Starring AutoStore, Emperia, and InPost UK: RTIH rolls out the 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 Ikea Switzerland, PUMA, REWE Group, Lekkerland, Amazon, Asda, Walmart, Papa Johns UK, Flying Tiger Copenhagen, and M&S.

1. Ikea Switzerland launches JobBot on WhatsApp tool with aim of making it easier for people to apply

Ikea Switzerland, in partnership with the Ikea Retail (Ingka Group) global digital development team, has launched JobBot, a recruitment tool designed to enhance the candidate experience and streamline recruiter processes.

JobBot automates administrative tasks, allowing applicants to apply through WhatsApp without leaving the app.

The way it works is that the chatbot is pre-written, and it guides candidates through the process, and filters positions based on the information the candidate has given to the bot when creating their profile (and by providing consent). This ensures candidate information is kept secure and manageable.

Ananda Buchmüller, Project and Employer Branding & Talent Sourcing Leader, and her team in Ikea Switzerland, aimed to create a tool that would allow recruiters to focus more on understanding the individuals behind the applications, assessing their role fit, and exploring their broader career aspirations. 

“We believe that people make the difference. We recruit based on values, focusing on the person rather than just the CV,” says Buchmüller. “JobBot bridges the gap between people and technology, enhancing communication and providing access to a valuable, interactive talent pool.” 

2. Paul Hornby departs online retailer The Very Group and Digital Customer Experience Director position

Paul Hornby has left The Very Group after spending just under four years in the role of Digital Customer Experience Director.

He joined the multi-brand online retailer and financial services provider in January 2021, reporting to Chief Technology Officer (CTO) Andy Burton.

Hornby, who previously held roles including Head of E-commerce and Head of Transformation at The Very Group, rejoined from Matalan, where he was E-commerce Director for three years.

In a LinkedIn post, he said: “Over almost four years, we have achieved a huge amount together; most notably leading one of the biggest composable migrations in Europe, with the creation of our Skyscape platform.”

“I promised myself when I came back that I’d spend three great years here and then embark upon a new challenge, so now that I’ve broken that promise by a year, we have achieved our goal of migrating Very.co.uk’s upper-funnel pre-peak, have signed a deal with Apply Digital which will see them complete the programme by the end of this FY, and successfully navigated pre-build with Apply Digital, it feels right to step aside and let the right people focus on the final leg of delivery.”

3. Amazon customers can now tap parcel pickup and label free, box free returns at 700 plus Asda stores

Amazon customers can now use a parcel pickup and label free, box free returns service at more than 700 Asda stores.  

Eligible Amazon orders can be picked up in most Asda stores across the UK, with more locations to be added throughout the coming months.  

“Meeting the ever evolving needs of our customers is a top priority for us at Asda,” says Chris Hall, Vice President, Logistics at Asda.

“This collaboration with Amazon just in time for Christmas marks another landmark moment, not just for our larger stores, but our ever expanding Asda Express convenience estate. By bringing essential services like Amazon parcel pickup and return drop-offs closer to where our customers live and work, we’re able to provide greater convenience to more of the communities we serve across the UK.” 

4. Lekkerland hits smart store development milestone as REWE To Go location opens in Mönchengladbach

Convenience specialist, Lekkerland, part of REWE Group, has opened its first ‘smart lounge’ in Mönchengladbach, Germany.

The unmanned, self-checkout REWE To Go location is situated in an Aral Pulse electric vehicle charging park. Those charging their e-vehicles will be able to grab a coffee, snack or drink with workstations and seating available.

Launched in 2011, the REWE To Go format can be found at a number of Aral petrol stations, as well as train stations, airports, city centres, hospitals and REWE Group locations. The range on offer includes coffee and other hot and cold drinks as well as fresh snacks and meals that use natural ingredients and sustainable resources wherever possible.

5. Flying Tiger Copenhagen launches new mobile app and Customer Club with UK one of first markets to go live

Flying Tiger Copenhagen is launching a new app with an accompanying Customer Club.

The latter is is a new initiative that’s part of its omnichannel strategy and it will be a key element in understanding customer preferences, delivering a better experience, rewarding loyalty and ensuring marketing efforts are more targeted and personalised.

The club was launched yesterday and customers that sign up to the app will be immediately rewarded with discounts ranging from 10% to 20% which can be applied to in-store purchases. 

