Headline acts: these are 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 Retail Technology Show 2023, Compass Group, AiFi, PayPal, Co-op, Standard AI, Obsess, and Instacart.
Compass Group opens doors to AiFi technology powered bar at Aston Villa football club
Compass Group has opened a second checkout-free location in a UK stadium.
Situated at Premier League football club Aston Villa, this is a bar powered by AiFi technology.
The first bar can be found at Leicester City F.C.
In a LinkedIn post, dated 4th February, Peter Waugh, Digital & Data Director, UK/I, at Compass Group said: “I hate Q’ing, I don’t want to queue behind someone buying food and drink if I just want a drink, I want to maximise the time with my mates, just make it easy, half time is only 15 mins…”.
He added: “OK, no problem…Compass’ second computer vision bar in UK stadia, this time Aston Villa, launched today.”
“Tap your card, enter, pick your drink or food, and walk out. Plus if you want to order your beers and food for half time time, you can, with self-serve kiosks…no waiting. And if you fancy pouring your own - the Holte stand offers that as well.”
Dragon’s Den star and Social Chain founder Steven Bartlet set to headline Retail Technology Show 2023
Steven Bartlett, Dragon’s Den investor and founder of Social Chain, has been confirmed to headline at Retail Technology Show, taking place on 26th and 27th April at London’s Olympia.
Joining over 100+ retail thought leaders and luminaries taking to the stage at the event, Bartlett will take his place among leading retailers, including Alibaba, Deliveroo, Curry’s, The Very Group and boohoo, discussing the hottest and most pressing topics shaping the industry agenda.
Speaking on two of the show, Bartlett, aka as the Diary of a CEO podcast host, will headline as a keynote for the E-commerce Growth & Omnichannel track which will be moderated this year by retail broadcaster and ‘Customer Whisperer’, Kate Hardcastle.
Alo Yoga teams with RTIH Innovation Awards winner Obsess on virtual reality shopping experience
Alo Yoga, an activewear and lifestyle brand, has launched an immersive digital shopping experience complete with virtual reality integration, digital styling capabilities, streaming beauty and wellness tutorials, workout classes, and checkout.
It has partnered on this with 2022 RTIH Innovation Awards winner, Obsess, with users able to experience it via desktop, mobile, or the Meta Quest 2 VR headset.
All Saints founder Stuart Trevor gets onboard with new ‘omnicommerce’ retail app Stored
Stored, a new retail app linking the physical high street to digital opportunities has been backed by All Saints founder Stuart Trevor, who has joined the startup’s team as part of its advisory board.
Trevor, who founded All Saints in 1994, previously headed up menswear at Reiss, and also founded British fashion brand Bolongaro Trevor.
His latest project is Impact Central, an entertainment led department store which will house brands with a positive social or environmental impact. The venture will be integrated with Stored from launch.
HappyOrNot taps artificial intelligence software for Smiley Touch customer feedback terminal update
Instant customer feedback insights company HappyOrNot has announced the launch of an updated version of its Smiley Touch terminal.
Accumulating over a billion feedback responses since its launch, HappyOrNot’s range of smiley faced terminals serve over 4,000 brands in 135 countries including Amazon, Google, Aramark, and Miami Airport.
The new version uses a built in camera system and AI software to unlock and connect in-moment anonymous feedback data with respondent(s) demographic information.
The demographic analysis works by converting and mapping facial features into numerous data points to form a vector. The anonymised vector is then analysed by the AI to estimate the feedback provider’s age and gender - with up to a 95% accuracy rate.
Unlike facial recognition tools, HappyOrNot’s updated terminal does not identify the individual, instead its only purpose is to analyse a silhouetted vector, which is specifically designed to hide the respondent’s identity.
The upgraded terminals have already been adopted by European retail chain XXL Sport & Villmark and Canadian pharmacy chain MacQuarries.
Co-op connects with PayPal to offer additional digital payment choice for grocery shoppers
UK convenience retailer Co-op has teamed with PayPal.
The latter is now available for shoppers as a payment option for purchases of online home delivery orders and Click and Collect via Co-op’s online shop.
Co-op launched its online shop in 2019 and now offers its service through more than 2,000 stores in communities across the UK. Groceries are picked fresh in the local store, and orders are available often in a matter of minutes.
Self-checkout and autonomous retail combined as Standard AI set to acquire Skip
Autonomous retail firm Standard AI has inked a definitive agreement to acquire self-checkout solutions provider, Skip.
Terms of the deal have not been disclosed.
Standard AI says that it will become the only company to connect self-checkout with AI powered autonomous checkout into one integrated experience.
It will integrate Skip’s cloud-based point of sale (PoS) with the back office ecosystem to streamline operations and give greater control over price, discounts, promotions, and more.
Reducing shopper friction: Honeywell’s Tony Boncore gives retail technology takeaways from NRF 2023
The shopper is the channel, argues Tony Boncore, one of Honeywell’s global retail experts.
After the discussions he had with attendees at NRF 2023 in New York last month, alongside partners and other vendors, that’s one of his three big takeaways from the show.
Click here to read more.
Evri becomes first carrier to host new Drop Box and Printer capability from Parcel Pending by Quadient
Quadient has introduced an additional feature for its Parcel Pending by Quadient smart lockers that enables shoppers to easily drop off parcels, with the added ability to print shipping labels if needed.
As the new solution becomes available in the UK, Evri will be the first carrier to offer the Drop Box and Printer capability to its customers.
It is one of four international carriers that have joined the Quadient smart locker open network in the UK.
This currently accounts for about 300 locker stations in operation, with plans to reach 5,000 units in the coming years at the pace of about 200 new locations per month.
US grocer Foodcellar Market deploys Scan & Pay checkout technology powered by Instacart
Instacart has announced the launch of Scan & Pay in partnership with Long Island City grocer, Foodcellar Market.
The retailer is the first to fully debut this technology for in-store shopping.
Foodcellar can now allow customers to scan the barcodes of their items – including produce – while shopping and pay directly through their phones. This means no more waiting in line.
Scan & Pay links items bought in-store to customers’ online Instacart account, making it easier to shop their preferred items from Foodcellar.
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