Inclusion, immersion and agility: RTIH rolls out the biggest retail technology news stories of the week
It’s Friday, the weekend is almost upon us, so let’s kick back and reflect on another eventful week for the retail systems space. Here's your briefing on the most important stories from the past five days, including Currys, Asda, Walmart, Frasers Group, Aldi Süd, Macy’s, commercetools, Snap, and Selfridges.
1. Currys boosts shopping experience for those with disabilities as it extends WelcoMe trial to London stores
A purpose built web app, the platform works by allowing shoppers with a disability to register an in-person store visit, online.
Through filling out a quick form indicating any specific disability related needs or information, and an estimated date/time of arrival, stores are then notified of the upcoming visit giving them the opportunity to prepare for and accommodate any specific requirements etc.
The tool also gives retail partners access to pointers and best practice techniques to help accommodate anybody, specific to certain disabilities.
This was piloted across 20 Currys stores around the Birmingham region, including: Birmingham Castle Vale, Birmingham Highgate, Birmingham Selly Oak, Burton, Cannock, Kidderminster, Leicester Fosse, Leicester St Georges, Loughborough, Merry Hill Retail Park, Shrewsbury, Solihull, Stafford, Stoke Festival Park, Stoke Longton, Sutton Coldfield, Tamworth, Telford, Wednesbury J9 and Wolverhampton.
And this week, WelcoMe will be launched at a further 20 stores across London.
2. North and South: Dr. Christian Bock focuses on shaping the future of shopping as he heads to Aldi Süd
Dr. Christian Bock is joining Aldi Süd in August where, he says in a LinkedIn post, he is “looking forward to taking the customer experience and shopping experience to the next level together with my new colleagues”.
He was previously at Aldi Nord where he held the position of Team Lead Store Computer Vision.
In a LinkedIn post, Bock said: “The focus is on the strategic and innovative orientation in connection with technology and business.”
“The aim is to continue to position Aldi Süd as an innovative and future oriented market leader and to offer customers a unique and unforgettable shopping experience. I and we will give everything together for this.”
He added: “I am convinced that we can achieve an enormous amount through close cooperation and the joint use of state-of-the-art technologies and the maximum business focus in combination with the best possible processes.”
“I am looking forward to the new challenges and the exciting task of shaping the future of shopping together with the new colleagues at Aldi Süd.”
New job title TBC.
3. Alan Dickson, Principal Technology Partner for Retail, BT/EE joins 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards judging panel
The awards celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
Our 2024 winners will be announced at the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony, which will be held at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on Thursday, 21st November.
Entry forms and FAQs can be found here.
Alan is a senior technology strategy and innovation leader with over 20 year's experience in the telco industry.
He is concept owner and programme lead for EE/BT's Retail IT Refresh, delivering an SD WAN network and a full replacement of all in-store trading devices, enabling the stores to trade wirelessly.
Alan delivered UK retails first digital identity verification solution in a physical retail environment.
He is passionate about making life easier using technology, and an incredibly proud dad to three teenage daughters.
4. Snapchat connects with sports fans as its AR locker room comes to life at Selfridges Oxford Street London store
Snapchat has launched a sports themed augmented reality (AR) Locker Room at Selfridges’ store on Oxford Street, London
The pop-up will be available throughout July and August, offering AR Mirror experiences.
Shoppers will be able to virtually try on their favourite sports kits, interact with top sports brands and experiment with AR lenses. They can also see their appearance in a custom Team Selfridges Sportopia football kit.
A QR code will let them save and share their favourite looks with friends and family.
Snapchat Senior Marketing Director of EMEA, Kate Bird, says: “We are delighted to see our AR locker room come to life in an iconic shopping destination like Selfridges.’
“Sports fans are no longer just the people flooding the stadiums - there’s a much larger digital audience, and new tech like AR is continually changing the way people engage with sport.”
“To connect with the next generation of fans, sports teams, channels and brands have to meet them where they are – and our immersive Locker Room experience demonstrates how Snapchat is helping brands to connect with digital communities and getting people closer to the games they love.”
5. US retailer Macy’s appoints Keith Credendino as Chief Information Officer as Laura Miller enters retirement
Macy’s reports that Keith Credendino has been named Chief Information Officer, effective 4th August.
Credendino who is currently Senior Vice President of Technology Product Development, Customer Experience, will succeed Laura Miller as CIO and join the company’s Corporate Strategy Group, reporting to Adrian V. Mitchell, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer.
Miller, who is set to retire, joined Macy's in 2021 and has been instrumental in modernising technology systems, operations, and the company’s omnichannel digital offerings to enhance customer and colleague experiences.
“The entire Macy’s family wishes Laura well on her retirement and thanks her for the many accomplishments over her transformative tenure,” says Adrian V. Mitchell, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer.
“As our new CIO, Keith will continue to simplify and modernise our technology stack as part of our company’s growth strategy, A Bold New Chapter.”
