Including Pacsun, TikTok, and Nando’s: 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 Star Micronics, CommerceHub, Cradlepoint, XPO Logistics, Shopify, Pricer, and Blue Yonder.
Star Micronics
PoS hardware solutions provider Star Micronics has announced the launch of its managed cloud service, StarPrinter.Online, which allows businesses to print directly from a web server, web page, web client app/PWA, native app or even via email, as well as benefit from device management of the entire PoS printer estate.
Pacsun
Cart.com has announced a new partnership with Pacsun.
This will see the company leverage its logistics expertise and order and inventory management capabilities to support US fulfilment for the brand.
Pacsun will also transition management of its Groveport, Ohio fulfilment facility to Cart.com.
The two million square foot automated facility, which includes advanced sortation and over 25 miles of conveyance as well as dynamic storage solutions, is the 14th warehouse in Cart.com’s nationwide network of omnichannel fulfilment centres.
TikTok
TikTok is implementing e-commerce solutions from CommerceHub.
By implementing the latter’s unified commerce platform including ChannelAdvisor, the social media giant will now have the ability to access tens of thousands of brands on CommerceHub’s network that want to sell and market their products in TikTok Shop.
TikTok Shop is a new shopping feature in the app which enables merchants, brands, and creators to showcase and sell products directly on TikTok through in-feed videos, TikTok LIVEs, and product showcase tab.
Metacask and BitPay
Metacask, an online marketplace which allows users to buy, sell and collect spirits via the blockchain, has teamed up with crypto payment processor BitPay.
The aim here is to make it simple and secure to use cryptocurrencies on the former’s marketplace when buying any of the rare spirits that are available via auction or exclusive listing.
Every Metacask sale comes with a digital deed that proves ownership of an asset, as well as important provenance statistics such as when and where a cask or bottle was created and even when it was last tested by distilleries or experts.
This is stored permanently on the blockchain, creating a trail of ownership that is audited and timestamped.
With the BitPay partnership, Metacask says that it is making the premium spirits market even more accessible to those using cryptocurrencies. It will also soon support credit card payments and currently enables customers to create an account using social logins from Facebook and Google.
Marks and Spencer
Bodi.Me, a specialist in sustainable fashion fit technology, has collaborated with uniform and work wear supplier, Incorporatewear, to develop a bespoke fittings solution for Marks and Spencer’s new gender neutral staff uniforms.
M&S’ staff uniform supplier, Incorporatewear, presented Bodi.Me with a significant challenge: how to seamlessly incorporate M&S’ new collection and support the retailer’s approximately 14,000 members of staff with the transition.
Starting with its existing Size-Me platform, Bodi.Me developed Size-Me 3.0 for the task. The bespoke version of the UK based SaaS company’s garment sizing solution has been specifically tailored to mitigate the uncertainties associated with size selection for gender neutral collections.
It uses data from more than 350,000 3D body models, incorporating AI, the latest machine learning integrated with its proprietary algorithms to extrapolate a complete size and fit recommendation from a few simple questions.
To support M&S’s team, the Size-Me 3.0 also introduced a set of questions for each wearer to address. It uses touch free body measurements and requires no intrusive wearer photos or body scans and all data is entirely confidential.
Albertsons Companies
Albertsons Companies has launched a Flash grocery service, allowing customers to receive their DriveUp & Go and delivery orders in as little as 30 minutes.
This is available at more than 2,000 locations, including Albertsons, Safeway, Vons, Jewel-Osco, Shaw's, ACME and Tom Thumb banner stores.
“Shoppers today want fast pickup and delivery, and Albertsons is meeting this expectation with our new Flash service,” says Stephen Menaquale, SVP, eCommerce and Fulfillment at Albertsons Cos.
"Whether you’re missing a key ingredient for tonight’s dinner, or need a healthy snack for your kid’s lunchbox, families can turn to us to quickly replenish their food and household staples.”
SES-imagotag and HowGood
SES-imagotag and HowGood have announced a partnership to provide consumers with transparent product information, delivered in stores, at the shelf-edge.
This will give shoppers access to data on over two million products directly on smart digital displays in stores, thanks to SES-imagotag’s VUSION IoT Cloud platform, which connects retailers, brands and consumers.
The data comes from HowGood and ranges from greenhouse gas emissions to water usage to labour risk. The digital displays will be available globally this autumn
Through HowGood, consumers can select products that use less water than average in their production (Water Smart), have lower greenhouse gas emissions than average (Climate Friendly), have a simple formula with seven or fewer ingredients (Clean Label), made with ingredients that are not dependent on commercial or industrial processing (Minimally Processed), contain ingredients that minimise the use of petroleum-based herbicides, fertilisers and other chemicals (Low Synthetic Inputs), or respect workers’ rights and dignity (Fair Labour).
These labels, among others, will be displayed in stores on electronic shelf labels, TVs, shelf-edge video displays, etc. along with product price and other key information.
Amazon Fresh
Amazon has opened a Just Walk Out technology powered Amazon Fresh store at London’s Liverpool Street.
To enter the store, customers walk through a non-gated entrance and shop for what they need.
At the end of their trip, they can either scan their in-store code (via the Amazon app) at the exit gate, or pay by tapping their credit or debit card at a chip and PIN machine.
It’s also possible to pick up and return items purchased on Amazon.co.uk from in-store lockers, with a QR code.
