Featuring Primark, Boots UK, and Shoe Carnival: RTIH’s biggest retail technology news stories of the week
It’s Friday, the weekend is almost upon us, so let’s kick back and reflect on another eventful week for the retail systems space. Here's your briefing on the most important stories from the past five days, including Just Hotter, Gopuff, Grubhub, Amazon, and the 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards.
1. Connecting omnichannel journeys: Primark launches revamped website across Central and Eastern Europe markets
Primark’s new look website is now live across all five Central and Eastern Europe markets in which the retailer operates.
In a LinkedIn post, Maciej Podwojski, Head of Sales CEE at Primark, said: “The site showcases our widest ever selection of Primark’s ranges online, plus lots of exciting new features, better connecting the journey between searching online and shopping in our stores.”
He added: “Customers are now able to check stock availability in their local store before visiting, access a brand new wishlist function to save their favourite products, and sign up to a newsletter to receive all of the latest Primark news.”
“This will help to easily browse our great value everyday essentials and latest trends which are available in our stores across CEE.”
“A huge well done to everyone involved who has made this happen. I can’t wait to see the reaction from our customers.”
2. Boots UK gearing up to launch new beauty showcase at Battersea Power Station in London
Boots UK will open a new beauty only store later this year at London’s Battersea Power Station.
In a LinkedIn post, Paula Bobbett, Chief Digital Officer at Boots UK, said: “This has been months in the making. As an 11,200 sq ft supersize beauty studio, it will be a new destination for beauty lovers to try out new products, looks and trends.”
“More than 250 cosmetics, skincare and haircare brands will be available, including several new UK exclusive brands and ranges from diverse and female owned brands.”
“We will also be making good use of our leadership in healthcare and expertise in skin, with skin specialist pharmacists and qualified dermatologists on hand to offer advice.”
All products will be available online and for next day home delivery or Click and Collect at over 1,600 Boots stores.
Virtual skincare and beauty consultations from the store’s experts will also be available on boots.com.
3. Just Hotter founder and retail tech veteran Sarah Curran joins 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards judging panel
We’re pleased to announce the addition of Sarah Curran to the 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards judging panel.
Curran has just launched Just Hotter, a Shopify powered online destination for all things menopause, having earlier this year left True Fit, a fit personalisation platform for fashion retailers, where she served as Global Chief Marketing Officer.
In a LinkedIn post, she commented: “Absolutely thrilled to announce the launch of my latest venture, Just Hotter, an online destination for all things menopause, including all the things we never seem to hear about … unless it’s in a WhatsApp group with your girlfriends.”
She added: “At 45, I discovered I was in perimenopause and after researching and reading up on symptoms, signs and changes in cycles I was left feeling totally unrepresented by everything I’d found online.”
“Five years on and in the year I turned 50, I decided that I needed to do something which I felt passionate about and changing the perception of women entering this stage of life was one of them.”
“Just Hotter is a one stop shop for all things menopause with curated brands, supplements and products that I have used and loved in my journey of understanding how to tweak my lifestyle to feel at least normal, but in the hope of feeling better. Which, I’m pleased to report, that I definitely do!”
Check out our 2022 interview with her here.
4. Gopuff taps CitrusAd and Rokt retail technology as it expands its Ads platform to the UK
Rapid grocery delivery big hitter Gopuff has announced the launch of its Ads platform in the UK.
“For two years, the world’s largest CPGs and most exciting emerging brands – from PepsiCo to Liquid Death – have leveraged Gopuff Ads to reach our young, engaged customers and drive incremental sales in the US,” says Daniel Folkman, Senior Vice President of Business at Gopuff.
“Now, we’re thrilled to introduce Gopuff Ads, a platform that has powered 4x return on ad spend for our US advertisers, to brands reaching UK customers.”
With Gopuff’s direct API integration into CitrusAd’s retail media technology, brands can target its UK customers via Sponsored Search, Sponsored Carousel and Promoted Product Placement ads.
The platform allows partners to plan, buy, measure, and manage their ads.
5. Grubhub brings Amazon Just Walk Out Technology to Stateside university campus partners
Grubhub Campus reports that Amazon's Just Walk Out technology is now available at Loyola University Maryland, the first Grubhub partnered campus to deploy the offering.
Students scan a QR code in the Grubhub app to enter a convenience store, and the technology detects what shoppers take from or return to the shelves.
They can then leave without having to wait in line and the payment will automatically be deducted from their meal plan, declining account balance or other stored payment methods linked to their Grubhub account.
"Our installation with Amazon's Just Walk Out technology is another example of how we are strengthening our relationship with our campus partners with cost saving technology and driving student adoption," says Eric Ferguson, Chief Operations Officer at Grubhub.
"The services and products we provide for our campus partners are designed to enhance and improve the dining experience, and we're excited to offer this innovative and frictionless technology to our campus partners."
6. Trickster gods and retro burgers: McDonald's x Loki 1982 takeover goes live in Brooklyn, New York
Ahead of the release of Marvel Studios’ Loki Season 2, the Disney+ series has teamed up with McDonald’s, which makes an appearance on the show’s timeline.
McDonald’s latest campaign, the As Featured in Meal, showcases a collection of fan favourite menu items that have appeared over the past few decades across film, television, and music, which also now includes crossing paths with the God of Mischief.
As part of this, the fast food giant has transported a Brooklyn, New York store back to 1982 as seen in the upcoming Loki season. This is running from Wednesday, 30th August through to Friday, 1st September.
7. Shoe Carnival teams with CommerceHub to grow sales in third-party-owned inventory via e-commerce
Shoe Carnival is working with CommerceHub to make it easier to find, onboard and effectively merchandise new products from qualified brands that its customers like.
Shoe Carnival currently generates over $1.2 billion in annual revenue and is one of the United States’ largest family footwear retailers, offering a broad assortment with an emphasis on national name brands.
In addition to its nearly 400 stores nationwide, the company has a growing online business leveraging CommerceHub, a cloud-based commerce network that provides SaaS solutions.
“We’ve built our business on getting closer to our customers and understanding their preferences and style choices in a rapidly changing market, and we are incredibly optimistic about our future growth,” says Kent Zimmerman, VP of eCommerce & CRM, Shoe Carnival.
“We are strategically growing our sales in third-party-owned inventory through e-commerce, which enables us to better serve consumers by providing them with more styles and more selection while making it easy for them to have a great experience shopping with us.”
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