Featuring Amazon, Prada, and Walmart: RTIH presents last week’s biggest retail technology plays at a glance
RTIH rounds up the stand out retail systems deals, launches, deployments and pilots from the past seven days. Including Bensons for Beds, Co-op, Diageo, GANT, Zara, Euronics, and Stinker Stores.
Bensons for Beds
Bensons for Beds is using Emplifi Live Advisor solution to deliver live shopping and support to customers.
It’s now possible to connect to in-store experts for real-time tours, product demonstrations, and purchases. By visiting the store’s website, customers can activate a live one-to-one video call.
Diageo
Diageo, the maker of Guinness, Smirnoff and Johnnie Walker, has announced a five-year business transformation programme in partnership with SAP and IBM.
Pitched as the company’s most significant ever investment in technology and services, the aim is to redesign and improve Diageo’s processes across the 180 countries where it operates.
It involves a move to RISE with SAP S/4 HANA Cloud, with the support of IBM Consulting.
Co-op
Robots are rolling out in Wakefield, Yorkshire from this week as a partnership between Starship Technologies, Co-op and Wakefield Council brings autonomous grocery deliveries to local residents.
The service will initially be available to 13,000 residents across 6,500+ households, with orders made through the Starship food delivery app, which is available for download on iOS and Android.
Groceries will be picked from the local Co-op store on Meadow Vale, Outwood, and delivered from store to door in minutes.
The launch follows recent roll-outs in areas of Leeds and Greater Manchester.
Starship’s robots are also in operation in several other locations across the UK, including Milton Keynes; Northampton, Bedford; Cambourne and Cambridge.
Kerry Logistics Network
Kerry Logistics Network has implemented KOOLBee sorting robots for an unnamed global fast fashion brand to enhance sorting productivity and online delivery efficiency.
Roll-out has taken place in phases across logistics facilities in Hong Kong, Tianjin and Dongguan since November 2022.
Bouclair
Bouclair, a home furnishings and décor brand operating across Canada, has completed the integration of PredictSpring’s PoS into all of its retail locations.
“For over 50 years, we have been committed to offering our customers not only stylish and affordable home furnishings, but also a personalised and enjoyable shopping experience,” says Peter Goldberg, President and CEO at Bouclair.
“As part of that, we knew it was important to innovate and modernise our PoS platform in order to connect the in-store and online experiences for both our store associates and customers.”
“PredictSpring was able to develop and bring to market a powerful PoS solution in a matter of months, and we’re excited that it has been successfully integrated into all of our locations in Canada.”
Stinker Stores
US-based convenience store chain, Stinker Stores, has selected PAR Technology’s loyalty solution, Punchh.
Stinker, which has 110 locations throughout Colorado, Idaho and Wyoming, will use Punchh, a loyalty, offers and engagement platform, to help segment and accurately target key groups of customers, with a particular focus on products they might not normally purchase.
It will also utilise the offering’s customer analytics to measure loyalty ROI.
Odeon
AYBL
UK-based women’s gym wear brand, AYBL, has integrated Patchwork’s Stockr stock management solution across multiple Shopify stores and says that, as a result, it has generated 100% order accuracy, saved time, money, and boosted customer loyalty.
Amazon Fashion
Amazon Fashion customers can now shop outfits inspired by characters in the new big budget Prime Video show Citadel.
In a LinkedIn post, the company said: “The red dress Priyanka Chopra wore in Citadel.”
“From the small screen to our customers’ wardrobes, our Shop the Look brand store for Prime Video’s Citadel is now available in the US,, the UK, Italy, and France.”
“Amazon Fashion customers can effortlessly shop outfits inspired by Citadel characters through our latest shoppable campaign and find accessories to complete their look.”
“That is not all: in the US,, in Luxury Stores at Amazon, customers can discover exclusive styles by Sergio Hudson, including the ‘Nadia’ dress specially reproduced from his archive for the show.”
Amazon Fashion concluded: “Shoppable entertainment is just one way we create new and innovative experiences on behalf of our customers and brand partners.”
Prada Group
Oracle has announced deployment of its cloud-based retail solutions at Prada Group.
Through Oracle Retail Xstore Point-of-Service (PoS) and Oracle Retail Customer Engagement Cloud Service, it can collect customer preferences and purchase habits. This data can then be analysed and translated into strategic actions to increase loyalty.
“A global player like the Prada Group takes the time to understand the data around its customers, including attributes, behaviour, and preferences,” says Mike Webster, Senior Vice President and General Manager at Oracle Retail.
“The marriage of planning and analytics with the customer experience technology allows a retailer to predict, personalise and deliver on its brand promise.”
“We are delighted to celebrate the successful deployment of our cloud-based, AI infused retail and planning and forecasting solutions integrated with our omnichannel solutions at Prada Group.”
