Smart fitting rooms and digital ordering screens: last week’s biggest retail technology plays at a glance

RTIH rounds up the stand out retail systems deals, launches, deployments and pilots from the past seven days. Including Hugo Boss, One iota, Macy’s, Rokt, itsu, Pour Moi, Booker Group, Snappy ShopperSainsbury’s, East of England Co-op, Walmart and Instacart.

Hugo Boss

Hugo Boss has gone live with a smart fitting room in its new flagship Boss store in Düsseldorf, Germany, which has around 1,000 square metres of sales space, spread over two floors.

It worked with One iota on the project, integrating the solution into eight of 17 fitting rooms in the store for the first time.

This is a screen that reads items taken in via RFID, displays the items (and other items that may go with it) and allows customers to select different size/colour variants if required.

This triggers a request to an iPad app for a store member to pick the item and take it to the nominated dressing room number.

"Today more than ever, our stores are points of experience where we can offer a unique experience and individualised services to our customers,” says Oliver Timm, Chief Sales Officer and Deputy CEO at Hugo Boss. 

“The aim is to inspire customers for our brands in the long term and create new opportunities to connect beyond the collections available in our stores.”

“The new Boss store in Düsseldorf demonstrates this approach, together with our flagship stores in London, Dubai, and Tokyo.”

“With our new design and hospitality concept, which reflects our premium positioning, and new digital services that are industry leading, we are taking the customer experience to the next level.”

Macy’s

Macy’s Media Network - the US retailer’s in-house media platform dedicated to connecting advertising partners with its own loyal and engaged customers - has expanded its retail media capabilities through a partnership with Rokt.

This is a programme allowing Macy’s to deliver its customers premium offers post-purchase, driving relevancy and engagement.

“Macy’s is an iconic American retailer, and we are extremely proud to partner with the incredible Macy’s Media Network team to drive increased value for its customers,” says Elizabeth Buchanan, Chief Commercial Officer at Rokt.

“This partnership is empowering Macy’s to connect more closely with its online customers by delivering highly relevant messages from our non-endemic advertising partners at the end of the purchase when they are still in a transaction mindset, making the shopping experience more memorable, personal, and impactful.”

Middlesbrough Football Club

Middlesbrough Football Club has announced the extension of its contract with Visualsoft.

This builds on a partnership that began in May 2020, aimed at enhancing the club's online retail presence and overall digital strategy.

Middlesbrough FC, currently in the English Championship, initially connected with Visualsoft due to a perceived stagnation of its official retail website.

The need for a fresh look and advanced functionality became apparent, prompting the club to partner with Visualsoft for a complete overhaul of its digital presence.

The revamped website introduced a range of features, including responsive pages, ease of navigation, robust security and payment options, integration with other systems, a strong visual design, fast and accurate reporting, and data insights.

Since implementing Visualsoft’s solutions, Middlesbrough FC has seen a 32% year-on-year increase in revenue.

Core-Mark

Core-Mark, a specialist in fresh solutions for the convenience store industry, is integrating Blue Yonder Category Management solutions entirely to Blue Yonder’s SaaS.

It has used Blue Yonder’s SaaS solutions in its operations in the US West, Southwest, and Eastern regions and was looking to upgrade its category management capabilities in the Midwest region to the cloud to fully digitalise its space and floor offerings, consolidate its toolset for planning staff, and standardise the services offered to its customer base.

“Our goal is to offer intelligent assortment and space planning insights to our small to medium-sized c-store customers to help them succeed,” says Jim Hachtel, Director, Category Management, Core-Mark.

“To achieve this, we need to offer solutions that automate cumbersome tasks and provide robust recommendations to optimise their sales.”

“Blue Yonder is the leader in category management, so we are leveraging their capabilities to expand our use of their cloud solutions. As a result of this initiative, we expect to extend the benefits we have been experiencing for the last five years with Blue Yonder’s cloud tools to our entire US customer base.”

itsu

itsu, the Asian inspired restaurant brand with over 80 locations across the UK, is set to open its first shopping centre site in the north at Manchester’s Trafford Centre.

Set to go live in the autumn, the location will take over a 2,900 square foot location on Upper Regent Crescent and will include digital ordering screens, allowing for the customisation of hot dishes and instant access to nutritional and allergen information.

