Confer With pushes the boundaries: RTIH’s biggest retail technology articles on LinkedIn right now
We’re big fans of LinkedIn and are busy building an amazing community of retail tech enthusiasts on the social media platform. These are the articles that are currently on their radars, including InPost UK, Blue Yonder, Snappy Shopper, Costa Coffee, Adyen, Confer With, 3DLOOK, Marks and Spencer, Halfords Group, and ASICS.
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 Garden Room.
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.
7-Eleven Mexico boosts category management capabilities with Blue Yonder and GOLDCO partnership
7-Eleven Mexico has implemented Blue Yonder’s category management SaaS solution to address a gap in its retail operations and gain the ability to create planograms, which, it says, has resulted in a better consumer shopping experience and minimised out-of-stock products.
The project was implemented by GOLDCO, a Blue Yonder partner.
Halfords Group partners with FinTech firm Kriya to offer flexible payment terms to B2B customers
Halfords Group, a UK provider of motoring and cycling products and services, has selected Kriya, an embedded finance specialist, to power payments and credit for its trade account customers.
Under the partnership, Kriya will embed its financial tools across Halfords stores, customer teams, and online.
Monica Vinader taps Constructor artificial intelligence powered product discovery and search platform
Jewellery brand Monica Vinader has selected Constructor, an AI powered product discovery and search platform, to engage online shoppers with bespoke digital experiences.
Parcel locker specialist InPost UK scores a first as it becomes official partner of Newcastle United
InPost has become an official partner of Premier League football team Newcastle United.
InPost UK has 6,000 out of home delivery options across the country.
This number is set to increase as Newcastle United supporters will soon be able to use bespoke parcel lockers at St James’ Park – the first in the country at a Premier League stadium.
Snappy Shopper retail technology chosen to power Jersey-based Order It food delivery web and app
Snappy Group, the technology company behind Snappy Shopper, a UK grocery and convenience store delivery app, has announced a new partnership, with Jersey delivery food business provider Order It.je.
Snappy Shopper's white label technology will be used to power Order It’s fleet of Jersey-based deliveries from this month, under the Order It. je website and app.
The latter will now be able to offer shoppers an array of features that make better grocery shopping possible on Jersey from the comfort of their own homes or offices.
This includes asap and scheduled delivery slots, exclusive delivery promotions, bespoke categories, product deals and updated order alert preferences.
The wider partnership also includes Alliance Supermarkets who operate four retail supermarkets on Jersey and supply Order It exclusively with its product range. The next few months will see the online product offering expand and grow.
2023 RTIH Innovation Awards winner Costa Coffee taps latest retail technology for Plymouth store refresh
Costa Coffee has unveiled its revamped New George Street store in Plymouth.
This now features touchscreen ordering and a dedicated collection point for customers on the go, complementing a refreshed counter and modern seating for those staying in.
Whilst a new mobile ‘order to table’ feature makes life easier thanks to a QR code scannable on the Costa Club app.
The store will also feature a ‘Chatter and Natter’ table to help bring together the local community in Plymouth.
Volunteers from the Chatty Café scheme will soon be on hand to provide an opportunity for people to connect with new friends, share stories, and enjoy the companionship of others over a cup of coffee.
Confer With announced as Overall Winner at 2023 RTIH retail technology innovation awards event
Confer With, a 1:2:1 video commerce platform built for retail and e-commerce firms seeking to scale personal shopping, emerged victorious last week as the Overall Winner at the 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards.
After a rigorous judging process and amidst strong competition across various categories, Confer With received praise not only for its individual contributions but also for its collaborative efforts with retail partners such as L'Occitane, OWAY and Dunelm.
"Our commitment to transforming the retail landscape through innovative technology has always been at the core of what we do," says Serge Milbank, CEO/Founder at Confer With.
"Winning this award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team and the fruitful collaborations with our partners. We are excited to continue pushing the boundaries and shaping the future of retail."
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.
This will help it connect online and offline channels, providing customers with omnichannel experiences and loyalty programme capacity across its brand portfolio.
Aldi Nord harmonises computer vision and AI at Trigo and shopreme powered Shop & Go store in Utrecht
Aldi Nord has redesigned its Trigo and shopreme powered Aldi Shop & Go store in the Dutch city of Utrecht.
In a LinkedIn post, Dr. Christian Bock, Team Lead Self-Service Checkout & Cashless Payment at Aldi Nord, said: “We are delighted to announce that we have taken another significant step towards an innovative and forward looking development, both technologically and business wise.”
“Our team takes immense pride in the redesign of our test store in Utrecht. Over the past year and a half, we've learned a great deal collaboratively with our customers, and it fills us with pride to incorporate these insights directly into the store's transformation.”
He added: “We are particularly excited to share that we have made the store even more appealing in accordance with our customers’ preferences. Through the harmonisation of computer vision and artificial intelligence, not only has the product assortment been subtly repositioned, but we have also revolutionised the checkout process.”
“This groundbreaking integration of technologies allows us to embark on entirely new paths, fundamentally enhancing the shopping experience from product selection to payment.”
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.
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.
Pricer appoints former Clear Channel exec Finn Wikander as Chief Product Officer
Electronic shelf label (ESL) vendor, Pricer, has announced the appointment of Finn Wikander as its Chief Product Officer.
He joins from Clear Channel Scandinavia, where he held the role of Chief Product & Strategy Officer, and will be responsible for developing Pricer’s product and solutions portfolio roadmap, as it looks to accelerate innovation around its Plaza platform and its suite of store execution solutions.
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.
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