Including Trigo, Ocula Boost, and Sook: check out the coolest retail technology plays of 2023 so far
RTIH Editor, Scott Thompson, brings you his top ‘future of retail’ systems launches and deployments from the first three months of the year, including checkout-free stores, stock inventory focused drones, interactive digital mannequins, explorations of the use cases of ChatGPT, and generative AI, and the first ever dedicated virtual store by an underwear company.
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.
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.”
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.”
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.”
Sensei and Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Sensei has launched Dojo, which, covering a total space of 500 square metres, is pitched as the largest fully autonomous store in Europe.
Created in collaboration with Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), the facility in Lisbon, Portugal is intended as a test lab.
Not open to the public, it provides an environment for Sensei and its partners to develop and test new autonomous store technologies. The tech behind Dojo is scalable for retail spaces ranging from from 150 m2 to 1,500 m2.
Features include gateless entry and exit, and an automatic card payment terminal where purchases are displayed in real-time at the end of a shop, so customers can make purchases without using an app.
There is also automated tracking of products served from assisted counters, such as a bakery, butchery or fish counter, and the integration of self-service coffee and juice machines.
River Island
Mercaux is delivering RFID self-checkout into stores of River Island, the British high street retailer, alongside key strategic partners.
Shoppers will be encouraged to use self-service devices to speed up the last step in their path to purchase.
After dropping the items into the “RFID Bucket”, said items appear instantly in a digital basket on Mercaux’s self-service kiosk where the customer completes the transaction.
This is made possible, in part, with Mercaux’s composable platform, allowing retailers to surface the checkout process on any device in-store (store associate or customer), eliminating the need for customers to join a line to be served by a store associate at the traditional cash register.
Mercaux’s technology was deployed and integrated with River Island’s existing omnichannel commerce platform with the support of system integrator, Cabiri.
The Trade Desk and Ocado
Advertising technology firm The Trade Desk has announced a partnership with online grocery big hitter Ocado Retail.
The pair claim that, as a result, Ocado is the first grocer in the UK to give direct access to its customer behaviour data, allowing marketers to optimise their audiences and attribute campaigns through The Trade Desk.
Ocado will provide advertisers with access to consented shopper data and insights.
Ocado suppliers and The Trade Desk’s clients will be able to leverage the pureplay’s first-party audiences to reach in-market shoppers and drive key marketing objectives, such as customer acquisition to build brand loyalty over time.
Furthermore, targeted campaigns can be optimised using Ocado data to close the loop between advertising spend and sales.
Outform
Outform has launched what is pitched as a first of its kind interactive digital mannequin at retail trade fair EuroShop.
This serves as a visual merchandising platform that lets the shopper control which products they see and how they’re represented in-store through their smartphones.
Shoppers who scan a QR code on the digital mannequin display can take control of what content is displayed.
They can choose which products they see from different perspectives, and which model wears them.
From there, they have the option to purchase the product directly through their mobile device on a microsite.
Ikea
Meta and Ikea have partnered with Stockholm-based immersive tech company Warpin Reality to put on an interactive augmented reality experience for families visiting Ikea stores across Sweden.
Called The Little Adventure (“Lilla Äventyret” in Swedish), the AR game can be opened as a filter on Instagram and aims to increase interest and knowledge about life in the ocean, with children able to (virtually) swim with various sea creatures and learn about them.
It also encourages players to engage with themes like littering and pollution prevention, with all three companies involved committed to increasing plastic recycling (for instance, Ikea’s Blåvingad collection from last year).
Ikea Retail Sweden has become the first retailer globally to explore the Meta SPARK AR solution on such a large scale, with the campaign opening across 21 stores in February.
SAXX
Men’s underwear and apparel brand SAXX has launched what is pitched as the first ever dedicated virtual store by an underwear company.
This is an immersive experience in the metaverse, powered by Emperia, that allows shoppers to browse three-dimensional items in a 360-degree showroom.
The store exclusively features underwear, tops and swimwear from SAXX’s DropTempTM collection, which uses proprietary evaporative fabric to cool the body.
Upon entering, shoppers are transported to an oxymoronic environment where it’s snowing in the desert, highlighting the cooling qualities of DropTempTM. A short pathway lined with shoppable product displays leads to an open air showroom.
More items can be found around the showroom’s swimming pool, including underwear, short and long sleeve tops, polos and hoodies with UPF 50 that can be worn in the water.
Shoppers are encouraged to “dive in” to the pool, which unlocks another retail area consisting of a variety of prints from SAXX’s swimwear line.
Vyking
Virtual try-on specialist Vyking has unveiled a new in-store augmented reality solution, Magic Mirror.
It says that that this will enable consumers to visualise footwear through a smart mirror.
Activated by walking up to a full length digitally connected mirror, people can try virtually before they buy dozens of pairs of trainers and other footwear.
They choose the pair they’d like to try via an in-store display on a tablet, before the 3D model is “beamed” into the mirror for them to see how it looks on their own feet.
The solution also offers omnichannel marketing possibilities as the technology can be deployed in other physical locations such as billboards, bus stops or window displays.
Carrefour
Carrefour has produced its first ever video made with ChatGPT and generative AI.
The retailer’s avatar answers a common question from its customers: “how to eat better and cheaper via its website”.
In a LInkedIn post, Elodie Perthuisot, Chief E Commerce, Digital Transformation and Data Officer & EXCOM member at Carrefour, said: “For us, artificial intelligence is very concrete: personalisation of purchases, optimisation of assortments, reduction of waste...we are exploring the different uses, at the service of our customers.”
“So, of course, our data and innovation teams are currently working on the use cases of ChatGPT, and generative AI in general. We explore them always keeping our customers as a compass and how to better serve them. To be continued…”
Check out the video here.
Compass Group
Compass Group has opened a second checkout-free location in a UK stadium.
Situated at Premier League football club Aston Villa, this is a self-service 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.”
3D Cloud by Marxent
3D Cloud by Marxent has announced that its 3D Cloud platform and applications are available exclusively on the Google Cloud Marketplace.
One of the first 3D platforms to be made available through the marketplace, 3D Cloud is pitched as being ideal for enterprise retailers looking to rapidly build and deploy next-generation 3D digital customer experiences both in stores and for e-commerce.
Volumental and Under Armour
Volumental is launching a new self-service version of its AI powered foot scanners.
Specifically designed for an in-store experience, customers can take their own foot measurements at the click of a button and receive their best fitting footwear recommendations on their phones.
Volumental expects to launch this globally starting with select stores in the sporting goods industry, outlet malls and brand warehouses in 2023. This follows a beta test with Under Armour.
Continue reading…