Driverless deliveries and in demand influencers: last week’s most read RTIH retail technology articles
These are the RTIH articles that caught your fancy last week, including Asda, Wayve, OnBuy, Klarna, Samsung UK, Outform, Avon, Amazon, and Groupon.
Drum roll, please. RTIH publishes its 2023 Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List
The latest edition of the RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List has arrived!
Here are the people who made a splash in 2022 and are set for a barnstorming 2023.
RTIH has scoured the retail technology world to find the most influential figures for this comprehensive list of people and trends that shape the industry and help drive it forward.
We’re living in unprecedented times.
The Covid-19 outbreak has driven a seismic change in shopping habits, with checkout free stores, automation in the supply chain, rapid delivery services, and the metaverse making waves.
Such disruption requires new ways of problem solving and thought leaders who can both evangelise and execute on the likes of digital transformation and omnichannel success.
Which is where the RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List comes in, presented, we should stress, in no particular order.
We hope you enjoy reading through it and, as always, if you would like to give feedback or believe that there are some glaring omissions, please feel free to get in touch here.
Download the list in pdf format here.
Or read via Issuu.
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Samsung UK plugs new Galaxy S23 phone series with immersive pop-up roadshow
Samsung has launched an interactive and immersive pop-up roadshow in the UK, starting in Oxford, to highlight the ‘nightography’ camera and gaming capabilities of its new Galaxy S23 series.
The concept was created, designed and built by Outform.
Visitors were able to check-in to the experience by scanning a QR code through Outform’s PodDrop product, which entered them into a competition to win a new Galaxy S23.
The space then included a selfie booth with colour changing LEDs so that visitors could see the camera’s consistent quality in different light settings.
Photos could then be shared digitally whilst they received an instant print to take away, both of which were watermarked with the Galaxy S23 series name and Samsung branding.
Guests were also able to use the Galaxy S23 as a controller so that they could play the various games available on the device through Samsung’s 55” Odyssey Ark Gaming Monitor, giving them the opportunity to play on a bigger screen, entirely powered by the Galaxy S23 device.
In addition, visitors could explore Samsung Galaxy’s ecosystem of products through real-life demos supported by interactive screens to tell the brand story.
The pop-up then travelled to six other high streets and universities across Brierley Hill, Nottingham, Manchester, Cardiff, Southampton and Reading.
Online boom: Avon UK launches on Amazon for first time amidst omnichannel push
Avon products are now available to purchase on Amazon as the beauty brand steps up its omnichannel strategy, and unveils a new visual identity and ‘Embrace your Power’ brand positioning.
Avon is expanding its sales channels to Amazon for the first time in the UK.
It says it is looking to “embrace a wider customer base who wish to enjoy aspirational beauty products at irresistible value; something that’s even more important for consumers with the higher cost of living”.
Over 300 of its beauty and skincare products are now available via the online retailer, with more planned to launch across the year. These include the Glimmerstick Eyeliner, Power Stay Foundation and Power Serum with Protinol technology.
“LA is just the beginning”: AI powered logistics startup Gently completes first delivery
Gently, a Los Angeles-based AI powered logistics firm, marked its official launch last week by delivering its first item in West Los Angeles.
Co-founded by former Harvard Business School classmates Anas Aljumaily and Elian Pres-Gurwits, Gently is seeking to create a fully decentralised supply chain in America by 2040.
The firm is a last mile delivery provider that partners with retailers and leverages artificial intelligence and predictive data to store goods closer to the customer.
Grocery giant Asda teams up with Infobip to become largest RCS traffic sender in the UK
Infobip has announced a partnership with Asda to launch what is pitched as the largest Rich Communication Services (RCS) business messaging traffic in the UK.
The initiative will help to support messaging across the online customer journey, including order confirmation, delivery times and substitutions.
The roll-out has made Asda the first major UK grocer to launch RCS business messaging in the UK. This brings a mobile app’s functionality into the messaging platform.
It will enable Asda to deal with its customers via native messages apps, with no additional installation or downloading. The messages showcase its logo, brand name, and links.
Asda and Wayve lay claim to UK’s largest self-driving grocery home delivery trial
Asda customers can now receive their shopping via a Wayve self-driving vehicle in what is pitched as the UK’s largest autonomous grocery home delivery trial.
In partnership with Wayve, the year long trial will give the supermarket the ability to autonomously deliver groceries to a catchment area of over 170,000 residents across 72,000 households in London.
The self-driving vehicles will join its existing online delivery operation at the Park Royal superstore in West London and have the capability to drive themselves to customers’ homes.
Asda Park Royal customers can place their next-day delivery orders online as usual, choosing from the full range of online products and selecting a delivery slot that suits them.
The only difference is they could be randomly selected to have their order delivered in a self-driving vehicle.
During the trial, both an Asda colleague and supervising Wayve safety driver will be in the vehicle when making deliveries. Asda colleagues will load and unload the groceries at the customer’s home.
Troubled e-commerce marketplace firm Groupon brings in new CFO as part of transformation push
Groupon, an e-commerce marketplace connecting subscribers with local merchants by offering activities, travel, goods and services, has announced the appointment of Jiri Ponrt as Chief Financial Officer.
He joins from Pale Fire Capital, a private equity investment group which holds a 22% stake in the Chicago company, prior to which he served as CFO at Alza.cz, an e-commerce player in Central and Eastern Europe.
Before that he spent 15 years at Danone/Nutricia, where he gained experience both in a variety of financial and commercial roles.
The move follows Dusan Senkypl, Chairman and CEO at Pale Fire, stepping in as interim CEO following the resignation of Kedar Deshpande.
Pale Fire is helping Groupon rebuild its technology team, which includes the appointment of a new CTO from one of its other portfolio companies.
Meanwhile, in its 2022 annual report filed last month with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Groupon said it had identified a material weakness in its internal control over financial reporting, linked to an immaterial accounting error related to accrued merchant payables.
It flagged a reasonable possibility its existing controls wouldn’t have detected the error in a timely manner if it this had been material.
Selfly Store introduces RFID technology powered intelligent freezer for unattended retail
Selfly Store, an intelligent vending company owned by Stora Enso, has announced the commercial launch of its latest product, the Selfly Freezer.
This is pitched as the first intelligent vending freezer on the market.
It is the latest addition to the Selfly Store Model 3 product family, which offers a complete self-service solution through hardware, cloud-based software, RFID tags, and a service network.
Using RFID technology, it provides real-time item level data analytics with the aim of optimising sales and operations while reducing food waste.
Just Walk Out tech powered Amazon Fresh UK stores drop prices amidst cost-of-living crisis
Amazon Fresh UK has dropped the prices of over 200 products across all 20 of its stores.
Amazon says that it is “helping customers save on their home essentials at a time when many are feeling the pressure on their pockets”.
The Price Cut promotion offers reductions of up to 40% on everyday essentials from household brands, including Heinz Tomato Ketchup for £2.25 (from £3.40), Doritos Chilli Heatwave Tortilla Chips Sharing Bag for £1.25 (from £2.15) and Flash Bleach Clean Spray for £1.75 (from £2.80).
UK online marketplace OnBuy introduces Klarna buy now pay later service on over 35 million products
OnBuy has launched Klarna Pay Now, Pay in 30 Days and Pay in 3 across 35 million+ products.
The e-commerce firm says that this is a response to increased consumer demand for a wider range of payment options.
A recent survey conducted by the online marketplace showed that one in three people choose to shop with a retailer because they offer their preferred payment method.
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