Featuring StoryStream, Ocula Boost, and Sook: check out 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 live video shopping, stock inventory drones, and the future of entertainment and advertising.
StoryStream
StoryStream has announced the launch of a new live video shopping solution, following a series of pilot projects with brands including LookFantastic and Lancome, Braun, Oral-B and Zavvi.
With Live Video Shopping Studio, online retailers can now host live shopping events that allow customers to interact with hosts in real-time, ask questions, and make purchases directly from the video stream.
The platform also includes features such as dynamic product highlights, emoji reactions, and real-time analytics.
AO
UK-based online retailer AO is tapping Ocula Technologies’ Ocula Boost solution.
The AI platform addresses abandoned shopping carts by analysing sites to: identify actions to improve the customer experience, accessibility and performance; rank insights based on predicted value and effort; and ensure teams focus on the right areas.
“Ocula Boost is helping us interpret the data and insights to show that our investments in content and performance are improving the website and ultimately making shopping for electricals even easier for our customers,” says Clare Evans, Head of E-commerce at AO.
“Being selected by AO is testament to our commitment to build the world’s leading e-commerce insight platform. The partnership is a great fit and we are excited about what we can achieve together,” Thomas McKenna, CEO at Ocula.
Sephora and TikTok
Sephora and TikTok have teamed up to help new brands grow on the social media platform.
The Sephora x TikTok Incubator Program will connect TikTok creators to brands from Sephora’s Accelerate initiative.
Participants will hear from #beautytok creators such as Amy Chang, Rocio Lopez-Jimenez and Nyma Tang.
"Brands that have a savvy understanding of creator led social media and creator relations have a clear advantage in not only conceptualising beauty content that resonates with their audience, but also in building genuine connections,” says Brent Mitchell, VP of Marketing, Social and Influencer at Sephora.
“We have long been known as a brand builder in the prestige beauty landscape, and we are thrilled to partner with TikTok to share this unique creator driven perspective with our brands and build a more inclusive beauty community."
H&M
Ikea
One hundred autonomous drones are now operational in Ikea stores - the latest in Ikea Zaventem, Belgium – with owner Ingka Group saying it is the first retailer to use such a solution for stock inventory.
Two years ago, Ingka Group and the Supply Chain Development Team at Inter Ikea Group, together with Verity, a provider of indoor drone systems, started developing a fully autonomous drone solution.
As a result, 100 drones are now at work during non-operational hours, with the aim of improving stock accuracy and securing availability of products for online or physical retailing. This means that co-workers no longer need to manually confirm each pallet.
“We are investing in technology across the board so that our stores can better support customer fulfilment and become true centres for omnichannel retailing,” says Tolga Öncu, Head of Retail at Ingka Group.
“Introducing drones and other advanced tools – such as, for example, robots for picking up goods – is a genuine win-win for everybody. It improves our co-workers’ wellbeing, lowers operational costs, and allows us to become more affordable and convenient for our customers.”
Co-op and Starship Technologies
Starship Technologies has partnered with Trafford Council and the Co-op to bring autonomous grocery deliveries to residents across Sale in Greater Manchester.
Also operating in Milton Keynes, Northampton, Bedford, Cambourne, Cambridge and Leeds, orders are made through the Starship app with groceries picked in local Co-op stores and delivered to customers on-demand.
Chris Conway, eCommerce Director, Co-op, says: “Co-op stores are well placed in the heart of local communities to provide quick, easy and convenient home deliveries - whether a full shop or last minute top-ups.”
“We are committed to exploring new and innovative ways to increase access to our products and services, and delighted to be able to roll-out autonomous robots to provide additional online flexibility and choice in Greater Manchester.”
Sook
Sook, which takes vacant retail spaces and gives them a modular, digital fit-out which can be rented by the hour, has landed in Islington Square, a place in north London to eat, drink and shop which is situated in an old postal sorting office.
This is Sook’s sixth opening in London.
In a LinkedIn post, the company said: “This is our sleekest space yet, boasting floor to ceiling windows, boutique style warm wooden flooring and art gallery-esque adjustable lighting.”
“This space will be one to watch; we can’t wait to see how brands transform it to showcase themselves alongside some wonderful neighbours including Anthropologie, A.P.C., Meghan's Restaurant, Third Space and JIJI.”
“With a grand total of 554,000 catchment residents and 21,000 workers within a ten minute walk, this prosperous, trendy and cosmopolitan area is the perfect place to put your brand on the map. Available to book now from April onwards.”
BJ’s Wholesale Club
BJ’s Wholesale Club has announced a partnership with Simbe to roll-out the company’s business intelligence solution, Tally, to all club locations across its footprint.
