS1 approved QR codes on labels across its range.
These are applied as part of a standard digital printing process using SCREEN technology at Limpet Labels, Wrexham. Once scanned, the QR codes take consumers to customisable, branded landing pages, developed using a tool on the Blighty Booch dashboard.
Through said dashboard, hosted on the Polytag platform, Blighty Booch can tailor messages to different consumer groups or by range, which can be updated or amended at any time.
By scanning a tag, the brand can provide consumers with facts about the product’s myriad health benefits, information on its naturally fermented Kombucha, latest offers, recycling advice or even drive them straight to Blighty Booch’s online shop.
The partnership will also provide Blighty Booch with access to consumer insights that can be used to shape future marketing strategies.
Polytag’s platform will deliver information on consumption patterns and regional sales data, based on where every QR code is scanned and how customers interact with the brand after purchasing a product.
Manna Drone Delivery
The initiative kicked off the European company’s first US operations, where it will be serving residents at Pecan Square by Hillwood Communities.
They will have the opportunity to order a range of food and beverages from both national and local retailers, including a wide selection of Halloween chocolates and candies.
“After over four years of operations and over 150,000 flights logged in Europe, we are excited to be touching down in the United States to offer the residents of Dallas/Fort Worth a lightning quick and sustainable home delivery service,” says Andrew Patton, Head of US for Manna Drone Delivery.
“We are taking Halloween to new heights, with a fun new way for kids to trick or treat - especially when the weather isn’t very Halloween compatible.”
Better Cotton
Sustainability initiative, Better Cotton, has officially launched what is pitched as a first of its kind traceability solution for the fashion and textile sectors.
This has been developed over three years and will provide visibility of cotton’s journey through the supply chain by logging stakeholder input on the Better Cotton platform.
The organisation has worked with a network of member retailers and brands, including H&M Group, Marks & Spencer, Walmart, Target, Bestseller, Gap and C&A, to ensure that fashion companies can accurately trace and disclose the origin of raw materials, and comply with emerging regulations.
Monoprix
A2Z Smart Technologies Corp. reports that, further to announcements of its channel partnership with IR2S intended to deploy 30,000 smart carts across retail chains in France between 2023 and 2026, A2Z Cust2mate has received a first purchase order involving Monoprix stores.
Monoprix operates a portfolio of over 700 locations and operates as part of the Casino Group, which has a global footprint spanning over 11,500 locations worldwide.
The initial phase of the partnership involves the delivery of 250 smart carts, with anticipation for deployment at 20 select Monoprix locations starting within the current quarter of 2023.
Tom Ford
A six metre tall immersive experience now sits at the Galeries Lafayette Paris Central podium, promoting the launch of the latest Tom Ford Private Blend addition, Myrrhe Mystère.
Interactive screens bathe the space in dreamy swirling amber and cream tones.
People can experience Myrrhe Mystère via a range of touchpoints, many of them tech led.
Digital and on-counter screens with video assets showcase the essence of the fragrance and tell the story of its amber and myrrh heritage. The installation was designed and built by Outform.
Żabka Polska
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.”
TUMI
TUMI has launched its first 3D Out-Of-Home (OOH) advertisement featuring the brand’s Tegra-Lite collection at the Malaysia Pavilion.
This runs through to the end of October 2023.
In a LinkedIn post, Jill Krizelman, Senior Vice President, Global Marketing & eCommerce, said: “This cutting- edge 3D spot is intended to demonstrate the groundbreaking durability and resilience of our Tegra-Lite collection. Catch it if you're in Malaysia this month and we'll be featuring other key global cities ahead.”
Millwall FC and Sodexo Live!
Back of the net! Sodexo Live! launches permanent self-serve Ebar Beerwalls at Millwall Football Club
Last week fans of Millwall Football Club became the first to try Sodexo Live’s self-serve EBar Beerwall offering - a fully automated and permanent fast pour drinks solution.
Sodexo Live! has been Millwall’s venue partner at The Den in South London since 2012 where it offers retail food services (concourse catering and beverages).
American Freight
American Freight, a US-based retailer of furniture, mattresses and appliances, is expanding into Utah for the first time with the opening of four new stores in the Salt Lake City metro area.
Visitors will be able to visualise how furniture will look in their homes before purchasing using AR technology on the company’s website.
Following the first opening in Ogden, American Freight will open three additional locations in Layton, Orem and Logan.
Best Buy
TalkShopLive is set to power a series of live shopping shows for Best Buy.
The three-part holiday shopping series kicked off this week and highlighted the best beauty and wellness tech products, live from the Best Buy Studios.
The events will broadcast on Best Buy’s TalkShopLive channel and will be hosted by the retailer’s Virtual Sales Experts.
Each show will feature tech from some of Best Buy’s newest categories like beauty and wellness, e-transportation, outdoor living, pet tech and even a few not-so-techy things like LEGO.
Additionally, during each show, viewers will see some limited time deals and one person will have a chance to win a $200 Best Buy gift card.
Georgia Southern University
Georgia Southern University has opened a newly renovated Gus Mart convenience store – now featuring Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology – in the Fielding D. Russell Union on its Statesboro campus.
Georgia Southern is the first university in its state to feature the Just Walk Out offering. The store will operate with extended hours, allowing guests to better shop when it’s easiest for them.
JD Sports
JD Sports has turned the arrival of a giant fluffy Croc at its Arndale, Manchester store into a social media success story.
In a LinkedIn post, Lauren C., Social Media Executive at JD Sports, said: “Mega proud of this one. Ten million views later. Last week a giant fluffy Croc arrived in the JD Arndale store, immediately I’m thinking of how we can get it on social.”
She added: “I saw a trending sound about (Formula 1 driver) Lando Norris floating around TikTok and thought it would fit perfectly around my idea. A few days later, I’ve surpassed ten million views on the video.”
“McLaren Automotive (Norris’ team) dropped a comment on how they thought Lando would love the content, so I sent him a pair of Crocs to the McLaren HQ.”
“Over 1.4 million likes and 10,000 comments later, the sentiment has been super positive and just shows the hype around Crocs at the moment.”
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