Starring Adyen, Klarna, Roku, and Marketplacer: RTIH’s most read retail technology articles from last week
Check out the articles on this here website that caught your fancy last week, including Tesco, Ikea, Studenac, Nibble, Asos, Aldi Süd, Caper, Brown Thomas Arnotts, Toyota, Coca-Cola, and the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards.
UK’s biggest grocer Tesco partners with Marketplacer to launch its new online marketplace
Marketplacer has partnered with Tesco to launch its new online marketplace.
Powered by Marketplacer’s software-as-a-service (SaaS) technology, this offers Tesco customers access to more third-party products online that complement its existing range, with the aim of giving people a one-stop-shop for everything they may need.
The project, which commenced in June, will continue to expand, with the addition of further third-party sellers, over the months to come. Marketplacer’s platform will enable the supermarket to find and connect products from third party sellers at scale.
Peter Filcek, Marketplace Director at Tesco, says: “We knew that we wanted to open up access to a wider range of products for Tesco customers; we could see customers were searching for products that we didn't sell, and that we could be front of mind for.”
“It became clear that exploring this advanced technology for industry partnerships would be advantageous for the customer experience and ensure a seamless integration experience for our seller partners.”
Adyen and Klarna claim new standard in retail payment solutions as they team on Brown Thomas Arnotts project
Adyen has partnered with Klarna to integrate the latter’s flexible payment solutions with Brown Thomas Arnotts, an Irish luxury retailer.
In a LinkedIn post, Joseph Pritchard, Account Manager at Adyen, said: “This collaboration underscores our commitment to empowering retailers with cutting-edge technology and enhancing customer experiences.”
“The seamless integration of Klarna through Adyen's platform offers Brown Thomas Arnotts customers a flexible payment option, adding convenience to their shopping experience.”
He added: “A big shout out to the dedicated teams at Klarna and Brown Thomas Arnotts for their incredible cooperation and hard work. Together, we've set a new standard in retail payment solutions.”
“Here's to continuing our mission of innovation and delivering exceptional value to our partners and their customers!”
Studenac rolls out electronic shelf labels as Croatian grocery big hitter doubles down on proximity retail concept
Croatian retailer Studenac is rolling out electronic shelf labels (ESLs) across its stores.
Studenac, which is owned by a fund managed by Enterprise Investors, a private equity firm in Central and Eastern Europe, has more than tripled its store network in almost six years, expanding throughout the country via a combination of organic growth and acquisitions, and it sees potential for further growth based on its proximity retail concept.
In a LInkedIn post, Ivana Kršić, Head of Innovation at Studenac, said: “A month ago, I was in Omiš (a town and port in the Dalmatia region of Croatia) setting up the ESL prices in the fruit and vegetables section (with the dedicated team, of course, to which I am very grateful).”
“These were the first ESLs at our store network, which we are testing now. Also, I was trying out the mobile thermal printers in person to see how they work.”
She added: “Today (Friday, 19th July), I spent a day in a store in Zagreb, as a part of the initiative From Office to Store and most of my morning went on fulfilling the shelves with fresh fruits and veggies and removing the old ones.”
“I have to notice that my effort wasn't wasted, and the neat and tidy display actually got the attention of the buyers.”
“I am sure that some of you have real studies that can correlate the presentation with sales results, so be free to post them in the comments. I have seen firsthand that it works!”
The sixth edition of the RTIH Innovation Awards is now open for entries
The awards, sponsored by CADS, 3D Cloud, and Retail Technology Show 2025, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.
This year, we’re bringing you three new categories: AI Innovation, Sustainable Retail Innovation, and Inclusive Technology Innovation.
Key 2024 dates
Friday, 25th October: Award entry deadline
Tuesday, 29th October: 2024 shortlist revealed
30th October-6th November: Judging days
Thursday, 21st November: Winners announced at the 2024 RTIH Innovation Awards ceremony, to be held at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London.
Global IT outage proves cash is vital to society as CrowdStrike Microsoft incident hits card payments
The culprit was a cybersecurity firm called CrowdStrike. An update to one of its pieces of software, Falcon Sensor, backfired, hitting computers running Windows.
According to BRC research, we are seeing a return to many of the pre-pandemic trends in payments, including smaller but more frequent purchases, and a slight return of cash payments.
Cards, however, now account for the overwhelming proportion of money being spent.
Eamon O’Hearn, GMB National Officer, commented: “The IT outage reinforces what GMB has been saying for years - cash is a vital part of how our communities operate.”
“When you take cash out of the system, it means people have nothing to fall back on, impacting on how they do the everyday basics - even buying food. Today needs to be the start of a new conversation at a local and national level of how we keep cash in our society.”
AI negotiation platform Nibble notches up a milestone as Asos taps tech for return of Sample Sale website
Nibble reports that it has hit one million automated negotiations through its platform.