Morrisons Media Group

Morrisons Media Group (MMG) is launching food and drink sampling in stores across the UK.

Brands can now book in-aisle sampling activity for the autumn, working with the MMG team to select the right supermarkets from the hundreds available across the Morrisons estate. 

This follows the introduction of digital screens at Morrisons Market Street food counters, trolley media and a ‘My Points Boosters’ trial which offers hyper-personalised offers for More Card loyalty members and has recently been expanded to include all More Card customers that use the app or website.

Morrisons has also partnered with Epsilon to roll-out sponsored products across its e-commerce site. 

Managed by MMG, the initial roll-out enables brands to activate campaigns quickly across sponsored search and sponsored browse with flexibility on their spend.  

Jodie Locking, Head of Digital Marketing at Morrisons, says: “Since launching Morrisons Media Group we have continued to find ways to bring brands closer to our customers.”

“Our new in store sampling will improve customers’ shopping experience while the partnership with Epsilon will help position Morrisons.com as a key e-commerce destination for advertisers.”

Ace Hardware

VusionGroup has announced a partnership with Ace Hardware to integrate its digital shelf label (DSL) technology across the retailer’s stores.

Amongst the first adopters of full store DSL implementations in the DIY industry, Ace Hardware aims to enhance both customer experience and deliver operational efficiencies across its retail network.

Celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, it has over 5,000 locations across the United States.

VusionGroup’s DSLs operating VusionOX, the company’s Bluetooth-based (BLE) IoT operating system, will integrate with VusionCloud, IoT cloud management software.

The DSLs enable Ace Hardware to update pricing at the store level, in a matter of seconds. Through digitalising the shelf edge, Ace’s managers and associates can be more agile, responsive, and accurate, while also spending more time engaging with customers.

The VusionCloud platform enables the retailer to track, monitor, and manage digital price tags and IoT devices remotely, streamlining processes.

Moreover, LEDs installed on each DSL offer expanded use for in-store picking, put to light, pick to light, and wayfinding for associates and customers alike.

East of England Co-op

East of England Co-op, which operates convenience stores across East Anglia, has announced a new partnership with Quadient.

This will enable communities across the East to send and receive parcels via Parcel Pending by Quadient smart lockers, the first of which have been installed in the Suffolk market towns of Hadleigh and Framlingham.

The East of England Co-op, which is independent of the Co-operative Group, also operates in Norfolk, Essex and Cambridgeshire and traces its roots back over 150 years.

The smart lockers are an important part of the retailer’s plans to expand its in-store services, with lockers also planned for Norfolk and Essex in the coming months.

Parcel Pending by Quadient’s lockers will join other in-store parcel services including Evri, DPD, In-Post and Amazon lockers. 

They come with a built-in label printer, making life easier for people dropping off returned items. 

Newcastle United FC and InPost UK

As part of its partnership with Newcastle United Football Club, InPost UK reports that shoppers can now use its parcel lockers when they order any of the Premiership League team’s kits.

In a LinkedIn post, the company said: “Football fans can now get their new season kit delivered to their favourite local InPost locker by simply selecting InPost at checkout – they can even be delivered to our lockers at St James’ Park.”

It added: “We’re excited for what’s in store for our partnership in the upcoming 2024/25 season and beyond!”

Said partnership was announced at the tail end of last year.

Walmart and Instacart

Walgreens has announced a new collaboration with Instacart to offer online SNAP/EBT payment acceptance at more than 7,500 Walgreens stores across the US, including over 100 Duane Reade locations in New York.

Customers can now purchase thousands of SNAP eligible products for same-day delivery via Instacart.

“Our collaboration with Instacart underscores our commitment to expanding access to essential food items for our customers,” says Balachandra Visalatha, SVP and Chief Product Officer at Walgreens.

“By integrating SNAP/EBT payments, we are making it easier for families and individuals to shop for the items they need and offer an efficient, highly relevant customer experience that meets their changing needs and preferences.”

Currently, most Walgreens stores accept SNAP/EBT for in-person purchases. The Instacart tie up allows customers nationwide to use SNAP/EBT at any Walgreens, eliminating the need for transportation to the store.

