Including Shein, Amazon and Pinterest: RTIH brings you this week's coolest retail technology plays
RTIH Editor, Scott Thompson, brings you his top ‘future of retail’ systems launches and deployments from the past week, including checkout-free stores, manga and anime inspired immersive campaigns, virtual beauty advisors, and stoppable livestream experiences.
Inter Miami CF
American soccer club Inter Miami CF (you know, the one that Lionel Messi plays for) has opened Zippin powered checkout-free stores at Chase Stadium, its home ground.
These have gone live ahead of the new MLS season, which kicks off this week.
“We’ve been working tirelessly during our short offseason to introduce technology to decrease wait times and expand the variety of our exceptional food offerings with the goal of elevating and providing a memorable match day experience to our fans at Chase Stadium,” says Laurence McMillon, Director of Food & Beverage.
INTER&Co Stadium
Orlando City SC and the Orlando Pride have boosted the fan experience at INTER&Co Stadium, becoming the first soccer specific venue to offer Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology for retail.
People will be able to take advantage of the upgrade at The Den, the official team store of both clubs which is operated by Fanatics, a digital sports platform and provider of fan apparel.
With Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology, guests enter the store, take what they like, and leave, sometimes even wearing their fan gear, by using their credit card at the exit gate.
When they leave the store with their purchase, the RFID tags in their clothing and other apparel they select are read by RFID readers in the exit area, and the credit card they use to exit will be charged.
Shortly after exiting, they will be able to access their receipt online.
McDonald’s
McDonald’s is gearing up to launch an immersive campaign that celebrates manga and anime.
This will go live on 26th February and will see the fast food giant change its names to WcDonald’s.
In a LinkedIn post, Guillaume Huin, Sr. Marketing Director at McDonald’s, said: “On 2.26, McDonald's becomes WcDonald's, as an homage to the name used for decades in mangas and anime to refer to McD.”
“New logo, Japanese name, flipped arches, new exclusive packaging, WcNuggets and a new WcDonald's sauce with quite a spicy kick - we are officially WcDonald's now.”
Amazon
Amazon has launched a new feature designed to make grocery retail easier for those who shop from Amazon Fresh.
Recurring Reservations helps customers in nearly 1,300 cities and towns in the US plan ahead and get groceries each week on their schedule.
Customers can set up their preferred day and time window for weekly grocery pick-up and delivery up to seven days in advance.
“As shoppers continue to prioritise convenience, Amazon Fresh recognises that convenience looks different for every customer and it’s our job to make grocery shopping as seamless as possible,” says Kim Kornfeld, an Amazon spokesperson.
Shein
Online fashion and lifestyle retailer Shein is gearing up to unveil its new spring/summer 2024 collection through a special episode of its interactive, shoppable livestream experience, Shein Live: Front Row.
This event is set to commence at 12 p.m. PT on Sunday, 25th February, promising an immersive journey into the hottest trends for spring and summer fashion.
The three-hour livestream will be presented by Shein host Renee Ariel, featuring actress Teala Dunn, host of the Over Comfort podcast Jenicka Lopez, and the Mian Twins, Azra and Aisha.
It will be accessible via the retailer’s app across Facebook, X, YouTube, and Instagram via @sheinofficial, @shein_us.
Inspired by the warmer weather, the spring/summer collection consists of six collections: Effortlessly Elegant, Summer Vacay, Modern Classics, Casual Chic, Sweet as Honey, and Street Style.
Branston
Food brand, Branston, is using the Orca Scan GS1 Digital Link solution to enhance its customers' experience in UK supermarkets.
This is powered by GS1's Digital Link standard.
It works by connecting billions of physical products to the internet and giving each one a unique home page that brands can modify long after the product has left the production line.
Branston is an early adopter of this technology, becoming one of the first brands to have this new barcode on products sold in UK supermarkets, giving their consumers instant access to recipe ideas, ingredients and allergens, sustainability and recycling information with a scan via their smartphone camera, no app required.
Walmart and Pudgy Penguins
Pinterest has launched a new international campaign to promote its suite of products for advertisers looking to convert users into buyers and enhance full funnel performance.
Featuring action packed minimovies, the P is for Performance campaign aims to demonstrate how ads on Pinterest don’t just raise awareness about brands - they drive results.
This comes as the social media giant lays claim to as much as a 28% increase in conversions and up to a 96% increase in traffic for its advertisers.
The creative features two over the top heroines dodging dangers while discussing how modern advertisers crave a performance-based ad platform and also one that can boost conversion rates and increase traffic.
The campaign will run across paid social, programmatic and trade publication channels in the UK, US, and AU before entering markets across the globe later this year.
L’Oreal
L’Oreal and NTT DATA have partnered to create Lore, a virtual beauty advisor powered by the latter’s conversational AI platform, Eva.
"The development process of this solution was challenging and, simultaneously, very rich in learning. We trained the virtual beauty consultant for months to ensure that it would achieve its goal to provide consistent and responsive answers, even in the most complex situations," says Santiago Santa María, Director of Conversational AI at NTT DATA.
Lore makes recommendations to customers and advises on beauty products based on their needs, redirecting them to the brand's online store, or letting consumers shop within the same application.
Amazon (again)
An Amazon Just Walk Out technology powered store has opened at Lesley University in the US.
Lesley University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Its students can now experience a frictionless shopping experience on campus, with
the likes of snacks and drinks available to buy.
In a LinkedIn post, Brisbane Vaillancourt, Regional Vice President at Aramark Collegiate Hospitality, said: “Today (Friday, 16th February) we opened our first Just Walk Out Store in the Northeast, at Lesley University. Students can now access fresh food, 24/7 and use their meal plan.”
“Technology sure is changing the game in higher ed and it’s tons of fun being a part of it!”
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