The God of Mischief meets retro fast food: RTIH presents the retail technology week in numbers
Do you like numbers? Do you like retail systems news? Then this is the article for you. Including McDonald’s, Bazaarvoice, Voxel, Grubhub, Amazon Fresh, Boots UK, and Cartken.
2…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.
61% and 19%…UK consumers care more about the product opinions of average social media users than celebrity influencer endorsement, according to research from Bazaarvoice.
The company surveyed 2,000+ Brits and found that 61% have purchased a product based on the recommendation of an everyday social media user (often with less than 1,000 followers and sharing posts with friends and family), while only 19% said the same about celebrity influencers.
29% of people said everyday social users are who they are most influenced by when purchasing a product. In fact, when asked who they would like to see brands partner with to create content for their products, 62% responded to everyday social media users.
$27 million…Rewaa, a Saudi-based leading omnichannel inventory management system, accounting, and PoS platform for the retail industry, has raised $27 million in Series A funding round led by Wa’ed Ventures, a VC fund wholly owned by Aramco.
STC’s Corporate Innovation Fund (CIF) also participated, alongside Silicon Valley’s Graphene Ventures, Sadu Capital, Vision Ventures, Khwarizmi Ventures, RZM Investment, Derayah VC, and Abdulrahman Sulaiman Al Rajhi & Sons Investment Company.
“This investment propels us toward our vision of becoming the optimal tech partner for SMBs in the retail sector. By contributing to the industry's digital transformation, we aim to make an impact on retail merchants, enabling them to increase efficiency,” says Mohammed Alqasir, Co-Founder and CEO at Rewaa.
$12 million and $30 million…Voxel has announced a $12 million funding round led by Rite-Hite with participation from existing investors Eclipse Ventures and World Innovation Lab.
This takes total funds raised to $30 million since 2020.
Voxel integrates computer vision technology into existing security cameras to identify hazards, risky behaviours, and operational inefficiencies across a range of workplaces.
Once potential risks, such as near miss vehicle collisions, blocked exits, improper ergonomics, or spills, are identified, a real-time alert is sent to on-site personnel who can take immediate action, and Voxel's analytics help sites identify operational inefficiencies and design policies to prevent future issues.
In order to protect workers’ privacy, no facial recognition or identification of individuals is permitted in Voxel’s systems.
1…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."
25…As parents prepare for children to head back to school, Amazon Fresh has revealed how the packed lunch box has changed over the last 25 years.
Its survey of 1,500 Brits shows that 89% of parents feel their child gets a better quality, ‘elevated’ packed lunch than they did as a child.
65% noted the main objective was how healthy the packed lunch is compared to 26% saying looks are important, regularly taking a picture of their child’s lunch box to post on Instagram.
€2 million…Videobot, a Finnish SaaS startup, has raised €2 million in seed funding from Superhero Capital, Expon Capital Digital Tech Fund, and angel investors, Urban Gillstrom and Ari Korhonen.
The cash will be used to accelerate Videobot’s growth, especially in Europe and US markets, where the company has over 200 customers in 15 countries and in multiple industries.
"80% of internet traffic today is video. Videobot represents a paradigm shift in online communication," says Anssi Kiviranta, Co-founder of Videobot, which launched in 2022.
"Our platform seamlessly integrates the convenience of chatbots with the engaging power of short videos, opening new horizons for businesses to connect with their audiences."
11,200…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.
50,000…Cartken reports that, through its partnership with Grubhub, more than 50,000 autonomous deliveries have been made via its robots on the University of Arizona’s campus during the ‘22 - ‘23 school year.
Said robots first debuted on the University of Arizona’s campus in August 2022, just in time for the start of the school year.
The University of Arizona had an existing partnership with Grubhub Campus Dining that allows students to use their meal plans to order food from on-campus restaurants via the Grubhub app for pickup.
Through Cartken’s partnership with Grubhub, students are able to select robot delivery as an option when ordering from on campus restaurants.
The university’s more than 40,000 students can now order from 12 on-site restaurants and campus dining facilities and receive their order autonomously at one of the 60 drop-off stations throughout the nearly 400 acre campus.
£754 million…UK consumers will spend £754 million extra online this year because of rain, snow and high winds – with rain the biggest contributor to the overall uplift at £650 million, according to research from the Adobe Digital Economy Index, powered by Adobe Analytics.
$1.7 million…Singapore-based digital receipt solutions specialist, Pi-xcels, has completed a seed funding round, raising $1.7 million.
This was led by Wavemaker Partners, with participation from other venture capital firms such as Hustle Fund, Amand Ventures, and Black Kite Capital, as well as strategic angel investors.
“We are shaping the future of retail with paperless receipts and data centric shopper journeys," says Pi-xcels CEO Daniel Lim.
"We are among the few use cases of NFC beyond payments. Not only does our app less technology enhance customer experiences, it also equips retailers with valuable data to better understand and cater to customers' preferences."
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