Cars, canines, and cryptocurrencies: RTIH rolls out 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 Morrisons, Kingfisher, Petco, Henkel, McDonald’s, itsu, Amazon, and Alibaba Group.
Morrisons
savi has announced the roll-out of its digital coupon clearing technology into Morrisons.
The supermarket chain becomes the first retailer to implement this platform in the UK (it is already in use in Europe).
A spokesperson for Morrisons says: “Our partnership with savi supports our commitment to using digital technology to provide easy, accessible, and convenient services for customers.”
“Giving shoppers the power to redeem mobile coupon offers in-store is yet another way in which Morrisons strives to serve its customers better.”
savi’s digital platform connects retailers and brands by providing real-time coupon validation and settlement for paper and mobile coupons.
Kingfisher
Kingfisher, the owner of B&Q and Screwfix, yesterday announced full year results for FY23/24, with Tom Betts, Group Data Director, taking to social media to flag up progress being made on his side of the business.
In a LinkedIn post, he said: “Respect and congratulations to all teams contributing to these results. I am proud of the huge progress we've made together on building data capabilities as we "build a data led customer experience" under the Powered by Kingfisher strategy.”
He added: “We're using data and AI to drive top-line growth, streamline operations, strengthen margins and generate new income streams. This has required substantial collaboration between business, tech and data teams across group and our retail banners.”
The SSE Arena, Belfast and Amazon
The SSE Arena, Belfast has announced a collaboration with Amazon to implement the US online giant’s Just Walk Out technology at the venue, making it the first indoor arena in Europe to offer checkout-free shopping.
This will be located on the first floor and named PAY & AWAY.
Guests will enter by using their chosen contactless payment method at the entry gate, with the technology then detecting what customers take from or return to the shelves and creating a virtual shopping session.
When they complete their shopping experience, they can leave without waiting in line, and their chosen payment method will be charged for the items taken.
Vospers
Vospers has introduced new digital imaging technology at all 27 of its retailers across the South West of England, with the aim of boosting the online experience for customers and maximising the proportion of online visits that convert into tangible enquiries.
Vospers will access artificial intelligence (AI)-based technology that enables immediate and more sophisticated quality control, to present vehicle imagery in a more consistent and compelling way.
Auto Imaging, part of CitNOW Group, delivers a range of tools through an app, which provides real-time feedback on quality when creating stills, video, and 360 interior and exterior imagery, for online listings.
The app also takes care of background replacement as well as creating data-driven videos that are auto tagged with spec information relative to the vehicle.
Petco
Henkel
Adobe has announced an expanded partnership with German multinational company Henkel.
Henkel will use Adobe Firefly and Adobe Experience Cloud to advance its content supply chain with generative AI, with the aim of delivering personalisation across its global brand portfolio.
With Adobe Firefly Custom Models, it will be able to train and fine-tune Firefly generative AI models using its own assets to create on-brand content, accelerating content production and streamlining repetitive tasks.
For example, teams behind Henkel’s hair care brand Schwarzkopf will be able to create a variety of visual assets to support true one-to-one personalisation around product recommendations, based on a customer’s hair colour, style or length.
Makip
Makip has announced the launch of Unisize for Kids, an online shopping solution designed specifically for children aged one to 15.
This was developed in conjunction with kids' apparel companies and leverages sizing technology, utilising statistical growth curves to comprehend various body shapes and types unique to children.
Parents are able to make informed decisions when selecting clothing and school uniforms.
Shingo Tsukamoto, President at Makip, says: “We understand the challenges parents face when it comes to purchasing children's clothing online.”
“With Unisize for Kids, we aim to alleviate these concerns by providing a tailored solution that considers the child's growth trajectory over the next one to two years.”
“This innovative feature ensures parents can confidently select the perfect fit for their children, eliminating the guesswork associated with online shopping.”
McDonald’s
NIQ has announced the integration of its new NIQ BASES Cultural Resonance module into BASES’ ad testing portfolio, built in partnership with McDonald’s USA.
This offers a set of cultural resonance metrics to help marketers produce more impactful and inclusive advertising.
The add-on assesses the role of cultural factors in ads, and how those factors impact comprehension and relatability to the content.
The tool provides indicators for content that isn’t landing as intended and offers insight into the type of cultural signals that help ads create meaningful, lasting connections with consumers.
“In a rapidly evolving landscape where diversity and inclusion are paramount, the BASES Cultural Resonance module, developed in collaboration with McDonald’s, equips advertisers with the tools they need to create content that authentically connects,” says Megan Belden, VP, Global Advertising Lead at NIQ BASES.
“By focusing the conversation on cultural factors, the insights from this module are set to change the conversation around representation and relatability in advertising.”
Alibaba Group
itsu
itsu, a healthy eating restaurant, is expanding across Europe with the help of Attensi AI, reducing the time it takes to make and translate training content.
By using Attensi AI, the International Training Manager at itsu has overcome several time-consuming barriers that previously added months in content creation time for staff training in multiple locations.
The company says that, as it expands at pace, its training team is now confident that their geographically dispersed colleagues are up-to-date with seasonal and changing training needs across the business.
AI features including automated voice-overs, auto-translations, creative prompts, and co-pilots enable a faster and more efficient roll-out of training across the whole itsu network, providing the same high standards of training in every region.
Stripe and Amazon
FinTech big hitter, Stripe, has announced an expansion of its Amazon partnership by powering payments for retailers using Just Walk Out technology in Australia and Canada.
The solution enables people to enter a store by using their credit card or mobile wallet at the entry gate.
The technology detects what shoppers take from or return to shelves and creates a virtual shopping session.
When they’re finished, they can leave the store without waiting in line. Their chosen payment method gets charged for the items taken.
Merchants in Australia and Canada use Stripe Terminal’s WisePad3 reader attached to physical entry gates, and Stripe automatically processes the payment after the guest leaves.
Stripe Connect will programmatically route payments from shoppers directly to businesses using Just Walk Out technology.
Mealia and Rodeo
A smarter grocery shopping solution and an app to help gig workers gain financial security by leveraging the data that companies like Uber, Just Eat and Amazon hold on them, were among the winners of the Smart Data Discovery Challenge last week.
Four companies emerged victorious at a pitching event on Thursday evening. UK Minister for Enterprise, Markets and Small Business, Kevin Hollinrake MP, awarded the teams a share of £20,000 for their ideas on how to use smart data to make a difference for people and small businesses.
It paves the way for the launch of a new Smart Data Prize later this summer. Participants will have the opportunity to prototype their ideas in a digital sandbox, with the support of grant funding.
The strongest entrants will be eligible for a share of up to £750,000.
Continue reading…