Awards judging panel assemble! RTIH’s biggest retail technology articles on LinkedIn right now
We’re big fans of LinkedIn and are busy building an amazing community of retail tech enthusiasts on the social media platform. These are the articles that are currently on their radars, including FreedomPay, Nedap, Foot Locker, Finematter, CADS, Henderson Group, Walmart, Rovertown, Getir, and Uber Eats.
Retail technology big hitters: introducing the 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards judging panel
We’re pleased to announce our judging panel for the 2023 RTIH Innovation Awards, with a stellar line up coming from the likes of Starbucks, Boots, Just Hotter, IGD, EY, Marie Curie, Selfridges, and Situ Live.
2023 judges as follows:
Mike Cadden, Interim Chief Technology Officer, Marie Curie
Peter Waugh, Director, International Digital (EMEA, LAC & AP), Starbucks
Carole Kingsbury, Former Director of IT, Ted Baker
Christine Russo, Industry Analyst and Retail Influencer
Paula Bobbett, Chief Digital Officer, Boots
Sarah Curran, Founder & Chief Menopause Officer, Just Hotter
Warren Richmond, Founder and CEO, Situ LIve
Matt Bradley, Director and Founder, Retail Technology Show
Scott Thompson, Editor and Founder, Retail Technology Innovation Hub
Toby Pickard, Global Insight Leader, IGD
Matt Taylor, Technology Transformation Leader at EY, Retail and Consumer Products
Amodini Chhabra, Investor, Compass Digital Ventures
Gary Newbury, Supply Chain Advisor and Delivery Executive
Nadine Neatrour, Marketing Director, Selfridges
David Polinchock, Co-Founder/President, Unified Brand Experience Lab
DON’T DELAY, ENTER TODAY!
The fifth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards is now open for entries.
Sponsored by PMC, CADS, 3D Cloud by Marxent, and Goodays, it celebrates global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Deadline for 2023 submissions is Friday, 27th October, with winners being revealed at an exclusive event at the Barbican Centre in central London on Wednesday, 29th November.
Entries are free and you can submit in multiple categories.
For FAQs and entry forms, click here.
Amazon Just Walk Out technology expands to Canada, building on US, UK and Australian roll-outs
Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology has landed in Canada. It will first become available at two Canadian arenas - Scotiabank Saddledome, home of the NHL’s Calgary Flames on 29th September, and Scotiabank Arena, home of the NHL’s Toronto Maple Leafs and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors on 10th October.
More locations will roll out the technology in the coming months. Canada joins the US, UK, and Australia as nations offering checkout-free shopping experiences for consumers.
It will be available at Market 213 in Scotiabank Saddledome and at Grains and Greens (100 Level) and Molson Market (300 Level) locations in Scotiabank Arena.
To enter the store, fans use their credit or debit card at the entry gate. Just Walk Out technology associates the shopper with their payment instrument, and detects the items taken from or returned to store shelves.
When guests have completed their visit, they leave and the payment instrument will be charged for the items they took with them. Shortly after exiting, customers will be able to access their receipt online.
ALDI Nord taps shopreme technology as it tests out self-checkout solutions in Dutch stores
shopreme is working with ALDI Nord on a project across several stores in the Netherlands that involves scan and go, self-checkout kiosks and exit terminals.
The initiative marks the first instance of ALDI Nord testing self-checkout solutions in its stores.
It includes integrating the shopreme SDK into the ALDI customer app. Customers can now use the app to scan products and make payments using such methods as iDEAL, debit cards, credit cards, Google Pay and Apple Pay.
This process culminates with issuing a digital receipt within the app, enabling customers to leave the store by scanning an exit code at the shopreme vector terminal which opens the checkout gate.
An alternative options sees customers scan their products at the shopreme matrix self-checkout kiosk. This dispenses an exit code receipt that opens the vector exit terminal to leave the store after payment.
FreedomPay and Amazon collaborate on Amazon One palm powered in-store checkout experiences
Amazon One is a payment system based on biometrics that works by reading users' palm print. It is used by the likes of Whole Foods Market and Amazon Go, as well as third-party retailers who have purchased the technology from Amazon
“Our technology empowers businesses around the world to provide a robust, frictionless and personalised purchasing experience across online and in-store channels,” says Chris Kronenthal, President at FreedomPay.
“That’s why we’re excited to announce that Amazon One, the fast, convenient, and contactless identity service that uses your palm to enter, identify, and pay, is now integrated with our commerce technology platform.”
“Together, Amazon Web Services (AWS) and FreedomPay’s technologies enable merchants to offer a seamless checkout process and a faster way to pay. Shoppers will be able to use their palm to pay with FreedomPay using Amazon One.”
Nedap teams with Foot Locker to extend RFID project to new Eastern European stores
Sports fashion and apparel retailer Foot Locker has extended the Nedap iD Cloud RFID solution to its new Eastern European stores.
This means that the project, which kicked off in 2018, now involves over 650 stores across Europe.
By using RFID tagged merchandise from brands such as Nike, adidas, and PUMA, Foot Locker says that it is benefiting from long-term accuracy in its inventory, leading to improved stock availability and reduced stock-outs.
