Smart stores and 3D experiences: RTIH runs through February’s coolest retail technology plays
RTIH Editor, Scott Thompson, brings you his stand out ‘future of retail’ systems deployments from February, including REWE Group, Joybird, 3D Cloud by Marxent, Confer With, Ikea, Amazon, J.Crew, Obsess, Archive, Jules, and Nextail.
REWE Group
Cristina Rutgers-Astolfi, Global Head of Analytics Ikea Customer Support, has taken to social media to praise REWE Group’s recently launched REWE Ready ‘smart shop’ at the EnBW Hypernetz EV Charging Hub in Lichtenau/Chemnitz, Germany.
Customers can buy Rewe and Go sandwiches, wraps, salads, get a beer, buy cigarettes, and enjoy a cappuccino while they are charging their cars.
Mehmet Tözge, Director Smart Store Development at Lekkerland SE, said: “Lekkerland SE customer preferences have changed. End consumers want to shop 24/7, fast and with as few contacts as possible.”
The store includes smart fridges from Reckon.ai.
Joybird
Joybird, a unit of La-Z-Boy and furniture manufacturer and retailer, has announced the full integration of 3D Cloud by Marxent’s 3D Cloud Room Scanner technology into its online 3D Space Planner tool.
Joybird is the first furniture retailer to offer this integrated 3D floor plan creation experience to customers.
The 3D Cloud Room Scanner technology enables Joybird customers to create a floorplan 10x faster than traditional measuring, recreating a room in three dimensions in just minutes.
It leverages algorithms to precisely capture room dimensions, layouts, and existing furniture, allowing users to virtually design and arrange Joybird's furniture pieces within their actual living spaces.
3D Room Scanner joins 3D Space Planner and Modular Sofa Builder.
The Modular Sofa Builder tool provides real-time customisation to mix and match components to build a customised couch, loveseat, sectional sofa, or double sided lounger.
Wembley Stadium and Delaware North
Laying claim to being the first European national stadium to use frictionless technology, Wembley Stadium and Delaware North introduced Bar Tap at the Carabao Cup final this past weekend.
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 items, and exit without any waiting time.
In a LinkedIn post, Delaware North said: “The adaptability of this innovative retail concept allows us to seamlessly tailor offerings to suit the specific type of event, ensuring a personalised experience for all our customers.”
“These improvements, alongside other stadium wide enhancements, solidify Wembley Stadium's reputation as a globally acclaimed fan first venue.”
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 has launched an immersive campaign that celebrates manga and anime.
This went live on 26th February and saw 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.”
Boxbar
Boxbar has launched what is pitched as the world’s first ever automated self-serve, full menu drinks solution.
This allows event organisers and venue operators to serve up to eight different beverage types all from the same terminal.
It has the ability to serve beers (including Guinness), ciders, wines, cocktails, spirit and mixers and soft drinks from a single terminal.
“Beverage sales are key to the success and profitability of businesses, yet bar service is still defined by a dwindling pool of trained staff, excessive queuing, long wait times, throttled sales and frustrated customers,” says Reshad Hossenally, Boxbar CEO and Co-Founder.
“With Boxbar we’re 360% faster, serving two drinks in 30 seconds. We’ve seen first hand how much this can affect queuing times, on average dropping by over 70%.”
“Simply put, fans enjoy a far better experience whilst operators increase efficiencies and sales, reduce overheads and boost profitability.”
Ikea
Ikea has launched an AI powered home design, inspiration and shopping tool, available exclusively on the OpenAI GPT Store.
It says that the move marks “a significant step in democratising planning services and creating a better life for the many, by offering a tool that gives users personalised furniture and decor suggestions based on factors such as room dimensions, personal style, sustainability preferences, budget, functional requirements, and more.”
“The new Ikea AI Assistant on GPT Store is an ongoing initiative, and the continuation of a journey that looks to enrich the retail experience and explore additional avenues to interact with our customers and coworkers, as they help us improve and develop further,” says Parag Parekh, Global Chief Digital Officer at Ikea Retail (Ingka Group).
J.Crew
J.Crew has launched a Virtual Closet app on Apple Vision Pro, the heavily hyped new spatial computer that blends digital content with the physical world and unlocks spatial experiences.
Created in partnership with Obsess, this allows users to shop J.Crew products in an interactive, ultra-high-definition 3D environment.
It utilises SharePlay, a set of features for shared experiences while on a FaceTime call, to chat with J.Crew's stylists or host group calls to get others' opinions on looks.
Jules
French menswear retailer, Jules, has selected Nextail to transform in-season merchandising processes through AI driven demand forecasting and decision automation.
Nextail will look to drive enhanced allocation and replenishment across Jules’s 550 stores in France and abroad.
Archive and ACS
Archive, a technology platform for branded resale, has announced a partnership with Advanced Clothing Solutions (ACS), a UK-based circular and sustainable fashion fulfilment hub.
The aim is to offer apparel, footwear, outdoor, and luxury brands cleaning, repair, and fulfilment of secondhand items on a branded resale marketplace.
ACS says that it will utilise Archive’s resale operations technology to maximise profitability and efficiency for brands embracing circular business models. The first brands in the UK to leverage this partnership include The North Face and PANGAIA.
Leisure Lake Bikes
Leisure Lake Bikes has partnered with Confer With, a specialist in the live video shopping space.
In a LinkedIn post, the latter said: “We're thrilled to welcome Leisure Lakes Bikes into our live video shopping family.”
“Get ready for an enhanced online bike shopping experience with expert advice from their specialists, all through live video. Together, we're redefining the way you shop for bikes and gear.”
Amazon
Doug Herrington, CEO Worldwide at Amazon Stores, has taken to social media to discuss Rufus, a new generative AI powered conversational shopping experience.
Launching this month in beta to a small subset of customers in Amazon’s mobile app, this will roll-out to additional US customers in the coming weeks.
Continue reading…