Football, coffee, and famous mother-daughters: RTIH’s most read retail technology articles from last week
Check out the articles on this here website that caught your fancy last week, including Starbucks, Roblox, Dubit, Walmart, Aldi, Order Editing, Vinted, Zara, Bambuser, Vroom Delivery, Uber Direct, and the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards.
Lots of fun but extremely expensive: Aldi shutters Trigo powered Shop & Go store in Dutch city of Utrecht
Aldi is binning its mobile app centric, cashier-free supermarket project in Utrecht, Holland.
“It was a fun experiment and we learned a lot,” Florian Scholbeck, Aldi’s International Head of Communications. “But the investments are very big.”
The retailer will now test the system in Eindhoven in a store selling a full range of products. The ability to pay by traditional means will also be made available.
Utrecht was a 3,982 square feet location where shoppers walked in, selected their items, and walked out without having to queue at the checkout lane or scan any items.
In its largest store format to date, Trigo applied its algorithms to shelf sensors and ceiling mounted cameras which analysed anonymised shoppers' movements and product choices.
Payments and receipts were settled digitally.
Online C2C pre-loved marketplace Vinted angers sellers over Royal Mail postage option change
Vinted, a European online marketplace for secondhand items, has upset sellers over delivery options on its platform for the second time in as many months.
It finds itself once again facing backlash on social media, this time for a controversial change involving the firm’s Royal Mail postage option.
Sellers on the platform have expressed frustration after discovering that this is now permanently enabled, with no ability to turn it off. This means that buyers are free to select Royal Mail as the delivery method, even when sellers would prefer not to use it.
The move has caused widespread dissatisfaction among Vinted's seller community, many of whom have taken to social media sites like TikTok to voice their concerns.
2024 RTIH Innovation Awards: don’t delay, enter today!
There are only three weeks left to submit your entries for the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards.
Deadline for submissions is Friday, 25th October.
The awards, sponsored by CADS, 3D Cloud, Brightpearl by Sage’s Lightning 50, and Retail Technology Show 2025, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Key 2024 dates
Friday, 25th October: Award entry deadline
Tuesday, 29th October: 2024 shortlist revealed
30th October-6th November: Judging days
Thursday, 21st November: Winners announced at the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony, to be held at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London.
Starbucks offers free coffee on Roblox platform as Dubit opens doors to virtual stores in role playing games
Dubit has opened Starbucks’ first four virtual stores in some of the most popular Roblox role playing games.
These are available to Roblox fans from 13 markets across Asia Pacific.
The virtual stores are inspired by physical locations and set across virtual cities on Roblox like Bilberry City, Theme Park HeideLand, Seaboard City, and NewSmith. People can order a beverage from green apron partners, chat with fellow users, and embark on a treasure hunt.
They will journey through a map to search for ten coffee inspired collectible items, unlocking exclusive in-game rewards along the way. In-game achievements can be redeemed for real-world rewards at select Starbucks stores across eight markets, including Cambodia, Laos, Hong Kong & Macau, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Thailand.
“Come visit and enjoy a virtual coffee in our virtual third place. There are 35,000 UGC items up for grabs, and even more real-world prizes courtesy of Starbucks from free customisations to free coffees,” says Matthew Warneford, CEO at Dubit, which has created Gamer Rewards, pitched as the first loyalty programme for Roblox that lets players earn in-game rewards and redeem them off-platform, and also Gamer Retail to power immersive in-game retail experiences for brands.
Warneford adds: “I’m hugely excited. This year we’ve seen meaningful real-world outcomes from Roblox. Last month, we drove 15,000 people into real-world stores here in the UK.”
“Earlier this year, we delivered a 22% increase in sales velocity for one of America’s most popular lunchtime snacks. Roblox drives real-world results, and will for Starbucks too.”
“The campaign is geo-locked to APAC regions. Thanks Starbucks! And a big thank you to our amazing game partners: Seaboard City, Bilberry City, New Smith, and Theme Park HeideLand.”
Premier League football club Manchester United taps SCAYLE tech for launch of new e-commerce platform
Manchester United has launched its new e-commerce platform after selecting SCAYLE for the project.
This enables transactions across multiple languages and currencies. It also allows for features like ‘make your shirt’ and ‘shop by player’ customisation, fast load times, and a mobile first experience.
The pair say that they will now build on this to develop further innovations for fans as part of their ongoing partnership.
James Holroyd, Manchester United’s Chief Commercial Development Officer, says: “Our new e-commerce platform is a game changer in terms of the quality and reliability of service we can offer fans.”
“We are excited to be working with SCAYLE to set new standards in digital commerce and respond to the growing demand for our products from all corners of the globe.”
