Starring Confer With, Reapp, and dataplor: check out our biggest retail technology articles on LinkedIn this week
We’re big fans of LinkedIn and are busy building an amazing community of retail tech enthusiasts on the social media platform. As we head towards the 20,000 followers mark, these are the articles that are currently on their radars, including Amazon’s Just Walk Out offering, Carrefour Reeborn, Clix, Wonder, mmERCH, and Pandion.
Don't believe the headlines. Amazon Just Walk Out tech isn't going anywhere, except into more locations worldwide
So says Matt Wood, VP AI, AWS.
The 2024 RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List goes live, sponsored by 3D Cloud by Marxent
The latest edition of the RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List has arrived, sponsored by 3D Cloud by Marxent. Here are the people who made a splash in 2023 and are set for a barnstorming 2024.
RTIH has scoured the retail technology world to find the most influential figures for this comprehensive list of people and trends that shape the industry and help drive it forward.
We’re living in unprecedented times.
The Covid-19 outbreak and cost-of-living crisis have driven a seismic change in shopping habits.
We are seeing retailers taking innovative technologies like AR, AI, and spatial computing, and finding ways to use them to make customer experiences more exciting and dynamic.
Which is where the RTIH Top 100 Retail Technology Influencers List comes in, presented, we should stress, in no particular order.
Such disruption requires new ways of problem solving and thought leaders who can both evangelise and execute on the likes of digital transformation and omnichannel success.
We hope you enjoy reading through it and, as always, if you would like to give feedback or believe that there are some glaring omissions, please feel free to get in touch via the form at the end of this article.
Many thanks to 3D Cloud by Marxent, which provides 3D product visualisation software trusted by top furniture and DIY retailers, for sponsoring it.
Download the list in pdf format here.
Or read via Issuu here.
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Retail data brand Reapp adds Waitrose & Partners to list of major UK retailers available on its AI driven platform
Reapp has added Waitrose & Partners to the list of major UK retailers available on its AI driven platform, Reapp Insights.
This helps brands and retailers understand what products are selling, where and when.
Through the use of artificial intelligence, it utilises factors such as temperature and trends to help inform decisions at shelf-edge.
The news means brands in Waitrose stores can clearly understand performance across the estate at store and SKU level, as well as garnering the ability to react to underperformance of promotional activity live within the cycle of a promotion.
Brands can ensure shelves are stocked at all times through peak periods, as well as being able to track NPD sales, with the ability to identify non-selling stores.
Other major UK retailers available through Reapp Insights include Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s, Tesco, Co-op, Poundland, and Marks & Spencer.
Martyn Jones departs VoCoVo to join Click and Collect specialist Clix Technology as its new CEO
Clix, a UK startup which automates in-store collection and returns via the likes of smart lockers, has appointed Martyn Jones as CEO.
He joins from retail team communication solutions provider, VoCoVo, where he held the position of Chief Commercial Officer.
In a LinkedIn post, Clix said: “We're thrilled to share that our team is growing even stronger!”
“Please join us in welcoming our new CEO Martyn Jones to the Clix family. Martyn brings a wealth of retail experience and a stellar track record of driving strategic growth in the sector from VoCoVo.”
Retail Technology Show announces new innovation showcases for 2024 gathering in London this week
Retail Technology Show has announced a series of new showcases that will focus on innovation. The event, which takes place at London Olympia on 24th and 25th April, will host over 400 technology providers and innovators, one of its largest ever tech showcases, on the exhibition floor.
Encompassing the full spectrum of retail technology – from supply chain and forecasting solutions, to Gen AI, augmented reality and retail media network solutions – RTS showcases the cutting-edge innovations which will drive the industry forward and deliver competitive advantage to retail businesses.
Retail, CPG, logistics location intelligence startup dataplor secures Series A funding round led by Spark Capital
Global location intelligence provider, dataplor, has announced a $10.6 million Series A funding round led by Spark Capital.
This takes the total raised to date to $20.3 million.
The round, which included participation from Quest Venture Partners, Acronym Venture Capital, Circadian Ventures, Two Lanterns Venture Partners and APA Venture Partners, will boost dataplor’s expansion plans, as it looks to build “the most accurate, comprehensive and dynamically updated database of global Point of Interest (POI) data on the market”.