“We are excited to collaborate with Simbe to bring their industry leading technology and platform to our clubs,” says Jeff Desroches, Executive Vice President, Chief Operations Officer, BJ’s Wholesale Club.
“By deploying Tally in all of our club locations, we will gain unprecedented insights which will leverage real-time data, enabling us to continuously improve our operation and ensure that we’re offering the best possible experience to both our team members and members.”
Rimi Baltic
Rimi Baltic has implemented SymphonyAI Retail CPG cloud-based macro and micro space solutions.
It has deployed the firm’s space platform, including Store View planogram distribution, Assortment Optimisation, Shelf Planning and Category Insights reporting across its stores in Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.
Rimi Baltic is also currently working with SymphonyAI to implement floor planning.
Using SymphonyAI Retail CPG solutions on Microsoft Azure, Rimi Baltic says it is focused on achieving more efficiencies in planogram design, deployment and compliance with improved communication between headquarters and stores.
The pair are also implementing planogram automation across all stores. The SymphonyAI Retail CPG solutions are integrated with critical Rimi Baltic systems of record, including existing master data management and supply chain management.
Salesforce
HURR and Packfleet
All-electric courier Packfleet and fashion rental company, HURR, are teaming up on sustainable deliveries.
The former will handle thousands of items from fashion brands and designers such as Selfridges, Flannels and John Lewis – all of which offer fashion rental services through HURR Enterprise.
All of the latter’s orders within the M25 will be delivered by Packfleet.
Aided by its live map tracking, HURR’s London customers can follow their parcel every step of the journey.
On delivery day, they will have the option to change everything about the order – including the time their parcel arrives, the address it arrives at, and whether drivers ring the doorbell – any point on the drivers’ journey.
REWE
REWE has opened its fourth Trigo powered store, situated in Cologne, Germany’s fourth largest city.
Located in the Sülz neighbourhood, this is, at 564 sqm, Trigo’s largest store to date.
Kai-Uwe Reimers, Head of Research and Innovation, REWE digital, comments: “The bar is rising around customer expectations, customers have less time, cost and effort are getting more important.”
“Computer vision will be the core of the future store. It changes the supermarket workflow by introducing frictionless checkout which solves the biggest customer pain point in the store: standing in line.”
“When we were ready to start with frictionless checkout it was clear that Trigo would be the first to talk to.”
“We screened the market again, we talked to other retailers and in the end, we decided for Trigo because we really believe in the team, we really believe in the solution, and we think it’s the most advanced solution at the moment.”
DB Schenker
DB Schenker, a supply chain management and logistics service provider, has opened an automated e-commerce facility servicing its retail customers in Spain, Portugal and France.
Operations in the 50,000 m2 warehouse in Guadalajara have started with 150 employees in newly created jobs, and more than 200 robots.
The site is equipped with a goods-to-person picking system to handle around 120,000 units per day based on autonomous mobile robots (AMR) provided by Geek+.
adidas is the main customer.
Co-op and Spring
Co-op has expanded its trial with tech recirculation startup, Spring, with the introduction of reusable pouches for shoppers’ old and unwanted phones and electronic devices.
The new service, known as Spring Post, goes live this week in 45 Co-op stores located in towns and cities including: Birmingham; Brighton; Bristol; Cardiff; Leeds; London; Manchester and Swansea.
Customers collect one of Spring’s pouches from a participating store, and send tech they no longer use to the company, earning cash for them in the process.
The move increases the total number of Co-op stores offering Spring’s service to 75, and is in addition to self-service pods located in 30 of the convenience retailer’s locations.
Marymount University and Amazon
Marymount University has become the first higher education institution in the US to have an on-campus convenience store powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out tech.
Located in the lobby of Gerard Phelan Hall on Marymount’s main campus in Arlington, Saints 24 opened to the University community for the first time on Friday.
Customers use their credit card at the entry gates of Saints 24, grab what they need and the technology automatically detects what is taken from (or returned to) store shelves, creating a virtual shopping cart.
When people have completed their shopping, they can leave the store without stopping to check out, and their credit card will be charged for the items they took.
Best Buy and Roku
TV streaming platform, Roku, and US consumer tech retailer, Best Buy, have announced what is pitched as a first to market relationship across their advertising and retail businesses.
This will see Best Buy provide Roku with its first-party data for targeting and closed-loop measurement.
It will also give shoppers exclusive access to Roku branded TVs.
“Our goal is to create a better TV experience for everyone,” says Julian Mintz, Co-Head of U.S. Brand Sales at Roku Media.
“We’re bringing together our entire business to build the future of entertainment and advertising, making the TV experience simpler, offering the right marketing, data, tech, and scale to drive real results, and helping win the entire streamer’s journey together with Best Buy.”
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