Niek Philipsen, Director Innovation at Foot Locker, comments: “Brands we work with are very strict when it comes to displaying merchandise. In the case of exclusive, limited-edition footwear, timing is crucial.”
“The iD Cloud App tells our store teams exactly which items should be displayed and when. This way, we ensure true brand experience and a great moment of shopping at Foot Locker for our customers.”
London-based circular jewellery online platform Finematter closes out £2.2 million seed round
Finematter, a circular online marketplace focused on the jewellery industry, has announced the second close of its seed round, bringing the total raised to £2.2 million.
This counted contributions from angel investors such as Heini Zachariassen (Vivino), Christine de Wendel (Zalando/Sunday), Jeppe Rindom (Pleo), Dino Patti (Playdead/Jumpship), Peder Micheal Pruzan-Jørgensen (Pandora's Sustainability board), and participation from existing shareholder Heartcore Capital.
CADS helps Henderson Group to transform its retail space planning with StoreSpace solution
Retail space planning specialist CADS has helped Northern Ireland’s largest Spar retailer and wholesaler, Henderson Group, improve its space management process with StoreSpace.
Henderson Group reached out to CADS following a recommendation from Nielsen, which provides Spaceman planogram technology that partners with StoreSpace.
“Our StoreSpace software makes it easier for retailers to optimise their retail space. Henderson Group has been able to make better informed planning decisions which help boost sales,” says Richard Burford, CADS’ Customer Success Specialist.
Walmart works with POCLab on The Cultureverse, a metaverse celebration of 50th anniversary of hip hop
A new immersive, gamified virtual experience, The Cultureverse, has launched, celebrating the last 50 years of hip hop music and the genre's impact on culture.
The result of a collaboration between Walmart and Web3 creative studio POCLab, this is now available on Spatial.
In a LinkedIn post, Justin Breton, Director of Brand Experiences & Strategic Partnerships at Walmart, said: “The Cultureverse, which authentically aligns with our mission to supercharge the potential of black creators physically, digitally, and now virtually, aims to amplify the narratives of those that are unrepresented within the metaverse and Web3 and proudly features the unique voices and stories of more than 25 black and brown creators from music, fashion, art, and more.”
He added: “More specifically, Walmart commissioned four artists to create works of art that draw inspiration from the question: “What does Black & Unlimited mean to you?” This initiative provided them with a canvas to express their creative individualism through a new medium. You can experience and read about these larger than avatar works of art in the Black & Unlimited Gallery.”
Walmart is also powering the Main Stage, with the aim of elevating the voices and perspectives of individuals who have influenced culture and are driving the continued evolution of hip hop through consistent programming of virtual panels, fireside chats etc.
A shoppable Rock The Bells exhibit, virtual fashion popup, interactive Jet Magazine archive are also available to explore.
Enrique Tomás chooses nsign.tv for new vending machines deployment at Spain’s Barcelona Airport
Ham specialist, Enrique Tomás, has implemented nsign.tv’s digital signage platform in its new model of vending machines that recently launched at Barcelona Airport.
The first phase of the project includes a total of 30 stores, distributed at strategic points throughout the airport, which automatically offer, 24 hours a day, a wide variety of the brand's products.
Getir and Uber Eats shake hands on pan-European rapid grocery delivery partnership
Turkish rapid grocery delivery firm, Getir, and Uber have announced a new partnership that will enable customers in several European countries to use the Uber Eats app to order from Getir’s product offering.
This will go live in UK stores today, and across other European countries in the coming weeks, providing Uber Eats users with access to over 2,000 products, with deliveries expected to be made in minutes.
As part of the partnership, Uber Eats customers will also have the option to shop from Gorillas stores in the near future.
The roll-out of Getir stores onto the Uber Eats app will be completed in a few weeks from now, when it is claimed millions of users across Europe will be able to have groceries delivered on-demand via the tie up.
Orders will be fulfilled by Getir couriers.
Rovertown debuts Integration Store for next-generation convenience retailer mobile apps
Rovertown has launched Integration Store, the latest evolution of its mobile app platform for convenience stores.
As the Rovertown platform is fully agnostic, retailers can now browse and select from dozens of native features and third-party integrations powered by leading technology vendors.
“We will look back and see this as a major turning point for convenience store mobile apps,” says Mike Philip, CEO and Co-founder at Rovertown.
“Platforms represent the future of technology. From our inception, we've held the belief that retailers shouldn't be confined to inflexible, pre-built apps with limited functionality, nor should they be burdened by expensive custom solutions.”
“Our vision is a world where retailers freely choose their technology partners and shape digital engagement according to their unique needs.”
Fashion retail veteran Ian Grabiner makes ‘substantial investment’ in Selectika and becomes President
Selectika, a visual AI and personalisation system for e-commerce, has announced the appointment of Ian Grabiner as President.
Grabiner, who has also made an undisclosed investment in the company, was previously CEO at Arcadia Group, the UK fashion group with brands such as Topshop, Topman, and Miss Selfridges.
According to a press release: “In his capacity as a key investor, Ian’s commitment to Selectika underscores his belief in the company's mission and its potential to revolutionise the industry. His substantial investment will provide the resources necessary for the company to accelerate its growth and expand its reach in the market.”
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