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury’s has announced a seven-year agreement that expands the UK grocer’s more than 20-year strategic partnership with NCR Voyix.

Sainsbury’s is upgrading its checkout technology by rolling out the NCR Voyix Commerce Platform, Point of Sale solutions (PoS) and self-checkout systems to 22,500 checkouts across its supermarkets, convenience stores and petrol stations.

Leveraging NCR Voyix cloud technology, it says it will be able to help speed up the customer journey by receiving real-time data and analytics while harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) for sales analysis, estimating future store performance, colleague productivity and cash management.

The new platform will enable colleagues to approve transactions remotely via tablet, speeding up the checkout process and enhancing the shopping experience. Additionally, the self-checkout systems, powered by AI technologies, will deliver personalised promotions tailored to each customer.

Clodagh Moriarty, Chief Retail and Technology Director, says: “Our commitment to unbeatable quality food and great service, whether in store or online, is strengthened by NCR Voyix technology.”

“NCR Voyix has grown alongside Sainsbury’s for two decades, unlocking new capabilities and optimising product management, sales forecasting and store efficiencies. This is driving us to the next level and delivers for customers, colleagues and shareholders.”

Booker Group and Snappy Shopper

Booker Group, the wholesale distributor and subsidiary of Tesco, has teamed up with convenience Q-commerce firm Snappy Shopper to offer its retailers home delivery options.

Colm Johnson, Managing Director at Booker Group, says: “This partnership is a fantastic step forward, offering our retailers brilliant opportunities to grow. We’re committed to delivering the best choice, price, and service for our retailers.”

Greg Deacon, VP of Retail Media, Groups and Business Development at Snappy Shopper, says: “With nearly 70% of the UK now embracing rapid delivery, the Q-commerce market is booming.”

“The food category - especially snacking - is dominating, and we’re perfectly positioned to seize this momentum for massive growth.”

“Personally, I’m thrilled to see this partnership fuelling the future of independent retail with Booker. We’re uniting the holy trinity of wholesale, retail, and brand with Snappy, and it’s going to be a game-changer.”

Pour Moi

Voyado, a Swedish retail technology platform, has partnered with Pour Moi, a British multinational fashion brand, to support its plans for global expansion and entry into new markets. 

Pour Moi will be using Voyado’s Elevate product. This will enable its team to create efficiencies and automate manual tasks in merchandising categories and listings.

The partnership will be crucial in developing its online presence, enabling the brand to offer a sophisticated, personalised shopping experience across new markets, while maintaining efficiency in its operations.

Soletrader

Soletrader has launched its new headless and composable website on the BigCommerce platform.

Founded over 60 years ago, Soletrader has more than 28 bricks and mortar stores and concessions across the UK, trading as Soletrader and Sole.

“We had replatformed our previous websites only three years ago, and they were very much still fit for purpose,“ says Marcel Bordon, CEO at Soletrader.

“But we decided to flex our in-house tech capabilities and replatform again to position ourselves at the cutting-edge of technology now and in the future. This is our commitment to continue innovating and evolving our technology to deliver an incredible experience for our customers and our brands.”

The new site taps BigCommerce’s platform to underpin a composable commerce storefront, leveraging Storyblok for content, search and merchandising from Algolia, marketing operations from Klaviyo and hosted on Next.js infrastructure from Vercel.

BigCommerce partner Cygnet Digital oversaw development of the project in a partnership with Soletrader’s in-house team.

Chili’s Grill & Bar

Ziosk has partnered with Chili’s Grill & Bar, rolling out its tablets to more than 1,100 US locations.

Ziosk’s pay at the table solution eliminates the wait time associated with paying the bill.

“Today’s casual dining industry is as competitive as ever, and Chili’s continues to lead in team member and guest satisfaction,” says Rhonda Levene, Ziosk CEO.

“We are thrilled to return to Chili’s nationwide, giving guests the gift of time. We are committed to being a strategic partner in its success, driving operational excellence and delivering an unparalleled dining experience.”

Chili’s is also utilising Ziosk’s loyalty capabilities to increase guest engagement and enrolment in the My Chili’s Rewards programme.

Guests may also tap into Ziosk’s games and entertainment. Additionally, the company provides Chili’s access to AI powered analytics of post-dining surveys, and other interactive features.