Return to online sender: RTIH runs you through 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 selling milestones, digital health and wellness tools, and label free online returns services.
Drop The Walls
Drop The Walls, a women's fashion retailer, reports that it has achieved over $25 million in lifetime live selling GMV on the CommentSold platform.
The company was founded by Jeaneane Pennell in 2016 with a mission to “help women feel confident and embrace their individuality through trending and elevated basics”.
By adopting live selling, Drop The Walls says it was able to provide personalised and engaging shopping experiences, resulting in a loyal customer community.
With CommentSold’s turnkey live commerce platform, Drop The Walls optimised its end-to-end operations in order to streamline the order process.
By greatly reducing their workload, CommentSold’s automated features allowed Pennell and her team to focus on building deeper connections with their customers.
Albertsons Companies
Albertsons Companies has teamed with Apple to bring activity data from Apple Watch and iPhone to the Sincerely Health platform.
This is a free digital health and wellness tool available on 16 Albertsons Cos. grocery banners and websites, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Shaw’s, Jewel-Osco, Acme, and Tom Thumb.
Customers who wear Apple Watch Series 3 or later can now choose to share their activity data with their Sincerely Health account and earn up to 75 points daily for closing all three Activity rings: Move, Exercise and Stand.
Those who do not have an Apple Watch can connect their iPhone with iOS 16 through the Fitness app and earn up to 25 points each day for closing their Move ring.
Sports Direct
InPost has announced a partnership with Sports Direct, enabling the latter’s customers to return parcels at one of its 5,000 lockers across the UK, without having to print a label.
They scan a QR code received to their phone at their nearest locker and leave their items in one of the compartments.
A spokesperson for Sports Direct says: “We are constantly looking for ways to improve our consumer journey and to create a seamless beginning to end product lifecycle. Our partnership with InPost will help generate a smooth process for our consumers when returning online purchases by using QR code technology.”
SikSilk
Urban streetwear brand, SikSilk, says that it has seen a 25% increase in e-commerce purchases from on-site search and a 36% fall in site exits from its search pages since implementing new AI technology from Nosto.
It is now able to merchandise the products that appear in search results in line with inventory levels, while also increasing relevancy and preventing ‘dead end’ searches (in which no products or an incomplete list of products are shown).
AWS
Getir
Getir, which operates in nine countries, has launched what is pitched as Europe’s biggest store network for ultrafast grocery delivery.
The combined Getir and Gorillas’ offering will serve customers in Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, and the US.
It is the result of an integration process between the two companies that started with the acquisition of Gorillas by Getir at the end of 2022.
“Since the acquisition, we have had one clear goal in mind: Getir and Gorillas - stronger and better together,” says Turancan Salur, Regional General Manager at Getir.
“This announcement exemplifies how leveraging the synergies of both organisations can lead to not just the biggest and most efficient store network for ultrafast grocery delivery, but also one that will significantly increase the product range and service quality for our customers.”
“It is also a testament to the great work of our team, who have been able to achieve this milestone in just a few months time.”
Żabka Group
Żabka Group’s Żabka Nano pop-up autonomous store offering is now live at Szpital Wojewódzki w Poznaniu hospital in Poland.
In a LinkedIn post, Patryk Powierża, Head of Growth at Żabka Polska, said: “First Żabka Nano store in a hospital.”
“We truly believe that autonomous stores can bring more convenience to the life of our customers. Thanks to this autonomous technology we can open our store in locations where traditional stores can’t appear.”
“Our Nano store in the hospital will be open in a few weeks and it will be ready to serve patients, their families, and hospital employees in 24/7/365 mode.”
Zippin
IKI
IKI, the second biggest supermarket chain in Lithuania, has opened its second cashierless convenience store in Vilnius, following a pilot using technology from Pixevia.
The IKI Express 24/7 store is located on the landmark White Bridge in Vilnius that connects the old town to the main business district.
Part of REWE Group, IKI plans to have up to four autonomous stores in operation across Lithuania by the end of 2023.
With Pixevia’s technology, customers tap a payment card, phone or watch wallet, or a retailer’s mobile app at the store doors to enter.
They can pick items up and put them back with no need for any scanning. Inputs from shelf sensors and camera video streams are inputted into Pixevia’s AI platform, which determines exactly what each customer has selected.
It presents the entire list of items to customers in real-time, allowing them to pay with another tap of a card before leaving. The shopper gets a receipt before they depart.
Pixevia’s platform also alerts employees automatically about any goods that need replenishing on the shelves, and predicts the need to reorder stock.
Co-op
Polytag is set to apply both QR codes and UV tags to Co-op own label PET 2-litre spring water bottles in what it pitched as an industry first, offering the convenience retailer visibility of its packaging during the recycling process.
The unique every time QR codes will be applied to the pack labels by Co-op’s bottled water supplier at the standard label application speeds.
They are GS1 compliant and take consumers to a Co-op landing page detailing information about both the retailer’s sustainability and charitable commitments.
Within the QR code there is a serial number which can be used to handle fraud proof rewards, assign loyalty points and secure deposit redemptions.
A UV tag layer invisible to the human eye, printed by Tipografic using UV flexographic inks, is also then applied across the label.
This enables barcode level information to be captured in the recycling centre and is uploaded to Polytag’s cloud-based analytics dashboard, providing the retailer with real-time insights on whether packaging is actually recycled, and in what volumes.
The UV tag reading technology was developed by Polytag in partnership with researchers at the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre. It is fitted to the plastics conveyer at Abergele’s Gofer Bulking Centre in Wales.
Tesco
Domino’s
Domino’s is giving customers a new way to order while on the go, via its iOS app on Apple CarPlay.
Two options are available: Tap to Order and Call to Order.
The former lets people submit their saved Easy Order or one of their most recent orders, while the latter allows them to place the order of their choice, hands free, by talking to a customer service representative.
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