Amazon opens Second Chance Store in London: the retail technology news you might have missed last week
Failed to keep up with the breaking retail technology news last week? Then have no fear as we have you covered. Here are the major stories that you need to know about. Includes Amazon UK, New Look, InPost, Marks & Spencer, Walmart, Square, ASICS, and the 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards.
Adyen announces payments partnership with S Group across 1,900+ locations in Finland and Estonia
Finnish retailer, S Group, has entered into a long-term partnership with Adyen.
S Group offers everyday services at grocery stores, hotels and restaurants, department stores, service st Garden Roomation stores, hardware stores and its own bank, with more than 500 million transactions annually.
The partnership will help it connect online and offline channels, providing customers with omnichannel experiences and loyalty programme capacity across its brand portfolio.
2023 RTIH Innovation Awards winners announced during glittering ceremony in central London last week
Last week, we announced the winning submissions for the 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards, sponsored by PMC, FreedomPay, Worldpay from FIS, CADS, 3D Cloud by Marxent, Goodays, and Vista Technology Support.
Our winners were revealed during an event which took place at the Barbican Centre in central London and included a drinks reception in the stunning Conservatory, followed by a Christmas themed three course meal, and awards presentation in the.
Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, says: “Since we launched the awards in 2019, they have gone from strength to strength and holding them at the Barbican Centre, a much loved, internationally acclaimed venue, is going to be a tough one to top.”
“Thanks to all those who entered the 2023 awards, many of whom were at our event last night. We received a record number of submissions this year and many fantastic examples of the continued resilience and dynamism of the retail space during hugely challenging times.”
“Congratulations to our 2023 winners and highly commended submissions.”
“To quote a member of our judging panel: “What a year, these awards are really going from strength to strength. There were many categories in there that were so difficult to call. Very worthy entries and winners.”
Further information on all our 2023 entries can be found here.
Marks and Spencer records major increase in annual gift card revenue via Runa partnership
Runa reports that its platform has brought a 245% year-on-year increase in gift card revenue volume to its partner M&S.
The retailer sought to grow its sales in this area and increase its share of wallet by distributing gift cards across Runa’s customer base.
Amazon puts returned, refurbished and open box items back on sale at new physical store in London
Amazon has opened a Second Chance Store in London, giving festive shoppers the chance to buy quality returned products in-person, for the first time.
This is located at the Brunswick Centre in Central London, and features deals on a wide range of returned products. Customers can shop for kitchen and household appliances, books, games and toys, electricals and more.
Amazon offers quality returned products year round online at Amazon Second Chance, which also provides customers with information about product repair, recycling and trade-in for electronics.
The store is open for the next two weeks in partnership with Barnardo’s, with all proceeds supporting its work with children and young people.
Amazon UK opens Just Walk Out technology powered Amazon Fresh store in Notting Hill, London
Amazon has opened an Amazon Fresh store in Notting Hill, London.
This is its 20th in the UK market and 19th in London, with the non-London location situated in Sevenoaks, Kent.
To enter the store, customers walk through a non-gated entrance and shop for what they need.
When done, they can either scan their in-store code (via the Amazon app) at the exit gate or tap their credit card. Customers can also use one of three self-checkout tills for an extra option.
And they can pick up and return items purchased online from the in-store Amazon Hub counter, with a QR code.
New Look teams with TrusTrace to support sustainability strategy with deeper supply chain visibility
TrusTrace has announced a partnership with New Look, a fashion retailer in the UK and Republic of Ireland, to help the company gain greater visibility across its supply chain through suppliers and assist in identifying responsible sourcing and business continuity risks.
“New Look is the first major UK retailer to join forces with TrusTrace, marking a major milestone in our pursuit to make global supply chains traceable, circular and fair,” says TrusTrace CEO and Co-Founder Shameek Ghosh.
“TrusTrace facilitates data collection from Tier 1 through to Tier 4, enabling New Look to access granular, validated product data to support its sustainability goals. This partnership will contribute to New Look’s ‘Kind to our Core’ mission by helping them make informed decisions to enhance responsible sourcing.”
“We’re thrilled to partner with TrusTrace to gain deeper visibility through to our Tier 4 suppliers, helping us to further mitigate any supply chain risks,” says Sue Fairley, Head of Sustainability at New Look.
“We’ve already made incredible progress through our ‘Kind to Our Core’ sustainability programme – as evidenced in our recently released 2023 Sustainability Report – and it’s just the beginning.”
