Drones, augmented reality, and GenAI chatbots: check 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 Ikea, Walmart, TalkShopLive, NBCUniversal, Fresha, Wiliot, Aetrex, ScriptDrop, Kroger, Victoria Beckham, Caffè Nero and Octopus Energy.
Start-Rite
Children’s footwear brand Start-Rite has partnered with SizeWise to launch a digital tool that enables parents to measure their child’s feet without having to be in a store.
Tapping AI technology, this is available on Start-Rite’s website.
Jennifer Tyley, Marketing and E-Commerce Director at Start-Rite Shoes, says: "Ensuring children are in the right size shoes is critical to their foot development and health.”
"We always recommend having feet measured and shoes fitted with a professional in-store, particularly for those wriggly toddlers and first walkers, but recognise this isn’t always possible for parents.”
"So, our partnership with SizeWise, to help parents get an accurate measurement of their child’s feet at home, is really important."
Victoria Beckham
Victoria Beckham has partnered with Bambuser as it looks to create a seamless shopping experience through video commerce, starting with the brand’s newly launched denim collection.
This will be showcased through high quality video, available on Victoria Beckham’s website and social media channels.
“We're excited to introduce video commerce for the launch of our denim collection and push the boundaries of how fashion can be presented and experienced. By integrating our social channels with our e-commerce platform, we're providing our customers with an immersive and convenient shopping experience” says Kate Hurrell, Head of E-Commerce at Victoria Beckham.
Ikea
It has implemented automation solutions in its Giheung store.
This involves the use of wireless controlled robots to store products in optimised locations. Upon receiving an order, these robots pick the products and transport them to ports where co-workers are stationed.
This reduces the manual labour of walking and picking for co-workers, allowing them to focus on quality and other related tasks.
The picked products are then moved to the automated packaging system, where a 3D scanner creates boxes that fit the product size, and the system automatically handles cutting, taping, weighing, and attaching invoices.
The new technology can process approximately 2,000 orders per day, and can pack 300 boxes per hour.
It also supports sustainable efforts by optimising energy and using existing stores. Ten robots use the same power as one vacuum cleaner, according to Ikea. The automated packing solution creates custom sized boxes from FSC certified cardboard.
TalkShopLive and NBCUniversal
TalkShopLive and NBCUniversal have announced a new partnership that will see the two companies creating and streaming shoppable livestreams featuring top talent as they sell the likes of music, books, and merchandise.
The tie up launches today, when both TalkShopLive and E! Online simulcast a livestream featuring entertainer and creator Paris Hilton discussing her new album, Infinite Icon.
The livestream will allow viewers to learn more about the making of the album while purchasing autographed copies of the CD and vinyl. Additionally, signed bookplates of her best-selling book Paris: The Memoir will also be available.
The livestream took place yesterday and could be viewed and shopped on TalkShop.Live, Eonline.com, E!’s Instagram feed and Facebook page, ParisHilton.com, Hilton’s Instagram feed and Facebook page.
Blippar, Hasbro, Paramount Pictures and Walmart
They can do so by scanning a QR code that also unlocks a digital reward.
Transformers One is an upcoming American animated science fiction action film based on Hasbro's Transformers toy line. The ensemble voice cast includes Chris Hemsworth, Brian Tyree Henry, Scarlett Johansson, Keegan-Michael Key, Steve Buscemi, Laurence Fishburne, and Jon Hamm.
Blippar is the company behind the AR experience.
Briscoe Group
Impact Analytics has partnered with Briscoe Group, a retail conglomerate in New Zealand which operates Briscoes Homewares and Rebel Sport.
This will see it implement the Impact Analytics AI-Merchandising & Supply Chain platform, including PlanSmart, AssortSmart, InventorySmart, and AttributeSmart.
“After thoroughly evaluating opportunities to integrate advanced AI capabilities into our operations, we selected Impact Analytics for their exceptional retail-focused platform and team of seasoned experts,” says Andrew Scott, COO at Briscoe Group.
“The platform's ability to deliver rapid value through dynamic module interaction and sophisticated AI forecasting will future-proof our business, ensuring we remain at the cutting edge of retail innovation."
Caffè Nero and Octopus Energy
Caffè Nero has become Octopus Energy’s biggest business customer, sourcing 100% green electricity to brew coffee.
The retailer is switching more than 630 stores in the UK to Octopus’ Electric Match tariff.
The Caffè Nero Group’s energy will be sourced from three British solar and wind farms in Yorkshire, Wales and Lincolnshire, which are managed by Octopus Energy’s generation arm and enabled by its platform Kraken.
ScriptDrop and Kroger
ScriptDrop, a prescription delivery platform, has launched a same-day delivery service in Dallas and Houston for pharmacy patients.
This enables patients to request prescription delivery through the Kroger app as soon as their medications are ready for pick up. They will still have the traditional option of scheduling delivery with the pharmacy staff.
Since 2020, ScriptDrop has offered prescription delivery for Kroger Family of Pharmacy patients.
