Checkout-free stores history in the making: RTIH runs you 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 Apple, Domino’s Pizza, Sephora, Oh Polly, New Balance, Visa, TikTok, Roku, and Shopify.
Visa
Visa has announced the first partners for its Recommerce Behavioural Insights Lab, which aims to understand and share how businesses can help consumers actively engage in the transition to a more circular economy.
The first two initiatives will be run in partnership with H&M Group brand COS and the United Repair Centre, and will take place in various places across Europe. Initial countries where early experiments are likely to take place include France, the Netherlands and Germany, as well as the UK.
COS will explore the motivations and compelling experiences that increase consumer participation in the resale market.
The initiative with the United Repair Centre will leverage its experience offering repair services to European apparel brands. It will explore the barriers that stop consumers from repairing their garments, and how to make clothing repair services more accessible and beneficial for all.
Both will test the different experiences and motivations with customers in a variety of environments, including online and in-store, to provide a better understanding of the precise triggers of changing consumer behaviours, experimenting with factors such as improving visibility, access, community, reward, ease, or affordability.
They will be open sourced, with key findings available through downloadable playbooks so that other businesses can use this knowledge to help develop their own circular models and be part of the wider Recommerce community.
Apple
Small businesses and people selling stuff at car boot sales or markets in the UK can now accept contactless payments in person directly on their iPhones, instead of needing to connect to a card reader.
Customers will be able to pay via a conventional contactless payment card, or via Apple Pay on their own iPhone or Apple Watch.
The launch of Apple’s Tap to Pay on iPhone scheme in the UK involves use of a payment processing iOS app, with users needing at least an iPhone XS handset that runs iOS 16.4 or newer.
Domino’s Pizza and Uber Eats
Domino’s Pizza has entered into a new agreement with Uber.
This allows US customers to order its products through the Uber Eats and Postmates apps with delivery taken care of by the retailer and its franchisees.
The initial roll-out of the agreement will begin this autumn in four pilot markets, with ordering on the Uber Eats and Postmates apps anticipated to be enabled across the country by the end of 2023.
Uber Eats will be the exclusive Stateside third-party platform for Domino’s until at least 2024.
Zippin and Allegiant Stadium
Zippin has announced the opening of six new checkout-free stores at Allegiant Stadium, the home of the Las Vegas Raiders.
These stores, launched in collaboration with Levy, the hospitality partner at Allegiant Stadium, represent an expansion to the existing four Zippin Lanes that were deployed last season.
The Allegiant Stadium has now become the first location in the world with ten checkout-free stores.
“Our partnership with Zippin quickly provided tremendous value for the Las Vegas Raiders," says Team President, Sandra Douglass Morgan.
"We had such success with our first four Zippin Lanes that we decided to expand our investment after just a few home games.”
“We're committed to being at the forefront of technology that delivers exceptional game day experiences and proud to be a pioneer with checkout-free technology as adoption continues to gain speed throughout the sports industry."
DIGISEQ
DIGISEQ has revealed details of a partnership with prepaid provider Payme Swiss, that let fans attending the 2023 UEFA Champions League final pay through a contactless vegan ‘leather’ key fob made from apple skin waste.
DIGISEQ’s chip enabled device came pre-loaded with €20 to be spent on-site at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium, whilst also enabling guests to check in their coats and bags in the cloakroom and redeem e-vouchers for half-time food and beverages via mobile readers.
By tapping their fob on the back of their mobile phones, users could find out their remaining balance, information about the day, and learn more about a charity campaign to support children affected by the recent earthquake in Turkey.
Starship Technologies
Autonomous delivery specialist Starship Technologies says that it is the first company to wirelessly charge its robots.
In a tweet posted on Wednesday, it noted that this would increase utilisation and efficiency.
“Rapidly expanding our cost-efficient delivery service. Touchless, AI-based autonomous delivery is now possible and rolling out soon,” it added.
Roku and Shopify
Roku is partnering with Shopify to enable people to purchase products from the latter’s merchants through their TVs.
Viewers will be able to interact with a Roku Action Ad for a Shopify merchant by using their TV remote.