Mollie
Mollie has launched an in-person payments solution, Mollie Terminal.
Initially available in Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands, this adds to its existing in-person payments support that uses QR codes, and Mollie will launch Tap to Pay for Android later this year.
Mollie says that it is enhancing its in-person offering in response to the growing demand from its 130,000 customers, many of whom operate both online and physical stores.
Mollie Terminal works through a single API for both online and in-person payments and accepts relevant payment methods and wallets.
Operating on both 4G and Wi-Fi, it is sent to merchants pre-configured so they can start accepting payments immediately. Merchants can report, reconcile and settle all processed payments via the Mollie Dashboard.
London ExCel and Amazon
Last week saw the launch of Market Express at London ExCeL, pitched as the first checkout-free store within an events space in the UK.
ExCel worked with catering partner, Levy UK + Ireland, on the store, which is powered by Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology.
Visitors tap their payment card or mobile wallet upon entry and then said tech detects what is picked up from or returned to its shelves.
When they are finished, they are able to leave the store and their payment method will be charged for their items.
Developed for ExCeL by Levy UK+I’s service solution – BUILT by Levy – the Market Express retail offer includes hot beverages, grab-n-go hot meals, sweet and savoury bakery items, salads, sandwiches, soft drinks and fruit juices.
A snack range including fruit, granola bars, cereals and biscuits are also available, along with essential convenience items from medical supplies and toiletries to reading glasses and umbrellas.
Euronics
SES-imagotag has been selected to roll-out its VUSION IoT Cloud platform in over 50 Euronics stores across the United Kingdom, within the retailer’s Combined Independents (Holdings) (CIH) chain.
After a pilot phase in 20 stores, Euronics is now looking to offer this solution to all its 600+ locations in the UK.
The implementation of the VUSION IoT Cloud platform will enable its stores to better manage their prices and promotions, while ensuring greater responsiveness and accuracy in aisles.
Euronics will be able to leverage digital tags to automate low-value-added tasks and focus associates on customer service as well as product availability.
It will also be able to reduce paper consumption, and deploy in-store IoT at minimal cost and with a reduced carbon footprint thanks to the VUSION native integration with the existing Cisco-Meraki infrastructure.
Walmart
Walmart has opened a Market Fulfilment Centre (MFC) in Arkansas at Store 100 located at 406 S Walton Blvd in Bentonville.
This is built within the store and is powered by a proprietary storage and retrieval system, named Alphabot.
Walmart says that fulfilment through digitisation and connecting its store and supply chain assets end to end will “transform fulfilment. And along with it, customer satisfaction and associate opportunity”.
“This new order fulfilment system is truly game changing,” says Ryan Simpson, the store manager at Store 100.
“Not only does it enhance the customer experience through quicker, more accurate online order fulfilment, it also provides us the runway to continue growing our business now and in the future.”
Beauty Pie
Luxury beauty buyers’ club, Beauty Pie, says that it has improved delivery lead times, taken control of costs, and increased its choice of carrier services in partnership with Scurri.
GANT
American sportswear brand GANT is partnering with Anaplan and Bedford Consulting to deliver improvements to its supply chain and operations planning, including demand planning, supply planning, and S&OP.
It says that it was looking for a planning tool that could integrate processes at a granular level of detail with the possibility to simulate scenarios, based on different hypotheses.
Amazon
Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies Major League Baseball (MLB) team, has become the first sports venue to use Amazon One for age verification.
In an online post, Amazon said: “We launched Amazon One, our palm-based identity service, to remove friction from everyday activities and create a faster and more convenient way for people to pay or enter a location.”
“Customers love the convenience of paying with their palm; however, when it comes to purchasing alcohol, friction is reintroduced as customers must produce a government-issued ID for age verification.”
It added: “We’re solving that customer pain point and improving the guest experience with the launch of a new capability called "age verification," which enables adult customers ages 21 and over to purchase alcoholic beverages by simply hovering their palm over an Amazon One device, without digging into their wallets for a physical government issued ID.”
Zara
Stripe has been selected as Zara’s partner to process all payments for the retailer’s pre-owned clothing marketplace.
It will use Stripe Connect to move funds between buyers and sellers on the platform.
With Zara Pre-Owned, people take pictures of their unwanted Zara products, which are then cross-referenced with the retailer’s product portfolio, giving potential buyers detailed information on the items they wish to purchase.
The platform also offers Zara customers other sustainable choices, such as the option to donate their clothes or request a repair.
It is now available to customers in the UK, and will expand across other European markets in the second half of 2023.
“Sustainability in retail is finally receiving the attention it deserves to help protect our fragile planet. We're thrilled that Zara has chosen Stripe as they lead the way,” says Eileen O’Mara, Head of Global Sales at Stripe.
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