In 2023, the company expanded access for Kroger Pharmacy patients in King Soopers, Ralphs, and Columbus to schedule prescription delivery via the Kroger app.
Aetrex
Aetrex has launched new children’s foot scanning technology, Tootsie.
Available within the software of Aetrex’s 3D foot scanner, Albert 2 Pro, this features a friendly monster named Tootsie who guides children through the foot scanning process in a fun and educational way.
With each foot scan, the software provides 3D foot measurements and a recommended shoe size. Available now, it can be found in over 1,000 retail doors in the US, including Tradehome and select DSW stores.
Once a child stands on the Albert 2 Pro, Tootsie guides them through the foot scanning process, encouraging them to stand still by counting to five before capturing their unique foot data. The talking monster also dances during the seconds long scanning process.
Fresha
Fresha, a marketplace platform for beauty and wellness, has secured a $31 million venture debt facility from J.P. Morgan.
The funding will accelerate its expansion into new markets and drive the growth of its machine learning capabilities and AI-powered robotics.
By offering a subscription free business software with embedded payment processing and a consumer marketplace, Fresha helps beauty businesses, such as salons, barbershops, spas, and aesthetics clinics, to streamline their entire operations and connect with more customers.
To date, it has raised over $185 million in venture capital funding, including a $150 million Series C round in 2021 led by General Atlantic.
Fresha lays claim to a network of over 110,000 merchants, with a strong presence in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe.
The platform's reach extends across 120 countries, where customers book tens of millions of appointments monthly. To date, Fresha has facilitated transactions worth over $35 billion in gross merchandise volume.
In 2023, the company grew revenues by 67% year-over-year, with a similar level of performance expected in 2024. It says that it is approaching probability, although it did not provide further details in a press release issued today.
Wiliot
Wiliot has announced the launch of WiliBot, a generative AI (GenAI) chatbot that enables natural language conversations with any ambient IoT connected product.
Companies will be able to converse with their products and supply chains by asking questions such as: What’s the shelf life of this product? How did it get to the store? Which product should I stock next, and why? Is this product safe to stock, and why? What is the carbon footprint of this product, and why is it so low or so high?
“Ambient IoT and generative AI are increasingly symbiotic technologies,” says Wiliot CEO Tal Tamir.
“Ambient IoT generates vast amounts of data about trillions of everyday things, and GenAI can uniquely make sense of all that data. On the flipside, GenAI learns by analysing vast amounts of data.”
“To a real extent, that data has so far been finite, but ambient IoT presents massive new physical world datasets that a GenAI platform like WiliBot - and others - can use to describe products, materials, supply chains, and everything connected to the internet.”
Birmingham City FC
EFL League One football team Birmingham City FC has installed a self-pour beer solution at its St Andrew’s ground.
The project saw Boxbar Tech and Global Payments teaming up for the first time.
In a LinkedIn post, Steve McArdle, Director -Stadia and Venues at Global Payments, said: “Launch completed. The introduction of the first stadia collaboration between Boxbar Tech and Global Payments. Innovation that delivers.”
He added: “Birmingham City FC included this remarkable self-pour beer concept to the recent £15 million investment at the venue. Investing in a remarkable new fan experience at the club. Global Payments contactless technology ensures a speedy and safe transaction.”
Ikea
Ikea has announced the next phase in its drone technology programme: an upgraded AI powered system capable of operating around the clock alongside co-workers.
This will be integrated into fulfilment units, including distribution centres.
After a year of testing at the retailer’s DC in Winterslag, Belgium, Ikea is ready to deploy its drones to more locations over the next year.
The next phase will automate the physically demanding and time-consuming task of stock inventory, which is otherwise handled by employees.
This shift will not only free up co-workers to enhance the customer experience but also provides Ijea with faster, more precise and accurate stock management.
In 2021, Ikea launched a collaboration with Verity, a provider of AI and robotics, to develop a fully autonomous drone solution for its warehouses.
The first drone took flight in Ikea Switzerland, and today, more than 250 drones operate across 73 locations, in nine countries.
Qualcomm Technologies and Manchester United
Qualcomm Technologies and Manchester United have triggered the extension of their principal shirt partnership which will now run until 2029.
This follows home, away and third shirt launches which feature the Snapdragon brand on the front of a Manchester United shirt for the first time.
Snapdragon is Qualcomm Technologies’ consumer brand of processors and can be found in more than three billion devices globally. The Snapdragon processors power experiences from various digital brands across smartphones, PCs, extended and virtual reality glasses, gaming, wearables, and cars.
Since the release of the three shirts for the 2024/25 season, the content featuring the Snapdragon logo has amassed over two billion digital media impressions, which is more than any other partner launch in the club’s history.
In a first for the club, the new shirts featuring the Snapdragon brand launched with an augmented reality (AR) experience which fans can access by scanning a QR code and the Snapdragon logo on the front of the shirt.
The experience, developed by Qualcomm Technologies, brings fans onto the pitch of Old Trafford and will feature exclusive Manchester United content throughout the season.
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