Featuring Grab2Go, Karakuri, and Valtech: RTIH’s biggest retail technology articles on LinkedIn right now
We’re big fans of LinkedIn and are busy building an amazing community of retail tech enthusiasts on the social media platform. These are the articles that are currently on their radars, including Specsavers, Nando’s, Amazon, Tesco, Obsess, Covariant, and In The Style.
Valtech announces partnership with Specsavers to optimise optical retailer’s customer facing technology
As a consultant for Specsavers, Valtech will work with it to optimise its approach to digitisation by not only helping to integrate the right technology for its business needs, but also refine ways of working and technology operations across its different regions.
A key part of the partnership will focus on identifying where speed and efficiency improvements can be made within its tech stack and advising how technology can be used to advance Specsavers’ goal of ensuring an exceptional customer experience.
Additionally, Specsavers will tap into Valtech’s global delivery team to ensure it has the right people with the right skillset to drive crucial aspects of its digital transformation journey.
Perfect chips: Nando’s completes first trial of Karakuri /FRYR210 automated fry line
Nando’s UK has become the first to trial Karakuri’s /FRYR automated fry line as it aims to deliver the perfect chips in its Park Royal restaurant.
This combines robotics, edge computing, and hyperscale data analysis to provide restaurants with production of up to 550 portions of chips per hour.
Cameron Roberts, Group Chief Operating Officer at Nando’s, says: “We want to deliver uplifting and memorable experiences for our customers, with delicious quality food and good value at the heart.”
“In testing Karakuri’s /FRYR, we wanted to see how we can further improve the quality, consistency, and availability of our chips, while meeting our environmental objectives of reducing food and oil waste and reducing energy consumption.”
Payments progress and metaverse misfires: Here are March’s most clicked RTIH retail tech 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.
‘A game-changer in the healthcare industry’: Grab2Go launches its first autonomous pharmacy unit in Estonia
Grab2Go has opened a pharmacy self-service solution in Estonia.
Customers can select the product they need, use their preferred method of payment, and the machine will dispense it immediately.
The solution can also be used in convenience and petrol stations to sell products such as drinks and beverages, snacks, and other food items.
In a press release, Grab2Go says: “With the necessary regulatory changes now in place, these innovative self-service pharmacies are set to become a game-changer in the healthcare industry.”
“By allowing customers to access a wide range of over-the-counter medicines and healthcare products, 24/7, we are bringing greater convenience and accessibility to those who need it most.”
Starring Panera, Amazon, Tesco, and Ikea: March’s biggest retail technology plays at a glance
RTIH rounds up the stand out retail systems deals, deployments and pilots from March, including American Eagle Outfitters, RADAR, Tommy Hilfiger, Emperia, Nando’s, and Karakuri.
‘Shaping the future of automation’: AI robotics firm Covariant secures $75 million in Series C funds
Covariant has raised an additional $75 million in Series C funds, bringing its total funding to $222 million.
Returning investors Radical Ventures and Index Ventures co-led the round, which also saw additional funding from previous backers Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Amplify Partners.
There was also participation from newbies Gates Frontier Holdings, AIX Ventures, and Northgate Capital.
“The leading companies have turned to AI robotics to automate their most manual operations in order to decrease labour costs, increase throughput, and control profitability,” says Peter Chen, Chief Executive Officer, Covariant.
“The past year for us has been incredible with 6x growth in 2022 – and we are just getting started. This infusion of new capital allows us to scale even faster, ensuring more retailers can automate more parts of their fulfilment networks to remove manual bottlenecks, handle fluctuating demand, and better prepare for ever changing business needs.”
Obsess launches virtual store builder, enabling brands to create and customise 3D e-commerce experiences
Obsess has announced the launch of AVA by Obsess, pitched as a first of its kind, self-serve solution that enables brand teams to build and customise virtual stores themselves.
The content management system (CMS) leverages proprietary 3D editing and rendering technology that enables companies to add and place products, embed rich media content, and customise merchandising and styling in virtual stores.
‘Take life by the hand and own it’: Five retail technology questions for Catalina UK’s Prem Patel
RTIH asks major players in the retail technology space for their thoughts on the sector, and throws in a random question to keep them on their toes. This time around, our five questions go to Prem Patel, VP, Managing Director at Catalina UK.
Out of style: five lessons fashion merchants must learn from the dramatic fall of In The Style
Just two years ago, In The Style was a fashion retailer at the top of its game.
After hitting on a winning influencer marketing strategy that resulted in sell-out collaborations with the likes of TOWIE stars Lauren Pope and Billie Faiers and TV’s Stacey Solomon, the Salford-based women’s clothing brand was floated on the stock market with a valuation of £105 million.
Then everything changed. As the cost-of-living crisis took hold, sales plummeted 22% and the business swung to a loss. Things came to a head when the business revealed it was on the brink of bankruptcy.
The company has just agreed to sell to a private equity firm for just £1.2 million. It’s an extraordinary fall from grace. And there are other worrying signs of trouble in the industry, with major clothes retailers like boohoo and Asos posting losses in their recent results.
So how did In The Style and other fast fashion brands go out of fashion so suddenly? And what can other fashion brands do to avoid a similar fate?
We spoke to some experts who gave us these five lessons.
Czech Republic retailer Albert reports Brain Corp autonomous robotic cleaning fleet milestone
Ahold Delhaize owned retailer Albert has announced, in partnership with Brain Corp and Tennant Co., that its fleet of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) deployed across its Czech Republic hypermarkets and two distribution centres have officially cleaned over 20 million square metres (215 million square feet), completing over 92,000 cleaning routes.
During 2023, it will almost double the number of stores with robot deployments.
“Last year we put a number of autonomous scrubbers into operation and this year we plan to continue to scale up their use. Altogether, almost double the number of robots will be operating in our stores by the end of March,” says Pavel Klemera, Operations Support Manager at Albert.
“Robots clean precisely, don´t skip any space and help our employees to save their effort so, they can use the time to elevate our customers’ experience.“
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