Featuring Alipay, Amazon, and Chilly’s: RTIH runs 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 Web3 strategies, virtual fitting rooms, Stranger Things themed metaverse experiences, and IoT enabled digital sauce dispensers.
H&M
Following the launch of the H&M Loooptopia experience on Roblox in January, the retailer has announced a new limited time experience in the metaverse, showcasing an exclusive Stranger Things summer collection, launching in stores and online on 18th May.
"Our launch in the metaverse earlier this year is continuing to allow us to explore exciting ways to engage with our current and new customers, like our new Stranger Things x H&M Pop-Up Event in H&M Loooptopia on Roblox," says Linda Li, Head of Customer Activation & Marketing, H&M Americas.
"Bringing one of the most popular shows on Netflix into our digital H&M Loooptopia world through the "Surfer Boy Pizza Delivery Game" perfectly aligns with our ambition to provide fun and stylish content for all."
The game launches on 25th May and is inspired by the 'Surfer Boy Pizza' restaurant in Season 4 of Stranger Things. In the main hub of Looop City, users will be able to play a fast-paced Pizza Delivery game with bespoke Stranger Things clothing as rewards, featuring Argyle the Surfer Boy employee.
After completing all the deliveries within the experience, they will unlock a special trailer of what will come later this year within the H&M Loooptopia experience.
The game includes multiple deliveries in each level and will continue to increase in difficulty. The first round of deliveries will be a small number, but with each new level, these increase along with less time to complete the mission.
Later levels are located in other biomes to encourage players to explore these exciting spaces. When players complete all the delivery rounds, they will unlock a special trailer of what will come later this fall within the experience.
Wow Bao
Wow Bao, a fast casual Asian brand, has announced the expansion of its Web3 strategy, launching digital CollectaBaos to sit alongside its points-based Bao Bucks loyalty programme.
“We have always been a pioneer in enhancing the dining experience with technology, forging a path for today’s innovations to become mainstream, " says Geoff Alexander, President and CEO at Wow Bao.
“By creating a digital collectible club, Wow Bao is levelling up the everyday loyalty programme, and welcoming all diners to the future.”
Kraft Heinz Company
The Kraft Heinz Company has unveiled HEINZ REMIX, pitched as the first customisable and IoT enabled digital sauce dispenser that allows consumers to personalise their own flavour creations.
With over 200 potential sauce combinations, this is the latest offering from the firm’s foodservice or Away From Home (AFH) division.
The free standing machine is touchscreen operated, enabling consumers to first select from a range of “bases” – currently Heinz Ketchup, Ranch, 57 Sauce, and BBQ Sauce – then personalise further with one or more “enhancers” – currently Jalapeño, Smoky Chipotle, Buffalo, and Mango – at their preferred intensity level (low, medium, high).
“As a company, we’re transforming through innovation by making bigger, more intentional bets to fuel our growth and create new experiences for consumers,” says Alan Kleinerman, Vice President of Disruption, Kraft Heinz.
“HEINZ REMIX is a great example of this consumer first approach to innovation. We’re changing the game for foodservice operators and sauce lovers - dipping will never be the same.”
“It’s more than a sauce dispenser; it’s an insights engine and business model enabler that will help us understand and respond to consumer trends and flavour preferences in real-time. Who knows – maybe our next new sauce combination will come from a superfan using HEINZ REMIX.”
TaylorMade Japan
Perfitly, an AI-based AR/VR fitting room solution that can be integrated into the e-commerce platforms of retailers, has announced a partnership with TaylorMade Japan, a subsidiary of TaylorMade USA, a manufacturer of golf equipment.
The technology enables TaylorMade’s apparel collection to be tried on before buying.
Through Perfitly’s widget shoppers can see and select the size and style of garments that will fit and look best on their body. They can try on multiple garments concurrently to build outfits.
Fortnum & Mason
ATG Danmon has completed a video production facility for the 181 Piccadilly headquarters of British retailer Fortnum & Mason.
The new system includes a Food and Drink Studio plus a dedicated control room. Created as a multipurpose resource on the store’s third floor, the studio incorporates a kitchen with remotely controlled cameras and adjustable lighting.
It is designed to be a creative hub for anyone with an interest in food and drink innovation, and will play host to over 100 Fortnum chefs as a production kitchen to create, taste and master recipes, supplying the Piccadilly store with the likes of Scotch Eggs and Beef Wellingtons.
Alipay
Ahead of 2023 International Museum Day on 18th May, Digital to Asia, an Italian digital marketing agency focused on the Chinese market, and Way Experience, an Italian production company that creates AR and VR immersive experiences for the culture and tourism sectors, launched a virtual tour featuring Leonardo da Vinci’s art on Alipay.
Featuring a 360-degree view powered by 3D technologies, this allows Chinese art lovers to see and learn about Leonardo da Vinci’s works from different museums around the world into a single virtual museum.
Italian designers and creatives took inspiration from European Renaissance architecture for the look and feel of the museum.
It also includes a Chinese language guide of Leonardo da Vinci’s life and his most iconic paintings such as the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, as well as his inventions, like the flying machine, collected from Codex Atlanticus.
Chinese consumers can purchase the tour through a mini programme, named Yunshang Mibao, on the Alipay platform.
Amazon
Amazon is working on a new search functionality for its online store featuring a ChatGPT like interface.
A pair of job postings spotted by Bloomberg highlight the company’s plans.
In a job listing for a “Sr Technical Program Manager,” it states: “We are working on a new AI first initiative to re-architect and reinvent the way we do search through the use of extremely large scale next-generation deep learning techniques.”
A second listing, this one for a “Sr SDE, Machine Learning (ML), Amazon Search” position claims that the initiative will be “a once in a generation transformation for search”.
“We are reimagining Amazon search with an interactive conversational experience that helps you find answers to product questions, perform product comparisons, receive personalised product suggestions, and so much more, to easily find the perfect product for your needs.”
It’s also worth noting that Amazon recently unveiled its own Bedrock AI foundational models.
Chilly’s
Reusables brand, Chilly’s, is launching Flip The Ordinary, a campaign to introduce its new Series 2 Flip bottle to the UK market and attract a new, younger and more active audience.
The campaign comes after Chilly’s appointed VCCP London as its lead agency partner across creative, media and production.
It will now work with VCCP London and VCCP’s media planning and buying agency, VCCP Media, and its global content production studio, Girl&Bear, to bring to life the integrated campaign.
Flip the Ordinary will be brought to life in a multi-sensory immersive experience in the heart of London called The House of Flip.
Free to enter, the event aims to help Brits understand Chilly’s mission of accelerating the adoption and everyday use of its reusable products.
Visitors will be able to see the idea of Flip the Ordinary across five interactive and Instagrammable rooms that take them on a 45 minute journey to bring to life features of the Series 2 Flip bottle.
The rooms take inspiration from the five product colours and core features and include the Chilly’s Beach, down in the Clouds and the infinity Abyss.
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