“This milestone is an important moment in our partnership and the wider digital transformation of Manchester United as we futureproof the club for a new era of digital engagement with fans.”
Shopify veteran Paul Goldston joins self-service technology startup Order Editing as Head of ANZ
Paul Goldston has joined Order Editing, a startup whose tech lets customers make changes to their orders without emailing support, as Head of ANZ.
He was previously at Shopify where he held such roles as Engagement/Delivery/Partner Manager - Shopify Professional Services APAC.
In a LinkedIn post, Order Editing Co-founder, Hamish McKay, said: “You couldn't comprehend how happy I am to be announcing that Paul Goldston has officially joined our founding team.”
“When I announced that we were hiring our first full time employee, I asked my network - Who could we hire that would make you think "How the hell did you manage to land them?!" Paul was brought up every single time. And within ten minutes of our initial meeting, I had texted my Co-founder saying "I have to have him."
Walmart claims a first as SpongeBob SquarePants fans head into 25th anniversary augmented reality experience
This month, SpongeBob fans will be able to unlock the Rainbow SpongeBob back accessory for their Roblox avatar. Additional free virtual items will drop in November and December, including a Jellyfish Surfing Patrick & Clarineting Squidward, respectively.
And to celebrate the free virtual items and 25th anniversary of SpongeBob, Walmart is inviting fans to go underwater in Bikini Bottom with the reskin of its Walmart Discovered augmented reality experience.
People will be able to see the free virtual item, complete a quest for free UGC, and try on and buy seasonal UGC.
Justin Breton, Head of Brand Marketing Innovation at Walmart, says: “This is the first time any brand has partnered with an IP to provide a series of collectible free virtual items with the purchase of a Roblox gift card, bringing this fandom something special for the holiday season.”
“And a shoutout to our partners at Paramount and Nickelodeon for their enthusiasm and willingness to do something new & exciting for our customers and their fans of SpongeBob.”
Delivery orders placed via Burger King UK app to tap same tech and courier network that powers Uber Eats
Uber Direct, Uber’s white label delivery solution, has announced an exclusive partnership with Burger King UK, to provide its customers with rapid deliveries through the fast food chain’s app.
The app also rewards customers with exclusive delivery deals and the opportunity to earn loyalty points with each order.
Delivery orders placed through the Burger King UK app will leverage the same technology and courier network that powers Uber Eats. Uber’s technology provides customers with real-time tracking from their local restaurant to their delivery address and 24/7 customer support for orders, should they need it.
The first phase of the roll-out has begun, with full deployment expected across the Burger King UK estate by the end of the year.
Mother-daughter duo Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber host Bambuser powered ZaraStreaming shopping event
Video commerce platform specialist Bambuser has announced a live shopping partnership with Zara.
In a LinkedIn post, Louise Blomqvist, President of EMEA at Bambuser, said: “Last week marked a historic moment for our teams, and I couldn’t more proud to share that we’ve partnered with one of the world’s most iconic fashion brands, Zara, for their very first ZaraStreaming.”
“Our collaboration is a testament to the power of innovation and how technology can transform the retail experience. By combining Zara’s dedication to brand and image with our streaming capabilities, we’ve created an interactive, real-time shopping experience both exciting and engaging for customers worldwide.”
Hosted by mother-daughter duo, Cindy Crawford and Kaia Gerber, who brought a Zara collection to life, this offered personal styling tips, with the aim of making the experience engaging and relatable. It was directed by David Lowery and styled by Carlyne Cerf de Dudzeele.
Blomqvist concluded: “Thank you to the incredible teams at Bambuser and Zara for making this possible, and to our global community for embracing the power of video shopping with us.”
Vroom Delivery partners with Uber Direct to offer alcohol delivery via Pennsylvania convenience retailers
Vroom Delivery has partnered with Uber to enable alcohol delivery for its convenience retailers in Pennsylvania via the Uber Direct platform.
Retailers will be able to offer alcohol delivery on their apps and websites to consumers through Vroom Delivery’s first-party ordering software, with orders delivered by Uber couriers.
Orders must adhere to all state requirements. For example, there are regulatory limits on the volume of beer and wine that can be placed in a single order that must be enforced by the online ordering platform, Vroom
Delivery. couriers delivering via Uber Direct are also required to attain physical or digital permits to deliver alcohol.
“Helping retailers meet their customers’ expectations and grow their businesses through their own channels is at the heart of what Uber Direct offers," says Bernie Huddlestun, General Manager of Uber Direct for US and Canada.
"Research shows 75% of consumers expect express delivery as an option. By working with Vroom Delivery to help make alcohol delivery possible for Pennsylvania retailers in a seamless way, we look forward to helping local businesses meet their customers’ expectations and continue to grow.”
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