There are now 19 of these locations in the UK - 18 of which are in London, and the other at Sevenoaks in Kent. Way off the original target of 200+ by the end of 2025.
The Liverpool Street store can be found at Unit 4B-5, 31-35 Blomfield Street, London, EC2M 7BD.
It is open from 7:00 am – 11:00 pm, seven days a week.
In a LinkedIn post, Louise Bagshaw, Central Operations, Amazon Fresh Stores International, said: “Exciting times at Amazon Fresh! Today (12th September) we have launched another new store in a fantastic location at Liverpool Street station. Very proud of the whole AUKF team and partner teams - great new look and feel, store flow, range and CX.”
citizenM
Recurly, a subscription management and billing platform, has partnered with hotel and lifestyle brand citizenM to enhance its mycitizenM+ guest subscription service.
citizenM, which launched in 2008, will leverage Recurly and its analytics and automated subscription billing to offer targeted pricing and services to its guests.
Casper Overbeek, Chief Product Officer at citizenM, says: “As a global leader in hospitality, understanding consumer behaviour is a top priority in helping us accurately predict what services our guests want from us.”
“We chose Recurly because of its unique ability to gain valuable insight into subscription packages and we’re excited to work together to deliver better outcomes for our member community.”
XPO Logistics
XPO has completed a pilot trial of Hunic exoskeleton suit safety equipment and will deploy the technology across the UK and Ireland before the end of this year.
The suits were introduced to XPO Logistics network sites and some dedicated warehouses in January, including Crick (Scania), the Leicester shared user warehouse (Samsung), and the Volkswagen Group UK National Parts Distribution Centre in Dordon, Glen Dimplex, and Daimler in Milton Keynes.
Current users at each site are helping to train wider groups on how to use the suits.
Hunic Exoskeleton technology assists wearers with heavy lifting duties, ensuring their posture is correct to reduce the chance of injury.
It significantly reduced the fatigue felt by those working in the five XPO depots where the suits were tested.
Productivity improved as well: After using the suits at the Samsung operations, there was a 15-20% reduction in unloading time.
Hillarys
Hillarys, a retailer of made to measure blinds, curtains, and shutters, has selected IPI’s contact centre-as-a-service (CCaaS) offering, ElasticCX CCaaS, as it transitions away from its incumbent on-premise telephony solution.
The move marks the start of Hillarys’ staged migration to the cloud and is part of its ongoing strategy to enhance its contact centre operations.
A continuation of a six-year partnership, IPI is supporting Hillarys as it moves telephony services to the cloud for the first time.
Underpinned by access to IPI's voice network services, the retailer is using ElasticCX CCaaS to run its outbound dialling campaigns.
Shopify
E-commerce big hitter Shopify is launching PoS Go in the UK and Ireland.
Pitched as an all in one PoS mobile selling device, this builds on the firm’s Shopify PoS offering.
Deann Evans, Managing Director, EMEA at Shopify, comments: “Commerce is happening all around us - online, offline, and everywhere in between - so it's vital to continue powering growth in all areas. The most innovative brands in the world, like Gymshark, Huel and Ooni, build their businesses on Shopify.”
“We’re choosing to launch PoS Go in the UK to help all our merchants, big or small, meet consumers wherever they are and however they want to shop - from counter to kerb.”
S Group
S Group has chosen Pricer as its electronic shelf labels (ESL) supplier and signed a framework agreement for five years.
S Group is a customer owned network of companies in the retail and service sectors, with more than 1,000 retail outlets in Finland.
The biggest business area is supermarket trade, which is covered by five chains. The largest chains are the supermarket chain S-market (440+ stores) and hypermarket Prisma (70+ outlets).
Although there are no minimum commitments for volumes or values under the agreement that cover all brands, S Group will make pilot installations in 17 stores (nine Prisma and eight S-market) during 2023, with the intention of doing installations in 300 stores during the coming years.
The solution is based on the platform Pricer Plaza, which provides a cloud-based software offering that enables the chains to centrally manage and control pricing, product information, and promotions across all ESLs in all connected stores.
Bata
Bata is implementing Blue Yonder’s SaaS-based Allocation & Replenishment solution.
It says that this will enable it to: Improve the distribution of products according to customer need; optimise its processes, streamline operations, and deliver products more efficiently; ensure fulfilment locations (whether stores or commerce channels) are proactively restocked.
OXXO
OXXO, a convenience store chain in the Americas, has selected RELEX Solutions to increase the accuracy of its product demand forecasts. The chosen solution will serve OXXO’s 22,000 locations in Mexico.
This part of the retailer’s digitalisation process and preparation for expansion in the coming years.
Nando’s
LTE and 5G wireless connectivity specialist, Cradlepoint, reports that Nando’s will be using its E300 routers to provide restaurants with a unified and stable communications platform across all 279 sites in South Africa.
The announcement builds on a partnership between the pair which began in 2015.
Paradies Lagardère
Airport retailer and restaurateur Paradies Lagardère has opened its latest retail concept, The Goods@DCA, in Concourse D of Reagan National Airport.
“We are extremely excited to deliver this revolutionary concept to our great partners at Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority and the travellers in Reagan National Airport,” says Gregg Paradies, President and CEO at Paradies Lagardère.
“Our well balanced blend of intriguing innovation, exciting local representation, and recognised customer service truly embraces our proven ‘High Tech, High Touch’ approach to delivering an award winning retail experience.”
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