Payments progress and metaverse misfires: Here are March’s most clicked RTIH retail technology articles
These are the RTIH retail systems articles that caught your fancy during March, including The Trade Desk, Ocado, Ikea, Stuart, Sensei, Walmart, and OnBuy.
The Trade Desk partners with Ocado on 'new approach to retail media on the open internet'
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.
RTIH takes the wraps off its first ever Retail Technology Innovations Report. Download it today!
RTIH is pleased to announce the launch of its first ever Retail Technology Innovations Report, sponsored by Metapack.
Available for download here, free of charge, this highlights the top 50 retail tech plays of 2022 as decided by our Editor, Scott Thompson, and an independent advisory panel.
On-demand logistics firm Stuart announces appointment of Cornelia Raportaru as CEO
Cornelia Raportaru has been appointed Chief Executive Officer at Stuart.
She succeeds Damien Bon, who joined the on-demand delivery platform in 2015 and became CEO in 2017 under the ownership of Geopost.
Raportaru will report to Cédric Favre-Lorraine, Geopost’s Regional CEO for France & Benelux.
She joined Stuart in February 2022 as Executive Vice President of International, in charge of activities in Spain, Portugal, Italy and Poland.
She then took the additional responsibility of the firm’s Global Operations centre of expertise.
Ikea claims an industry first as it says it is now using 100 drones for stock inventory
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.”
Sensei launches Dojo autonomous supermarket in Europe with 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.
International Women’s Day 2023: Showcasing ten female retail technology leaders
To mark IWD 2023, here are ten women making positive impacts on the retail technology sector via their work at innovative companies and leading retailers, including Mercaux’s Olga Kotsur, XY Retail’s Susan Jeffers, and True Fit’s Sarah Curran.
Critizr changes name to Goodays, launches Artificial Intelligence Lab and appoints new Chairman
Critizr, a specialist in customer satisfaction and experience management, has announced that it is changing its name to Goodays.
According to a press release, the new identity reflects its mission to “bring the employees of a company together around a common objective: to satisfy customers. It also affirms international expansion ambitions, to grow market share across the company’s five bases in Spain, France, Japan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.”
The company, created over ten years ago, has developed a platform that facilitates digital interactions with customers to improve their experience, with recent deployments including the integration of Google Business Messages and WhatsApp.
Hectare raises $20 million in Series A funding for sustainable agricultural supply chain push
Hectare says that it has raised $20 million in Series A funding.
The round was led by existing and private investors.
The investment will be used to support Hectare’s Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) inventory, trading, logistics and market insights product development, and expansion into new international markets.
Since its launch in 2015, the startup has facilitated over $1 billion in commodities trading through its technologies, which generate insights – from animal health to market price benchmarking – so agri businesses can make better informed decisions while increasing their sustainability, productivity and profitability.
More than 130,000 farm businesses now use Hectare’s solutions. By directly connecting everyone involved through its digital solutions, the firm says it is solving the invisible inefficiencies in the farm to factory gate supply chain.
In 2022, its technology enabled farm businesses to optimise the trading of livestock, improving animal welfare and reducing the carbon footprint of the beef and sheep supply chain by 2.5 million livestock miles.
Focus on Nuvei, PayPal and Klarna as e-commerce firm OnBuy gears up to launch new payment services
UK-based online marketplace, OnBuy, last month went live with new payment services, Nuvei, PayPal, and Klarna.
In a LinkedIn post, Cas Paton, Founder and CEO at OnBuy, said: “So this week is a big week for OnBuy and me personally... what 12 months it's been to get here. This week we'll launch our new payment services and go live with Nuvei, PayPal and Klarna, which is going to be awesome. I can feel it!”
He added: “Since Christmas 2021 we announced we were going to do this. After planning, this project of moving OnBuy to 'Merchant of Record' (MoR) has been an all-consuming, hellish project, which has seen us park most other work, stagnate the business, and essentially completely rebuild the platform and the way we do payments, not only with customers, but with sellers as well.”
“It's the first time we've ever been this close to customers, sellers and really jumping into 'Mature Marketplace' territory. This move was inevitable, unavoidable, but a bit like going through marketplace puberty - annoying and can’t wait for it to be over. There isn't a single person at OnBuy that hasn't been affected by this in at least a big way.”
Walmart Universe of Play leaves Roblox metaverse just six months after its high profile launch
Walmart has binned a branded space in Roblox called Universe of Play just six months after a splashy entrance on to the immersive experiences scene.
This follows claims by nonprofit consumer advocacy group Truth in Advertising and other watchdogs that the metaverse game not only blurred the distinction between advertising content and organic content, but also lacked required disclosures and manipulated kids into viewing and interacting with stealth ads.
Walmart said the Universe of Play move was “as planned.”
The US retail giant touted the offering as “the ultimate virtual toy destination,” with products and characters from kid friendly franchises Paw Patrol, Jurassic World, L.O.L. Surprise! and more.
During the launch last year, William White, Chief Marketing Officer at Walmart U.S., said: “”We’re showing up in a big way – creating community, content, entertainment and games through the launch of Walmart Land and Walmart’s Universe of Play.”
“Roblox is one of the fastest growing and largest platforms in the metaverse, and we know our customers are spending loads of time there. So, we’re focusing on creating new and innovative experiences that excite them, something we’re already doing in the communities where they live, and now, the virtual worlds where they play.”
File under ‘interesting failures’, then.
Retail technology startup AssetFloow secures €1.5 million investment from GED Ventures
AssetFloow has closed a €1.5 million investment round.
The startup has developed artificial intelligence technology capable of describing consumer behaviour inside a store without the need for cameras or sensors.
With the aforementioned investment from GED Ventures, it aims to triple its R&D team in Portugal, accelerate expansion in Europe and South America, and consolidate its position in the behavioural analytics market.
This is its first equity round (in 2021, it received a €100K SAFE note).
Going back to our roots: Penguin Books launches vending machine at Exeter St. David's train station
Penguin Books UK has introduced a vending machine at Exeter St. David's train station.
In a tweet, the company said: “In 1935, Sir Allen Lane was inspired to create Penguin Books when he couldn't find a good book to read at Exeter St. David's train station.”
“We've gone back to our roots to ensure modern day commuters won't face the same problem.”
It added: “If you're passing through the station, go check it out Profits will be shared between local independent Bookbag and Exeter City of Literature. Huge thank you to our partners GWR and Exeter City of Literature for bringing this to life.”
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