They can buy a product with Roku Pay. The merchant will send an email confirmation of the order once the transaction has been processed.
Roku Action Ads are any advertisements on Roku streaming devices that provide a down funnel action, such as sending users a text, scanning a QR code, or making a purchase.
Integrating Shopify purchases into Action Ads is the first commerce integration for independent Shopify merchants on TV streaming.
Men’s apparel brand True Classic, the game-based connected rower Ergatta, and wellness brand Olly have signed on as initial partners.
Oh Polly
Oh Polly has partnered with Packfleet to provide London-based shoppers with carbon free fashion deliveries.
Aided by all electric courier Packfleet’s live map tracking, customers can follow their parcel every step of the journey.
On delivery day, they will have the option to change everything about their shipment – including the time their parcel arrives, the address it arrives at and even whether drivers ring the doorbell.
The deal will see Packfleet handle all of Oh Polly’s orders within the M25, with occasion wear, activewear and swimwear being hand-delivered by the former’s drivers.
Sephora
Sephora has announced the return of its SEPHORiA: House of Beauty event.
Previously held as an in-person event in 2018-2019, then shifting to a virtual affair in 2021-2022, this will be brought to life in a hybrid format for the first time in 2023 with a live ticketed event in New York City and free virtual experience in select markets.
This year’s Sephoria will take place on Friday, 29th September and Saturday, 30th September.
The event in New York City will take place at new venue Skylight at Essex Crossing in Lower Manhattan, and the virtual experience will include an immersive, customiseable 3D gaming like platform, which will open on 29th September.
For the first time, visitors to the virtual platform will be able to create their own avatars to experience new social touchpoints, chat live with Sephora beauty advisors, and play games that allow them to earn Beauty Insider points (US and Canada clients only).
Attendees can also redeem a unique free NFT, or P.O.A.P (Proof of Attendance Protocol), upon entering the space that can be added to crypto wallets for free.
Ocado Group and AEON
Ocado Group and AEON have announced the official go live of their first customer fulfilment centre (CFC) in Japan.
This is now taking orders from customers across the Kanto region.
In April, AEON NEXT revealed its online grocery delivery brand, Green Beans. The service will offer a 50,000 SKU product range at scale as well as a smart cart function and one-hour delivery slots to customers.
A second CFC will be based in Hachioji, Tokyo. Further CFCs will follow, and the capacity will be served using a configuration of different sized facilities from the Ocado ecosystem.
The launch of the Honda CFC represents the first official launch of an Ocado CFC in Asia.
TikTok
Last week, TikTok hit London’s Oxford Street, working with Sook to open a pop up shop.
In a LinkedIn post, Lin Chen, Electronics Category Lead, Social E-Commerce, TikTok Shop, said: “What an incredible week it has been! We did it!”
“For a span of seven days, we unveiled the world's first physical TikTok shop on London's bustling Oxford Street. We showcased a revolutionary shopping experience that seamlessly merged offline and online social commerce in a delightful and interactive manner.”
She added: “Throughout these seven days, we focused on three primary product categories: technology, home and living, and books. We invited existing merchants who have gained popularity in trending TikTok communities such as #Coffeetok, #TechTok, #FoodTok, #HairTok, and #HomeTok”
In addition, TikTok showcased products from the likes of Swan Products, RKW, Beauty Works, Cookology, and Nothing. Creators were able to scan a QR code to directly buy or sell products on TikTok Shop.
Chen added: “We had the pleasure of welcoming some prominent brands. They visited our shop to learn about the operation of TikTok Shop, how to engage with creators, and unlock the enormous potential of social selling using their existing physical infrastructure.”
Tommy Hilfiger
New Balance
New Balance recently opened a concept store in Singapore, featuring a Volumental 3D foot scanner in the fitting area.
Since partnering with Volumental in 2017, the retailer says that it has scanned the feet of more than one million shoppers worldwide.
The scan, which takes less than five seconds, provides employees with detailed information about a customer’s feet, helping them find a shoe that’s sure to fit.
Volumental claims that the solution helps brands and retailers to: reduce return rates by 18%; increase footwear sales by 20%; achieve email capture rates of 71%.
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