Featuring Puma, EE, and adidas: 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 Lorna Jane, NewStore, Bestway Retail, Innovative Technology, Astra Tech, AiFi, 3D Cloud by Marxent, FreedomPay, and Toast.
Lorna Jane
Australian activewear brand Lorna Jane has implemented the NewStore Omnichannel Platform in its 107 stores across Australia and New Zealand.
"NewStore is a critical component of our digital transformation strategy and the most forward-thinking, innovative retail platform available today," says Peter Clarke, Chief Technology Officer, Lorna Jane.
"We were able to rip and replace our old system and roll out NewStore across two countries and more than one hundred locations with a cutover of just one day, which is a remarkable achievement that demonstrates the platform's robustness and scalability."
Bestway Retail
Central Convenience Store in Southampton has installed AI driven biometric technology from Innovative Technology (ITL) to help with checks for age restricted goods.
It is the latest store in the Bestway Retail chain to implement the tech following a UK government trial and previous deployments in Costcutter and Bargain Booze.
EE
EE has opened a new flagship store, The EE Studio, located in Westfield London, White City.
Focused on connectivity and technology solutions, the 4,230-square-foot location will also serve as a hub for the local community to work, learn and play.
The launch forms part of EE’s new strategy, which, the company says, “seeks to reinvent the role of retail in the telco industry, putting innovation, personal experience, and community front and centre”.
Astra Tech
Astra Tech, a UAE-based technology investment and development group, has launched its first fully autonomous store in Abu Dhabi’s Sky Tower.
Powered by AiFI computer vision technology, B Store also enables shoppers to pay for their purchases by using their faces.
Astra Tech acquired UAE FinTech PayBy last year, and this location uses the firm’s FacePay PoS technology for biometric payment authentication.
FC Home Center
FinTech firm Salmon has announced a partnership with FC Home Center, a retailer in the Philippines that specialises in home appliances, furniture, kitchenware, related home essentials, and mobile phones.
FC Home Center customers can now shop using Salmon’s Point of Sale financing service, giving them access to instalment financing.
Salmon is currently building its network of sales ambassadors across FC Home Center’s retail locations and is aiming to reach 106 active stores in Metro Manila and the rest of Luzon in the near future.
Anne Fontaine
Anne Fontaine is gearing up to deploy Infor CloudSuite Fashion, an enterprise resource planning (ERP) solution.
This is part of a project to modernise its information system, with the aim of introducing OMS (order management system) functionalities, i.e. automated tracking and management of sales, orders, inventory and order fulfilment, all with a view to creating a truly omnichannel customer experience.
JD.com
no-boxx
Manchester-based startup no-boxx is launching a sustainable and reusable packaging and returns solution for e-commerce retailers, which, it claims, eliminates single-use packaging and reduces CO2 emissions by 87% on just the second use.
This is currently being used in a pilot scheme by a sustainable activewear brand, with plans for a wider roll-out later in the year.
The reusable packaging pouch has the potential to be used over 20 times with consumers encouraged to return the packaging to the retailer after every use.
It is made from recycled polyethylene (rPET) and is currently available to manufacturers and retailers in three sizes, depending on the size and quantity of items dispatched.
no-boxx has secured a partnership with parcel lockers firm, InPost, which has a UK network of 5,000+ locations. Customers receive a QR code and drop off their returned item or empty reusable packaging at any of the 24/7 InPost lockers across the UK.
no-boxx uses its proprietary web application to track the lifecycle of the packaging, allowing consumers and retailers to visualise their reduced environmental impact, and see the status of their delivery and returns, as a result of using the packaging.
Cleveron
Estonian firm Cleveron has unveiled the Cleveron 354, a battery powered outdoor parcel locker.
CEO Arti Kütt says: “Our projections show that within a decade, 80% of last mile deliveries in Europe will be conducted via parcel lockers, which will emerge as the preferred method among end customers.”
“This approach is not only more cost-effective but also significantly more sustainable. Battery powered parcel lockers will play a pivotal role in driving this revolution, as these can be installed basically on every street corner.”
“Cleveron 354 is designed to directly address this challenge, offering an intelligent solution for a more sustainable world.”
“Implementing a locker network significantly reduces the need for home deliveries which costs rise yearly. Consumers have shown a willingness to retrieve their parcels within a comfortable five-minute walking radius, making Cleveron 354 the best solution for network build outs.”