It currently offers data coverage across more than 200 countries and territories, encompassing over 300 million locations and 15,000+ brands.
Companies in industries including technology, mapping, search, third party logistics, consumer packaged goods (CPG), telecom, investing, real estate and finance tap dataplor’s global coverage to power strategic decisions and investments.
Wesco taps Vroom Delivery technology as US convenience retailer reaches over $3 million in annual sales
Wesco, a US convenience store chain founded in 1952 and based in Western Michigan, reports a milestone in its delivery service operations.
Offering this at approximately 35 of its 55 locations, it achieved 43% growth in delivery in 2023 and surpassed the $3 million milestone with a total of $3.1 million in annualised sales.
“We believe delivery is an important piece of this industry’s future, and we want to lead the way,” says Nancy Westgate-Systema, President at Wesco.
“It’s all about serving customers on their terms, in the most convenient way possible. We’re proud of what we’ve achieved and look forward to continued growth in this important area of our business.”
US retailer Gas N Wash works with Rovertown on launch of enhanced mobile app and rewards programme
Gas N Wash, a family owned chain providing fuel, convenience, and carwash needs in Chicago’s suburbs, has unveiled an enhanced mobile app and rewards programme.
Following a soft launch in 2023 and a migration to a new loyalty provider earlier this year, the app now ranks amongst the top 5% on Rovertown’s platform, based on average monthly active users per store.
“With over 30 locations, launching an app and updated rewards programme wasn’t about checking boxes. We understood the importance of doing this right,” says Laura Krawisz, VP of Marketing at Gas N Wash.
“Our team is working diligently to build an app centric and loyalty focused culture, and we’re proud of what we’ve achieved.”
Carrefour Reeborn pop-up store launches in Brussels, Belgium with focus on buying, selling second-hand items
Carrefour Belgium has opened a Carrefour Reeborn pop-up for second-hand items in the centre of Brussels.
In what the retailer is labelling a European first, people can use this to sell second-hand non-food items such as clothing, furniture, bicycles, and toys.
In doing so, they can collect Carrefour Bonus Points and use them to do their shopping in a Carrefour store of their choice.
Said stores are also able to sell their surplus stock of new non-food products through Reeborn.
Further details here.
The pop-up will run from 18th April to 15th September, from Thursdays to Sundays, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It can be found at Chaussée d'Ixelles, 313 in 1050 Ixelles.
It is the result of a collaboration with startup Reckon AI, which specialises in micro-stores equipped with artificial intelligence.
Diving into a new era of online retail: Luxe Collective taps Confer With live video shopping technology
Confer With has announced a partnership with pre-loved luxury industry specialist Luxe Collective.
In a LinkedIn post, Confer With said: “This partnership marks the fusion of live video shopping tech with the epitome of luxury fashion. Dive into a new era of online shopping at Luxe Collective.”
“Luxe Collective's customers can now enjoy a tailored one to one personal shopping experience, bringing the elegance of the store to your screen. 🚀 Join us on this glamorous journey as we bring innovation to the runway of online luxury. Stay stylish, stay innovative!”
American footwear brand G.H. Bass taps ReaLift tech for launch of online scanning solution in Europe
G.H. Bass EU has launched a web-based solution powered by ReaLift that allows shoppers to receive their ideal shoe size by scanning their feet on their mobile devices.
Upon clicking the call to action button on a product page, shoppers are redirected to a web application experience that gives them step-by-step instructions on how to use the application to scan their feet.
Once the shopper scans their feet, they are redirected to the original page where they receive their ideal shoe size and foot dimensions.
Once scanned, their measurements are saved via their local storage so they do not have to scan again and can visit other pages to receive their ideal size in different styles.
The solution scans the shopper's feet using their mobile device and any credit card sized card in their wallet or purse. ReaLift says 74% of shoppers who use the experience do not use cards with identification or currency associated with them.
Including Wonder, mmERCH, and Pandion: ten retail technology funding rounds you need to know about
RTIH rounds up ten retail tech ventures who have recently secured significant investments in their businesses, including blockchain enabled Web3 fashion startups, customer journey management platforms, and computer vision and AI powered warehouse inventory monitoring solutions.
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