Virtual fitting room specialist 3DLOOK partners with BERSHKA to boost online shopping experience
3DLOOK, a specialist in AI powered mobile body scanning and virtual try-on solutions, has announced a partnership with BERSHKA, a fashion brand under the Inditex (ITX) umbrella.
The tie up aims to reduce return rates for the brand, boost conversions and sales by eliminating the sizing guesswork online shoppers face, and simultaneously provide interactive shopping experiences to young tech savvy consumers.
BERSHKA will leverage 3DLOOK's virtual fitting room YourFit, to provide accurate size and fit recommendations, as well as an engaging virtual try-on experience, directly on its website.
Customers can now choose an item and click on a “See how it fits me” widget to be voice guided in real-time through a quick and easy camera-based flow.
Using a front and side photo of the customer, the solution’s precise 3D mapping technology and size recommendation engine then offer instant feedback on what size would fit best and provide an accurate and photorealistic virtual try-on experience.
New Walmart Add to Heart shoppable series aims gets shoppers into holiday spirit and delivers gifting inspiration
Walmart is this holiday season bringing together shopping and watching romcoms.
The retailer is launching “Add to Heart”, enabling customers to find holiday gifting inspiration while tuning in to the 23-part shoppable series, pitched as a RomCommerce of sorts.
The series will be released on TikTok, Roku and YouTube starting on 2nd December, with the remainder dropping on 5th and 8th December.
“The holidays are such a special season. We know gifting and curling up to watch a favourite Christmas movie are part of so many families’ traditions. So, what better time to launch an innovative, first of its kind shoppable series,” said William White, Chief Marketing Officer, Walmart U.S.
“‘Add to Heart’ is a fun, unique way for our customers to be entertained while shopping for the great deals on top brands that they expect from Walmart. We hope they enjoy it and the amazing gifts they order throughout.”
True Classic deploys parcelLab technology as it looks to scale international post-purchase operations
True Classic, a US-based DTC fashion brand, has selected parcelLab to upgrade its post-purchase and returns management experience.
“We are always looking for partners in business that we can build a long-term relationship with,” says Breanna Moreno, VP of Customer Experience at True Classic.
“parcelLab is not just a vendor, but a partner. The team has been hugely beneficial in helping us uplevel our post-purchase and returns management processes to grow with us as we continue our international expansion.”
“We are constantly striving to put our customers first at True Classic – and centralised, real-time customer analytics provided by parcelLab has been invaluable in driving future business strategy and creating a fully personalised experience for our growing customer base.”
Levelling the payments playing field: Square launches Tap to Pay on iPhone for merchants across the UK
Square has launched Tap to Pay on iPhone across the UK, making it the third market globally where the company will offer the technology to its sellers.
Fossil Group gears up to deploy NewStore mobile Point of Sale solution across 19 countries
Fossil Group is using NewStore’s technology globally across its Fossil, Fossil Outlet, and Watch Station stores.
The lifestyle accessories company has replaced its legacy store solution with the NewStore mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) solution, which will be live in hundreds of locations across 19 countries once the project is complete.
Fossil Group is putting an app powered, digitally connected retail experience in the hands of its associates, allowing them to assist and check out customers anywhere on the store floor with a mobile device.
ASICS taps BlueConic CDP platform for enhanced personalisation and data privacy compliance
ASICS has selected pureplay customer data platform (CDP) BlueConic as it looks to reimagine the way it engages with customers.
The move will empower its team to support a growing number of personalisation projects while remaining compliant with consumer data privacy regulations around the globe.
With operations across the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania, ASICS is best known for its sports apparel, shoes, equipment, and accessories for men, women, and children.
The company acquired fitness app RunKeeper in 2016 for its potential as a one-on-one marketing channel.
With a focus on increasing engagement and loyalty both within the app and across brands, channels, and regions, ASICS will use BlueConic to unify its first-party data for a deeper, real-time understanding of individual interests, behaviours, consent preferences, and more.
InPost hits 6,000 parcel locker market in the UK amid strong demand for out of home delivery options
InPost has deployed its 6,000th parcel locker in the UK at the Sainsbury’s Chiswick Superstore, London.
In Q3 2023, parcel volumes across InPost’s UK network rose to 13.4 million, a 128% increase from the same period in 2022.
The business has continued to expand the reach of its network, with 51% of residents in the UK’s core cities now living within a seven minute walk of an InPost OOH point.
This means consumers can collect, return and send their parcels at locations such as train stations, petrol forecourts and supermarkets 24/7.
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