Andre Filomeno, Senior Vice President for "Customer & Digital" at Flying Tiger Copenhagen, comments: “In 2023, we had around 100 million customers across our markets, and the majority of transactions happen in physical stores.”

“However, we are rolling out a number of initiatives to improve the experience, whether customers interact with us in the stores or digitally. Therefore, we are enhancing our customer experience across all platforms, making the new app a valuable addition to all of our channels and a key foundation of our omnichannel approach.”

6. Emperia powered virtual venture Walmart Realm adds festive update as four new stores go live on platform

Walmart Realm has announced a festive update which includes four new virtual shops inspired by social trends from Pinterest and TikTok with gifts and holiday ideas curated by influencers.

This allows customers to see products in their own personal space. A Wish List feature, meanwhile, enables people to create and share gift lists with family and friends and there is also improved product discovery for more seamless commerce.

And in the spirit of giving, Walmart will be giving guests the opportunity to win a Meta Quest 3S, HP Envy 2-in-1 Laptop, HART Tools Toolkit and more, via weekly giveaways and mini games between now and 20th December.

7. Papa Johns UK reports improved digital payment experience after tapping Checkout.com technology

Checkout.com has helped Papa Johns UK improve its digital payments experience for customers, enabling smooth and secure online transactions across its 400 locations nationwide. 

Papa Johns UK has seen a 6% increase in acceptance rates for card transactions as a result of utilising Checkout.com including network tokens.

This approach turns card credentials into encrypted tokens that are used for payment processing, making each individual transaction more secure. It also allows for creating a smooth customer experience by automatically updating card details assigned to each token, which reduces false declines even when cards are replaced or expired.

Additionally, the implementation of Intelligent Acceptance, which optimises payments performance using machine learning, has led to a further 0.6% uplift in acceptance rates across all transactions.

8. Camden London up first as InPost announces opening of parcel locker shops in key urban areas

Parcel locker solutions specialist, InPost, reports that it is opening new Locker Shops in key urban areas.

The first of these has opened in Camden, London, with InPost targeting hyper urban areas where there is huge demand for its lockers.

New locations in London are in the works, including Liverpool Street and London Bridge in 2024, as well as Manchester and further London locations from 2025.

InPost lays claim to over 8,400 locker locations across the country. It says that the Camden pilot, which launched in April, was a hit with locals and proved the value of dedicated stores with a large number of locker compartments.

9. Focus on automation and self-service as Marks & Spencer renews and expands services contract with Diebold Nixdorf

Marks & Spencer (M&S) has renewed and increased the scope of its services contract with Diebold Nixdorf for an additional four years.

The agreement includes support services for the entire store estate, managed services for self-checkout technology and self-order terminals in the digital cafés, implementation services for M&S stores and distribution centres, and software services.

Diebold Nixdorf has provided hardware services to the UK retailer since 2019.

The scope of services expansion of the new contract, which applies to the more than 1,000 M&S stores in the UK and Ireland, aims to increase the productivity of both Diebold Nixdorf field service engineers and M&S colleagues – leading to higher availability of store IT and a reduction in calls placed to the helpdesk.

The project is part of a £30 million investment by M&S in its London stores announced earlier this year.

10. PUMA feels the need for speed as it expands supply chain partnership with AutoStore and Bastian Solutions

AutoStore and systems integrator Bastian Solutions have announced an expansion of their partnership with PUMA by implementing the former’s system at a new distribution centre in Phoenix, Arizona.

With this new facility, PUMA aims to increase daily order fulfilment from 100,000 to 200,000, enhancing speed, efficiency, and accuracy across the entire retail supply chain.

AutoStore’s cubic storage and retrieval system has been the default automated fulfilment solution integrated with PUMA’s warehouse operations since 2015, serving distribution facilities in Indiana and California.

“Speed is central to our value proposition. That's why our system not only delivers high speed but also ensures accurate operations with minimal energy consumption. This new partnership exemplifies how our solution is perfectly suited for high throughput operations, even during peak demand,” says Mats Hovland Vikse, CEO at AutoStore.

“We are grateful to the team at PUMA for our ongoing collaboration and for trusting us to provide a fulfilment solution that meets the evolving demands of customer service.”