Balmain
Parisian fashion house Balmain has implemented the Fluent Order Management solution across its online boutiques in Europe, the APAC region and both North and South America.
ZERO10
ZERO10 has unveiled a prototype AR store and is showing it off at Viva Technology, a startup and tech event taking place on 14th-17th June, in Paris, France.
The introduction of the firm’s AR Mirror offering as a standalone store follows ZERO10’s recent collaborations with fashion big hitters Tommy Hilfiger and Coach, which deployed the AR Mirror and Storefront respectively.
Unlike those cases, where AR Mirror served as an additional element to existing bricks and mortar stores, the AR Store prototype presents the solution as the standalone focus, pitched as an autonomous retail agent.
adidas
adidas Originals has teamed up with 20-year-old Web3 artist, Victor Langlois, aka FEWOCiOUS, to offer a range of physical and digital product drops.
First appearing in an official capacity with adidas /// Studio (Three Stripes Studio) for an installation during Art Basel Miami in December 2022, FEWOCiOUS says that he has long had an affinity for the brand, using adidas silhouettes as an artistic canvas when he was 16 years old.
Ushering in a collaborative partnership, adidas Originals and FEWOCiOUS have come together to launch a limited edition, product linked Trefoil Flower Mint Pass.
Launching on 22nd June, it will also unlock the opportunity for NFT holders to redeem a complimentary artist designed Campus 00’s sneaker.
bp
Automated parcel machine (APM) service provider, InPost, reports that, after a trial, its lockers will be rolled out at approximately 300 bp service stations across the UK.
Prominent locations include Wandsworth, Glasgow, Ashford and Brentwood.
As a result, consumers will be able to collect a delivery whilst filling up with fuel, or return a parcel when picking up something for dinner at a forecourt M&S Food store.
As part of the trial thousands of parcels have been processed across five locations.
Valtech, commercetools and Mars
Valtech has worked has collaborated with commercetools to launch a composable commerce accelerator for multi-brand companies, inspired by the model it created for Mars.
Known as LEAP, the accelerator presents a solution for multi-brand direct-to-consumer (DTC) and B2C commerce strategy as they modernise and differentiate their customer experiences across their brands and channels.
“LEAP is designed to empower multi-brand enterprises in a competitive marketplace driven by fast-paced technology adoption and innovation in commerce,” says Casper Aagaard Rasmussen, Group SVP of Technology at Valtech.
“As multi-brand businesses move from a siloed and inflexible organisational structure to become digital enterprises, LEAP gets them back into the race. With time of the essence, our new commerce accelerator helps companies act fast in closing the widening gap between their processes and technology that hinders growth.”
“With this gap narrowed, they no longer sacrifice on technology innovation and instead, are better positioned to leapfrog the competition through exceptional customer experiences. We’re excited to lead the way in commerce with Mars and commercetools and for other brands to take advantage of this offering.”
3D Cloud by Marxent
3D Cloud by Marxent, a specialist in 3D kitchen design and furniture planning, has announced an early access programme for its 3D Cloud Room Scanner offering.
Retailers can now sign up to be among the first to deploy the capabilities of the company's LiDAR room scan to design solution for capturing room measurements that can then be directly dropped into 3D Cloud Room Planner for designing with real, buyable products.
DPD and L Marks
DPD is partnering with L Marks to launch an EcoLab initiative focused on carbon reduction in transport, delivery, and buildings.
This will bring together experts in sustainability, technology, and innovation to develop and test new ideas that can help DPD further reduce its carbon footprint.
It is pitched as key step towards the company’s goal of reaching net zero by 2040.
Puma India
Salesfloor, a customer engagement platform that combines immersive virtual shopping, clienteling and conversational AI, has announced a partnership with Puma India.
The aim here is to bolster Puma's customer relations by integrating and elevating its online and in-store experience with a unique personalised shopping service.
The pair have provided online shoppers with a widget that connects them to store associates or style consultants for instant shopping guidance.
They will receive personalised consultancy on sizing, styling and product recommendations via online chats, video interactions and one to one outreach. India is the first market for the sports brand to implement this solution.
FreedomPay and Toast
Asprey
Adobe has announced the latest iteration of its partnership with Asprey to strengthen its digital storefront and luxury e-commerce offering.
This involves the use of Adobe Commerce and Adobe Experience Manager to relaunch Asprey’s new website.
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