“There is still much work to be done and Tony Spring, our Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, our Board of Directors, and I are confident that with Keith’s authentic, collaborative, and results oriented leadership style, he will help lead Macy’s into the future as an even more agile company, responsive to today’s discerning consumer.”
6. Walmart flags major investment in retail technology as part of retail giant’s grocery network transformation
Walmart has announced a grocery network transformation, inclusive of five new high-tech perishable distribution centres (PDC), expansions to four existing facilities and the first retrofit of a PDC.
In a blog post, Dave Guggina, EVP Supply Chain, Walmart U.S., says: “Our business is growing. Walmart is the largest grocery retailer in the US, with our grocery network supporting over 4,600 stores with a massive pickup and delivery business that continues to grow as customers seek the convenience and value we offer.”
“That’s why we’re adding state-of-the-art tech to our facilities: to enable greater speed and capacity that allows us to serve customers even more reliably.”
“For example, these high-tech DCs can store double the number of cases and process more than twice the volume of a traditional perishable DC, more than doubling the number of cases processed per hour.”
7. Technology veteran Andrew Burton departs Rapid7 to take on CEO role at e-commerce specialist commercetools
Andrew Burton is joining composable commerce platform, commercetools, as its new CEO.
He was previously President and COO at Rapid7 and comes onboard as commercetools is said to be prepping an IPO.
In a LinkedIn post, Co-founder Dirk Hoerig, said: “Andrew and I will work closely together and execute on the vision to further grow commercetools to the globally leading enterprise commerce technology company.”
“As Co-founder, I will continue to serve on the board, and will take the role of the Chief Innovation Officer. In that I will put my main focus on the following segments: key customers and partnership development, product innovation, communications and investor relations.”
“Andrew brings a ton of experience to commercetools. As former President and COO at Rapid7, he has seen significant growth while running a publicly listed company.”
“Andrew and I got to know each other almost two years ago and it became quickly apparent that by working together we could take commercetools to the next level of growth and success.”
8. Currys retail media network offering targets increasing adoption of Connected TV with Titan OS partnership
Currys Connected Media, a retail media network from the technology retailer, now offers Connected TV (CTV) advertising thanks to a new partnership with Titan OS.
Following its launch in late 2023, brands such as Samsung, Hisense and Acer have started using Currys Connected Media (CCM) to understand, reach and engage tech hunting consumers.
They can now can reach in-market consumers on 100,000s of Philips and JVC CTVs across the UK and Nordics.
Within the Titan OS operating system, viewers can be intelligently targeted with brand safe, premium ad formats, such as homepage banners and instream ads delivered alongside premium content.
9. Focus on social approach, data centricity, and thinking digital: Frasers Group hosts first ever Customer Conference
Frasers Group, which is best known for its Sports Direct brand, recently hosted its first ever Customer Conference.
According to David Clark, Chief Customer Officer at Frasers Group, this marks “the evolution from thinking Digital, to thinking Customer. Bringing together the new, broader Customer team at our HQ in Shirebrook”.
Clark kicked off the day highlighting the focuses of the day: Customer Centricity, Data Centricity, Connectivity alongside ten strategic objectives for the year ahead.
He then handed over to Barney Jones (Group Head of Social) who talked about the company’s social approach and newly created Frasers Creative Services team. Ben Koch (Studio Manager) showed the future of elevated product imagery.
Whilst Shane Donnelly (Head of Digital Analytics) focused on data centricity, and how Frasers Group plans to collect, activate and monetise its data.
Nicola Tibbs (Group Head of Product Management) and Emily Hilditch (Head of UX Design) shared their customer centric product and design approach and showcased the new Sports Direct app and initial results.
Richard Lallo (Group Head of Digital Marketing) outlined a new perspective on growing the customer base and elevating the marketing approach, and Nina Brahim (Head of CRM and Loyalty) revealed details of the new Sports Direct Member proposition launching this year.
Clark added: “Big thanks to Sonia Gleeson from TikTok who gave some fantastic insights on the platform and how it can work to grow customer audiences. And also to Olympian Mark Foster who wrapped up the day with his inspirational story.”
10. Asda wraps roll-out of online groceries picking solution Store Assist as retailer works on new digital landscape
Asda has completed the roll-out of its new online groceries picking solution, Store Assist, across its estate.
In a LinkedIn post, Kevin Besford, Senior Director - Retail Future, Asda, said: “This achievement reflects brilliant collaboration across the Retail, Tech, E-commerce and the Online Store Assist teams.”
“Thank you for your dedication and hard work! Their expertise has been instrumental as we continue to shape our brand new Asda digital landscape.”
He added: “I want to express my sincere thanks to all our store colleagues who worked tirelessly during this period of change, serving our customers with unwavering commitment. Thanks to everyone involved in the Asda Store Assist programme, a massive cross-functional effort covering 534 stores.”
