Tip of the artificial intelligence iceberg: RTIH’s most read retail technology articles from last week
Check out the articles on this here website that caught your fancy this past week, including L'Oréal, Kammac, Amazon’s Just Walk Out tech, Gander, McDonald’s, Shoptalk, Glovo, Prezzemolo & Vitale, and Pricer.
NTT DATA boosts L'Oréal shopping experience with AI powered virtual beauty advisor
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.
"From the Lore development, we know that we can offer a hyper-personalised customer experience that allows us to train it on new products and enhance its knowledge and sensitivity to interacting with humans. This is only the tip of the iceberg on how artificial intelligence can empower users and improve people's lives," says Santa María.
3PL provider Kammac appoints new CEO and Director of Procurement and Facilities Management
Following its acquisition by the Elanders group in November last year, third-party logistics (3PL) provider Kammac has announced appointments to its senior management team as the business focuses on building its presence in e-commerce fulfilment services and developing new sectors.
Aramark Collegiate Hospitality opens Amazon Just Walk Out tech powered store at Lesley University
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!”
Hooters of America picks PAR Technology as single PoS, restaurant back office and loyalty provider
ParTech reports that Hooters of America, the franchisor behind the Hooters and Hoots Wings brands, has selected PAR Brink PoS and PAR Data Central to enhance its table service operational efficiency and order accuracy in 367 Hooters restaurants across 36 states and 18 countries.
Hooters is an existing customer of PAR’s loyalty solution, PAR Punchh.
Italian food firm Prezzemolo & Vitale rolls out Pricer in-store automation solution to London stores
Italian delicatessen brand, Prezzemolo & Vitale (P&V), has selected Pricer as its provider of in-store automation and communication solution based on electronic shelf labels (ESLs), rolling out digital shelf labels in all its London stores.
McDonald’s taps QR codes as it preps WcDonald’s campaign celebrating the art of manga and anime
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.”
Retail technology business Gander appoints Damien Corcoran as Chief Operating Officer
Gander, a specialist in preventing food waste, has appointed Damien Corcoran as its new Chief Operating Officer (COO).
The Isle of Man-based company launched in 2019 and has since expanded across the UK and Australia with plans in place for ongoing global roll-out.
Gander claims that it has helped hundreds of grocery retailers to reduce food waste, enhance their sustainability credentials, improve their bottom line and save millions of food items from going to waste.
Shoptalk announces speaker lineup for 2024 event in Las Vegas including Amazon and Macy's
Shoptalk has announced the speaker lineup for its 2024 conference taking place 17th-20th March at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
This will bring together more than 10,000 attendees and more than 225 senior level speakers from top retail companies that include Macy’s, Mattel, Amazon, Canada Goose and P&G, who will share their insights on critical topics such as using AI to transform retail, building brand trust and loyalty, creating unified retail experiences, and navigating changing industry relationships.
Wembley Stadium and Delaware North launch Bar Tap at Carabao Cup final as Liverpool take on Chelsea
The Delaware North team oversaw the project from conception to implementation, with the aim of promising a seamless experience for shoppers.
Upon entry, customers tap their cards, grab their drinks, and exit without any waiting time.
Glovo’s Daniel Alonso Moreno: Q-commerce will drive growth for local retailers in 2024
Despite fears that Q-commerce would fade with the pandemic, the sector is expected to grow stronger than ever, reaching a projected market volume of $251.50 billion by 2028.
As with any other commerce division, its survival is down to its ability to strongly match consumer needs, providing quality experiences and, above all, convenience.
This tracks with Glovo’s 39% surge in orders placed on non-food items over the course of 2023.
Aside from takeaways, consumers have become accustomed to instant delivery for other necessities, too.
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