In a LinkedIn post, Jamie Ettedgui, Co-Founder at Nibble, said: “This milestone is one of, if not the largest, human-to-computer negotiation datasets out there, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve achieved.”
“Nibble is a long way from the original PDF it started out as. Here’s to many more milestones ahead!”
He added: “A massive thank you to our amazing customers for believing in our technology and trusting it to negotiate with their customers. Your support has made this achievement possible.”
Fast fashion giant Asos, meanwhile, has brought back its Sample Sale website, with brands including Pull & Bear, Topshop and French Association.
This previously proved to be a big hit with shoppers in October of last year and April of this year.
Everything is priced at £5 and for the first time ever it was possible to haggle over prices using Nibble.
Mike Shaw, Director, International Ad Sales, Roku talks TV commerce: a golden opportunity for retailers
The TV has a special place in the UK’s homes. It’s been over a century since the BBC’s first broadcast, and in 100 years we’ve experienced so many milestone moments through the aerial. From the Queen’s coronation to the King’s, and other major events like the moon landing, we’ve seen a lot. Hit sitcoms, breaking news, awards shows – the list goes on.
But it’s not just about the broadcasts. The TV has a pedigree of delivering some of the most memorable advertising moments, with a power that no other media format can match.
Many retailers have used it to build their brand over the years; the John Lewis ad is now considered the start of the Christmas season. Yet this just scratches the surface as an example of retailers capitalising on TV to build a brand.
Aldi Süd trials Caper smart shopping carts in Austrian store with test set to run until end of year
Aldi Süd is testing out a smart shopping trolley from Caper, which was acquired by Instacart in 2021, at its Austrian country unit HOFER Österreich.
This has been taking place in Sattledt (HOFER’s headquarters) since 1st July.
Products are scanned via the shopping cart. Users can select a product on the screen, which will then be weighed in the shopping cart and the price calculated. They then pay at a screen at the exit.
Products can be removed, by scanning them out.
15 Caper carts are available for use, with the trial set to run until 31st December.
Ikea announces 100th Tesco Click and Collect point and preps roll-out of 100 more within next year
Ikea has opened its 100th mobile pick-up point, following a UK wide roll-out. The service is free of charge for orders over £100 and costs £5 for orders below that amount.
The expansion comes as the retailer reports that almost 40% of its total sales are made through online purchases.
Customers can use the offering at Tesco stores by placing their order on Ikea.com, through the retailer’s app or with the assistance of an Ikea co-worker, either remotely or in-store.
Orders are available from next-day and can be collected at a customer’s local participating Tesco store within one of two daily collection windows.
The scheme was initially piloted in 2022 before a national roll-out began late last year.
Ikea now plans to open an additional 100 pick-up points, with half of them due to open this year.
Fashion retailer END. Clothing agrees omnichannel payments partnership with FinTech big hitter Adyen
Adyen has announced a payments partnership with END. Clothing.
The FinTech giant’s technology is aligning both online and offline payments by integrating a unified commerce offering to END. Clothing.
The retailer benefits from a holistic view of its customers, allowing it to identify repeat, loyal shoppers and offer them a tailored user experience.
To fuel END. Clothing’s global expansion plans, it sought a partner that could offer a reliable and seamless service regardless of the customer’s location. Adyen was chosen because it can process multiple types of payment methods locally.
Sustainable mobility: Toyota joins Coca-Cola and Air Liquide for heavy duty hydrogen fuel cell truck test programme
Toyota has started testing a new hydrogen fuelled truck with Coca-Cola as part of the drinks company’s supply operations.
The truck’s fuel cell system uses modules which combine hydrogen and oxygen molecules to produce water, simultaneously generating electricity. As a result, water is the only tailpipe emission. The system offers the further benefit of fast refuelling.
Air Liquide is supplying the project with hydrogen sourced from renewables.
Pushing what’s possible at intersection of fashion and tech: SYKY makes Apple Vision Pro spatial reality move
Luxury fashion platform SYKY, the brainchild of Alice Delahunt, former Chief Digital and Content Officer at Ralph Lauren & Global Director of Digital & Social at Burberry, has announced the launch of a fashion experience on Apple Vision Pro.
Debuting with a showcase from avant-garde Japanese label Anrealage, the SYKY app offers a way for fashion enthusiasts to enter and explore the worlds of legendary designers and fashion houses.
Pitched as a bridge between digital and physical fashion, it creates a spatial environment that immerses visitors in an interactive world.
According to SYKY, hyper-real depth, textures and storytelling components create levels of immersion that have only been possible through physical fashion experiences, like runway shows, until now.
“We believe that the fashion industry is entering a period of remarkable change as realities merge and digital fashion experiences blend with the physical world,” says Delahunt.
“We’re excited to continue leading this new frontier with the launch of our Apple Vision Pro app, where we will transport consumers to the front row of the fashion industry, offering them access to impeccable design and inspiration with the ultimate luxury fashion experience.”
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